Happythankyoumoreplease

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A twenty-something slacker (Josh Radnor) finds a lost kid (Michael Algieri) on the subway, takes him home, and separately, all his friends fall in love.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Michael Algieri, Zoe Kazan, Kate Mara, Pablo Schreiber, Tony Hale, Peter Scanavino, Richard Jenkins

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's one of those sweet and slightly quirky indy darlings that's easy to love because it pretends to be edgy, without actually being deep or angry enough to turn any viewers off.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are some legitimately quirky moments of dialogue.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you believe in love it might, because men will say absolutely anything to get laid, and they won't mean any of it in the morning.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It won the Audience Award at Sundance, so obviously it's better than I think it is. Or maybe, when people are at Sundance, they get caught in a storm of pretentious movie mediocrity, and in order to survive, grow a pair of "Sundance Goggles," where they become so intoxicated by the energy of being in the same room as bigwigs and pretending they can afford to be there, that suddenly, really average movies starts to look like models.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Josh Radnor demonstrates why he is the star of a hit sitcom. Malin Akerman is one of my favorites in everything, and Zoe Kazan is as interesting an actress as Kate Mara is bland.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: If Josh Radnor did one thing right, it was to cast only men who are less attractive than he is, making himself look comparatively studly... Oh, and he also proves that Zack Braff isn't the only schlubby, neurotic sitcom lead who can direct a decent indy film about aimless twenty-somethings trying not to get their hearts broken.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The dialogue is cute enough to trick you into thinking Josh Radnor writes his own words on How I Met Your Mother, but the romantic storylines feel like they've been done in every indy rom-com ever made. The one saving grace is the story about taking home a stray kid, but that ends up feeling secondary to the romance, and ultimately, the kid doesn't really cause the guy who takes him in to change in a memorable way.

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

A: Many of you will love the indy soundtrack, easily sampled in the trailer.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Happythankyoumoreplease Trailer

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Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3D

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Documentary and concert film about the mind-boggling rise to fame of teen sensation, Justin Bieber... Or as my Dad calls him, Justin Bieller.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Justin Bieber, his mom, dad, childhood friends and neighbors, his team, Scooter Braun, Usher, L.A. Reid, Boyz II Men, Miley Cyrus, Jaden Smith, Sean Kingston, Ludacris, and JB's kick-ass backup dancers!

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! I went to this because I was desperate to figure out why Justin Bieber is such a big deal. His songs are lame, his voice sounds like any given child who can hold a tune. Yes, he's very cute, and he has AMAZING hair, I'll give him that. Well, folks, I think I finally get it. While his voice couldn't be more boring sounding on most of the songs he's known for, in his original YouTube viral video (the Chris Brown cover), he actually demonstrates some pretty fancy vocal stylings (for a kid). But most importantly, because he came up through the internet and not the radio, each and every one of his fans deeply believes that she personally discovered him. That makes him feel accessible, like a real person, that she actually could marry-- which, of course, is the only thing any of his fans really want from him.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There's a lot of funny stuff, from the hair flipping montage, to the montage of girls crying.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: More than once. For me the first bout came in the first ten minutes, from my usual trigger: a parent getting emotional over how impressed they are by their child. The second bout came from all the girls crying... But that might have just been because I was laughing so hard.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Award to Justin Bieber for becoming an icon singer without having a single good song.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It turns out that Bieber's songs aren't that bad when they're sung by Boyz II Men, Usher, and even Miley Cyrus. And everyone in the film is also really good at acting like Justin Bieber has a voice worth paying attention to.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: When the stage fireworks went off in 3D, my Dad (who I coaxed into seeing this with me, mostly just to see if I could) said, "I've gotta get some of those for when I argue my case in front of the Supreme Court." Hey, the director must've done something right to make my Dad think that was a good idea.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: As my Dad pointed out, he liked it because it was all about the joy of the music and not at all about money. "Although," he added, "You can't help but think about how much money they're all making."

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3D Trailer

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Coco Before Chanel (Coco Avant Chanel)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The life of Coco Chanel (Audrey Tautou) up until the point when she became famous fashion designer Coco Chanel.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain, Emmanuelle Devos

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! This is a beautifully shot, well made film with good acting, and beautiful settings, that isn’t even that boring… and yet I can’t think of a single person I would recommend it to.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There’s some wit, but you have to be a fast reader of subtitles to catch most of it.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I heard a lady in the elevator, afterward, saying she cried, but she looked like a manic-depressive.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Costumes… why not?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Perfectly good acting portraying perfectly unlikable characters.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The opening shot is a little nauseating, but the rest is quite pleasant to look at.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I’m still trying to figure out the deeper correlation between Chanel’s upbringing in an Orphanage, and her success as a fashion designer. I can see how the outfits they wore as children inspired some of her cuts, as well as her desire to introduce the color black to high class women’s wear, but I’m still not totally sure why anyone liked her, listened to her, or gave her a chance.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/coco-before-chanel/37886/trailers

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Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: World renowned, Senegalese pop sensation, Youssou Ndour, decides to make a religious album about his Muslim faith.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Youssou Ndour, his family, Peter Gabriel, Bono, the President of Senegal, and the Egyptian Orchestra

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This concert film tries to take on the humanitarian and religious issues that Youssou speaks on behalf of, but the storytelling fails, so the primary reason to go see this film is because you're a pre-existing fan of Youssou Ndour. If that describes you, you will not be disappointed by the wall to wall coverage of his music and performances throughout.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you've ever been to Africa, you will enjoy a few cultural displays of things that could only ever happen there.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: For the true music aficionado, there is always a chance that his beautiful voice will induce tears.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most likely not, but the high point of the film revolves around a very big award that Youssou may or may not get.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Youssou acts like a man of great integrity and strength... and I actually believe that he is. I only wish more American celebrities would follow his lead when it comes to displaying humility and dignity.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: They shot this documentary for two years and captured 450 hours of footage, which supposedly contained many great stories that they had a hard time cutting out... but from what they chose to keep in, I think they may have left some of the best stuff on the cutting room floor.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: This film only scratches the surface of what is compelling about his story and his humanitarian efforts, so you can't help but feel that something important is missing. Despite the fact that they think they made an important film (which a more sophisticated storyteller could have), this ultimately isn't much more than a series of snippets from concerts, where you will have a chance to see entire songs performed, and read subtitles as to what the lyrics mean. Feel free to derive the meaning yourself. Oh, and the last 15 minutes are great-- a little late for my taste.

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

A: Even though you think you don't know who this guy is, you do. He's the African singer on Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes," and he sings "7 seconds" with Neneh Cherry.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/youssou%20ndour%20i%20bring%20what%20i%20love/trailers

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Rudo y Cursi

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: This movie examines the complex sibling rivalry of two half-brothers (Gael Garcia Bernal & Diego Luna), which inspires them to find both greatness and failure, on and off the soccer field, as they compete to be the first son who is able to build their mother her dream house.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, Guillermo Francella, Jessica Mas, Adriana Paz, Dolores Heredia

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! If you're tired of the same old predictable stories that constantly come out of the Hollywood machine, and you want to see a story that has never been done before, then I hope you have the heart-- or rather the stomach-- for this intense character study of what brotherly love-hate can lead a man to do.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: In some ways, it's a dark comedy... which means it's for the most part not funny. But you'll laugh your butt off if you're a jaded or twisted SOB. (Which I recognize is an endorsement for at least 23% of you curmudgeons to go see this film.)

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: As empathetic as you'll feel for these cynical characters, they're not nearly likable enough to consider shedding a tear over.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that this wins (yes, I said wins) Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards. Come back in 10 months to see if I know what I'm talking about.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The breakout star for American audiences is going to be 54-year-old, Guillermo Francella, who is actually quite well known in Argentina. He is by far the most likable character in this batch of selfish misfits. According to the director, our two leads, who are reunited with their creators from Y Tu Mama Tambien for the first time, are deliberately cast against type, so as not to feel like a repeat of the aforementioned film. "Rudo" which means "tough" is played by Diego Luna, while "Cursi" which means "corny" is played by Gael Garcia Bernal. I can only take this to mean that in real life, Bernal is the tough one, and Luna is the corny one. If that's the case, they are both very convincing as their counter-types. But having seen them in person, badgering each other non-stop at a Q & A, I think their actual character types are "Laurel" & "Hardy."

Q: How is the Directing?

A: For a first time director, Carlos Cuaron already comes off like an old pro. Clearly the directing gene runs in his whole family, and not just to his brother Alfonso.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: This beautifully written script uses soccer as a metaphor for everything important in life, love, and relationships, with the ongoing battle between the shooter and the goalie at its center. At all levels for one to succeed, the other must fail, and so we are introduced to the film's subtle exploration of the duality of being human. Every character and every relationship in the film is one thing on the outside, and it's opposite underneath. The slick characters are sweet, the strong characters are weak, and the tough characters are corny. Similarly, the loving brothers share an extreme rivalry , but right when you think they couldn't hate each other more, expressions of their love rise to the surface-- albeit in confusing and indirect ways. What I like about this story is that it's both easy to follow, and filled with subtexts which you can think about and debate afterward. The conclusion is not spelled out for you, yet it is incredibly accessible, so you get to feel smart (though not brilliant) for having gotten it.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/rudo%20y%20cursi/trailersu>

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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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