In Time

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  In a world where time is literally money, which when you run out of it you die, Justin Timberlake is given a hundred years by a suicidal man, which he uses to infiltrate the rich neighborhood, before being accused of stealing the time, at which point he kidnaps the richest man's daughter (Amanda Seyfried), and goes on the lam, while giving every hour he can back to the poor people in his ghetto neighborhood.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Vincent Kartheiser, Olivia Wilde, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Galecki, Matt Bomer, Collins Pennie, Toby Hemingway, Yaya DeCosta, Brendan Miller, Ethan Peck

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  A really interesting premise gets lost inside of what becomes a never ending chase scene.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  The only joke I remember is Amanda Seyfried accidentally firing off a gun-- haha, somebody got shot.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  A lot of main characters die at the beginning, middle, and end, so-- no.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  When I was at Comic Con, the preview for this movie was By Far the Best Preview I Saw in Hall H... Which makes it that much more disappointing that the film didn't live up to its promise.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Justin Timberlake plays a character called Will Salas, but he might as well have been called Justin Timberlake because you never stop thinking you're watching Justin Timberlake.  Amanda Seyfried is cute and strong as always.  And how is Cillian Murphy not a bigger star by now?... Oh, yeah, because 50% of the roles he picks are cross-dressers.  At least he recognizes that he looks hot as a woman.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  The...  Pace.... In...  Certain... Sections.... Is... Sooooooo...  Slowwww... That...  I... Started... To... Fall... Aslee--zz-zz-zz...

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  The story starts out interesting, as you learn about the whats, hows, and whys of this world, which aims to parallel the division of wealth in our own society between the 1% and the 99%.  Then Justin Timberlake is given a whole lot of time, which he wants to use to bring down the 1% by giving it back to the 99%.  But when he gets accused of stealing that time, the script goes in a direction that doesn't take advantage of the interesting dynamic that has been set up.  The minute police take all his time, and he goes on the run.  I would've liked to see this premise go in more of a "clever mind game" direction, and less in a "who can run the fastest" direction.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: In Time Trailer

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Drive

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A driver for stunts, robberies, and racing (Ryan Gosling) meets a girl he likes (Carey Mulligan), but her husband (Oscar Issac) gets him into trouble with the mob.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, Kaden Leos

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution.Personally, I hated this movie despite its handful of interesting moments and artistic choices. I struggled to stay awake for the first half--a romantic drama-- and then struggled to justify how the tone of the second half--a gory, B-movie-style, mob thriller-- had anything to do with the first half. But I'm still going to recommend it to anyone who enjoyed No Country for Old Men, because clearly you people find characters who can kill in cold blood without thinking twice charming.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Mostly at the positive buzz it's been getting.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Mostly at the positive buzz it's been getting.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Probably. Which will be followed closely by me swearing at my TV.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Ryan Gosling is an extremely interesting and complex actor, even in the role of an empty vessel who hardly says anything and has no definable character traits besides the fact that he is a great driver, and has virtually no friends, family or confidants of any kind in his life. Without his performance, which brings just enough texture to confuse you into thinking that there might be something to this guy, this movie would be nothing more than B-level thriller looking for foreign DVD distribution at the AFM. (Definition AFM: American Film Market-- notorious place for selling action-thrillers with big stars to foreign markets because American companies weren't stupid enough to pick them up for distribution.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Bordering on pretentious, Nicolas Winding Refn, who is currently the hottest thing going in Hollywood, forces you at every turn to notice his directing work, with his constant use of reflections, shadows, and extreme angles. In fact, you will be thinking more about his work than about the story-- which may be a good thing for the story.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Never before has a screenwriter set us up so perfectly for a prequel. Hossein Amini gives us so little about the main character's backstory that you leave the film wondering where he came from, how he was raised, and basically what in his life makes him someone who can kill another human being so effortlessly and accurately on the drop of a dime. There are enough questions about who this talented murderer with a heart of gold is to fill an entire movie setting this one up. And the lack of dialogue, which is obviously supposed to be artistic, is completely unrealistic-- especially when it comes to the woman character.

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

A: The blood looks like Karo syrup with red food coloring #3 in it. The kind used in amateur horror movies. Not the kind used in Ryan Gosling/Carey Mulligan films. Just embarrassing.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Drive Trailer

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The Green Hornet

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A spoiled rich kid (Seth Rogen) who's mad at his dead dad (Tom Wilkinson) teams up with his dad's newly unemployed barrista/mechanic (Jay Chou) to fight crime in Los Angeles.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Tom Wilkinson, David Harbour, Edward James Olmos, Jamie Harris, Chad Coleman, Edward Furlong

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. There is something very exciting about this movie... But it might just be the car.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The humor is very dark and a little weird. I liked it... But I might have just been excited about that car.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Seth Rogen loses his mother, then his father... But I mostly felt bad about what happened to the car.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Better Car than the Batmobile. Yeah, I said it, Batmaniacs, bring it on!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Jay Chou is not John Cho with a Chinese accent. Although, he's equally as funny, in a much more Taiwanese way.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Michel Gondry plays down his abilities for the first time ever, simply telling the story without drawing excessive attention to his own superb directing skillz. He only showboats in two scenes. The first one is the opening party scene which feels forced and out of place next to the style of the rest of the film. The second showboating scene, though, where all of L.A.'s criminals spread the word about a million dollar bounty, leads your eye in so many interesting directions that you want to watch it more than once just to figure out how he did it.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Seth Rogen co-wrote the script, so I'm surprised he didn't make his own character a little more likeable. It's probably the one thing that could've really taken this movie from slightly off-putting and vaguely disturbing to just plain great.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Green Hornet Trailer

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The Next Three Days

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a man's (Russell Crowe) wife (Elizabeth Banks) is incarcerated for a crime he knows she didn't commit, he constructs a plan to break her out of jail himself.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Ty Simpkins, Olivia Wilde, Lennie James, Liam Neeson, Brian Dennehy, Helen Carey, Jason Beghe, Aisha Hinds, Allan Steele, Michael Buie, Moran Atias, RZA, Daniel Stern, Kevin Corrigan, Peyton Grace Allen

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Both the good guys and the bad guys are so many steps ahead of each other, that you get to a point where you're not sure if the good guys are bad or the bad guys are good.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There's not a lot of room for humor when you're trying to keep the tension high.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not really, but things sure can get awkward when your mom is in prison. And sometimes, it's really hard not to take it out on her.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Paul Haggis, Russell Crowe, and a November 19th release date... probably.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I love Elizabeth Banks, especially in comedies, but as hard as she tries in some of her difficult dramatic moments, you never forget that she's acting opposite Russell Crowe, and she's just not on his level.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It starts out dull and boring, much like the lives of the protagonists, and it ratchets up as the suspense builds.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Paul Haggis is an Academy Award winning screenwriter, and yet there's something about this French remake of Pour Elle that feels like it's simply a translation of the original screenplay. Though, to be clear, that's not an insult to the original film... Which, to be even more clear, I didn't see.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-next-three-days/1441492/trailers

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The Town

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Charlestown, MA has historically cultivated more bank and armored car robbers than any other city in the world, because it's a family trade passed down from one generation to the next. This is the fictional story of one such gang of guys who grew up together, and the fate they face due to having been born into this life.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Slaine, Owen Burke, Titus Welliver, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Like an Irish mob movie, every time you try to get out, they pull you back in.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Somehow they managed to slip in two belly laughs. That's more than most romantic-"comedies" seem to muster.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but it certainly does get morbid at times. Like when one character points out that sunny days remind her of her brother's death. I'd hate to think what rainy days remind her of.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I wouldn't mind seeing either Blake Lively or Jeremy Renner get a Supporting nod. And while we're on the topic, I'd like to complain about a preview for a new Clint Eastwood film that played before this, which proclaimed that it starred, "Academy Award Winner, Matt Damon." I know we all think Matt Damon is a good actor, but he won for writing, not acting. And he shares that award with Ben Affleck, so I guess I just saw a movie starring Academy Award Winner, Ben Affleck. What I'm trying to say is that this is a gateway advertising campaign, and if we don't use some restraint now, it won't be long before we're seeing movie advertised as starring Academy Award winners Eminem and Mafia 360.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Blake Lively and Jeremy Renner should get married and have lots of great actor babies to populate the future movies of America. Separately, by making himself the lead in this movie, Ben Affleck pointedly neglects the main reason we're all so complimentary of his directing career-- it's because we've been hinting and hoping that he'd be so busy behind the camera, he wouldn't have any time to get in front of it.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Ben, we love your directing!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: For a bunch of dumb idiots, these robbers really come up with some clever ideas about how to rip everybody off and get away. Thanks writers!... But I still have no idea why they took the girl hostage after the first robbery.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-town/38942/video/the-town-trailer-no-1/605531563001

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Micmacs

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After getting hit in the head with a stray bullet, Bazil (Dany Boon) becomes homeless and is taken in by a group of other homeless people, each with their own strange talent. Together they embark on a convoluted plot to bring down the arms dealer who shot him, as well as the arms dealer who killed his father, by pinning them against each other.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Dany Boon, André Dussollier, Nicolas Marié, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Yolande Moreau, Julie Ferrier, Omar Sy, Dominique Pinon, Michel Crémadès, Marie-Julie Baup

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's sure to become a French cult classic, which some people will refer to as genius, and others will refer to as bizarre.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The convenience of the many coincidences that lead the characters to formulate a perfectly played-out, mistake free, full proof heist plan might. But the Jerry Lewis-like antics won't.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but it hopes to get you riled up against arms dealers... just in case you didn't already think they were the bad guys.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It really should be considered for Art Direction. It's pretty cool.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Over the top and clown-like. Think Jim Carrey crossed with Charlie Chaplin speaking a made up, nonsensical language. Not my thing.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Jean-Pierre Jeunet is the Tim Burton of France.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Surreal and requiring a great deal of suspension of disbelief. Yes, it's meant to be a fantasy version of reality (starting with the man surviving a bullet to the forehead), but ultimately this group of homeless misfits turns out to be more clever than Ethan Hunt, Macgyver, and Einstein, all rolled into one. So you have to either go with it, or go home.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/micmacs/10011343/trailers

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Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After Apartheid ends in South Africa, the Black people start to realize that they're not gonna get their 40 acres and a mule, and the only way to get social justice is to steal it by hook or by crook.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Rapulana Seiphemo, Ronnie Nyakale, Jeffrey Zekele, Jafta Mambolo, Motlatsi Mahloko, Robert Hobbs, Shelley Meskin

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's like District 9, only this time, instead of aliens, they use Black people to show the racism in Johannesburg.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Of course! Racism is hilarious!... Okay, that's not even funny when you say it as a joke.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Yes, but only because white people are soooo mean!... It's like looking in a mirror.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's the kind of film that will get a lot of buzz in the Best Foreign Film category, and then not get a nomination.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: A good job was done casting younger actors who look like their older counterparts.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: A lot of shaky-cam, a fair amount of blood and people splatting on the ground after falling from high buildings, but clearly Ralph Ziman is a talented filmmaker with a vision and a voice.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: On some levels it doesn't feel like something you've never seen before, but it certainly makes you question your ideas about right and wrong.

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

A: In South Africa, this film came out before District 9.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/gangsters-paradise-jerusalema/37498/trailers

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Harry Brown

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After losing everything, an old man (Michael Caine) goes vigilante on the gang members in his neighborhood.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Charlie Creed-Miles, David Bradley, Iain Glen, Sean Harris, Ben Drew, Jack O'Connell, Jamal Downey, Lee Oakes, Joseph Gigun, Liam Cunningham

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This highly independent version of a shoot 'em up is well done, but it is in no way fun to watch.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Sure, if you find it funny that people in the projects are killing each other just for the sport of it.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It is depressing.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It won an Empire Awards in the UK. I've never heard of that award either.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I paid very close attention, and I have to tell you, I saw Michael Caine blink several times. If that means nothing to you, I suggest you get hip to the pop culture on the 1980s by watching this video: Michael Caine on Acting

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The first few shots will make you want to throw up because they're so shaky. And then you'll want to throw up again because of what happens in them. After that, the directing becomes less showy for the most part.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: A man with nothing to live for always makes for a great vigilante. The only problem is that when he's got nothing to live for, it's harder to care about whether or not he lives.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://film-book.com/harry-brown-movie-trailer/

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The Secret of Their Eyes (el secreto de sus ojos)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After retiring, a lawyer (Ricardo Darin) tries to write a novel about the most harrowing and traumatic case of his life, and in the process opens up all kinds of old wounds and old loves.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ricardo Darin, Soledad Villamil, Pablo Rago, Javier Godino, Guillermo Francella, Jose Luis Gioia, Carla Quevedo

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This is the kind of well made foreign thriller that some American studio is bound to remake within the next few years, so you can go see the Spanish version, if you're a purist, or you can wait for that inevitable English language remake to come out, if you're a lazy illiterate American.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Well one of the characters is a drunk, so he's got a plethora of wacky ideas about almost everything.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I think it's supposed to make you cry that two lovebirds could go 25 years regretting having lost each other, but I think that most people move on after a maximum of 10. I've been reconnecting with a lot of old friends on Facebook, and let's be honest, after 25 years, you hardly remember anything about a person.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Yes. It will win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, last year. Which makes my prediction here easy, but caused me to lose my Oscar pool last month.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: If only these actors spoke perfect English, I would predict long and strong careers for each of them. But since they live and work in a third world country, I suppose we'll just have to wait until the next time Argentina produces an Academy Award winning film to partake in their talents.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: You don't win an Academy Award for a film that no one has heard of when the directing sucks.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The dialogue is fun, inventive, and full of swear words used as terms of endearment and insults interchangeably. And there are a couple of scenes that will be etched in your mind in that way which usually causes them to go down in classic film history. Although most likely not in this case, since hardly enough people see foreign films in America to build any kind of a common lexicon around them.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-secret-in-their-eyes/1442753/trailers

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Cop Out

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A pair of buddy cops (Bruce Willis & Tracy Morgan) get suspended from the force for playing by their own rules, but continue to play by their own rules when one of them gets robbed of a rare baseball card, which he needs to sell so he can pay for his daughter's wedding. Further proving that weddings get you into trouble.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Guillermo Diaz, Seann William Scott, Kevin Pollak, Adam Brody, Cory Fernandez, Michelle Trachtenberg, Rashida Jones, Jason Lee, Francie Swift, Ana de la Reguara, Susie Essman, Fred Armisen

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Did you ever wonder what would happen if you remade Lethal Weapon, but you made the Black guy the crazy one and the White guy the one who's getting too old for this sh-t? Add in some zaniness, some dick jokes, and a far less professional filming style, and presto! You don't have to wonder anymore.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Probably, but the humor is as annoying as it is funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Maybe if you're a baseball collector.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: This script was on the 2008 Blacklist, which is an elite list of the best films that executives in Hollywood read that year. Either they changed a lot of it since then, or Hollywood executives are easily fooled by a few clever jokes, into thinking that an entire script is good.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Bruce Willis was once considered a comic genius of his time, but this film makes him look like he's getting too old for this sh-t. He works too hard in his performance, and still has no clear character definition, as he holds back from laughing at Tracy Morgan's improvs. Adam Brody, on the other hand, has an understated naturalness to his comedic style that I'd be happy to see explored more in bigger roles.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It's hard to believe that after 14 years, Kevin Smith still directs like an amateur. His close ups are too tight for the big screen, they are inappropriate for the emotional level of the story, his shot selections are boring and don't always help us follow the story, and he manages to make veterans (like Bruce Willis) look like they can't act. Look, he seems like a nice, intelligent guy, and I would love to sit down at the dinner table with him for some stimulating conversation, but why does he continue to get away with such embarrassing work? Will somebody please tell him to take a directing class?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: So long as you leave your sense of maturity and reality at home, there are a few good jokes and sequences, within this cliche story that could have been any rejected buddy cop script after a quick search and replace to, "Insert raunchier dick joke here."

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

A: The original title of this movie was A Couple of Dicks. Which is both more clever and explains why so many dick jokes.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/cop-out/36928/trailers

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The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After eight years in hiding, Boston's Boondock Saints (Sean Patrick Flanery & Norman Reedus) get called back into action, when someone kills a priest in a fashion that implies it was their work.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly, Clifton Collins Jr., Julie Benz, Peter Fonda, Judd Nelson, David Della Rocco, Bob Marley, Brian Mahoney, David Ferry, Gerard Parkes, Bob Rubin

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's got its holes, and it's got its flaws, but if you allow yourself to go along for the ride, you will find that this is just some good-old cheesy shoot 'em up fun.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The comedy is sort of the highlight of this film. Using an entirely new tone from the original, the film manages to brilliantly spoof itself. Now, I don't know if that was deliberate, but if it was congratulations to the filmmakers for opening up their audience, and if it wasn't they should definitely take this opportunity to pretend that it was.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Several likeable characters will die, and you will just have to deal with it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: After the original bombed at the box office, it slowly found a die-hard cult audience on video (yes, that's how long ago the original came out), and thanks to that, investors became interested in putting money up for a sequel. So it's already won the Most Unlikely Sequel Award, and that's really something to be proud of.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Sometimes when I watch these smaller films I am forced to realize that I don't watch enough TV. Julie Benz, who is mostly known for Dexter, has an absolutely break out performance. Of course, I have no way of knowing if she's always that good, because I've never seen her before. Meanwhile, Clifton Collins Jr., who can play both frightening and hilarious-- and does both within this film-- proves why he is unbelievably castable, and will be a great resource for directors needing just about any quality for many more years to come. As for the Boondock Saints themselves... they're hardly in the movie.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Troy Duffy has a very strong cinematic sense, which he proves over again in this sequel. Unfortunately, he also proves that he's self-indulgent and showy in ways that don't always highlight his talent. He often makes choices that are so busy drawing attention to his directing, that they take away from the story, and confuse the audience. In addition, there are a few scenes that end up dragging on a bit too long, and seem only to be there to showcase some great shot or effect he wasn't willing to leave on the cutting room floor. Even a second of boredom in a film can snap you right out of the world you're trying to be drawn into.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There are a lot of inside jokes that refer back to the original in ways that make it hard to follow the film if you're not in the know. I've actually seen the original, but it was so many years ago, and I've seen hundreds (possibly thousands) of other films since then, so I found myself having a hard time following the non-linear structure. I was able to quickly move past those moments, so I still enjoyed it-- especially the comedy-- but I also breathed a sigh of relief every time I was (heavy handedly) told by the characters about some relevant thing that had happened in the original.

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

A: It's hard for me to write about Troy Duffy or The Boondock Saints without recommending a documentary called Overnight. It's about him and the notorious Hollywood story of how the original script sold for a ridiculously high price to Miramax, catapulting him to overnight success, but how with his arrogance, he managed to throw it all away overnight, too, finding himself back in the struggle with everybody else, just another guy trying to get his film off the ground. This is an amazing cautionary tale for all those of you with big Hollywood dreams. Troy's story has a moderately happy ending, since we know that his story leads to a sequel-- which is a pretty indisputable proof of success. But it's also important to point out that despite all his raw talent, he wasn't able to land another directing job in 10 years until this sequel was funded. I'll be interested to see if he gets a second chance this time...

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-boondock-saints-ii-all-saints-day/39245/trailers

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The Stoning of Soraya M.

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When an Iranian man’s wife refuses to divorce him, because he’s not offering her enough money to put food on the table for their daughters, he mounts a plot to get rid of her so that he can marry the 14 year old girl of his dreams.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Shohreh Aghdashloo, Mozhan Marno, James Caviezel, Navid Negahban, Ali Pourtash, Davis Diaan, Parviz Sayya, Vachik Mangassarian

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. (In case you didn’t already gather that from the title.) This is a powerful and disturbing movie, based on a true story. All of you should be strong enough of heart and mind to see this gut-wrenching film about the inhumanities being procured against women around the world, but I know that some of you aren’t. Yes, that is a challenge. I double-dog dare you to see this amazing film.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It’s not too big on the comic relief. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the whole stoning a girl to death thing?

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: : If it doesn’t, you have the heart of a Jihadist, and you should sign yourself up to the Terror Watch List immediately.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's showcasing at the L.A. Film Festival this weekend, and since that's run by the same organization as the Independent Spirit Awards, it's safe to say it's on its way. The only concern I have for this film, is that it's a little too good to get a Spirit Award nomination, and far too much about stoning a woman to death, for any of the voters to actually sit through it... wimps!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: You'll find out that Shohreh Aghdashloo’s first nomination (for House of Sand and Fog) wasn’t just a fluke. She is an Oscar caliber actress. And it's fun to see Jim Caviezel playing a French-Muslim as his follow up to Jesus, although I wasn’t sold on his efforts to sound French.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It all takes place in a tiny little, picturesque Iranian town, built into a mountain, so it’s very beautiful to look at in all its claustrophobia. But at times the lighting goes from a fairly dark scene to an extremely bright scene, and my pupils literally had difficulty adapting and refocusing on the image… Something to consider for all you cinematographers out there.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: With a story this powerful, a screenwriter doesn’t have to do much outside of not mess it up. Which, thankfully, Cyrus and Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh didn't.

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

A: The Iranians and the Muslims are not going to like how they’re portrayed in this film. But it’s a true story, so maybe instead of being offended, they should take part in re-educating the branches of their religion and culture that give men all the rights and women none. Also, when you see how government is run at the small town level in Iran, it sheds a lot of light on how their recent Presidential election could've gotten so messed up.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/the%20stoning%20of%20soraya%20m/trailers

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The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a subway train gets hijacked, a central control dispatcher (Denzel Washington) finds himself getting a crash course in hostage negotiations.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzman, Victor Gojcaj, John Turturro, James Gandolfini, Michael Rispoli, Ramon Rodriguez, Aunjanue Ellis, John Benjamin Hickey, Alex Kaluzhsky, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Katherine Sigismund, Jake Siciliano, Gary Basaraba

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's a fast paced Hollywood-style thriller, with a pinch of action, and as usual, this time it gets personal!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's not quite as funny as it thinks it is, but every once in a while, one of those clever comebacks you'd only hear in a studio movie doesn't sound cliche.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There is one part that's pretty moving, where we find out Denzel's backstory, and surprisingly, it's nowhere near the end.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Denzel Washington film involving hostages and taking place in one day to come out this year. (I've watched the movies you pick, Denzel, and I'm onto you.)

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It's like a smörgåsbord of top professionals doing what they do best: be badass.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Tony Scott never stops moving the camera. So even though you're watching two guys in static locations talking on the phone, (by which I mean walkie-talkies), you feel like you're watching a non-stop action-filled roller coaster ride.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I didn't find any flaws in it. And if you've been reading my blog you know that's saying something.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/taking%20of%20pelham%20123/trailers

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The Brothers Bloom

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A couple of con artist brothers (Adrien Brody & Mark Ruffalo) contrive their cons to tell the stories they want their lives to be about.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane, Maximilian Schell, Ricky Jay, Zachary Gordon, Max Records, Nora Zehetner

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Highly stylized and convoluted, this is a love-it or hate-it kind of piece, that asks the question can you control the outcome of your own life, by planning the perfect con?

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It is certainly a comedy, but in a bizarre and artsy way. Babel's Rinko Kikuchi, whose offbeat character garners most of the laughs without hardly ever uttering a word, sums up the tone in a nutshell. But then again, blowing things up can often be a more decisive way to express yourself than words.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Rather than use words to answer this, I'm just going to blow something up... [wait for it]... [wait for it]... Okay, it's done. And I think you catch my drift.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Rian Johnson's last film, Brick, was nominated for a bunch of Independent Spirit Awards, and they tend to enjoy recycling their nominees, so in that sense this film has a decent chance of getting attention over there. Unfortunately, this film is a lot more entertaining than Brick, so Johnson may have shot himself in the foot, because the Spirit Awards don't usually nominate films that are fun to watch.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Superb across the board. All the actors manage to give real feeling performances while delivering lines and concepts that are completely over the top and absurd. Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo are excellent, but it's the women who steal the show. Rinko Kikuchi with her evilly detached, yet secretly caring persona. And Rachel Weisz, who glows and bounces off the screen with a childlike joy, that makes it hard to tell if she's the conman or the mark.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: As in writer-director Rian Johnson's first film, the story blurs the lines between a realistic world and a fantasy, without ever outright defining the rules of the fantasy world. The look of the film is realistic, not fantasy, so you're never quite sure where you are in this pseudo-surreal existence. If my description isn't making this any easier for you to grasp, know that that is quite deliberately the filmmakers intention.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story is a lot of fun, though in some ways predictable. You never know who's conning who, but you know it doesn't matter because it's all being done out of love. You also never know what the con is that their pulling, who's getting what out of it, or even what era the movie takes place in, as the characters dress and talk like they're in the 1940s, and travel to Europe by boat, despite the discovery that one of them has a cellphone. Those are the aspects of the film you will either find highly artistic and inventive or completely annoying.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-brothers-bloom/27798/trailers

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Angels & Demons

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A Harvard symbologist, Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), is called upon to solve a mystery that will save Vatican City from exploding at midnight.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Thure Lindhardt,

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's exactly like The Da Vinci Code, but with a different set of clues, leading to a different story about how the church has issues.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I laughed once, but I was the only one. It was very lonely.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There is one little, teeny-tiny tinge of emotion at the end. But as you know from the first one, this is more of an intellectual undertaking than an emotional one.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I can't see any reason for it. Nothing particularly stands out as being remarkable.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It's exactly like The Da Vinci Code but with a different set of dialogues, leading to a different book that Robert Langdon can write, Dan Brown can write about, we can read, and Hollywood can make a movie version of.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Lavish. I mean, not only does Ron Howard have two of every award, but this time, he got to film in the fake Sistine Chapel!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Exactly like The Da Vinci Code, but with a different set of bad guys, leading to a different set of surprise twists.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/angelsdemons/

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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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Sunshine Cleaning

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A dark comedy about a couple of struggling sisters (Amy Adams & Emily Blunt) who try to make ends meet by starting up a business that involves cleaning up after people's bloody deaths.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Jason Spevack, Steve Zahn, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Clifton Collins Jr., Eric Christian Olsen, Paul Dooley, Kevin Chapman, Judith Jones

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. In this time of recession, it's interesting to think about the different odd jobs out there that might be lucrative, but it's depressing to think about how easily your whole plan can get ruined, ruining you in return for your efforts.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine and the darkness of the humor is similar, but the laughs in this one aren't as frequent or as plentiful.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Some people cry at the sight of blood and death. Personally, I'm just thankful that they never perfected smell-o-vision.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: They really teach you everything you need to know about starting this kind of a business, so I'm thinking it'll probably be the movie most likely to inspire people to get over their fear of death and get a job cleaning up after it.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Amy Adams is her regular delightful self. Emily Blunt is a pleasure that I look forward to watching more of as soon as possible. Alan Arkin is exactly the same as he was in Little Miss Sunshine, but with less funny lines to say. And Steve Zahn is desperately underused in this and the rest of the movies getting made around Hollywood, in particular, the ones he's not cast in.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The only moment in which the directing really draws attention to itself is when we see the mom, and then dissolve from one sister's face to the other, instantly realizing how incredibly well cast it is, as the mom has the exact facial features necessary to link the two actresses faces, and create the illusion that they're really related. Separately, you should know that considering all the blood involved in death, the director has intelligently shot this such that the gore-level isn't too high.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's definitely a story that's never been done before, so there's that. The question remains: is this a story that needed to be done? And that's where I'm on the fence.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/sunshine%20cleaning/trailers

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Taken

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a retired spy's daughter gets kidnapped, he (Liam Neeson) will stop at nothing to get her back before she is sold into prostitution.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Xander Berkeley, Katie Cassidy, Nicholas Giraud, Olivier Rabourdin,

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Though it's billed as a thriller, this film fits more cleanly into the superhero genre. Despite the fact that Liam Neeson doesn't wear a cape or a mask, or have any notable superpowers, his skills at tracking and apprehending bad guys are definitely superhuman. And while the film is entertaining throughout, it is missing the one thing that makes and breaks a good superhero movie: a worthy adversary.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Human trafficking, now there's a funny topic!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Some saps I know might've gotten teary-eyed during the epilogue. But I can't vouch for them.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's been doing awesome at the box office (on track to cross $100 million), and I think that's more than the studio behind this small January release ever expected.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Liam Neeson is intense and makes you feel his urgency from the beginning to the end. Maggie Grace does a great job of portraying that youthful high school energy, and I probably shouldn't be impressed by this, but she's a very good screamer.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: There are a lot of artful shots, but I'm a firm believer that action needs to be shown in wider shots so you can follow what's going on.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Action packed and intense because the stakes are high and the clock is ticking, but this movie could have gotten that elusive green light from me, if only Neeson had been put into a few more impossible-to-get-out-of situations. As it is now, you feel like he's always two steps ahead of everyone, and no one could possibly stop him.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/taken/28725/trailers

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Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A fat, pathetic loser (Kevin James) falls for a girl who's way out of his league, and despite her rejection, puts his life on the line to save her from a robbery in which she is taken hostage. Do girls ever really fall for that old trick?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O'Donnell, Raini Rodriguez, Shirley Knight, Stephen Rannazzisi, Peter Gerety, Bobby Cannavale, Adam Ferrara, Allen Covert, Jamal Mixon, Adhir Kalyan, Erick Avari

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you're the kind of person who laughs at absolutely anything, this movie is for you. If you have standards of any kind, skip it. And separately, if that giant tub of man hadn't done 9 years on TV as the King of Queens, that girl wouldn't give him the time of day, even if he did save her life. She'd say thank you, and ask if they could be friends... Just in case she happened upon an unattractive lonely woman to set him up with.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you find an hour and a half of a guy riding around on a Segway funny, all I can say is... Your mother must be very proud.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I will say this, it is very depressing.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Yes, First Mall Cop Movie to Come Out this Year. (Seth Rogen has one coming soon called Observe and Report, which will undoubtedly be compared to this. Without having seen it, I can guarantee that the Seth Rogen one is better.)

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The ninja gymnastics was the best thing the acting had going for it. I don't know who decided that ninja skateboarders, bmx riders, and half-pipe-riding roller skaters would make for a compelling band of robbers, but if you overlook the ridiculousness of it all, you will notice that their stunts are still more interesting than the parts of the acting that involve words.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: In the scene in the Rainforest Cafe, where Blart takes down the grand majority of the bad guys, you have no idea how he got them. Why? Because the director doesn't show us those parts. Why doesn't he? My guess is because they had run out of ideas by that point in the script. After all, it's not so easy to convince an audience that an out of shape Mall Cop could take on 6 athletic ninja villains, who are all coming at him at once, and win.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: While it couldn't be more lowbrow if it had been a straight to DVD movie, it did have a few clever moments in which Paul Blart had to "outsmart" (in quotes) the robbers, in order to take them down. Considering how much money it's made, you probably have a friend who's already seen it, so maybe you can just get the Cliff's Notes from him.

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

A: They somehow forgot to mention in the promos that this was a Christmas movie. Maybe because there's no more relevant time to put out a Christmas movie than 2 weeks after Christmas is over. God I hate January movies.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/paul-blart-mall-cop/31338/trailers

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Miracle at St. Anna

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a bank teller in New York mysteriously shoots a customer, a priceless Italian statue head is found in his apartment. Then, when a newspaper man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) goes to interview him about it, we flashback to World War II to learn about what it was like to be a Black soldier fighting the Germans in Italy on behalf of the United States.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller, Valentina Cervi, Matteo Sciabordi, Pierfrancesco Favino, John Turturro, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Leguizamo, Kerry Washington, D.B. Sweeney, Omero Antonutti, Sergio Albelli

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! Spike Lee seems to use every film as a platform to rant on about racism. To which I say, either think of something new to say on the matter or become a preacher! When you constantly accuse White people of being born and bred to be racists against Blacks, all you do is unite Black people in a common (unfounded) hatred of all Whites across the world. Which, first of all, makes you, Spike Lee, look ignorant. And second of all, it doesn't acknowledge the great strides that have been made toward progress-- like, for example, I don't know, that a Black person is probably going to be our next president! Oh, and I almost forgot to mention: your film meanders without focus, or a plot, and it's 2 1/2 boring hours long. Get off your pedestal and learn to tell interesting stories-- it is what they pay you (a lot more than 40 Acres and a Mule) to do.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: One of the characters is given a funny nickname by a young Italian boy with a vivid imagination. I would tell you what it is (since you're not going to see this movie anyway), but without the visual of how massive this actor is, "My Chocolate Giant" doesn't sound all that clever.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: The ending is moving. Unfortunately, you'd have to sit through the rest of the film to find that out. And since you know better than to do that, I don't see how it can make you cry.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It pains me to even consider the question.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The acting is fine. But ask me to tell you who the main character is supposed to be, or whose point of view the story is told from, and my answer would look something like: ???!#@??

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Since the movie takes place mostly in Italy, it can't help but be beautiful. But if Spike Lee had done his job, and cut out the parts that don't advance the story, the film would only be long enough to distribute on Youtube.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It starts out with an interesting mystery, and then we flashback 40 years and watch soldiers doing God knows what, because God knows why, for about two hours. And even though the ending is sweet, if you think about it for more than a few seconds you start to realize how many of its elements could never happen without massive amounts of coincidence and unlikely happenstance.

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

A: The score seemed to be pulled from a 1940 film, which is an interesting choice. But maybe I wouldn't have been listening to it so much, if I had felt like paying attention to the movie.

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