The Way Back

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The possibly true story, as told in the memoir, "The Long Walk," about a group of World War II prisoners who escaped a Siberian prison (that's in the USSR) and walked all the way to freedom in India. Of course, not everybody makes it.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Dragos Bucur, Alexandru Potocean, Gustaf Skarsgard, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Mark Strong

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I think the movie is well over two hours in an effort to make you feel just how difficult and how long this trek was.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: One of the characters is considered the "Jokester" so... no.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Even as people die you kind of feel relieved for them.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I hope it's not too late for the Make-Up to get a nomination. Never have I seen skin so beautifully damaged disgustingly by the sun.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: This is the first movie that I have ever liked Colin Farrell in. He plays a Russian, and for some reason the accent goes perfectly with his over-acting. (Yes, I did see In Bruges. Check the blog archives for how annoyed I was with all his mugging.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: A lot of nice landscapes, but not much is done with them. That said, I would not have wanted to be the poor schmuck who had to direct this movie. Between the snow, the desert, and the vast mountain ranges, the conditions looked like they had all the right ingredients to make for a very cranky crew.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The most interesting thing about this screenplay is that it's a true story. That would be really amazing, except that there's some speculation about just how true it is. A doctor once told me that humans can out-walk any other animal, so that was one reason I was intrigued by this premise. Then again, when I'm lost on a hike or in a foreign country I try not to remember that the guy was a head-doctor, not a body-doctor.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Way Back Trailer

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Zombieland

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After zombies take over the United States, the few remaining humans must find new ways to survive in a world where no one can be trusted, and there's usually a guy in your backseat waiting to eat you.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Amber Heard, and a comedy great who I'm not going to mention because I don't want to ruin the surprise.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Despite the constant threat of zombies attacking, this film is a fun, hilarious, and disgusting ride about complex characters, all of which are experiencing loss, and secretly longing to rekindle even the smallest form of human connection.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: From the first scene to the one that comes after the closing credits.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I wouldn't go that far.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Is it possible to get awards when you're a zombie movie?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Woody Harrelson is charming as a psychopathic zombie killer with a heart of gold. Emma Stone is one of my favorite up-coming actresses, even though most of you seem to have no idea who she is. And Abigail Breslin has never been more adorable than she is when she's sporting a shotgun. Come to think of it, shooting zombies is a skill that could've won her the talent portion of Little Miss Sunshine.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: First time feature film director, Ruben Fleischer, shows a distinct vision for comedy and a style all his own within the first minute of this film, and then he never lets up. If you have a comedy you need a good director for, get him now, before he stops returning your phone calls.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I'm not into zombie movies. On some level it seems like there is nothing we don't already know about what can happen with a zombie, and since they're generally slow and stupid, it's hard to imagine how a person couldn't easily escape one. This zombie movie works because it starts from the assumption that we all have a certain amount of knowledge about zombies, and takes off from there. Ultimately, it doesn't focus so much on the zombies attacking, as it does on the emotions of being left alive and alone, one of the sole survivors, in a world that's hardly worth living in.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/zombieland/trailers

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Defiance

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: : Based on a true story, four Jewish brother escape to the Belarusian forest during World War II, and go on to help 1200 people survive the war there, with them.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, George McKay, Mark Feuerstein, Mia Wasikoska, Mark Margolis, Alexa Davalos

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! Watching these people build a community in the forest, where they must hunt and gather to survive, as they themselves are hunted and gathered by the Nazis, seems like it should be more inspiring than this story’s telling turns out to be. And it clocks in at an audacious 2 hours and 20 minutes because the beginning and the middle have extraneous scenes. Maybe you’d do better to read the book it’s based on.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Intellectual Jews have been known for their senses of humor since long before Woody Allen came on the scene. Unfortunately, in this film, the intellects are the side characters. Meanwhile, the main brothers couldn’t possibly take themselves more seriously.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No. And a story like this one should. Had it been told properly, it even would.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The Golden Globes threw it a bone for the score. But of the 4 World War II movies I’ve seen this month, this one is the least compelling.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: If is often hard to understand what these British and American actors are saying with their fake Polish accents, but thankfully, sometimes they speak in their character’s native tongue, forcing the use of subtitles, which are easier to follow than the supposed English they profess to speak. Their Polish sounds pretty good though. (Disclaimer: they could be speaking Russian for all I know.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I truly don’t understand why it has to be so incredibly long. And I’m not giving anything away by telling you that it’s one of those movies that ends with writing on the screen to tell you what happens to everyone after the movie ends… So if you’re going to do that anyway, why not end the movie sooner?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The characters are boring and two-dimensional, and somehow manage to avoid winning you over, even as they are saving their people from annihilation. And an emotional spine needs to rely on more than just our preexisting knowledge of the horrors of the Holocaust.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/defiance/30166/trailers

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