The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A kidnapping for a ransom turns complicated, when one of the kidnappers (Martin Compston) admits to the victim (Gemma Arterton) that he's in love with her... and that's only half the story. But anyway, when has a kidnapping for a ransom not turned complicated?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Gemma Arterton, Martin Compston, Eddie Marsan. And that's really it.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Taking place almost entirely in a tiny one bedroom apartment, this low budget thriller is both simple and full of twists.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: You know what's funny? When they tie her up, and strip her naked, and you think they're going to rape her, but they don't. Hahahaha! They totally got me.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Hopefully, neither kidnapping nor being kidnapped are relatable enough situations to you to make you cry.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I would love to see Gemma Arterton nominated for something for this. The girl cries and screams like nobody's business, through the whole thing. She must've been exhausted by the end of every work day. I was exhausted just watching her performance.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Martin Compston will likely be our next British import, now that we've all sort of tired of Orlando Bloom. And Eddie Marsan is great, if not somewhat scary, in everything-- I mean, did you see Happy Go Lucky?

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It's hard to keep a bedroom, a living room, and a bathroom entertaining for the entire length of a movie, but in this case it really adds to the claustrophobia, and J Blakeson keeps things moving and dynamic, along with the help of an ominous score.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story has enough twists, turns and intrigue to make you forget that you haven't left the room in over an hour. It doesn't fall back on dialogue to keep things moving along, either. You are simply pulled through by your concern about who will get out of this situation and how-- despite the fact that each of the characters has at least one flaw that should rightfully make you hate them to the point of not caring.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/the%20disappearance%20of%20alice%20creed/trailers

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Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Hugh Hefner has lived through the Great Depression, a World War, two east-Asian wars, two gulf wars, the sexual revolution, the civil rights movement, and the invention of plastic surgery, and I'm pretty sure he had a hand in all of it.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: A bunch of bunnies, a bunch of horn dogs, some old-timey famous folks, and George Lucas.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's interesting to learn that before Hef hung out with gaggles of indistinguishable fake-boobed blonds, young enough to be his grand-daughters, he was an activist who made strides in racial rights and even (supposedly) in some aspects of women's rights, but it's hard to reconcile with the fact that he seems incapable of seeing how his work exploits women.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Here's something funny: Hef doesn't understand why some people call his magazines pornography. So just to be clear, I looked up the definition on Merriam-Webster, which says, "the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement." And then, next to it, there was a picture of Marilyn Monroe on the cover of the first edition of Playboy.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Dr. Ruth says it best when she pin-points the sad truth about why Hef won't be remembered for the relevant and important impact he had on making the world a more just and fair place for women and minorities. She explains that he made the mistake of mixing up his personal life with his professional life, and now no one can take him seriously, because all anyone associates with him is the fact that he's dating between three and seven women at once, all of which only love him for his money. (I admit, I added that last bit.)

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: You are not gonna believe this, but it won the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award for free speech!... Okay, it hasn't won it yet, but since Hef gives it out, don't you think it's got a good chance?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Before he got all old and creepy, Hugh Hefner was actually a much more attractive and fascinating man than I care to admit. Yeah, I would've done him.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I know Hugh Hefner is almost 200 years old, but the movie about his life didn't need to be in real time. Over 2 hours for any film is a mistake, but over 2 hours for a documentary about one person shows a lack of restraint that borders on unprofessional. I'm thinking the director is a hoarder.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Provocative, but it feels like a bit of propaganda to me. Hef has a line where he says that he still picks every centerfold and every cover, and edits all the cartoons and articles... well I've got a feeling that director, Brigitte Berman, only gained this kind of access because she gave Hef final cut on how he would be represented in his final impressions, too.

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

A: Boobies!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/hugh-hefner-playboy-activist-and-rebel/10011272/trailers

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Taking Woodstock

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: To avoid going broke, a young man (Demetri Martin) agrees to host the Woodstock Music Festival at his parents' motel, and you all know what happened from there.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Demetri Martin, Imelda Staunton, Henry Goodman, Eugene Levy, Emile Hirsch, Paul Dano, Kelli Garner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Don Fogler, Jonathan Groff, Liev Schreiber, Gabriel Sunday, Mamie Gumer, Kevin Sussman, Adam LeFevre

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Mostly due to a severe lack of period music, you never get lost in that 1960s feeling that was probably the main reason you chose to attend this movie in the first place.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: For all the silly places my sister, my dad, and I used to tell people they'd reached when they called our home, none of our attempts to be funny when we answered the phone were as hilarious as the way in which Demetri Martin answers the phone, in all seriousness, at his parents' motel.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Only if watching people go from flat broke to rich to richer in seconds flat makes you feel sad for your own insurmountable debt.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Considering the amount of nudity in the film, I was amazed to look around the theater at the vast number of blue hairs in the audience. Then it dawned on me, that these old geezers are about the right age to have actually attended this momentous event. And since the Academy is also made up of old farts, I'm going to assume that they too have a nostalgic affinity for smoking dope, dropping acid, and enjoying free love, and therefore, I'm not going to rule out awards consideration quite as fast as I should.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I don't know if you've ever seen Imelda Staunton in a film before, but I've seen her in two. And based on that tiny sampling, I would venture to say that everything she does is genius, and she should be doing a lot more of it. She is the highlight of the film, the source of most of the comedy, and in all seriousness, I would be shocked if she didn't win the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Ang Lee puts his artistic mark on the thing, but the pace is over-indulgent and self-important, at the same time. Also, I blame him for this film's greatest shortcoming-- which is the measly 3 recognizable songs on the soundtrack. You see, we know the problem wasn't that the budget was too low to afford more songs, because they had enough money to hire Ang Lee to direct.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There is a nice story about family at the center of it all, and a few scenes that are particularly special. But the film starts out slow and never reaches the speed limit. So it's like driving behind an old person, and then having to smell them next to you in the theater... Probably sitting in a better seat than you, because they made you late.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/taking-woodstock/34750/trailers

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The Time Traveler's Wife

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A romance about a little girl who falls in love with a time traveling man (Eric Bana), and grows up to marry him, despite all the complications of building a life with a man who comes and goes at random. You know, put that way, it's not that different from a lot of regular marriages out there.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana, Ron Livingston, Hailey McCann, Tatum McCann, Michelle Nolden, Arliss Howard, Jane McLean, Brooklynn Proulx, Stephen Tobolowsky, Philip Craig

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Thinking about what you would and wouldn't know about the past, present and future is engaging, but the pace is often too slow, the tone too melodramatic, and you can tell from watching the movie that the book is more romantic.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Some say melodrama is a less subtle form of comedy, so you might laugh at all the intense stares, but I don't think they mean for you to.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Because we know the future, we are never caught off guard by the sad things that happen, but there is a moment or two that could induce tears in those of you who are emotionally unstable to begin with.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I'm giving it the award for the Most Predictable Studio Note of the Year. There is a moment so inauthentic and obvious, that even without reading the book, I could tell it was 100% pure Hollywood concoction. And without giving anything important away, I will tell you that it has to do with the Lottery, and the fact that any movie with time travel has to do this beat, even though we've all seen it a million times before... To quote my ex-boyfriend, misquoting Jay-Z, "So unnecessary."

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Rachel McAdams is as talented and beautiful as she always is, but I don't yet get why Eric Bana, was plucked off the streets of Australia to become the next big Hollywood star. He does nothing particularly wrong, but he's not super great looking, and I have yet to see him do any acting that answers the question "Why him?"

Q: How is the Directing?

A: From the first frame I was bored by both the music and the tone. Thankfully there were scenes that exceeded my low-set expectations, but still, this movie is more proof that first impressions can taint your whole experience.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There are too many times when the young versions of Rachel McAdams say to the time traveling man, "You've never said that before." This is used to telegraph the rules of time travel to the audience, and it works, but it's way too on the nose. It's also a pretty good example of the level of finesse the rest of the script displays.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-time-travelers-wife/28722/trailers

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X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Where did Wolverine come from? How did he get to be the way he is? You will find out, but he won't.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Will.i.am, Lynn Collins, Kevin Durand, Dominic Monaghan, Taylor Kitsch, Daniel Henney, Ryan Reynolds

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. After resisting seeing this movie, I have to say, it's not nearly as bad as you think it's going to be. I'd even go so far as to admit that it's a lot of fun-- so long as you don't require any elements that you've never seen before in a film.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are several efforts made, but none of them are successful.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I hope you don't mind fingernails on a chalkboard, because in a movie featuring so many characters with remarkable nails, you're bound to get a lot of them scratching up things... and the flesh is almost easier to take than the metal.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: How great is Weapon XI? Best bad guy ever! Talk about having it all!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: As good of an actor as Hugh Jackman is, I sometimes have a hard time getting past his total thespianism. His posture in the the way he walks, and stands, and glares is so actor-y to me, that I don't always see a tough guy-killer, but rather a sweet, family man, who likes to take on interesting roles. And I love Danny Huston, but the mere fact that he's cast in a role, gives away who the bad guy is going to be. He needs to play some nice guys soon, to bring back that element of surprise.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing is fast-paced and move-y. So much so, that it inspired me to make up a word... only to realize that the word already exists, and it's spelled, "movie." But, yeah, I thought the directing was great.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The fights, the superpowers, the special effects, are all there. And the story is absolutely adequate, too. They kind of had it easy though, since we already know that Wolverine doesn't remember his past, from the X-Men movies we've already seen. So the writers could basically do anything, because they have to erase his memory by the end, for continuity, so this story is ultimately irrelevant to the rest of the lore.

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

A: Do not stay for the little scene after the credits. It's not nearly interesting enough to justify sitting through approximately 17 minutes of visual effects credits.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/x-men-origins-wolverine/30722/trailers

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O'Horten

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A railroad conductor retires after a life of rigidity and schedule, to finally discover the lighter side of life.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Baard Owe, Espen Skjonberg, Ghita Norby, Henny Moan, Bjorn Floberg, Kai Remlov, Peder Anders Lohne Hamer, Kari Loland

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! The only reason to see this movie is if you want to look at a snowy Norwegian vista, but you can’t afford a ticket to visit it live.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Only if you have a lot of patience and a very peculiar sense of what’s funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Boy, will it not do that.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: If a movie could be a wallflower, this one would define that genre. But to get awards somebody has to notice you exist.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Most of the characters aren’t on screen long enough to do anything wrong. (You have to see the movie to know how incredibly true that is.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The lighting, framing and production design are what make this film a piece of art…

Q: How is the story/script?

A: …And the quiet story-less story is what makes this art film another boring piece of-- art film.

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

A: This movie doesn’t come out until May 15th in the US, but I’m posting it now because it’s already out in the rest of the world.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/o'horten/trailers

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Yes Man

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A depressed man (Jim Carrey), who hates life and everything in it, is able to turn things around simply by saying "yes" to offers, instead of "no."

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, John Michael Higgins, Rhys Darby, Danny Masterson, Molly Sims, Sean O'Bryan, Fionnula Flanagan, Terrence Stamp, Sasha Alexander, Brent Briscoe, Luiz Guzman, Vivian Bang, Aaron Takahashi

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This inspirational comedy reminds us that when we take life by the cohones, we do a great service, not only to ourselves, but to all those around us. Happiness is contagious. And here's a newspaper article to prove it: Happiness is Contagious, research finds

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: During Zooey Deschanel's musical performance, you may even squeal a little. Especially if you're a girl who's ever been with a guy.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Tears of joy and positivity... No, not really. You probably won't cry.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best lyrics EVER!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: No one in this film is really pushing the limits of their acting tool, here. In fact, pretty much all of them are playing characters we've seen them play in other movies before. Hey, stick to what you're good at, right?

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Peyton Reed always manages to infuse an energy into his films that causes you to leave the theater wanting to dance in the streets.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The set up and the conclusion are kind of easy, but I love when a script brings back even the most innocuous and seemingly irrelevant moments for a big pay off. And for doing that, I love these writers, and I'm gonna go ahead and say that this is a very well crafted screenplay.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/yes%20man/trailers

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The Reader

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A 15-year-old boy (David Kross) falls in love with an older woman (Kate Winslet) in 1958, only to find out later that she was a Nazi war criminal.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Lena Olin, Jeanette Hain, Vijessna Ferkic, Bruno Ganz, Karoline Herfurth, Volker Bruch, Hannah Herzsprung, Burgahart Klaussner

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It starts out sexy and taboo, and goes on to become an emotionally conflicting demonstration of the fine line between being guilty of a heinous crime and just following orders. Its major flaw becomes pretty clear from reading the above noted descriptions of the film-- which is that it feels a little like two separate movies. But if you can get past that, and focus on how the two parts tie together, you will find an interesting examination of how difficult it became to be a guilt-free German after World War II... especially by association.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is one joke and it's at Lady Chatterley's expense.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Between the emotions tied to the pain of first love's heartbreak, the life-long damage that baggage can cause, and the realization that those who took part in the atrocities of the Holocaust could be the very people you know and love, there's bound to be something that gets to you.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's not the best movie of the year, but this is the kind of historical drama that tends to win Academy Awards. Add to that the death of two of its highly regarded, high profile producers, Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella, (making this movie the last for both of them), and suddenly this film's chances of winning become unsurmountable... That is, if it hadn't been for the very public, very petty battle that went down between (still living) producers Scott Rudin and Harvey Weinstein, which led to Rudin taking his name off the project, and turned an angry mob of Harvey-haters even less willing to let him win anything for anything.

Personally, I think that giving posthumous courtesy awards should be illegal. The dead will never know they got it, and the living will always know they're losers. What good comes of that?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Kate Winslet gives the most transformative performance of her illustrious career. But rumor has it, she's going to campaign harder for her role in Revolutionary Road, because her husband, Sam Mendes, directed that one. I hope for her sake that she doesn't get nominated for an Oscar for Revolutionary Road, because not putting all her eggs in the husbandless basket would be a huge mistake. This is the role she could win for.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The look and feel of the film is perfect, but the pace drags a bit at times. Thankfully, Stephen Daldry can always blame Harvey Weinstein for that, since he's the one who rushed him out of post-production, to make the Awards season deadline, which, coincidentally, is why Scott Rudin allegedly took his name off the film in the first place.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The two part structure gives away that it's based on a novel, and makes this an unconventional narrative for a movie. But with the clear use of flashbacks and time jumps, the writer, David Hare, manages to make it work. Except for the last scene, which would have been better served had it been the first scene instead. Considering it sets the story in motion, I would bet money that there was a time when the last scene of this movie was the first scene.

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

A: Warning: There is full-frontal 15-year-old male nudity. And I'm not sure if you can go to jail for looking at that.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-reader/30943/trailers

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Appaloosa

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A couple of peace enforcers (Ed Harris & Viggo Mortensen) try to maintain the law in Appaloosa, which is being overrun by a bullying scoundrel (Jeremy Irons). But at its core, it's really just another movie about how women ruin everything (Renee Zellweger).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons, Renee Zellweger, Cerris Morgan-Moyer, Timothy Spall, Gabriel Marantz, Lance Henriksen, Adam Nelson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's predictable, a trifle, and without moral dilemma. To quote my friend Matthew, "People with undiscerning taste will enjoy this movie." So, go ahead. Like this movie. I dare you.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Some people in my theater were laughing, but I'm not sure why.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Cowboys ain't supposed to cry. (1977 Country & Western reference, anyone?)

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Seeing this film get any recognition, besides for Cinematography, would be a disappointment.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Viggo Mortensen is always perfect, but he usually picks more interesting roles. Jeremy Irons is reminiscent of Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood, so that's probably a good thing. Ed Harris, who also directs himself, gives a textured and appropriately deadpan performance. But Renee Zellweger and her fat face make you wince the moment she appears on the screen. Not because she's such an awful actress, just because she's so unpleasant to look at, with her squinty eyes and her fake smile, and her anorexic body, which miraculously holds up her giant head. Perhaps I would be less annoyed with her physical appearance if she stopped getting cast as some kind of beauty queen, that men are willing to die over. I mean, I can only suspend disbelief so much for one movie.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Ed Harris' composition and Dean Semler's cinematography are the highlights of what this film has to offer. But Harris' pacing is so slow and monotonous that you find yourself tapping your feet impatiently, as you wait for something-- anything-- exciting to happen.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The conflict level is very light. There's a little, but most of it is predictable, as the writers often take the easy way out of each difficult situation. The main character is too accepting, so he doesn't get angry and retaliate when bad things are done to him. It's a character choice, but it's not a compelling one. And while they tried to justify his blind love for his undeserving wife by explaining that she, "Takes a bath every night," and "Keeps herself clean," you don't buy that he would be so forgiving of a woman who acts the way she does, and looks like Renee Zellweger, to boot.

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