Persepolis

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The animated history of how Iran has evolved in the last 40 years, as told through the eyes of a rebellious girl born in the early 70s, who watches her country become less evolved as she becomes more evolved.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: The voices of Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Simon Abkarian, Gabrielle Lopes

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Telling a historical story through a first person "biopic" point of view is an interesting approach, but it doesn't completely hide the fact that this is more of a lesson in history than a character study. On an intellectual level, it is possible to infer a lot about our world, and how people respond to their governments by either feeling empowered to rebel against them or worn out, apathetic, and helpless to make a change. But you will not leave the theater having gained this insight on a visceral level, you will have to make the effort to think about it afterwards.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is one highly comedic montage to Rocky's, "Eye of the Tiger," which feels severely out of place in this movie which doesn't include Will Ferrell.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you're from Iran, you will certainly feel depressed about the backwards direction of the people's freedom, as depicted by this film.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Many. Though I would not have predicted this outcome, had the nominations not been announce before my review. It has won and been nominated for too many awards to mention. Mostly in the uncrowded Animation categories, but sometimes in the Foreign Film categories, as well.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Animated.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing was the highlight of this movie. The animation was highly artistic and seemed to move in unpredictable yet organic ways. The closest animation I can think to compare it to would be The Beatles' Yellow Submarine -- though Persepolis is more sophisticated, and doesn't require dropping acid.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I was happy to learn a little something about the history of Iran, but I would have liked to be more emotionally compelled by the film. It played like a biopic. And anyone who's been reading this blog knows how I feel about biopics.

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Starting Out in the Evening

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An aging novelist, who is struggling to live up to his early career glory, gets taken for a ride when a beautiful young student asks to write her master's thesis about his life and career.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Frank Langella, Lili Taylor, Lauren Ambrose, Adrian Lester, Jessica Hecht, Michael Cumpsty

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is an intellectual movie about intellectual people, so if "intellectual" is not in the top five words you'd use to describe yourself, you should probably skip this one. On the other hand, there's a certain older, intellectual crowd (which includes my parents) who might really take something from it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you laugh when you're uncomfortable, there's a small chance. If not, then at least you get to feel uncomfortable.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you have any dark memories relating to some shifty winter-spring romance you got yourself tangled up in, the kissing scene might bring tears to your eyes... Or vomit to your mouth.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's nominated for a Best Screenplay Spirit Award. It's not my favorite of the bunch, but neither are any of the others.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Even though the story takes place within only about a year, Frank Langella does a nice job of making you feel like he's getting older before your very eyes.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Perfectly suited to this low budget story. It's unremarkable... in a good way.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I appreciate how freely many of the characters speak their minds, even when what they have to say is not pretty. Maybe the straight forward and confrontational attitude is a New York thing, but it seems so rare these days for people to be honest about what they really think of each other, (I mean besides on anonymous chat boards). For that reason, it's interesting to see conversations between a bunch of people who can dish it out, and also take it. Unfortunately, simultaneously while I was enjoying this fresh dialogue, I found myself having to suspend disbelief that these people would actually talk to each other that way. But if they did, and if I was one of them, and if I were speaking to the writers, I would probably ask them if they had any idea what the young student's motivations were for behaving so seductively toward this old writer.

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Margot at the Wedding

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Margot (Nicole Kidman) brings her son to visit her sister, Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh), under the pretext that they're going to attend Pauline's wedding. We soon find out that Margot wouldn't even be there pretending to reconcile her long-strained relationship with her sister, if it weren't for the fact that she's trying to escape her husband, who she has secretly decided to leave.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black, Zane Pais, Flora Cross, Ciaran Hinds, John Turturro, Halley Feiffer

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! I will recommend this movie to one subcategory of people: those who like The Savages. These two movies have in common that they are both real-feeling, small films about unlikeable, insecure people, who are trying to reconcile past abuses from within their immediate families. That said, if I were forced to chose between them, in a game of, "Who would you do?" I would subject myself to this one, because its point is ever-so-slightly less subtle.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: A little, at the awkwardness.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, and when the actors in it cry, no tears will come to their eyes either.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: As part of their never ending quest to subject their voters to hard to watch material, the Spirit Awards have nominated Jennifer Jason Leigh for Best Supporting Actress . It would have been easy for them to hide the fact that this nomination was just part of their ploy to force people to watch the film, by simply nominating Nicole Kidman instead, as her role was more difficult, more complex, and far more noteworthy.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Nicole Kidman gives one of her more interesting performances as a woman who seems to have no idea how incredibly psychologically unbalanced she is. She plays it perfectly by assuming that she's normal, and it's everyone around her that's crazy.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Baumbach does a great job of creating uncomfortable and awkward moments between the characters. But oftentimes there are cutaways and point-of-view shots, where I could not tell what I was supposed to be looking at.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I don't need a happy ending, I just need a point. If I'm not going to leave the theater uplifted, or with a sense of hope, I would at least like to leave thinking something besides, "So that happened..."

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American Gangster

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), the first Black American gangster, who found a way to traffic heroin, cutting out the middle men, so as to create and own his black market business, without having to answer to anyone.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Denzel Washington, Russel Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ruby Dee, Idris Elba, RZA, Common, Lymari Nadal, Carla Gugino, Armand Assante, Kevin Corrigan, Tip Harris (T.I.)

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Good, but not groundbreaking. The genre has been done before, and it's done perfectly well here, but nothing new is added to the formula, aside from the gangster being Black at a time when Black people were rarely in positions of power. No surprises to be had, it is what it is.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: They do show that famous clip of Muhammad Ali talking about how he's going to kick Joe Frazier's butt, and that's always good for a laugh.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you're in PETA, Denzel's Chinchilla pimp coat and hat might bring tears to your eyes.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's nominated for 3 Golden Globes, for Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Director (Ridley Scott), and of course, Denzel Washington... But they're all in categories where someone else clearly shone more.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Totally acceptable. Denzel and Russel can do these roles in their sleep.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Yet another good movie that could have been great simply by cutting it down to 2 hours, and thereby leaving out all the unnecessary parts.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The true story is interesting, but there were certain aspects of it that I would have like to see more of, like how and why the military got involved, and why his family jumped at the chance to blindly join his business, even though he hadn't spoken to them for 15 years, they didn't know what he did, and they saw him acting as a cold blooded killer. And other parts I would have been happy to see less of, like Russel Crowe's custody battle.

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The Bucket List

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Two terminally ill men (Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman) check out of a cancer ward to embark on a road trip around the world with a wish-list of things to do before they kick the bucket.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Rob Morrow, Beverly Todd

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! What could have been an overly maudlin film manages just enough restraint to keep things entertaining, funny, and relatable. Its holiday-timed release is ideal as this is a movie that just about anyone can – and will – enjoy.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Thankfully, yes. And you’ll laugh a lot, mostly thanks to Nicholson’s performance.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Bring Kleenex. Lots of it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Probably not, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Jack Nicholson is in top form as an irascible billionaire with a few surprises up his sleeve. From start to finish he’s fun to watch. Morgan Freeman makes for a perfect foil, and it’s nice to see Sean Hayes in a more subdued performance than on Will & Grace-- although no less funny.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The Bucket List is a nice return to form for director Rob Reiner. While maybe not as good as his very best work, like When Harry Met Sally, it’s far better than Rumor Has It.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There’s no denying that this was written to be mainstream entertainment, and the script feels that way. There’s nothing really new here, but the story still manages some nice surprises and genuinely touching moments that won’t make you cringe.

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No Country for Old Men

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a hunter (Josh Brolin) comes across a bunch of dead bodies and a bag full of cash, he takes the cash and soon becomes the hunted.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Beth Grant

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. While it's certainly an accomplishment in filmmaking, this film is not for everyone. Anyone who is a true movie aficionado will love it. But those simply looking to be entertained may leave the theater confused.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I had heard it was a dark comedy. If by "dark" they meant "not a," then I can agree.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The National Board of Review has already rewarded it with Awards for Best Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Ensemble. It is nominated for four Golden Globes , including Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem). And I'm sure we can expect to see it follow suit at the Academy Awards... While it deserves nominations in all these categories, it wouldn't be my pick to win in any of them.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Javier Bardem's chilling rendition of a psychopathic killer is clearly part of his master plan to establish himself as one of the greatest actors of his generation.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The classic Coen Brothers' style of direction is put to powerful use in this film. Without a musical score, the movie has a quiet and methodical pace, starting out slow and gradually ramping up to a heart-racing tension. Because of their wide angles, slow moving pans, and hand-held action sequences, there is a simple realism to the film, which separates it from "popcorn-movie" style action thrillers.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Apparently a very close adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy book, the dialogue is unpredictable, and the storyline in anything but cookie-cutter. There are original moments that are the type that go down in movie history. But if the ending was trying to make any kind of a point, I missed it.

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

A: If you are planning to see this, I do advise seeing it on the big screen, because something will definitely get lost in your living room.

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The Great Debaters

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of a team of Black debaters from Wiley College, in Texas, who are the first to challenge White debate teams, in 1935, and in so doing, help pave the way for the Civil Rights movement.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, Denzel Whitaker, Kimberly Elise, John Heard, Jermaine Williams

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Moving, intellectual, and visceral, the story is a reminder of a shameful part of our history, and the brave and forward-thinking types of people it always has and always will take to break the cycle of hate.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes. It'll even make you applaud.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Only if you have a heart, a mind, or a conscience.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I can say with confidence: yes, because The Golden Globes were announced today, and it was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama. But I don't think it'll win.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: You've got Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, and this movie has even got a kid in it named, Denzel Whitaker. Need I say more?

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Clearly an actor's director, Denzel captures some of his most poignant moments in the shared looks and thoughtful expressions that happen in between the dialogue .

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There is a B-story about unionizing the farmers, which doesn't make much sense. But screenwriter, Robert Eisele, more than makes up for it by creating inspired debate speeches and a sensory experience of what it must have felt like to live as a Negro in the lynch-mob-south. That would've been so uncool.

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Charlie Wilson's War

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of how Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) won Afghanistan's war against the Soviet Union, in the late 80s, without anyone finding out that the U.S. was involved.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Amy Adams, Ned Beatty, Emily Blunt, Om Puri, Erick Avari, John Slattery, Christopher Denham

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Fast-paced, complex, and full of humor, it helps to explain one small aspect of the incomprehensible quagmire we've gotten ourselves into in the Middle East. It's like a prequel.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Have you seen the poster? Did you get a look at Philip Seymour Hoffman's mustache? Now, that's funny! (Warning: Although there are some laughs, this is not a comedy, and anyone who says it is, is just trying to qualify for the less competitive categories in the Golden Globes.)

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It is sad that seeing the behind the scenes workings of politics actually gives you less faith in the government's ability to protect us.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The TV Emmy is a hard-bodied woman, and Aaron Sorkin's got six of them. Any man would want to be surrounded by that harem, even a man with no genitals, like Oscar. On the other side of the spectrum, playing a man with balls of steel, look for Philip Seymour Hoffman in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Philip Seymour Hoffman... Wow. He steals every scene he's in. It's such a fun role, and he doesn't miss a beat. Tom Hanks is a tough sell as a Texan, but that's probably only because it's hard to believe that a Democrat ever came out of Texas.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: While the film is about important issues, it manages to not get self-important. What a breath of fresh air. Thanks to Mike Nichols' fast-paced, slim and trim directing, you don't even have time to dwell on how far over your head Aaron Sorkin's script is.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Nobody does political intrigue like Aaron Sorkin. He enlightens, makes you laugh, and reminds you that the world of Washington politics is too complex for the human mind to wrap its head around. And, unfortunately, that includes the human minds that work in Washington. Suck on that Lions for Lambs!

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There Will Be Blood

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A slice of Americana, this character study depicts the birth of an oil tycoon at the turn of last century.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O'Connor, Ciaran Hinds, Dillon Freasier

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. A lot of people will love this movie. What follows is a list of people who won't: 1) People who can't stomach criticisms of organized religion. 2) People who don't appreciate being blatantly manipulated by the music. And 3) People, like me, who can't understand why so many directors these days can't cut those extraneous 38 minutes to get their movie down to a manageable 2 hours.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Smarter people will laugh individually at a few meaningful references here and there, but no group laughter will be had.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If the Good Lord, Jesus, enters your soul and releases your demons, during one of the town evangelist's dramatic sermons, you might cry. Or at least that's how it works according to TV.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Daniel Day-Lewis is always good for a nomination (deservedly so), and Paul Dano gives the kind of break-out performance that often times, not only gets nominated for the Best Supporting Actor category, but also wins it.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The film feels like it doesn't have any stars in it, and yet it does. When you forget that you're watching famous people, who make a lot of money, you remember why they are making so much money. Because they're good at their jobs.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The visual style is reminiscent of the slow paced, wide-canvased films of the 1940s. So that's nice. What is less nice is the score, which is overbearing and often times incongruous with the visuals, drawing attention toward itself and away from the story. I'm sure that many people will mistake this for great work. But those people should consider that it might actually be a sign of a director who knows that he doesn't have enough tension naturally happening on the screen, and therefore, is forced to manfacture it, by adding dramatic music. Regularly throughout the film, there are scenes where nothing is really happening: maybe it's a shot of people sitting around smoking, maybe it's a still shot of a mountain... and while you're watching these shots about nothing, the music has got your heart-rate in a tizzy. Counting Punch Drunk Love and Boogie Nights, this is the third time Paul Thomas Anderson has used this technique of putting sounds and music loudly in the forefront of his movies in an effort to disturb his audience. Some might interpret this as "a cool technique that defines his style." But it can also be interpreted as a director who doesn't trust his story enough, and instead relies on drawing our attention to the filmmaking element which is guaranteed to instinctually create emotions in us.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Based on the book, "Oil!" by Upton Sinclair, the movie doesn't have a plot but is nonetheless compelling. The characters are rich and unpredictable, and the final scene is nothing short of masterful.

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The Savages

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A brother and sister (Philip Seymour Hoffman & Laura Linney) find out that their father has dementia, and struggle with their choice to put him in a nursing home.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, Gbenga Akinnagbe, David Zayas

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! It all plays very much like real life. You know what else plays like real life? The annoyed sighing, yawning, and shifting in their seats of the audience. The difference is we, the audience, had the decency not to put our struggle to get through these boring 2 hours on film and assume people would want to watch it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: My friends and I giggled when we realized we had all lost interest in what was happening on the screen.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: You'll have to bring your own personal baggage to the theater if you want to achieve tears this time. Preferably something to do with a parent who mistreated you as a child, and now hardly knows who you are, due to dementia... although I'm sure Alzheimer's or amnesia would do the trick, as well.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The Spirit Awards have the annoying habit of confusing the terms "boring" and "great," when they're deciding who to recognize. As was to be expected, they nominated this one for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Actor.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney live up to their reputations as indy darlings.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The film has a very independent, low budget look. It starts out with some interesting stylized shots of old ladies dancing in cheer leading outfits, but soon forgets where it started. The established style gets completely dropped. The one consistency is the frequent shots of the sky. Bo-ring.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I'm so tired of "small film" being equated with "pointless film." This is the kind of story that keeps audiences away from small movies.

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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on the hit Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Sweeney Todd, aka Benjamin Barker, returns to London after a lengthy exile to exact revenge on the Judge who sent him to prison so he could be with Sweeney’s wife and daughter.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jayne Wisener, Anthony Head

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with caution. Speaking as someone who has never seen the staged production of Sweeney Todd, I’m going to assume that if you liked that, you will most likely also enjoy this film interpretation. Otherwise, keep in mind it is a musical, and the characters sing. A lot. The story is extremely dark, oftentimes disturbingly so, and although the bloodletting has a certain operatic grace about it, there is a ton of throat-slitting and once it starts, the blood flows and spatters pretty much non-stop. This movie will not put you in the holiday spirit, and people looking for more depth in a film’s storytelling and characters would be better served looking elsewhere.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Let’s hope so, because the comedy is one of its few redeeming qualities. Like the film, the humor is pitch-black dark and when it comes from a clever turn-of-phrase from a Sondheim lyric it’s especially funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Only if you weep over the death of cockroaches.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: If the Academy feels so obliged, hopefully they will restrain themselves to categories like costume and production design.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Superb from top to bottom. Johnny Depp is terrific as Sweeney and his singing voice is surprisingly good. He speaks and sings in a cockney accent and puts an amazing amount of emotion into the lyrics. Helena Bonham Carter is perfect as Mrs. Lovett, the deranged pie-maker with a major crush on Sweeney. Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat” himself) is hilarious as a rival barber and newcomer Jayne Wisener as Johanna, Sweeney’s teenage daughter, has a voice that will blow everyone away. The acting is the best thing about Sweeney Todd.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It’s Tim Burton with all the usual Tim Burton-isms. The film is beautiful to look at like most of his movies are, almost like a painting. But it is also very confined and shot in a lot of close-ups. It hasn’t been ‘opened-up’ as much as one might expect from a director like Burton, as if he intentionally kept to the spirit of its theatrical roots.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Apparently the film adheres very closely to the original Broadway production, and as a movie, that’s where it falters. The story and set-up are so extremely simple, that they deny the characters any real depth that might have made us actually care about them. Since the story is so surface, all we’re left to hold onto are the stunning images and great songs. You won’t feel much for any of the characters, but you could have if they’d bothered to flesh out the story a bit more.

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Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A parody of the Musical Biopic genre, this is the story of fake musician Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly), his rise to fame, and his struggle against the temptations that come with it.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Raymond J. Barry, Kristen Wiig, Tim Meadows, Chris Parnell, Matt Besser, and a lot of great cameos that shall remain a surprise.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. You will love this movie if you go with low expectations, AND are a college aged person, who has seen Walk the Line, and is stoned.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not in the same ballpark as Knocked Up or Superbad, but it's still funny. Especially if you're stoned.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Getting stoned can bring up a lot of unlikely emotions... Which is why the writer of this blog does not recommend drug use of any kind, to anyone, under any circumstance, and denies all connection to any here-to-fore or afore-mentioned insinuations suggesting said highly illegal, not to mention sinful behavior, which may cause idiocy and loss of common sense. Furthermore, the writer of this blog has no experience with such substances, and has never inhaled.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: A song or two will get nominated. But they won't win. But only because the Academy isn't stoned. (And if we're honest, also because Eddie Vedder has the Best Original Song category tied up this year.)

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Broad and impassioned, exactly what you'd expect from a parody.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Frame for frame stolen from Walk the Line for the first half. Not an insult, this was obviously the point. But don't forget to see Walk the Line first, if you want to play along. In totally unrelated directing kudos, Jake Kasdan gets points for strong use of male frontal nudity.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The problem with biopics is that they're boring. So it's nice to see the genre being spoofed. On the flip side, this is still a biopic.

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

A: A personal victory for me: they made fun of I'm Not There.

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Lust, Caution

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: During the Japanese invasion of Shanghai in WWII, a college coed (Tang Wei) joins a drama club in Hong Kong, and soon finds herself working as an amateur spy for the Chinese Resistance. Her job is to sleep with a high powered politician (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and lure him to fall in love with her.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Tang Wei, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Joan Chen, Lee-Hom Wang

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This movie is 2 1/2 hours long and would have benefited greatly from being at least 45 minutes shorter. A cut of that size would have kept the story moving at a nice clip, which would have in turn heightened the tension and the intrigue. If you want to see this story done right, rent last year's Paul Verhoeven film, Black Book.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I can't think of how.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I don't see why.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It won the awards for Best Director and Best Cinematography at the Venice Film Festival. As far as the Academy Awards go, I'm sure they'll try to angle Ang Lee for another Best Director nod. But who they should really be gunning for is the lead actress, Tang Wei, who is spectacular.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Tang Wei seems to have the entire range of human emotions at her fingertips and she knows exactly when to call on each of them.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Ang Lee's style is distinct and recognizable. There is some wonderful work in the opening scenes, as he cuts between the fast paced Marj hon game and the four lady players gossipping as their chips hit the table. It moves well and sets a good pace. Unfortunately, in an effort to be dramatic, he slows it up in the later portions of the movie, when he would have been better served to cut to the chase.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I have never said this before but... there was too much dialogue! Because the movie is in Chinese, I actually was not able to keep up with the words as they passed across the screen, and when I did keep up, I wasn't left with any time to look at the actors' faces to see who was doing the talking. Aside from that, I thought the nature of the main characters' feelings toward the man she is forced to sleep with were unclear. Does she love him? Does she hate him? Do I care? Oh, and I didn't feel satisfied by the ending.

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

A: It's rated NC-17 due to sexual content, of which there is a fair amount. Something you might want to know in advance is that the sexual portrayal is for the most part violent and aggressive, rather than sensual.

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Honeydripper

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The Black owner (Danny Glover) of a blues club in rural Alabama, in the 1950s, owes everybody money, and has one weekend to earn enough in cover charges, liquor and food, to pay all his debts and save his club, The Honeydripper.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Danny Glover, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Yaya DaCosta, Charles S. Dutton, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Gary Clark Jr., Mable John, Stacy Keach

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! I truly enjoyed the last ten minutes of this movie, which were high energy and filled with blues music, but I can not in good conscience recommend the rest of it to anybody. I have racked my brain to think of who might enjoy this long and slow paced meditation on being a musician in the Black south in the1950s, and I have come up blank. I thought maybe Blues and Gospel fans would like it, but there isn’t nearly enough music strung throughout the movie to satisfy that audience. I thought maybe Black Americans would like it because this is a part of their personal history, but the racial issues were covered tritely, and didn’t seem to add anything to the general knowledge most people already have about that time period. If anything, I would say the film was too soft in all areas.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: A couple of light chuckles, nothing memorable.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not even if you cry easily.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It tied for Best Screenplay at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, with Siete Mesas de Billar Frances. But keep in mind, English is not a Spanish judge’s first language, and I’m guessing the festival was kinda dead this year.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Danny Glover and Charles S. Dutton are a fun “buddy” team. Yaya DaCosta of America’s Next Top Model (Cycle 2) is still skinny. And Gary Clark Jr., in his first acting role, shows off why he’s one of the hottest young blues guitar players in the world. Okay, that’s not really a comment on his acting. But he’s so relaxed when he’s playing his music, that in contrast, it becomes more obvious that he’s not relaxed when he’s not playing.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: This is another example of a director not knowing when to cut. Coming in at a little over 2 hours, I can think of several whole scenes that were completely unnecessary toward advancing the very thin plot.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: While it’s clearly a personal story that John Sayles wanted to communicate about his connection to this type of music and it’s roots, I can’t say that his love of it translated from his heart and mind to his audience.

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Atonement

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a 13-year-old girl accuses her sister’s lover of raping another woman, she ruins all three of their lives.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai,Vanessa Redgrave, Brenda Blythen, Juno Temple

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The premise sounds better than what they actually did with it. The passion between the two lovers as they uncover their secret desire for each other is scintillating. The moment when the 13-year-old girl knowingly lies about the supposed crime adds to that a thrilling dilemma. And then the movie takes a sharp left turn and becomes a story about two lovers separated by World War II. This turn is completely unnecessary considering they’ve already been separated by this giant lie, and the movie would have been much stronger if they had stayed focused on the simple, yet high stakes elements that had been so smartly set up in the first act. I haven’t read the novel by Ian McEwan, which this is based on, and perhaps it worked well on the page, but on film it feels out of the blue and causes the story to wander at this point. This boring and meandering part of the movie does not make the good parts any less good, but it dramatically brings the movie down as a whole. After an amazing set up, the direction it goes in is a disappointment.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Once.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but it makes the actors in it cry a lot.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Joe Wright, the director, was nominated for a Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film festival. He didn’t win.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: James McAvoy is one of those actors who has the ability to be really sexy on screen, even though he’s not particularly great looking. That tends to be a dead giveaway for good acting. I think he knows it though, because lately he seems to be picking his roles based on how hot the girl he gets to kiss will be. He’s gone from Kerry Washington in The Last King of Scotland, to Anne Hathaway in Becoming Jane, to Keira Knightley in this, and rumor has it, his next screen-kiss is scheduled to be with Angelina Jolie… I guess after that he can retire.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I found it self-indulgent. During the meandering war part of the film, there is a five minute long steady-cam shot which goes in and out of crowds of soldiers waiting around on the beach to be taken home. Some are wounded, some are crazy, some are singing! The shot follows extras, shows scenery, and amounts to nothing. It advanced the story in no way whatsoever, and gave me time to think about how proud the director must have been about his work on that shot. The whole thing should have been cut.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The novel by Ian McEwan was clearly written from the point of view of the 13-year-old girl, Briony. The movie script starts out from her point of view as well, but after the lie is told, it switches to the point of view of Robbie, the victim of the lie. And guess what? It’s suddenly 4 years later, and he is a soldier at war. When the movie changes points of view is the moment when it goes downhill. I assume the screenwriter had to tell the war part out of loyalty to the book, but if he had maintained Briony’s point of view, it might have better defined the story’s objective, stayed on the theme of “atonement,” and forced the writer to shorten that (weakest) section of the movie by a lot. Eventually, the story does go back to being about the guilt the little girl (who is now grown) feels for having lied. But in the end, what she finally does to atone for her mistake is a disappointment.

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I Am Legend

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A brilliant scientist – Robert Neville (Will Smith) is possibly the last human left on earth after a man-made virus seemingly wipes out the world’s population. For the next 3 years, Neville sends out daily radio messages in search of other survivors. But mutant victims of the plague – The Infected – lurk in the shadows (unable to be in the light) waiting to prey on Neville as he tries to reverse the effects of the virus by using his own immune blood.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, and one very well-trained (and emotive) German Shepherd. (There’s also an unexpected cameo in the first 5 minutes, so make sure you don’t miss the beginning.)

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Let’s face it, you’re seeing I Am Legend because we haven’t had a Will Smith actioner since 2004’s, I Robot, and the good news is both he and the movie are better this time. I Am Legend delivers the goods on suspense and action, and it cuts the surface to go a bit deeper and make you think (albeit not as much as it could have). I did not read the popular Richard Matheson novel the film was based on, so I can’t comment on the translation to screen, but if you’re looking for some year-end action/thriller entertainment, this one will most likely satisfy.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are a few clever jokes with the use of mannequins, and some visual funny related to the not-too-distant future (keep an eye on the NY billboards and gas prices), but overall this is no comedy.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There are some touching and emotional moments that might get to a select few people. Mostly thanks to Smith, these moment come off a little more ‘real’ than in most action films.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: This isn’t the type of movie that usually garners Academy Award recognition outside of the visual effects and technical categories, but if dogs were eligible for Best Supporting Actor, we might have a contender.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It’s pretty much Will Smith’s film from beginning to end considering he’s practically lonelier than Tom Hanks was with that volleyball in Cast Away. With that said, Smith’s in fine form as the quintessential thinking-man’s action hero. Not only is he tremendously charismatic and fully buff – he also has to pull off the emotion that overcomes someone living with only himself for going on three years. There’s never a false moment in his performance and there are few actors who would be better in this type of role – maybe none. Alice Braga and Charlie Tahan as mother and son are also both good, but it’s still Will’s world.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Francis Lawrence came from the world of music videos and his first feature was the 2005 Keanu Reeves film, Constantine. He handles this film with similar aplomb – the action sequences pop and the quieter moments work well too. He seems like an ‘action’ director trying to go a little deeper which is always a good thing.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Completely serviceable and there are some nice surprises along the way. The script could have been dumbed down, but luckily it never feels as if it were. But one can’t help wish the psychology of the story (and characters) had gone a bit deeper for an even more satisfying ride since it deals with a catastrophe that could be all-too-real in the very near future.

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Eastern Promises

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a 14-year-old Russian girl without identification dies during childbirth, the midwife (Naomi Watts) tries to identify and locate the baby’s relatives by having the girl’s diary translated into English. Unfortunately, her efforts to do a good deed, lead her directly to dangerous members of the Russian Mob, where she quickly becomes deeply entangled with too much information.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vicent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sinead Cusack, Jerzy Skolimoski

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! While it’s a little slow to get started, and extremely violent in parts, the twists and turns are interesting, surprising, and executed with and impressive subtlety, which leaves you feeling both challenged and satisfied.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Let me put it this way, the first time Nikolai (Mortensen) tells a joke, he has to explain afterwards that he was joking, and I still couldn’t figure out what was funny about what he had said.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Scream at the gore, yes. Clutch your seat from the tension, sure. But probably not cry.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Maybe the Academy will finally nominate Viggo for last year’s incredible performance in A History of Violence. I know that’s not officially how it works, but I was surprised that he was overlooked last year, as that was one of the strongest performances I’ve seen-- ever. And you know how they sometimes honor a less worthy performance a year late, because they realize they messed up the year before? Like when they gave Russell Crowe the best actor award for Gladiator, because they forgot to give it to him for The Insider… It could happen.

In other acting news, I would love to see Vincent Cassel get a Best Supporting Actor nod for this high energy performance as a powerful but incredibly insecure mob boss’s son, who seamlessly switches back and forth between power-hungry and desperate to be loved.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: With each role Viggo Mortensen takes on, his face transforms so completely, that I don’t even think I would recognize him if he were sitting in my lap. Meanwhile, he has met his match in Vincent Cassel. The scenes where these two battle for power are almost enough in themselves to make this film worth viewing. This is an acting duo I would love to see repeated.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I like David Cronenberg, but I blame him for the extreme levels of gore. While most of the violence was necessary, it wasn’t necessary for it to be shot in such a gruesome manner.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Information in this film is doled out on a need to know basis. Nothing is repeated twice. Nothing is spoon-fed. And because of it, the audience gets smarter. My only complaint (aside from the slow beginning), is that Naomi Watts’ character, Anna, made some really bad decisions, even late in the movie when she really should have known better. I thought maybe it was supposed to come off as “ballsy,” but she was never established as any kind of a vigilante, so she ended up coming off as “dumb blond.”

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This Christmas

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A family gets together for Christmas and all the secrets spill out.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Delroy Lindo, Idris Elba, Loretta Devine, Chris Brown, Keith Robinson, Laz Alonso, Columbus Short, Sharon Leal, Lauren London, Lupe Ontiveros, Jessica Stroup, Mekhi Phifer, Regina King

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I was hoping this would be the feel good Christmas movie of the season, but it was just okay. They tried to deal with too many characters, who had too many problems, and in so doing lost focus. While the secrets revealed were interesting, and the characters were real and relatable, the movie didn’t have a driving force, a main character, or a central goal or thrust to guide you through.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: A couple of times, if you’re paying attention.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you cry, like I do, at the gentle tones of Chris Brown’s singing voice, then you’ll cry when he sings, but the drama probably won’t get you there.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It’s on the verge of qualifying for MTV’s Best Fight category, when three beautiful sisters attack each other in the rain, destroying each other's weaves. But I’m not going to put money on this one, because it’s not quite kitsch enough to guarantee a nomination.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Chris Brown is adorable! He’s going to be a huge movie star. Loretta Devine is so charming, you want to take her home and call her, “Mother.” And Lauren London is so gorgeous you feel like she’s going to ask you to stop staring.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I’m going to talk about the Cinematography instead… I love the lighting in this film. It’s soft and sophisticated and romantic, as a Christmas movie (that’s not about Santa Claus) should be. Everyone and everything looks beautiful. And the hues have a quiet serenity that feels like a Christmas spent with the family: pensive, peaceful, and loving on the outside, but full of drama on the inside.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It’s missing an objective. No one is trying to achieve anything. No one has to have something. They all just want to have a nice Christmas. It ends up feeling like nothing more than a slice of life. Which is a valid choice, but doesn’t make for the strongest dramatic situations.

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August Rush

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An eleven-year-old orphan boy (Freddie Highmore) believes that if he learns to play the music in his head, his parents will hear it in the air and come find him.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard, Robin Williams

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This movie didn’t make me angry enough to deserve a red light, but be warned, you will have to suspend disbelief for every plot twist, and even every plot point, in this corniest of movies ever made. Perhaps it thinks itself a musical fairy tale of sorts, but ultimately even a knight in shining armor showing up on a white horse is more believable than the idea that this orphan boy’s parents (who conceived him during a one-night stand, 12 years ago), would hear his music in the air, and go to him… Then again, maybe I’m just jaded.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It won’t even try to.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It might, but if it does, you will deny it for the rest of your living days.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Now that would be silly.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Due to the fatal combination of corny dialogue and Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ natural levels of intensity, it actually feels quite creepy when he hits on Keri Russell, on the night of their fateful one-night stand. Once that’s over, all three of the separated family members (Highmore, Rhys Meyer, and Russell) spend a lot of screen time looking up at the sky meaningfully—which clearly the director has instructed them to do. On the flip side, there are break-out singing and acting performances by both Leon G. Thomas III, who plays a young street musician that August Rush (Highmore) befriends, and 11 year-old Jamia Simone Nash, as a singer in a church choir, who discovers that August is a musical prodigy.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Very average, and (as mentioned above) sometimes detrimental to the acting.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I’m willing to severely suspend disbelief about once a movie—twice if the writing is really clever—I shouldn’t have to do during all the pivotal moments, even in a supposed fairy-tale.

Q: Is there anything else I should know about the movie?

A: Since Music is a main character, I would be remiss not to mention it. Let me just say, this is no Once (I’m referring to the 2006 Irish musical movie). You probably won’t be humming any of the tunes as you leave the theater. The only really creative aspect of the music is that August figures out how to somehow play guitar chords simply by hitting the guitar with a flat hand. Maybe that’s possible, but in this case the visuals and sounds don’t always match up from what I could see.

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Enchanted

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An animated fairy tale princess (Amy Adams) falls through a magical well, which leads her straight to New York City, where she becomes a three dimensional live-action person, who is lost and confused in this strange and deeply jaded new world.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel, Rachel Covey, and the voice of Julie Andrews

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is a very cute movie with a very cute premise, but it wasn’t quite as clever as I hoped it would be. There were several winks and references to classic Disney animated tales, but all the jokes that really drive home the concept are in the preview trailer. Still enjoyable, it’s just not as spectacular as its premise had the potential to be.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes, although not as often as it should.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you’re under three, and scared of dragons, maybe.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The composers, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, might add to their enormous collections of Oscars. I say this because the Academy often chooses its nominees based on the, “To know him is to love him,” principal. And since between the two of them they already have more than enough statues to bowl with, I conclude that the Academy knows them, and therefore loves them.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Amy Adams is truly a pleasure to watch. Her comic timing as well as her sense of joy will sweep you off your feet. Meanwhile, James Marsden proves once again that he’s not to be discounted as just a pretty face. Between the way he commits to this role as a cartoon prince, and his role earlier this year in Hairspray, he is quickly proving himself a force to be reckoned with in the broad comedy arena.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Having begun his career as an animator, and moved his way up to experienced director of both animation and live-action, Kevin Lima is probably most appropriate director they could have found for this piece.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Close, but no cigar. While the movie is not particularly flawed, for me there were a few moments that were just a little too “easy.” The supposedly jaded, Robert’s (Dempsey) willingness to bring this seemingly insane woman into his house—where his young daughter sleeps—as well as his willingness to bring her to work, and to forgive her for cutting up his curtains are all good examples of moments that could have used a little more justification, which in turn might have deepened the levels of the tale. Sometimes the story forwent real-world logic a little too much in favor of fairy tale logic, and in so doing lost opportunities for both humor and cleverness.

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I'm Not There

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After sitting through the movie, I can honestly say that I have no idea. For anyone who still cares, I’ve quoted imdb.com, “Ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where seven characters embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work.” ... Ohhhh, “Ruminations!”

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Wishaw, Julianne Moore, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Bruce Greenwood, David Cross

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! I was dead bored from the beginning to the end. At one point, a character I’ll call, “Random Townsperson #1” started telling Richard Gere that the people in the town had begun shooting themselves in the face and slitting their own throats, and I actually felt a tinge of jealousy. Bottom line, if you don’t already know everything there is to know about Bob Dylan, you will have no chance of following what’s going on in this supposed art film. In fact, you may not even know that this is a movie about Bob Dylan. Personally, I think a movie should be able to stand alone in both space and time, and considering we’re already 40 years beyond the height of Bob Dylan’s relevance, the audience for this movie has already shrunk to who cares. If you want to get anything out of this movie, you will most likely have to read a summary review of it in advance.

Here is some other suggested reading material you’ll need to peruse before you go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Dylan, Bob Dylan: the Life and Time of a an American Icon, by Michael Schuman, Bob Dylan: the Essential Interviews, by Jonathan Cott, Dylan and Cohen: Poets of Rock and Roll, by David Boucher, Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – Bob Dylan, the Early Years: The Stories Behind Every Song, by Gill…Oh, just go to Amazon, and browse for yourself.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Only if your dreams are funny. What I’m saying is that you’ll be far too asleep to laugh at anything happening on the screen.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Only if you value your time.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I’m fairly sure the Spirit Awards will come up with a reason to nominate this. They love to make their voters sit through pretentious, boring crap-- Especially when it’s star-studded with people who might show up to sit in their award show audience, thereby raising their award’s awareness, relevance and legitimacy.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It’s hard to appreciate the acting, when you’re mad at the actors for picking this movie. Clearly they all wanted to show-off their Bob Dylan impersonations. Some are better than others, but unfortunately you can see most of them working.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Todd Haynes knows his way around a camera. He proves that he knows how to create every look under the sun in this incohesive jumbled mess of a movie, which jumps around incomprehensibly between black and white parts, modern parts, grainy old film parts, faux-Documentary parts, and many, many more.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: This is a story that stayed inside the writer’s heads. I could watch it nine more times, and get stoned, and psychoanalyze its deep meaning, but I don’t want to.

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The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on Jean-Dominique Bauby’s memoir about the stroke which caused him to become completely paralyzed from his head to his toes, this is the true story of how he learned to communicate by blinking his left eye… the only remaining functional part of his body besides his mind.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: A bunch of French people: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josee Croze, Anne Consigny, Olatz Lopez Garmendia, Max von Sydow, Isaach De Bankole, Neils Arestrup

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This a beautiful film about a man who overcomes his anger at having “Locked-in Syndrome,” which is a condition describing a person who has a completely functioning mind, memory and imagination, but no physical ability to express any of those thoughts through speech or movement. Everyone can relate to being misunderstood and feeling like their thoughts aren’t being heard, for Jean-Dominique Bauby this literally became his life condition. After being the successful editor of Elle France, this condition couldn’t be more opposite to his previously powerful image of himself as a man. But he proves that his spirit of success can’t be stopped as he blinks his way to a best selling memoir, which explains what Locked-In Syndrome feels like, for all those of us who will be lucky enough never to have to experience it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: This is not a comedy, but the uncensored thoughts of a man who can’t be heard are funny because they’re true.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Very good chance. They got me in the scene depicting the first time Mr. Bauby’s kids see their once vibrant father acting like an impotent vegetable.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: If Julian Schnabel doesn’t win the best director Oscar for this, the whole Academy should be replaced.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: This is a stand-out performance for Mathieu Amalric who plays Jean-Dominique Bauby. He seems like two entirely different people as goes from confident, good-looking Editor-in-chief, to paralyzed shell of an embittered man who can’t even swat a fly off of his own nose.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: With the help of gorgeous cinematography by Janusz Kaminski, Julian Schnabel was able to use visuals to make you feel like you were actually experiencing the blurriness and confusion of waking up from a coma and discovering that no one can hear you scream. His point-of-view camera allows you to look at and see the main characters feeling. And while the main character is immobile, the audience travels the world. My only complaints in regards to the directing is that 1) many of the actresses looked too much alike, and I sometimes had difficulty telling them apart, and 2) he would sometimes cut to crumbling ice-caps, which seemed a little out of the blue. Perhaps it was his way of showing us that this once strong man was falling apart, or I don’t know—I’m sure I could read some significance into this but I shouldn’t have to guess.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I’m not a fan of bio-pics, because they tend to wander and feel pointless, but this one was worth making. Focusing only on the part of this man’s life that was truly extraordinary, this is a movie you have never seen or experienced before. Without much of a story, and no semblance of a plot, this movie keeps your attention and captures your imagination, except during a few minutes toward the end of the 3rd act when you feel like you get it already, and you’re ready to wrap it up.

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Fred Claus

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: It turns out that Santa (Paul Giamatti) has an older brother, named Fred (Vince Vaughn). Fred is bitter about being in Santa’s shadow his whole life (eternity), and as a result has grown up to be something of a huckster. When Fred asks his brother to give him $50,000 for his latest scam, Santa decides to make him earn it by working at the North Pole. But bringing Fred to the North Pole turns out to be Santa’s biggest mistake.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, John Michael Higgins, Miranda Richardson, Rachel Weisz, Kevin Spacey, Kathy Bates, Elizabeth Banks, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Trevor Peacock

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you’re one of those people who loves a new Christmas movie every holiday season, this one will do the trick. While the director and star of Wedding Crashers seem like an unlikely duo to bring you your year-end feel-good Santa Claus movie, there’s nothing raunchy to beware of here, and the more mature jokes are hidden in innuendo. Vince Vaughn and David Dobkin do bring their signature styles to the look and feel of this film, so it has a tad more edge than your average Christmas fare—in other words it’s not all sweet and corny. In the end, it probably won’t make any “Top 10 Christmas movies ever made” lists, but it’s good enough to get played, viewed and enjoyed on TV every holiday season.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes, thanks to Vince Vaughn’s classic fast-talking rants and rambles, which sometimes make interesting and innovative points you may never have thought of yourself, and other times don’t make any sense at all, but are nonetheless amusing thanks to Vaughn’s commitment to idea that they do make sense. Don’t expect his usual R-rated level of humor, but considering the PG restrictions, it’s not bad at all. Also notable are some great cameos they got for a self-help group that Fred attends.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It almost had a chance at the end, when the sappy conclusion kicks in, but you’d have to be a real sucker to get taken off guard by this one.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Vaughn is always good for an MTV Popcorn award nomination. I’m thinking for the “Best Fight” category, for his fight with Ludacris, the elf.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Very professional.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: In my opinion broad comedy is the hardest genre to master as a director, and David Dobkin has it down. If he had shot the physical comedy wrong, he could’ve missed what’s funny about the pratfalls. If he had cut to the dialogue wrong, he could’ve ruined the jokes. And if he had lit the scenes wrong, he could’ve made it look like a big, fake situation, instead of convincing the audience that this ridiculous scenario could actually happen in some remote fantasyland. In this film he is also faced with the challenge of creating three visually distinct worlds, and making them feel like they are all part of the same movie. The transition from the distant past, when Santa and Fred were kids, to the modern world, where Fred lives now, to Santa’s home at the North Pole actually help suck you into the movie. Also, most of the special effects where seamless, rather than distracting, as I find special effects often can be.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I appreciate that they tried to do something original with Christmas by inventing a brother for Santa Claus and creating a sibling rivalry. Aside from that very fresh concept, all the originality in the script seems to come from Vince Vaughn’s improvisations, and not so much from the screenwriters. Also, it is kind of strange to sees Santa as the antagonist. Santa is never mean—after all, he’s a Saint—but you can’t help but resent him a little bit, because he’s the bane of our hero’s existence, and the reason that Fred is so bitter. How could Santa know so much about so many, and not see that it’s kind of his fault that Fred turned out the way he did?

Q: Is there anything else outstanding about the movie?

A: The North Pole has been done so many times, that it’s always fun to see a new stylistic take on it. I enjoyed the scenic design in this case, as they depicted it as grandiose and classy, rather than kitchy, like some renditions I’ve seen of the North Pole. (Okay, I’ll give, I’m referring to The Santa Clause 3—yes, I’ve seen all of them).

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Juno

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When 16-year-old Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) accidentally gets pregnant, she commits herself to making sure that her unborn child lands the perfect surrogate family. The question is: can you find perfection when it comes to your family?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, Olivia Thirlby

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! What’s fun about this film is the cavalier attitude with which Juno approaches her unwanted pregnancy. At no point do the characters get precious about the issues related to teen pregnancy and whether or not to keep the child. In so doing, this movie easily dodges the “afternoon special” nature of these types of stories.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes. Writer Diablo Cody has a fresh and interesting voice, and with it comes a new perspective that is honest, blunt and in your face.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not likely.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: From the Director of Thank You For Smoking, and in a tone that falls somewhere between that and Little Miss Sunshine, this movie has a good chance at sweeping the Independent Spirit Awards.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Excellent across the board. If you haven’t enjoyed Ellen Page’s work to date, this performance will make you feel like you have just discovered a new star. Michael Cera does his usual Michael Cera thing; but his thing feels so real and unaffected, that I don’t plan on tiring of it any time soon. For Jason Bateman this was my favorite performance of his since Dodgeball (although his characters in these two movies have nothing in common). Bateman brought a sexiness to this role, that hasn’t been in some of his recent work, as he often gets stuck playing “the uptight guy.” Olivia Thirlby does a great job of walking the line between hyperactive teenager and real person. And as Juno’s laid-back-but-concerned parents, J.K.Simmons and Allison Janney make you feel like they can do no wrong on the screen.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: If you liked the directing in Thank You for Smoking, you will like the directing in Juno. Jason Reitman’s sophomore effort proves that his style is already well defined. He brings a slight edge to the look of this film (which matches the style of the script), but he doesn’t try to get too showy, or upstage the story more than just to add a little flare here and there.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The dialogue is clever and raw, the story structure is solid and original, and it never fails to entertain. The only thing I would fault this story with is that I don’t think it will stick with me for more than a day or so.

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