The Artist

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: It's a silent film about a silent film star (Jean Dujardin) struggling with the concept that audiences want actors to talk in movies now.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle, Beth Grant, Ed Lauter, Joel Murray, Malcolm McDowell, Ken Davitian, and Uggie the dog.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Go!  I'm pretty sure this is what a masterpiece looks like.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  The biggest laughs are at sounds.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  This happy little silent film actually gets about as depressing as depressing can be, at one point.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  It's the sleeper hit of the season, so it's already surprised Americans with several come-from-behind wins, and I suspect it will continue to do so, as it's about the most original film I've seen in my lifetime.  But I also hope that Award-givers won't forget to recognize the score, since it is one of the main communicators in this dialogue-less film.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  The actors are as adorable as a kitten.  Especially the dog.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: All while paying homage to the black & white film era, director Michael Hazanavicius, keeps the camera moving in a modern way and finds places to exhibit his artistry as a film composition expert.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  It functions on so many levels at once that it's hard to imagine that there is one.

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

A:  How is it possible that in 2011, I've just seen back to back movies where a silent film star, depressed about talkies, burns all of his work?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Artist Trailer

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Footloose

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  Based on the older and wiser movie of the same name, the new kid in town (Kenny Wormald)  is shocked to learn that public dancing under the age of 18 is illegal.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid, Andie MacDowell, Miles Teller, Ray McKinnon, Patrick John Flueger, Kim Dickens, Ziah Colon, Ser'Darius Blain, L. Warren Young, Brett Rice, Maggie Jones, Mary-Charles Jones, Enisha Brewster

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  This movie is neither sexy enough nor cheesy enough.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  Like I said, it's not cheesy enough.  If it had taken itself a little less seriously and gone for the "so bad it's good" category, it could have had me rolling out of my seat in uncomfortable laughter.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  The friend I saw it with admitted to a couple of moments of getting teary-eyed, but she also admitted to being on diet pills, and I hear those make you emotional.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  Yes, the I Miss Kevin Bacon Award-- which is especially surprising when you consider that Kevin Bacon is in so many movies, that you hardly have time to miss him... But oh, how I do!

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Kenny Wormald is-- I miss Kevin Bacon.  Dennis Quaid is a brave man to attempt to take on a role previously played by John Lithgow.  And did you know that Andie MacDowell is in this movie?  Neither did I, and I watched it.  Miles Teller in the Chris Penn role is the only one who comes close to matching his predecessor's energy.  That is not counting Julianne Hough, who blows Lori Singer's Ariel out of the water...  But I never did like Lori Singer.  Probably because she got to kiss Kevin Bacon.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  As much as I loved Hustle & Flow, the directing on Footloose does not make Craig Brewer appear to know what he's doing.  The dance scenes are poorly choreographed-- I think-- it's hard to tell because they are shot and edited so haphazardly that you can hardly tell what's going on in them.  The director basically uses wide shots, often from high angles, or tight close-ups in which you can't see how anyone's body is moving.  The only dance shots that work are the ones that I recognized as  lifted directly from the original movie.  You'll have to trust me on this because despite the fact that I haven't seen it since 1984, I'm something of an expert on the original Footloose.  You see, I wrote a book report on it.  Yeah, for school.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  They added some back story and took out all the sexiness.  I don't think they meant to, but  I sure do miss Kevin Bacon.

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

A:  They paid homage to many of the important songs from the original, Footloose, I Need a Hero, Let's Hear it for the Boy, Almost Paradise, but in many cases the remake versions of these songs leave you feeling tantric, like you're almost where you want to be, but you're pretty sure you're never gonna get there.   On the positive side, one of the original songs used was by one of my favorite new indie artists, Lissie, and it fit very well.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Footloose Trailer

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Burlesque

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A small town Iowa girl (Christina Aguilera) has medium-sized Hollywood dreams and discovers a Burlesque Club on Sunset Strip that I personally have never heard of, seen there, or found on Google Maps. She quickly falls in love with Burlesque dancing and singing, and instantly realizes that she absolutely has to be a part of it.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Christina Aguilera, Cher, Cam Gigandet, Eric Dane, Kristen Bell, Stanley Tucci, Julianne Hough, Alan Cumming, Peter Gallagher, Dianna Agron, Chelsea Traille

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Fun dancing and singing, with a plot as thin and predictably delicious as the caramel coating of a candied apple means you'll get exactly what you came for.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Even though you will get your fill of laughs simply by sitting through the often-times horrendous dialogue, the filmmakers are also kind enough to throw in a bit of deliberate humor as well, which comes in the form of sexy clown contortionists. Yes, I said sexy clown contortionists.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Doesn't Christina's singing voice always? It's the reason I never listen to her music before a business meeting and always listen to it before I show up unannounced at some guy's house who I want to make feel sorry for me, because my mascara is running down my face, and I look pathetic and helpless.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: If this movie doesn't get nominated for Best Costume Design, I will seriously be offended by the whole process. These Burlesque outfits are not only more inventive than anything that King George and Queen Elizabeth wore, they're also sexier.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Christina Aguilera can act. Cam Gigandet wearing only a box of cookies is one of the highlights of the film (trust me, girls the world over will watch this movie more than once just for that reason). And Kristen Bell should fire her agents, as she finds herself in yet another role that makes her look like she would do better to stick to TV. She has no charisma or charm, and the entire subplot revolving around her antagonist character is poorly defined and uninteresting to follow... That said, her outfits are good.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: While some of the numbers are slightly over-lit for my taste, the angles on the dance sequences are dynamic and energetic. Unfortunately, there are several scenes without dancing and music in the beginning and middle, that lack in energy and bounce. And the requisite solo ballad at the end of the 2nd act is flying its boring-flag high and proud... As the late 2nd act ballad always seems to do in these movies.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: One good thing I can say about the writer of this script is that he clearly knows how predictable his plot and dialogue are, and uses it to fake the audience into thinking he's giving them good writing by having characters point out when the others have just said something cliché. I imagine him now, sitting at his desk writing something terrible, and rather than trying to finesse it and make it better, he just has one of his other characters say what he really thinks of the line he's just written, like, "That's so cheesy." Strangely enough, this technique actually works because once the audience thinks you're in on the cheesiness, they are more than willing to forgive you for it. And that's a hot tip to all you aspiring screenwriters out there... especially those of you who hope to achieve mediocrity.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/burlesque/38474/trailers

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Shrek Forever After 3D

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: In the fourth installment of this animated children's franchise, Shrek gets tired of his perfect life, and wishes he could go back to being a real, scary, independent ogre for just one day. Unfortunately, to make his wish come true, he makes a deal with the devil (Rumpelstiltskin), and enters an alternate universe where nobody knows who Shrek is, and the day he saved the princess and fell in love never happened. Basically, It's a Shrekiful Life!

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Walt Dohrn, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Jon Hamm, Craig Robinson, Jane Lynch, Lake Bell, Kathy Griffin, Mary Kay Place, Kristen Schaal, Meredith Vieira, Ryan Seacrest, Larry King, Regis Philbin

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! While doing a take on It's a Wonderful Life isn't the most original idea anybody has ever had, it comes off as incredibly original for this franchise, which is in the habit of parodying every fairy tale it can get its hands on. It's also a clever way to reinvigorate a franchise in its fourth installment, by telling an original origin story about Shrek and Fiona, in an alternate Universe.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you compare it to how funny the 1st Shrek was, you will remember to be disappointed by the level of humor.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you compare it to how touching and romantic the 1st Shrek was, you will remember to be disappointed by the level of emotion... But, hey, maybe that'll make you cry!

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: An Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature is standard operating procedure for Shrek, so now all they need to do is find some way to prevent Pixar from releasing Toy Story 3 this year. Better luck next time!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: There are some nice additions to the cast in this installment, most notably Walt Dohrn as the complex but totally transparent baddie, Rumpelstiltskin, and Craig Robinson as a lovable ogre obsessed with chimichangas.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I tried to find the movie playing in 2D so I could enjoy the complexities of the beautiful fantasy world created by the director and the animators, but it was only playing in 3D, which I'm totally over. My eyes already see things in 3D, and after the initial 5 seconds of getting used to the effect, I tend to forget that the effect is even there... Oh, and guess what, they jacked up the surcharge again.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I wish it were as funny and touching as it used to be, but as a screenwriter, I am inspired by the device the story department came up with to make the story feel fresh so late in the game. Unfortunately, there is a misstep where the story should have ended, but Shrek makes a somewhat illogical choice in order to prolong the story, and give us what will ultimately be a more satisfying ending. The direction they go in is more fun, but it's hard to believe that he would make that choice over the one that gets him right back to his original life.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/shrek-forever-after/30186/trailers

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Michael Jackson's This is It

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A documentary rock concert movie, chronicling the rehearsals leading up to what would have been Michael Jackson's farewell tour, if he had lived to perform it.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Michael Jackson, Kenny Ortega, and the most talented dancers, singers, and musicians they could find to match Jackson's level of skill and professionalism.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! I haven't been a fan of MJ's since about 1983, but like everyone else who sees this movie, I'm a born again. The man has been singing and dancing for the last 45 years, and his experience shows why he's the King of Pop. Not only does he demonstrate a complete mastery of every aspect of the musical subtleties, but he moves, shakes and dances from the beginning to the end of the concert, with the energy of a 5 year old and the physical precision of man who can't possibly be 50 and only days away from dying.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not a ton of humor here, but there was one funny thing I noticed... he has really big hands!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Between the looming memory of his recent death during these very rehearsals, the freakishness of his surgically rendered face, the memory of how he was both abused and worshiped as a kid, and the nagging thought that he may have molested small children, you will go through a multitude of conflicting emotions as you witness his genius unfolding before your eyes.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The Academy will want to honor this man, and what better way than a posthumous Oscar for Best Original Song. Now "This Is It" isn't a very good song, but the Academy rarely gives out Oscars to songs that don't suck, so I think he's got it in the bag.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Michael Jackson is way more in control of his set than you'd expect. He's totally with it, and every direction he gives creates improvements. But I'd like to take this moment to also talk about some of the people in the background. If you watch "So You Think You Can Dance?", you ain't seen nothing compared to the nameless, faceless background dancers, who earn a spot next to MJ (they really call him that!) Also, I was very pleased to see a gorgeous blond, Australian rocker chick on lead guitar (who looked somewhere between 12 and 14 years old, I might add). Remember the name Orianthi, and if anyone ever tries to tell you that girls can't rock out as hard as boys, just throw that one back in their face.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Kenny Ortega became known to the masses by directing Disney's High School Musical movies, but in this film-- which at times plays like a really good DVD extra-- we get to watch him behind the scenes putting together very original and complicated visuals that range from green screen to 3D to dropping Humphrey Bogart into scenes with Michael Jackson. To quote what he says to MJ in the film, "I'm a fan."

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There is none, so I'm going to take this moment to talk about pedophilia. I'm the type of person who's always tended to believe that MJ did it-- especially because he's paid out millions of dollars in lawsuits... BUT, I've recently become involved in a business negotiation where I've been forced to deal with one of the lawyers who got $20 million off of Michael Jackson for the father of one of the kids in question. This lawyer has turned out to be so incredibly incompetent, dumb, and evil, that I decided to do a little research on him via the Bar Association. Well, I found out that this lawyer has a very bad reputation as a swindler and a cheat, that the Bar Association once had to put him on probation for his crooked behavior (this is something they rarely have to do), and that upon closer examination, all signs in his particular case against Jackson point directly to extortion-- which would mean the pop star was innocent, and simply the victim of being too rich, too famous, and also a little too weird. But you would be weird too, if you were raised like he was without a childhood, and with an abusive, slave driving father.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/michael-jacksons-this-is-it/38967/trailers

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Lymelife

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Set during the late 70s, a fifteen-year-old boy grapples with first love while dealing with a chaotic home life involving his constantly quarreling parents.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Rory Culkin, Emma Roberts, Alec Baldwin, Timothy Hutton, Jill Hennessy, Kieran Culkin, Cynthia Nixon

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is a paint-by-numbers ‘indie’ developed through the Sundance Institute which helps explain its pedigree both in front of and behind the cameras (e.g. Martin Scorsese is a producer on it). You’ve seen variations on it before many times, and since this film is dated, I'm going to allow myself to use a dated joke: I liked this movie the first time I saw it, when it was called The Ice Storm.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The other reviewers make it sound like a yuck-fest from beginning to end-- don’t believe them! It's not a comedy, which isn't to say that you won't chuckle here and there-- if you’re paying attention.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Only if you’re intimate with the horror that is lyme disease.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Coming out in April…? Despite fine performances, I would guess that the distributors of this film have written off major award consideration.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It’s a terrific cast and they all give terrific performances. Rory Culkin is in just about every scene – it’s very much his film – and his angular, oddly handsome face perfectly expresses the confusion, anger and bemusement of a 15 year-old boy going through major life-changes. The revelation is Emma Roberts (Julia’s niece) as the precocious love object of Rory’s affections. She goes from sexy to vulnerable – and everything in between – within the heartbeat of a single scene (multiple times) breaking down every stereotype of a 16 year-old teenager that ever existed. The adults are all good too – even Timothy Hutton in a pointless and thankless supporting role.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Apparently this is a pretty low-budget film, but it looks really good – getting the Long Island setting period detail (late 70s) just right. The film is small and intimate, and the direction is given over to letting the performances shine and in that regard it’s more than competent. The tone is also consistent but it’s not as ‘quirky funny’ as the filmmakers probably think it is.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: So about a half-hour into this you start to realize there’s no plot and maybe – unlike myself – you are fine with that because you rarely expect indie films to have plots because supposedly a plot would not make it very ‘indie.’ I miss having plots when they aren’t there regardless of what kind of movie it is. This movie would have been better with a plot, but as ‘coming-of-age’/'slice-of-life’ films go, it’s fine and will most likely hold your interest thanks to Rory Culkin and Emma Robert’s performances.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

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

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17 Again

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: If you don't know what this movie is about from looking at the title, you're an idiot.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Matthew Perry, Sterling Knight, Michelle Tractenberg, Hunter Parrish, Melora Hardin, Jim Gaffigan, Brian Doyle-Murray, Nicole Sullivan

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's been done before, it'll be done again, but I don't think it will ever stop being a good time for all. Anyway, you can't really go wrong with a premise about suddenly changing ages, and getting mixed up in weird sexual situations like having to avoid your daughter's come-ons and resist your own attraction to your currently age-inappropriate wife.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not guaranteed, but it will definitely make you smile.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Zac Efron is like porn for the 16 and under crowd. And since the movie opens on shots of his shirtless 6 pack abs, some girls will be screaming and crying by the end of the first scene.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I'll bet Matthew Perry would give it an award for Movie I Most Wish Were My Real Life and Not some Made-up Story. Can you imagine if every time his life fell apart, he got to turn into a mature version of Zac Efron? Those hard times he fell on during the height of Friends never would've happened.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: All Zac Efron has to do to get the ladies screaming is walk to the beat of the soundtrack, looking cool. It's a good thing for him, too, cuz that's kind of what he does best. And I'm so glad that Leslie Mann married Judd Apatow, so that he could put her in his movies, so that Hollywood could get a chance to recognize how funny she is, and let her be a star in her own right.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: You can tell this director comes from an indy background, because he takes a story that is an otherwise standard example of what comes out of the studio machine, and tries to add some art to it. Sure it draws attention to itself as being totally on the nose, but if you didn't know from the actor's expression that he was going through a difficult time, at least the blatant lighting shift from bright and cheery to dark and dismal telegraphs that for you at every phase. The good news is, it's no longer important for an actor to convey his own feelings, when the dramatic shift in lighting and music can do most of it for him. And that means we can cast more really good-looking, totally talentless people in stuff!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The set up is really heavy handed, with lines like, "You're my best friend"-- as if we couldn't tell. And, "If your wife hadn't kicked you out and your kids didn't hate you, etc."-- in case we weren't going to catch on to the family dynamic depicted in the very next scene... But once Matthew Perry turns into Zac Efron the fun begins, and the clunky exposition takes a rest.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/17-again/33126/trailers

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Two Lovers

Q: What’s the movie about?

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

Q: Who’s in the movie?

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

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

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

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

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

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

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

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

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

Q: How is the Acting?

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

Q: How is the Directing?

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

Q: How is the story/script?

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

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

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

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Medicine for Melancholy

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After waking up from a one night stand, two Black people with nothing in common besides the shade of their skin, spend a day together trying to get closer, despite that fact that the woman has a white boyfriend, who's away on a business trip.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Wyatt Cenac and Tracey Heggins

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! Imagine if Before Sunrise took place in San Francisco, and had hardly any dialogue. Yes, this is a movie about two people talking, that has almost no words.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The woman's emotional arc might. Let me paint you a picture. When she wakes up next to him she seems deeply annoyed, and yet she agrees to go to coffee with him. When he shows up at her house with the wallet she left in the cab, she seems deeply annoyed, and yet she lets him come in for a drink. When he won't leave the house (which she tells him belongs to her boyfriend), she seems deeply annoyed, and yet she agrees to spend the rest of the day with him... Not only that, she starts to smile and laugh at his lame attempts at humor. Then out of nowhere she angrily snaps at him, "This is just a one night stand!" Which is obviously followed immediately by playfully running around San Francisco and taking a ride on a Merry-Go-Round. Although it was never mentioned that she might have a mental disorder, I have to imagine her psychosis is the reason for the "medicine" mentioned in the title.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Yes!... Oh, no, wait. I was just having a bout of dyslexia and I thought the question said, "Will this movie make me cyr?" Hold on a minute, it doesn't make you cyr either.  That's southern for "care."  It's true, ask anyone from the south. (Disclaimer: I've never met or spoken to anyone from the south.)

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's nominated for 3 Independent Spirit Awards-- which is a dead giveaway that the movie will be esoteric and make you feel very sleepy.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I find Wyatt Cenac to be a little too understated for my taste, both here and on The Daily Show. But he's also specific enough in that thing he does that his whole acting style could catch on as a hip joint.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Disjointed and non-sequitur are two words that come to mind. I would like to mention the cinematography, too, which was one of the only interesting aspects of the film. They shot in 97% color, so it looks like they shot on colored film and then developed it in black & white. I thought it was a pretty cool effect until I found out (during a Q & A with the director of photography) that this look was only chosen because they couldn't figure out another way to light the Black actors without making their skin look chalky.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's supposed to be about the growing socio-economic divide occurring in San Francisco as the poor get pushed out due to gentrification. It's not... But there is a random scene where we see a group of concerned citizens, who have nothing to do with the rest of the film, discussing those ever-so-timely Propositions 98 and 99 from last June's California ballot. In case you didn't get the memo, they were about getting rid of Rent Control and they didn't pass.

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

A: The filmmakers clearly know a lot of aspiring Indie Rock musicians, and they put all of their music in the film. So the soundtrack is pretty good if you like that sort of white boy independent stuff. That said, I'm not sure it went well with the characters in this story who are constantly discussing the Black man's place in this city.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFHWGvDRKYw

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Nothing Like the Holidays

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Another ensemble holiday movie about the drama that ensues when families get together for Christmas. Only this time, the family is Puerto Rican!

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Alfred Molina, Elizabeth Pena, John Leguizamo, Debra Messing, Freddy Rodriguez, Vanessa Ferlito, Jay Hernandez, Luis Guzman, Melonie Diaz, Ramses Jimenez

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you've ever been home for the holidays, this movie will feel familiar to you. It will also feel familiar if you've ever seen The Family Stone, This Christmas, or Home for the Holidays. Hey, it's nothing new, but it will satisfy your annual craving for holiday-themed films about a family that's almost as messed up as yours.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It will certainly try.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Also an A for effort.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Well, it's got the Latin thing going for it, which qualifies it for some awards that films of other ethnicities might not be in the running for. But if you're into Latin hotties, you're probably just gonna want to give it the Best Eye Candy Award.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Surprisingly, Alfred Molina is not up to his usual amazingness. His acting is fine, but his accent goes from White to Scarface and everything in between, depending on the scene. Elizabeth Pena, playing his wife, does the cooking, the cleaning, and the good acting in this one.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Clearly the work of someone looking to have an illustrious career in TV. Hey, TV has gotten very fancy these days.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It does a great job of capturing that eerie way in which being around family brings your emotions from the happiest highs to the angriest lows and back in the most unpredictable and instantaneous ways. But every time the story tries to deal with the son who has just returned traumatized from Iraq, the dialogue becomes trite, corny and cliche, like, "Why'd it have to be me and not him?"  While I'm sure that survivors guilt is a common pain that veterans suffer, there's something about it that just seems to come off cheesy in films about Iraq vets. (Which is not to take credit away from Stop Loss, which is the only film that I've seen capture those feelings well, so far.)

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

A: My friend left the theater wishing she was Puerto Rican, so they must've done something right!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/nothing-like-the-holidays/33265/trailers

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