Biutiful

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A black-market-goods ringleader (Javier Bardem), who also has the ability to talk to the dead, finds out that he's dying of cancer, and has to figure out what to do about his 2 kids, who he doesn't want to leave to his crazy, bipolar, slut of an ex-wife.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Javier Bardem, Maricel Alvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella, Eduard Fernandez, Cheikh Ndiaye, Diaryatou Daff, Taisheng Cheng, Luo Jin

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. As I left the theater, I heard everyone saying the same thing, "That movie was very long!" And then there was that guy who said, "I feel like I just got punched in the gut."

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The main actress decided it would be an enjoyable character trait for us if she made herself a snorter when she laughs...

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: ...And when she cries. Which between her manic states and her depressive states, ends up being most of the time she talks. It gets pretty gross. Then again, it's one of the least gross things in the film.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's up for the Best Foreign Film Oscar. And after all my bashing of it, you're probably starting to wonder why. Well, despite being incredibly long and bleak, it's actually a very beautiful film that examines sides of life, death, and the guys selling illegal merchandise in the streets, that you may not have given much deep thought to before.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Javier Bardem is also up for an Oscar for his performance. It's a good performance because he's Javier Bardem, but he wouldn't have gotten the nomination for this if he weren't Javier Bardem. Maricel Alvarez (the snorter), is also pretty amazing, especially when you consider that she has tears in her eyes for almost every scene. But her character is pretty despicable.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu chooses interesting and unpredictable views from where to depict the actors' emotions. But it's also his fault that the majority of the audience left complaining about the length of the film , instead of the emotional impact it had on them. (2 1/2 hours + previews = sitting on your ass for almost 3 hours-- this is why directors need to study math in school.)

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Right when things start to get really bad, everything gets worse.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Biutiful Trailer

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Casino Jack

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of what happened behind the scenes in the Jack Abramoff scandal, as well as an examination of what it was about his psyche that continually allowed him to think he was doing the right thing, while screwing people over and making himself rich.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Kevin Spacey, Barry Pepper, Kelly Preston, Rachel Lefevre, Jon Lovitz, Yannick Bisson, Eric Schweig, Christian Campbell, Spencer Garrett, Maury Chaykin, Ruth Marshall, Jeffrey R. Smith, Graham Greene, Jeff Pustil, Damir Andrei, John David Whelan

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It’s totally hateable. But maybe this one will help you understand exactly how corrupt and wrong-minded American Democracy (i.e. capital imperialism) has become. I hope you get mad!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Did you know that Kevin Spacey does impersonations? They’re surprisingly good. Unfortunately, that doesn’t prevent them from being totally annoying—and I’m not trying to single him out, I’m talking to all of you fools who think movie impersonations are cute. Maybe it’s just me.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Yes!!! But not in your eyes, in your heart.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Biggest wattle ever to be shown in a movie. Thank you Maury Chaykin! I will never be able to look at spaghetti the same.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Kevin Spacey is God. Barry Pepper is just the right kind of smarmy. And Jon Lovitz surprised me, in a role that shows that despite the fact that he has no range, there is a range that his one character can play.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I saw this movie a few months ago, and wrote down some snide remarks about some of George Hickenlooper's shot choices. Since then, George Hickenlooper has died, so I no longer see the point in trying to help him improve his craft. It's a great movie, let's leave it at that.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: If you don’t know or remember much about the Jack Abramoff scandal (trust me, we’ve all tried to put the Bush years out of our minds), the beginning may be a little much to take in, and it may even make you feel stupid. But be patient, before long you will be able to follow the convoluted logic of these trickster super-lobbyists’ thinking and justifications.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: When we do finally decide to rework our democracy, a good place to start might be getting rid of the laws that allow lobbyists to bribe and manipulate every politician we elect. Maybe then politicians will be forced, once again, to look into their hearts and decide what’s right for the people before making a decision that affects all of us.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Casino Jack Trailer

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The Bounty Hunter

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An ex-cop (Gerard Butler) who is now a bounty hunter is assigned to pick up and turn in his ex-wife (Jennifer Aniston).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Jason Sudeikis, Jeff Garlin, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Peter Greene, Joel Garland, Dorian Missick, Cathy Moriarty, Adam Rose, Christine Baranski, Carol Kane, Adam LeFevre, Ritchie Coster

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. With the right execution this could have been a decent concept, but the two leads hate each other so much that it's hard to care for either of them.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not really. But you know what would've made this movie funny? Casting Brad Pitt as Jennifer Aniston's ex-husband. Now that would've been an interesting twist!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: You know how Gerard Butler's character makes a big deal in the trailer about how he can tell the difference between when Jennifer Aniston's crying is real or fake? Well I couldn't. They both looked fake to me.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I'll tell you what it won't be up for: Best Costume Design. I'm sorry, but if your characters are only going to wear one outfit for the entire movie, I'd think you'd have time to come up with something a little more original and character defining than a black tank top with a black skirt and pumps. I could come up with that outfit since I was 15, without any of your formal training or your five figure salary.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Has anyone besides me noticed that Gerard Butler talks out of the side of his mouth when he does romantic comedies? I can't tell if it's because that's how he does his American accent, or if that's just his signal that he's about to say something that's meant to be taken as a sarcasm joke. What do you think?

Q: How is the Directing?

A: As soon as Andy Tennant's credit came up on the screen, I couldn't stop thinking, "Oh no! He's the guy who gave up Fool's Gold." And as I continued to indulge his generic directing style, I started to realize that this is a remake of Fool's Gold, only set it in a new location, and with two lead actors who are slightly less attractive, charming, and likeable, than Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: This is for all you screenwriters out there: what's missing from this script is the "Save the Cat" moment. For the rest of you, that is an expression which comes from the title of my all time favorite screenwriting book, "Save the Cat" by Blake Snyder. Snyder explains, that to make a character likeable, there needs to be a moment, somewhere close to the beginning, where we see him or her do something selfless and kind, like save a cat from a tree, because once it's been established that this person is generally good on the inside, we, the audience, are much more forgiving of their flaws and mistakes. The characters in this film do a lot of mean things to each other, and without a "Save the Cat" moment for each of them, we quickly become as unforgiving of them as they are of each other.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Ke$ha introduces her new single during the credits, so prepare to hear that song on the radio whenever Lady Gaga isn't playing.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-bounty-hunter/50263/trailers

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State of Play

(Guest Review by Jack)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After the brutal murder of the assistant/mistress of a junior U.S. Congressman (Ben Affleck), who serves as the chairman of a committee overseeing defense spending– an obvious Blackwater stand in--, buried secrets come tumbling out, inciting a reporter (Russell Crowe) and a political blogger (Rachel McAdams) to begin their quest for the truth.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, Viola Davis, Michael Weston, Harry Lennix

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This is a movie genre that they just aren’t making enough of anymore – adult thrillers. Psychological thrillers are hard to sell in a trailer, because they can't instantly knock your socks off without giving everything away, but ultimately, this is two hours of solid entertainment.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Ben Affleck's attempt at acting might. But that's not special, since the same could be said for any Ben Affleck movie.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Only when you think about what this movie could have been with a real actor instead of Ben Affleck.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Two words as to why it won't: Ben Affleck.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Have I mentioned Ben Affleck? Oh, I have? Then let's move on... Russell Crowe is always good and this is no exception. Rachel McAdams starts out well as the doe-eyed starter reporter, but kind of drops the ball in the one emotional scene she has.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Outside of some casting issues (I know I said we'd move on, but you have to admit, Ben Affleck is in the movie), Kevin MacDonald does a good job at keeping what could have been a tirelessly meandering plot within the confines of a tightly knit thriller.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Based on a UK miniseries, it wants to be today’s All the President’s Men. But because it is not a true story, it starts out at a disadvantage. The entire movie takes place over maybe three days, not the multiple-months of Watergate, so the investigation is not quite as buried at ATPM, but there are a few twists and turns that should keep you guessing ‘til the end. And the basic “Blackwater” conspiracy is eerily plausible. Also keep an eye out for a great scene in a parking garage.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: An interesting thru-line concerns the state of newspapers in this country. The digital age has not been kind to them, but you have to admit that there is something about seeing a newspaper headline that makes an event more real than seeing a computer browser headline. Maybe that is my age talking (and the fact that I am one of the dwindling numbers of daily newspaper readers), but I think that the makers of State of Play are as curious as I am to see what investigative journalism looks like in 10 years. I do not think it will be the same if it is exclusively online…

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/state-of-play/27010/video/state-of-play-trailer-no-1/2372618

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Gomorrah

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A fictionalized true-life glimpse into the modern day Italian Mafia in Naples, knows as The Camorra.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Salvatore Abruzzese, Simone Sacchettino, Gianfelice Imparato, Maria Nazionale, Carlo Del Sorbo, Toni Servillo, Carmine Paternoster, Salvatore Cantalupo, Gigio Morra, Ronghua Zhang, Marco Macor, Ciro Petrone

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! The first scene is fantastic, then you can go home.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: After watching The Sopranos become a national pastime, it's hard to imagine a mob story devoid of a single humorous moment, but they pull it off here.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: You would if you cared about even one of the characters in this film, especially considering most of them get killed. But you don't, so you won't.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Somehow, it has been nominated and won several big awards around the world. Not only that, but Martin Scorsese has decided to endorse this film by adding a "Martin Scorsese Presents" credit to the front of the film for American audience. So you can take his word for it, considering he is one of the premiere cinematic authorities on all matters mob, but I was bored out of my mind.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Imagine Pulp Fiction. Now imagine it in Italian. Now take away all the funny parts. And voila!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: 2 hours and 17 minutes for 4 unrelated stories, all of which are uncompelling and add nothing to this tired old genre, besides the insight that Italians are dumb enough to get involved in this nonsense in their own country, as well as in ours. If the director wasn't going to do something original, then at least he should have cut the movie down to a palatable length. I checked my clock 3 times.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Apparently the author of the book that this movie is based on, Roberto Saviano, had to go into hiding, and is under permanent police supervision, due to the death threats he received for exposing The Camorra's secrets. I'm still trying to figure out what special secrets this guy exposed about organized crime that we hadn't already deduced from seeing The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Analyze That.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hky53gXyjX0

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