The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  Based on the book of the same name, this remake of the movie of the same name that came out two years ago, retells the Swedish story of a defamed journalist and his assistant (Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara) who try to solve the mystery of a teenage millionaire's untimely death in the 1960s-- only this time, it's American-style!

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen, Joely Richardson, Geraldine James, Goran Visnjic, Donald Sumpter, Ulf Friberg

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Go!  I was lucky enough to have missed the first version of this movie as well as the book, so I got to enjoy this clever thriller as if for the first time, because it was my first time.  

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  Bizarrely, yes, about three times.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  It's pretty cold, but there is one part that will break your heart.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  Clearly David Fincher and Trent Reznor are trying for a two-peat, and I think they have a chance.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  It was a big deal when they cast Rooney Mara (best known as the girl who dumps Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network creating the impetus for him to start The Facebook) in the part of Lisbeth Salander.  Well, she lives up to the hype.  Then again, I never saw Noomi Rapace in the part, so for all I know she's just imitating the original performance.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  There's a reason David Fincher is considered the David Fincher of movie directing.  He brings movement and artistry to scenes that would be stagnant in a lesser director's hands.  With him, you can see where the script stops and the vision begins.  And yet he does it all without drawing attention to his own work-- which may be what I respect most about his style.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  A good story is a good story in any language.  The people who read the book thought so.  The people who saw the Swedish movie thought so.  And the people who see this version will think so, too.

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

A:  I'm assuming there will be two more parts, as with the Swedish version, but I'm still waiting to find out the significance of the Dragon Tattoo.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Trailer

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A Dangerous Method

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) experiments with a lot of bad ideas as he (along with Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Otto Gross (Vincent Cassel)) develop what has become modern-day psychoanalysis.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Sarah Gadon, Vincent Cassel

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  The subject matter is interesting, although when you look at the questionable mental stability of the people who pioneered the modern psychology movement, you will also want to proceed with caution when it comes to getting professional help.  But the love story is disgusting and unromantic, partly due to its content, but even more-so due to a performance that makes you want to turn the movie off every time you are subjected to it.  Stay tuned to find out whose...

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  It's funny how men can find any ridiculous, convoluted reason to justify adultery... especially Austrian men played by French men, making no effort to hide their French accents.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Every time Kiera Knightley uttered a word in her terrible Russian accent I wanted to cry myself all the way out of the theater.  Stay tuned for a more in depth analysis of why and how she's awful...

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  Michael Fassbender won an acting award from the National Board of Review, but I didn't think this role involved all that much.  Meanwhile Viggo Mortensen got 3rd Place Best Supporting Actor from the New York Film Critics Circle, but I think anyone who gives Viggo Mortensen 3rd place in anything acting-related can't really be taken seriously.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  If you've ever hated Keira Knightley because she's beautiful, now you can hate her because she's ugly, too.  Her performance as a mental patient is cringe-inducing.  It reminds me of an aspiring actress desperate to prove she can make it by taking on an character that's way out of her league, and then trying too hard to give it interesting quirks and mannerisms until you feel sorry for her, because you know her dreams of stardom will never see the light of day.  I have never personally had anything against Keira Knightley, but after watching the film, I happened upon a sexy perfume commercial she stars in, and I couldn't even watch that because I still felt so embarrassed for her.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  David Cronenberg cast Kiera Knightley in this role, so that's a fail.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  In a lot of ways it's hard to tell if the script was any good, as you watch Kiera Knightley butcher it.  The scenes she's not in are passable, and sometimes even intellectually stimulating.  But most of those are talking head conversations that make it all too clear that this movie was derived from a play.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: A Dangerous Method Trailer

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  Based on a book by John Le Carre, this story chronicles the uncovering of whether or not there is a double agent at the highest levels of British Intelligence who is working for the Russians.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, John Hurt, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Dencik, Stephen Graham, Kathy Burke, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Peter Kalloy Molnar, Konstantin Kahabenskiy

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  Bring your intellect, your patience, and try to have read the book 5 or 6 times already if you plan on understanding anything that goes on in this spy thriller.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes, but mostly at your own thoughts about how confused you are.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  Yes, because the above noted thoughts of confusion will probably lead you directly to thoughts about how dumb you must be.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  This definitely gets the award for Fastest Movie to Put Me Out.  I was snoozing before the opening credits came on, and leading up to this point, I had not had a very hard day.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: All of these top notch actors have very little to do that's challenging.  Sure one or two of them cries here and there, but mostly they all just stand around looking like tough-guys who can keep a secret or two.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  It's a beautifully shot movie, but as it goes back and forth between the past (1950s) and the present (1970s), it's not always clear which one we're in.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  Mostly incomprehensible.  Assuming that the book makes enough sense to have become a best-seller, which in turn would have attracted a film company who wants to capitalize on that by making it into a movie, I would venture to say that the screenwriter didn't dumb it down enough.

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

A:  I just realized that reading the Wikipedia page is a great help in understanding this story.  They explain all the "inside lingo" that you're supposed to understand without ever having it explained to you.  Perhaps  read that before you go see this. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Wikipedia Page

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Trailer

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Tower Heist

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  When a group of high-rise employees lose their pension to a Ponzi scheme that one of their tenants got them involved in, they hatch a plan to rob the money back from the white collar criminal.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck, Michael Pena, Gabourey Sidibe, Tea Leoni, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Nina Arianda, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Juan Carlos Hernandez,

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Go!  It doesn't suck.  And at this point, that's good enough for me!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  It's more of a light-hearted heist movie than a comedy, so don't be surprised if you don't laugh as much as you would in another Ben Stiller comedy.  And by another Ben Stiller comedy, I mean Zoolander, because let's be honest, most of the rest of them aren't all that funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  There's one part where Alan Alda explains why he (as a rich man) matters more than they do (as average incomed people).  That's sad because rich people really think this way, and they're wrong.  The only time they matter anymore than the rest of us is when they're giving their money away for a good cause. 

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  No, but speaking of awards, don't you think it's interesting that after the Oscar Awards producer, Brett Ratner, who happens to be the director of this movie made a homophobic slur, that caused him to resign, which caused the host, Eddie Murphy, who happens to be the star of this movie, to drop out, that Brian Grazer, who happens to be the producer of this movie quickly stepped in to replace Brett Ratner as the Producer of the Oscars.  No one has mentioned this, but here's my analysis of why Brian Grazer suddenly decided that he had to take on this thankless job: P.R. emergency.   Grazer, who I'm assuming never really wanted the job of producing the Oscars, is taking a bullet for the team, so that this movie, and his company, Imagine, don't continue to get the bad rap that started when Vince Vaughn had a similar debacle due to what some called a "slur" in the trailer for The Dilemma, and has been followed up with a series of high-profile flops, including Cowboys & Aliens.  Tower Heist is the first Imagine movie in some time to make any money, and Grazer has no choice but to save its face, by tying a positive image to someone involved with the movie (himself).  The happiest news, though, is that he somehow landed the best Oscar host of all time, Billy Crystal.  And by "somehow," I'm sure I mean, "Paying him way more money than anyone has ever been offered to host the Oscars before." (Disclaimer: The above paragraph is all hearsay, made up by me...  But think about it.)

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Ben Stiller isn't annoying, even one single time.  Eddie Murphy is funny for the first time since Beverly Hills Cop II, and Michael Pena is quickly making his way to the top of my hilarious actors' list.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  Everyone thinks Brett Ratner is a really funny guy, because he bangs all those chicks on Entourage and looks like an older Jonah Hill, but most of his movies are much more serious than you remember (see: The Family Man.)

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  The script had me wondering how they were gonna pull things off, and even sometimes thinking they were clever in the way they did it.  All that, while being simple enough to make screenwriting look easy-- which is one of the hardest things to do when you're writing a script.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Tower Heist Trailer

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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 Debt

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Three Mossad agents (Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, & Marton Csokas) go on an assassination mission against a German, Nazi, Doctor (Jesper Christensen), but when they get older (Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, & Tom Wilkinson) they realize they have a debt to pay.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, Maron Csokas, Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Jesper Christensen, Ciaran Hinds, Romi Aboulafia

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Going in it seems like it will be an original and special film, but underneath all the intrigue, there's not that much there.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The bad guy has most of the funny lines, so that's sick and twisted.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Mossad agents do actually have something in common with the Germans. They're cold. Not that there aren't any emotions in the film, but the characters are all so reserved that you can hardly play along.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It certainly hopes to be, but I can't think of any it could get besides maybe a Supporting Actress award for Jessica Chastain. But if the Academy is gonna give her that one, I'd rather see her get it for The Help.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Helen Mirren may have top billing, but this movie belongs to Jessica Chastain. Who is she? Where did she come from? I don't know, but she just came out in The Tree of Life, The Help, The Debt, and she still has Sundance winner Take Shelter and William Shakespeare's Gerard Butler and Ralph Fiennes vehicle, Coriolanus, coming out later this year. Which is why my bet on Academy recognition isn't such a long shot.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The interweaving of the past and the present is artful and appropriate, but I'd like to give most of the credit for that to the script.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Structurally it's a very interesting storyline, but the moral may be a little too subtle and unrelatable for me.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Debt Trailer

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Cowboys & Aliens

(Guest Review by Jack)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: With a title like that, you have to ask?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig are the cowboys. CGI wizards are the aliens...

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It has a lot of summer popcorn scenes that you should like, but none of them have any "wow!" And the genre mash-up is not enough to keep it fresh.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you do, it'll be at that stupid title.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Doubts... Other than the tears that I shed after reading Russ’ great review for Captain America. I let the movie time pick between the two. I guess I lost...

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I doubt that even MTV wants to reward this one.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: An over the top Harrison Ford is enjoyable, but his easy turn from the “bad guy” to the “good guy” makes his character a big mess. And Daniel Craig is always fun to watch in my opinion, but in this story, even his charisma couldn’t keep me from looking at my watch. Olivia Wilde is a hottie, for sure. She says very little in the film until a dumb plot twist makes her say a lot. Not necessarily a good thing...

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The strong suit of an action film should be the action sequences. Jon Favreau did well with the first Iron Man, but this is a different story. The action is just okay. Not a single scene makes me want to see it again.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's just cowboys fighting aliens... which is its biggest draw and its biggest fault.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Cowboys & Aliens Trailer

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The Guard

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A murder in small town Ireland brings an FBI agent (Don Cheadle) into an offbeat partnership with a very strange police officer (Brendan Gleeson).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot, Rory Keenan, Mark Strong, Fionnula Flanagan, Dominique McElligott, Sarah Greene, Katarina Cas, Pat Shortt, Darren Healy, Laurence Kinlan, Michael Og Lane, Owen Sharpe

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Today I challenge you to see a film that is smarter than you and nothing like any Hollywood movie you can think of... Except:

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not since Fargo has a crime mystery been so funny due to dialect.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not since Waking Ned Devine have the Irish been depicted in their own movie as so unabashedly shameless.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Not since Snatch has an English language film so badly needed English language subtitles.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Not since In Bruges has Brendan Gleeson played such a multi-dimentionally hilarious bad guy with a heart of gold.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Not since The Future has an independent film been shot so still, wide, and patient.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Not since Inception has there been a good ending so ambiguous, debatable, and intriguing.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Guard Trailer

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Hanna

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A child (Saoirse Ronan), trained from birth to be an assassin, goes on her first mission to kill her father's (Eric Bana) nemesis (Cate Blanchett). While her skills are superb, the thing that may do her in is her unfamiliarity with modern-day society and all its trinkets... like electricity.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hollander, Jessica Barden, Olivia Williams, Aldo Maland, Jason Flemyng, John MacMillan, Sebastian Hulk, Joel Basman, Vicky Krieps, Mechelle Dockery, Mohamed Majd, Gudrun Ritter, Marin Wuttke

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. From the opening scene which reeks of child abuse to the closing scene which leaves you with very little hope for the future to the middle scenes which lack in logical character motivation, this movie is chock-full of problems. But aside from all that, it really works!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: An English family that Hanna encounters is quite hilarious. In fact, I would've rather seen a whole movie about them. It would've been called, "Little Miss Sunshine: The English."

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Don't be an animal lover if you don't want to cry. There are several gruesome dead animal shots... But maybe if you had to live off the land, like Hanna does, you would care a little less about the animals, and care a little more about what's for dinner tonight.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The Chemical Brothers' score is reminiscent of a video game score, which matches both their own style of music and the tone of the scenes in which their score is used.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Saoirse Ronan is a child actor who deserved her Academy Award nomination, and will prove what I'm saying by getting nominated for many more in the years to come.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: As far as I'm concerned, with this piece, Joe Wright cements his reputation as a "look at me" director. On the other hand, his ability to pick music for the score is unmatched.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: What kind of action script has the bad guys find the heroine but then wait around for a few days, to give her time to realize they're there, when they could have just taken her right away? A bad action script. Possibly the same kind of action script where the final moment, which will determine who wins the final battle, hinges on a mishap that is completely accidental, and therefore inactive on the part of both the hero and the villain. I'm thinking somebody needs to freshen up on the basics of screenwriting.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Hanna Trailer

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Source Code

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An Afghanistan war vet (Jake Gyllenhaal) is part of the "Source Code" program which forces him to repeatedly go back in time, to the 8 minutes leading up to the moment when the train he is on will blow up. There, he must figure out who planted the bomb, and then deter the terrorist's plan for an even bigger attack.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, Michael Arden, Cas Anvar, Russell Peters

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Don't try to understand why the ending works, I'm not sure it does, but somehow that doesn't seem to lessen the entertainment value of this sci-fi premise.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is exactly one funny line, and it didn't come from the stand-up comedian.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Now that I think of it, all of the emotional beats are very surface. You know what, maybe don't give this movie too much thought after you see it. Because while some movies get better with reflection, this one is the opposite of that.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most Engrossing Plot that Makes No Sense, Ever!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The best actor in the cast, Vera Farmiga, has the most boring role. As far as Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan go, I have fairly low expectations for both, so I'm just happy when they don't annoy me.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Duncan Jones, who directed Moon before this, is already demonstrating the kind of track record that will soon have him stealing jobs away from Michael Bay.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The structure is unpredictable, as are many of the choices the character makes during his 8 minute train rides. When we grow to know more about the character, his choices begin to make more sense, and the seeming randomness of the choices make the movie feel original. At the same time, it's pretty easy to figure out who the terrorist is and the major twist isn't that surprising either. Maybe because it's sci-fi, and so completely make-believe from the start, but for some reason, you find yourself compelled to forgive all the major flaws in the plot.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Source Code Trailer

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Red Riding Hood

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Very loosely based on the fairy tale of the same name, this story of werewolves living amongst us seems to exist almost solely for the purpose of capitalizing on the Twilight phenomenon.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons, Virginia Madsen, Lukas Haas, Julie Christie, Shauna Kain, Michael Hogan, Adrian Holmes, Cole Heppell, Christine Willes, Michael Shanks, Kacey Rohl

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. What the imitators of Twilight never seem to be able to capture is the one thing that makes the little girls scream: the squirm-inducing sexual tension between the heroes that comes from the fact that they can't have each other, and being teenagers with raging hormones, this means that they will absolutely die if they can't have what they want.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The part where she says, "Grandmother, what big eyes you have" is kind of funny, but not intentionally.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: A lot of people die, so-- no.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Red Riding Hood gets the award for being the first of a slew of lame fairy-tale re-tellings aimed at adults that have become the latest trend in Hollywood. Here's how Hollywood thinks, "What can we make into a movie that has a built in brand, that we don't have to spend money on?" And that's why there is now a Jack in the Beanstalk project in the works, two competing Snow White projects coming your way, and three Peter Pan movies racing to get to the big screen first. And all of them are action adventure films aimed at grown ups, because everyone knows that's who the fairy-tale brand speaks to the loudest... Think about it, Hollywood!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Shiloh Fernandez is a pleasure to look at, but he lacks the charisma of a Robert Pattinson. I want to give director Hardwicke props for casting her own Twilight discovery, Billy Burke, thus expanding his career, but unfortunately, Burke suffers from the same problem as Fernandez in this piece. Amanda Seyfried, though, pops off the screen effortlessly.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Catherine Hardwicke comes from a background as a set designer, so it comes as no surprise that the art direction in this film is beautiful. She also directed the first Twilight, so it comes as a great surprise that one of the shots in the film looks like it was literally poached from her vampire flick. I know I've seen that shot before, and while it's pretty, I'm not sure you're allowed to reuse your old shots from other movies unless it's part of an inside joke-- which this is clearly not. But, recycled shots or not, the look of this film is definitely its most compelling aspect.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: All of the interesting choices for who the werewolf might turn out to be are too obvious, so the writers are left with the choice to pick someone obvious, or pick someone more random, and either way we're going to be a little disappointed.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Red Riding Hood Trailer

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The Lincoln Lawyer

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on a best-selling novel by Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer is a procedural drama with thriller elements about a slick lawyer (Matthew McConaughey), who works out of his Lincoln Town Car, and specializes in getting guilty criminals off the hook. But when you mess with a lot of guilty people, sometimes it can come back to bite you in the ass.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Pena, Bob Gunton, Frances Fisher, Bryan Cranston, Trace Adkins, laurence Mason, Margarita Levieva, Pell James, Shea Whigham, Katherine Moennig, Michael Pare, Michaela Conlin, Reggie Baker

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! I never watch Law & Order, but I imagine that if I were a fan of it, it would be because it's a lot like this.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are some charming character interactions, but none of the laughs are out loud.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Marisa Tomei and McConaughey play a divorced couple on opposite sides of the law who spend a lot of free time together and seem to enjoy sharing a daughter. So, yeah, it kinda makes me cry that they can't just work it out.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Television Movie Not Playing on Television.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Nobody even tries to stretch beyond their limits, but sometimes that's what makes them just right for the roles they've been assigned.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Shaky hand-held camera, gritty minimalistic lighting, in-camera zooms... everything about the style and feel of this film looks completely independent, except for the presence of Matthew McConaughey.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's not the most original structure ever put to film, but the moral dilemmas are interesting, and trying to figure out the main character's thinking keeps you glued to your seat. That said, this could just as easily be the pilot episode of a TV series. A good one, though.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Lincoln Lawyer Trailer

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Limitless

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A loser writer (Bradley Cooper) discovers a drug that gives him heightened brain activity as well as the ability to recall any and all information he has ever been exposed to from his entire life. Unfortunately, once you take the drug, you can't stop taking it or your body will deteriorate and you will die. Oh, and there's an extremely limited amount of it going around.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish, Andrew Howard, Anna Friel, Johnny Whitworth, Tomas Arana, Darren Goldstein, Ned Eisenberg

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Talk about life or death stakes...

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Cocky people are funny... so long as they aren't the star of your hit sitcom.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Cocky people are also sad, because what goes up must come down. But I don't like to think about that, because it defies my medication-induced optimism. And medications are too expensive to defy.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: This deserves an Academy Award for Directing, but will most certainly be overlooked. Why it will be overlooked? Because it's early in the year and at first glance it seems like standard Hollywood fare. Why it deserves it? Because a director's job is to get you inside the mind of the story, and by the time I walked out of the theater, I felt like I had taken NZT.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Like the directing, Bradley Cooper's performance seems straight forward enough, but in fact demonstrates incredible nuance, as he seamlessly switches between a dangerous, know-it-all, drug-induced pit bull and a weak, insecure, natural lamb. And it's not just the intensified lighting of his frighteningly blue eyes.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: At first all the special effects felt a little gimmicky, to me. But once I realized that I was completely riveted by a scene where Bradley Cooper cleans up his apartment, I knew that I had been a fool to mistrust this director's instincts. Team Neil Burger, all the way to the Oscars!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Leslie Dixon presents interesting twists in such a way that you get to feel smart, because you know what's going on without being told. I love feeling smart. Which is why I've gotta get my hands on some of that NZT... And if that's not available, maybe I could get me a dose of that Charlie Sheen. From what I can tell, the effect of either drug is about the same.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Limitless Trailer

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The Adjustment Bureau

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a politician (Matt Damon) finds out about a secret society that keeps everyone's destiny on track, he is forced to choose between a successful career and true love.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, Terence Stamp, John Slattery, Michael Kelly, Anthony Ruivivar

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Not since Titanic has a film so successfully merged high action for the dudes with high romance for the ladies. And just for good measure, The Adjustment Bureau also throws in religious innuendo, to make sure there is no demographic left behind.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The humor is quirky and unexpected, and exists primarily to demonstrate why these two people are so strangely perfect for each other.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If the premise of this movie is true, and we really have no say over the direction of our lives, that would be enough to throw even the strongest of us into a good cry. Thankfully, we humans are too willful to ever choose to believe in the lack of free will. So who cares if we have it or not!

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's a good thing that Woody Allen has quit filming in New York, because this year would have been a big loss for him in the "I ♥ NY" category.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I would be curious to know if Emily Blunt does her own dancing, because if she does, I'm very impressed. And if she doesn't, I'm still impressed by the seamless special effects that would've had to have been used to make it look so convincingly like she's doing it all herself in the full body shots.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: First time director, George Nolfi, shot 90 locations around New York in 60 days. If you know anything about film-making, you too are inwardly saying, "Wow."

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It all holds together, except for one annoyingly unexplained Hollywood moment in the end. It's slight, and can be easily over-looked, if you accept what comes immediately after it.

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

A: This is the kind of film that will be remade in 20 years. See it now, so that when the new version comes out, staring some "it" kid who's not even born yet, you can talk about how great the original was, and how they shouldn't even try to live up to it.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Adjustment Bureau Trailer

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Unknown

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After an accident that causes a concussion, a man (Liam Neeson) has to prove that he really is the person he claims to be, without any verifying identification.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella, Sebastian Koch, Olivier Schneider, Stipe Erceg, Rainer Bock, Mido Hamada, Clint Dyer

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Not enough action. Not enough intrigue. No final "Ah-ha" moment to be felt when all is said and done.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I think it's funny that the simple act of casting Frank Langella in a role gives away the fact that the character is gonna be a bad-guy, even when there's nothing in the action that would indicate that we should be suspicious of him.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It makes me sad that there are articles in the Hollywood Reporter that are already discussing whether or not there should be a sequel. I'll tell you what, make a great movie first! Something I might want to see the continuation of. Then we can talk about sequels, you greedy bastards.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most Unconvincing Love Story: Lifetime Achievement Award. It's the worst developed romantic conclusion I can recall in my lifetime, anyway.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I have a hard time buying Liam Neeson as an American. Maybe because his name is Liam?... Nah, it's that pesky British accent, when he talks.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: This is the closest I've ever come to going to Berlin, and even as someone who loves to travel, I can honestly say that I have no desire to ever go back... Unless, of course, it's because someone is forcing me to go on a date with that hunky Sebastian Koch.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: To plagiarize someone I don't know, who was exiting the theater at the same time as me, "It ain't no Bourne Identity!" Then again, for all I know, he was coming out of Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Unknown Trailer

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Casino Jack

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of what happened behind the scenes in the Jack Abramoff scandal, as well as an examination of what it was about his psyche that continually allowed him to think he was doing the right thing, while screwing people over and making himself rich.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Kevin Spacey, Barry Pepper, Kelly Preston, Rachel Lefevre, Jon Lovitz, Yannick Bisson, Eric Schweig, Christian Campbell, Spencer Garrett, Maury Chaykin, Ruth Marshall, Jeffrey R. Smith, Graham Greene, Jeff Pustil, Damir Andrei, John David Whelan

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It’s totally hateable. But maybe this one will help you understand exactly how corrupt and wrong-minded American Democracy (i.e. capital imperialism) has become. I hope you get mad!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Did you know that Kevin Spacey does impersonations? They’re surprisingly good. Unfortunately, that doesn’t prevent them from being totally annoying—and I’m not trying to single him out, I’m talking to all of you fools who think movie impersonations are cute. Maybe it’s just me.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Yes!!! But not in your eyes, in your heart.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Biggest wattle ever to be shown in a movie. Thank you Maury Chaykin! I will never be able to look at spaghetti the same.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Kevin Spacey is God. Barry Pepper is just the right kind of smarmy. And Jon Lovitz surprised me, in a role that shows that despite the fact that he has no range, there is a range that his one character can play.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I saw this movie a few months ago, and wrote down some snide remarks about some of George Hickenlooper's shot choices. Since then, George Hickenlooper has died, so I no longer see the point in trying to help him improve his craft. It's a great movie, let's leave it at that.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: If you don’t know or remember much about the Jack Abramoff scandal (trust me, we’ve all tried to put the Bush years out of our minds), the beginning may be a little much to take in, and it may even make you feel stupid. But be patient, before long you will be able to follow the convoluted logic of these trickster super-lobbyists’ thinking and justifications.

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

A: When we do finally decide to rework our democracy, a good place to start might be getting rid of the laws that allow lobbyists to bribe and manipulate every politician we elect. Maybe then politicians will be forced, once again, to look into their hearts and decide what’s right for the people before making a decision that affects all of us.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Casino Jack Trailer

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