Going the Distance

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A couple (Drew Barrymore & Justin Long) meet in New York, when she has only 6 weeks left before she moves back to San Francisco, but they fall in love anyway, so they decide to try a long distance relationship.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate, Ron Livingston, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Jim Gaffigan, Kelli Garner, June Diane Raphael, Rob Riggle, Sarah Burns, Natalie Morales, Matt Servitto, Leighton Meester, Kristen Schaal

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! As far as romantic-comedies go, this one actually has comedy in it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Much more than the preview leads you to believe. But be warned, it gets pretty raunchy at times. Even when it's girls talking... and I know that many of you are hyper-sensitive to hearing girls talk about some of the things that girls actually talk about.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It's sad that it's so much easier to fall in love with someone when you know they're leaving and you don't have any pressure to get into a serious relationship. But it's also stupid because you actually get your heart broken twice as hard that way.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most successful film starring a couple who is actually dating, since the 1950s (I'm referring back to Lucy and Desi, of course.) Although it may be because they broke up before filming commenced... or maybe they're still together. No one seems to know the latest on this, but it's certainly better PR if they at least pretend to be together until the film passes $100 million at the box office, because you feel like you're getting a glimpse into their real life as a couple.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: As charming and funny as Justin Long is as the MAC guy, he's just not a leading man. Drew Barrymore is even more cute and disarming than usual, despite the fact that she has the laugh of a 60-year-old alcoholic. And Charlie Day is the new Zach Galifianakis.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Let's put this in the "You go, girl!" category. Nanette Burnstein, who has multiple awards for documentary directing, but has never directed a fictional script before, could have fooled me.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Apparently Geoff LaTulippe's original script made the "Black List," which is Hollywood's unofficial list of the best script each year that didn't sell. Knowing this, you can imagine my surprise when I found out in the Q & A, that the first thing the director did was to hire two different writers to rewrite the script completely, and then have the actors improvise most of their dialogue. In turn, I can imagine your surprise at the fact that I'm still surprised that the script got rewritten, even though I should get by now that this is pretty much true of every single movie that has ever gotten made in Hollywood. Then again, while I don't know what the Black List script was like, I did like this version.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/going%20the%20distance/trailers

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Two Lovers

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After a broken-off engagement, a suicidal man (Joaquin Phoenix) suddenly finds himself choosing between two beautiful women (Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw, Moni Moshonov, Isabella Rossellini, Elias Koteas, Jay O. Sanders, Bob Ari, Julie Budd

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Despite the high profile cast, this plays like another depressing indy movie that some people will call a beautiful portrait of love and its effect on the human condition, and which I will call a downer that was hardly worth the zero dollars I paid to see it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The scene that introduces Gwyneth Paltrow is pretty funny. But that's about it.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: While the experience of unrequited love will always summon tears in real life, this film doesn't transmit the experience beyond the actors' own sense memory exercises.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It was nominated for a Golden Palm at Cannes, which some of my friends who saw The Class (the winner of the Golden Palm), will tell you doesn't mean squat! Not my words, theirs... They know who they are.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Joaquin Phoenix gives the type of performance that often gets lauded. Personally, I found him to be totally creepy. Gwyneth Paltrow, on the other hand, who I haven't been much of a fan of in the past, gives a vibrant performance that jumps off the screen. Apparently, the role was written with her in mind. Meanwhile, Vinessa Shaw gives a performance that explains why she's been in a fair amount of high profile movies for the past ten years, and people are still asking "Who's this Vinessa Shaw person?" In other words, she'd be awesome as the lead in a procedural TV series.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: James Gray clearly makes an effort to step away from the standard angles and coverage for this imitation art film, and for that I give him credit. I know that sounded like half an insult, but it's just hard to give the director of We Own the Night the same "indy film" pass that I might give to a first time director who has no money, no stars, and no resources.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It introduces some interesting characters and an interesting dynamic between them, but I'm not sure what enjoyment or insight the writer was hoping to give the audience with this story, besides that some forms of entertainment just aren't very uplifting.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/two%20lovers/trailers

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American Teen

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A Documentary about 4 different kids, from 4 different cliques, struggling with High School... Which one are you?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Hannah Bailey, Colin Clemens, Megan Krizmanich, Mitch Reinholt, Jake Tusing, Geoff Haase, Ali Wikalinska

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! You'll be glad you're not in high school anymore... Unless you still are. In which case, this movie will add nothing to your life but more angst and stress induced acne.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Nerdy kids are sooo funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Popular kids are sooo sad.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Jason Reitman (the director of Juno) thinks it's gonna win the Oscar. I think it's gonna win Prom Queen.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Mean, fun, flirty, vicious, self-deprecating, angst-ridden, humiliated, heart-breaking, and hormonal. Very hormonal.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Adding to the verite-style camera, which makes you feel like you're right back in high school, are beautiful animation sequences that are both visceral and moving.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Cut together from a thousand hours of footage, sometimes it's hard not to wonder how much of the story is manufactured through editing, and how much really happened in the order they say it did... But having been to most of those emotional highs and lows myself, I can promise you that at least the individual moments are real.

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