W.

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Biopic about a man (Josh Brolin) who becomes president of the United States (George W. Bush) to prove to his father (George H.W. Bush) that he's not a disappointment.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks, Richard Dreyfuss, Ellen Burstyn, Thandie Newton, Jesse Bradford, Rob Corddry, Dennis Boutsikaris, Scott Glenn, Michael Gaston, Toby Jones, Stacy Keach, Bruce McGill, Jason Ritter, Marley Shelton, Jeffrey Wright

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. All the facts we already know. What's interesting is getting to see W's emotional state as these incidents unfold, his relationship with his father, and finding out who said and did what within his cabinet... Unfortunately, all those parts of the movie are based on pure speculation, and not to be trusted.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not nearly as much as when you watch the real W. trying to speak English.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Again, not nearly as much as when you watch the real thing.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The whole thing would be a lot more insightful if it came out 30 years from now.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: In many cases the cast of Saturday Night Live could have done these characters more justice. While they are all reminiscent of the actual people they play, either by their looks or by their speech cadence, there is at least one false thing in each of them which keeps you focused on the actor playing the real person, rather than the real person they're playing. For example Josh Brolin sounds right, but he's much too good looking. Thandie Newton looks like Condoleezza Rice, but her speech sounds as if someone has glued her lips together. And Richard Dreyfuss just smiles way too much to be Dick Cheney.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: As is to be expected, watching this film causes you to learn more about Oliver Stone, and his personal fantasies of what it might be like to be George W. Bush, than it teaches you about what it's actually like to be George W. Bush.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It would have worked better as a Reality TV show... In fact, I think there was a similar show on TV once. Wasn't it called something like, "The News"? I don't know, who can remember such things.

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Hancock

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A reluctant superhero (Will Smith) must re-brand his image, and in the process he finds out who he really is.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron, Jae Head, Eddie Marsan, Thomas Lennon, Johnny Galecki

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. In a world full of cineplex superheroes, the one with amnesia turns out to be not so memorable.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you're looking for laughs, I suggest you rent The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but if fingernails on a chalkboard makes you cringe, this movie has a few moments which are so much worse than that.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Gayest superhero suit of the summer.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Jason Bateman is unquestionably back in full force. Will Smith does a strange, pouty thing with his mouth that's a little distracting. And Academy Award winner, Charlize Theron, plays it like she's sending a telegraph, "Bee-beep, bee-beep: Important connection moment is happening here: Bee-beep, bee-beep."

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Technically, there were a few long-lens shots and rack-focuses that took me out of it here and there. The director crosses the line once-- which is egregious, since that can be fixed by simply flipping the negative-- and sometimes it's hard to tell where the action is happening. But ultimately, I was able to figure most of the important stuff out.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Big ups for originality, and for justifying all the moments that seem like pure coincidence. The screenwriters, Vy Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan, are up against some innately unlikeable characters doing some innately unlikeable things, and considering the circumstances, they did what they could.

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

A: I thought I liked this flick a lot more until I sat down to write about it. Yep, it's one of those. You like it, until you try to remember what it was you liked about it.

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