The Sitter

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An aimless slacker (Jonah Hill) gets stuck babysitting three difficult kids (Max Records, Landry Bender, Kevin Rodriguez) on the night when the girl he's trying to sleep with (Ari Graynor) gives him his big chance.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jonah Hill, Max Records, Landry Bender, Kevin Hernandez, Ari Graynor, Sam Rockwell, J.B. Smoove, Kylie Bunbury, Erin Daniels, D.W. Moffett, Jessica Hecht, Bruce Altman, Samiri Wiley, Cliff "Method Man" Smith, Sean Patrick Doyle, Alex Wolff, Jack Krizmanich, Grace Aronds, Jane Aronds

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Yes, it's R-rated and shows children swearing, stealing, blowing things up, and partying with dangerous grown-ups until the wee hours of the night, but isn't that what's great about it?!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The laughs aren't non-stop, but when they come they are subtle and clever, and generally make you happy you're there.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It made me sad that there weren't more people in the theater. Mostly because there would have been a lot more laughs if there were.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Commercial Comedy that Nobody Decided to See.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Most of the laughs wouldn't be there if it weren't for the actors' awkward delivery. Jonah Hill is known for this style of acting, but Erin Daniels, in the small role of the mom, does a great job of laughing awkwardly at her own weird dialogue, too.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: David Gordon Greene has done bigger movies and smaller movies, and he seems absolutely comfortable at any level.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Okay, so it's not the most original or artistic thing you've ever seen, but it captures the fish-out-of water comedy caper genre at least as well as Date Night did. And frankly, after sitting through several weeks of mediocre to bad awards contenders, this kind of improbably fun ride is a welcome relief.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Sitter Trailer

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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  A young boy (Thomas Horn) struggles to get over the senseless death of his father in 9/11.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Thomas Horn, Max von Sydow, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Viola Davis, John Goodman, Zoe Caldwell

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  Every step of this movie is totally contrived.  Does some of it work?  Sure.  But the set-ups and pay-offs are so in your face that you may be too annoyed to enjoy any of it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: They say that comedy equals tragedy plus time, so is 9/11 funny yet?

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  It will try to make you cry by any means possible, throwing crap at the wall until something sticks.  It's as if the writer were sitting on your shoulder like a little devil saying, "Oh, death didn't get you?  Try alienation...  Oh, that didn't work either?  But remember 9/11, that was awful, right?...  Still nothing?  But he's a little boy, and he's hurting, and he misses his daddy!...  What are you some cold heartless monster?"  To which I reply, "I wasn't until I met you, so I guess you bring that out in me... we should probably break up now."

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Boy am I getting sick of all these wanna-be Oscar movies that are trying so hard to be important that they neglect the basics, like being entertaining and seeming effortless.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Don't be fooled, neither Tom Hanks nor Sandra Bullock is in the movie for more than 10 minutes, so I hope you like kid actors who aren't particularly cute or charming!

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  The imagery is consistently well thought out, and many of the shots demonstrate a strong voice.  Also, the art is impressive, but I don't believe for one second that a 10 year old could have made any of it.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  The friend I saw it with really liked the strong sense of community that the movie suggests exists-- even though we both agree that it's a lie, because the people in your neighborhood don't really hang out with Mr. Rogers, which is why they're not all that friendly or generous with their time.  But the fundamental issue with the script is that when you try this hard to matter and be about  heart-string issues that I'm supposed to naturally be moved by, I feel manipulated.  And when I feel manipulated, I start to discredit you, even in the areas where you succeeded.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Trailer

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Hugo

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  An orphan boy, who lives in a Paris train station (Asa Butterfield), fixes clocks and forms relationships with the other train station dwellers in his effort to figure out how he fits into the machine.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Asa Butterfielld, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Michael Stuhlbarg, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Ray Winstone, Jude Law, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Go!  This movie is an instant classic... Which isn't to say that it's not slow and boring at times.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  Sacha Baron Cohen has a small part, and he smiles funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  Once I was done dozing off, I did get around to crying a little.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  I would hope so, it's some of the most interesting directing and cinematography I've seen all year.  In fact, I might even give an award to the 2nd unit director.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  This Ben Kingsley guy is going places-- I mean, Asa Butterfield, right, he's the newcomer.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  You spend most of the time wondering how they gave it that look.  This is a beautiful film, and for once, I didn't even mind the 3D.  In fact, because the film is about the evolution of filmmaking in some ways, this was the first time it actually felt justified.  That said, the pacing is really slow for the first half, and that's not the script's fault.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  It gets around to making some interesting points by the end, but let's not give it any Awards.  Agreed?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Hugo Trailer

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The Big Year

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  Three guys compete in the Big Year competition, which consists of attempting to look at the largest variety of birds between January 1st and December 31st of any year.  You don't have to take pictures or have any kind of proof to win, you just have to say you saw them.  Very un-American.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Jack Black, Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, Rachida Jones, Rosamund Pike, Diane Weist, Brian Dennehy, Joel McHale, Kevin Pollak, JoBeth Williams, Anjelica Houston, Jim Parsons, Paul Campbell, Anthony Anderson, Tim Blake Nelson, Cindy Busby, Steven Weber, Andrew Wilson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Stop!  This movie wrongly assumes that anyone cares about birds, or watching them.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  Well, Owen Wilson's nose does still look like a phallic symbol.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  I had a vulnerable moment around a baby's name, and that's how I remembered that I needed to stop by the store on the way home and pick up some feminine hygiene products.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  I remember reading that this story was set up at a studio and thinking, "Why?  How could that possibly be interesting?"  Then I read that Steve Martin and Jack Black and Owen Wilson were in it, and I thought, "There must be something I don't know about it that makes it interesting."  And then I read that it was based on a book, so I imagined that there had to be something interesting about the book that made them want to turn it into a movie...  Well after all that, I'd like to give myself the "I Was Right" Award. And that's why it's important to always go with your first instinct.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Nothing wrong with it... except that these people thought this film was a good use of their talents.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  Really, David Frankel?  You're gonna go from The Devil Wears Prada and Marley & Me to a movie about people who ruin everything in their lives so they can run around looking at birds?  I have nothing more to say on the matter.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  It's naively hopeful to think that a competition about looking at bird varietals across America could be relatable to anyone who isn't already a birder, so when these guys risk their relationships and jobs over it, they look pretty bird-brained-- and not in a funny way, just in an idiot way.  What I'm saying is that the stakes are terrible.  And normally before making a movie, producers look into the size of the built-in audience, but come on now, how many people in the world really care about birds that aren't marinated in a balsamic reduction? 

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

A:  Somebody please remind me not to see the movie formerly known as Everybody Loves Whales.   My gut instinct was the same when I read about that movie getting set up at a studio as when I read about this one.  I've seen the trailer for it now, too (currently -- and forgettably -- entitled Big Miracle), and I have a strong feeling that it's going to have exactly these same problems as Big Year, because  everybody doesn't love whales, either!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Big Year Trailer

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Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a man's (Steve Carell) wife (Julianne Moore) asks for a divorce, he goes to a bar where he meets a womanizer (Ryan Gosling), who teaches him to get his manhood back.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Analeigh Tipton, Jonah Bobo, Joey King, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Spacey, John Carroll Lynch, Beth Littleford, Liza Lapira, Josh Groban

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's sweet and romantic, and Steve Carell will charm the pants off you -- quite literally if you're a woman who frequents that one bar he goes to.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Sure, there are some jokes, but it's also funny to think that Ryan Gosling's pickup lines could work on anyone, no less everyone. Film's Message #1: Women love to have one night stands with complete tools.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: What's depressing is Film's Message #2: You only have one true soul mate in life. Don't worry, if you lose that person, fate will eventually bring you back together. But if it doesn't, because you live in the real world and not fantasy land, you can always kill yourself, because what are you living for anyway, now that you will never love again? (Can you tell that I hate the theory of "The One," or am I being too subtle?)

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: From the opening shot on a pair of shoes that I absolutely must have, to the most beautiful men's wear line I have ever seen, this film absolutely must win a costume design award. More likely though, it won't be nominated, because it's not a period piece, and most voters are too dense to recognize that copying old designs from pictures of the past is way easier than creating a beautiful and original style within modern men's wear.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: While Steve Carell and Julianne Moore find the line between heightened reality and comic timing pitch perfectly, Ryan Gosling has some challenging character and dialogue improbabilities to overcome. Meanwhile, Emma Stone mugs a lot more than I would expect from an actress of her caliber, making this her first performance that I haven't enjoyed (not counting her cameo in Friends with Benefits, which exposed a similar problem). And Analeigh Tipton, in the role of the babysitter, has a nice awkward quality, but to quote the teenage girls I encountered in the bathroom, "Her acting is really weird."

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The vibrant color scheme is pleasant, but my problem with the directing is that I could tell it was shot in L.A., and the amount of coincidences in the story just isn't realistic in a city that big. They never show any landmarks or mention what city it is, so maybe they were hoping it would look like some non-descript small town where everyone has a plausible chance of running into each other all the time, and there's only one bar that anyone ever goes to, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who recognized the Century City shopping mall, or the smog covered Santa Monica Mountains... I'm just sayin', this is what Canada is for!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Within the world of being a romantic comedy, it feels original because it revolves around a family, rather than young, unattached star-crossed lovers falling in love for the first time. But the coincidences get a little out of control. And if Ryan Gosling's character does exist, he's been cast on the Jersey Shore, and he's not falling in love ever -- not in that faithful way, anyhow.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Crazy, Stupid, Love. Trailer

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Super 8

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A bunch of pre-teens, who are making a super 8 film (because it's 1979, and digital doesn't exist yet), witness a mysterious train crash, and as they put together the pieces, start to realize that there is an alien force involved.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Riley Giffiths, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, Ryan Lee, Gabriel Basso, Zach Mills, Noah Emmerich, Richard T. Jones, Jessica Tuck, Joel McKinnon Miller, AJ Michalka, Brett Rice, Michael Hitchcock, David Gallagher

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! The story is hoaky as all hell, but the kids are adorable in a way that reminds you of Goonies and Stand by Me.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you stay for the Super 8 movie, which plays in its entirety about 45 seconds into the closing credits.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you're going to, it'll be at both Elle Fanning's amazing acting, and the boys' reaction to it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most Steven Spielberg-like movie since the 80s.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The lead in this movie, Joel Courtney, has not a single credit to his name. He must've been very intimidated playing up against an old pro like Elle Fanning. Joel's co-star, Riley Griffiths, also breaks out as the amazingly talented fat-kid, so I'm assuming he'll grow up to look like Jerry O'Connell, and marry a gorgeous super-model.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It's impossible not to think that the filmmaking aspect of the story is a little autobiographical to J.J. Abrams. Furthermore, if you don't think that, somewhere in the back of your mind, these 11-year-olds' level of expertise quickly starts to seem completely improbable for their ages... Of course, I'm talking 1979 11-year-olds, not the ones we see today. (But in all fairness to Generation X, digital is way easier to master.)

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I've heard mashups of music, I've seen mashup shorts on the web, but this is the first time I've seen a feature film mashup. Along with being part Goonies, and part Stand by Me, it's also part War of the Worlds, part Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and there's even some elements that are strangely similar to Kung Fu Panda 2.

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

A: You're probably wondering why they decided to place this film in 1979. So was I. But I concluded that it was in order to use super 8 film. Then I wondered why it was so important to them to use super 8, when this film could have easily been in modern times... And I have yet to come to a conclusion. Let me know if you have any theories!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Super 8 Trailer

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Beginners

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A man (Ewan McGregor), with a gay dad who dies (Christopher Plummer), falls in love with a French woman (Melanie Laurent).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller, Keegan Boos, China Shavers

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! This film did not make me think, it did not make me laugh, it did not make me cry, no not in the bath. It did not inspire me, it did not teach me a thing, it did not entertain me, it did not make me sing. But I think the most annoying thing, is that it's not quite so bad, to stop others from liking. (Yeah, I watched Green Eggs and Ham recently. So what?!)

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It did do one thing. It made me sleep-- bada-bing!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: ...But at least I wasn't snoring, like the man next to me, so boring... Okay, enough with the "rhyming", which I quote to mock my timing. And get ready for it, we're going back to my usual style of wit.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The Animal Acting category is really filling up this year. I've got another great contender in the Jack Russell Terrier named Arthur, who is played by Cosmo... My audience gave him the biggest applause of all the actors during the closing credits.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: What a waste of good actors. Whatever. They were fine.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Throughout the film, Mike Mills cuts to colors and still images during Ewan McGregor's quirky narrations. At first it's cute, but as it continues, you get the distinct impression that Mills is only keeping up the gimmick because he feels artistic pressure to maintain a consistent look throughout the film. You can even feel him starting to regret having introduced this style in the first place.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Quirky and dull. Two adjectives I've never had to use together before.

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

A: The best of the quirky parts are in the trailer below, so enjoy those for free.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Beginners Trailer

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Kung Fu Panda 2

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Po the Kung Fu fighting Panda (Jack Black) is tasked to save China and Kung Fu from a military weapon built by an evil peacock (Gary Oldman-- of course).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Dennis Haysbert, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Victor Garber

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. With the lethal combination of feeling more geared toward the kiddies, while at the same time being too action packed with violence for many kiddies, it's just not as good as the first one.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not as much as the first one... by which I mean very little.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not as much as the first one... by which I mean not at all.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Sequel in which I Most Would Have Liked a Refresher on the Dynamic of the Team. I didn't remember any of the characters' traits from the first one, and they aren't clearly defined in this second part... But I guess most kids have watched the first one at least 45 times by now.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Is it just me, or is Angelina Jolie boring as hell? On a positive note, I enjoyed lesser-known actor James Hong's performance so much, I actually thought I was listening to Ken Jeong. (For the sake of clarity, I'd like to explain that by "lesser-known," I mean that despite his 56 year career, which includes about 100 movies and 150 TV series, I've never personally heard of him.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Jennifer Yuh makes interesting artistic choices, like distinguishing the past from the present by using a distinctively old-fashioned, 2-dimensional, Chinese style of animation for the past. Her style is noticeable throughout, as you find yourself often paying attention to the shots and camera angles, my favorite of which is a parody of the Pac Man video game-- which is no doubt setting itself up to be a basis for the Kung Fu Panda 2 video game.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Sequels are tough. How do you move beyond an origin story and keep it fresh? The writers of this script clearly do not know the answers to that question either.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Kung Fu Panda 2 Trailer

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The Beaver

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A suicidally depressed man (Mel Gibson) figures out that he can feel instantly strong and powerful again by communicating all of his thoughts and feelings through a beaver hand puppet.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence, Riley Thomas Stewart, Cherry Jones

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This film is different. The way a tuna sandwich served on cinnamon raisin bread is different. You think you might like it, but you're pretty sure your friends will think it's just not right.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's extremely dark comedy, so whether or not you laugh is really gonna depend on how you feel about cinnamon-raisin tuna sandwiches.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It is almost impossible to cry for Mel Gibson, because no matter how bad this movie makes you feel for the guy, it's hard to forget that he's a big jerk who really could use a few lonely hours, days, or years, sitting alone with his own self-hating thoughts.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Biggest Casting Risk. After taking several years off from work, it's hard to believe that Jodie Foster would think a Mel Gibson movie is a good way for her to announce her return to the scene.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Anton Yelchin is pretty amazing... But if I'm being honest, Mel Gibson is also really great. I guess there's no denying that he's good at playing crazy, because he is crazy.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Aside from the opening shot, the directing doesn't have much of a voice.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: This script was on the Black List of best scripts in Hollywood a couple of years ago. Development executives spend their days, night, and weekends reading sequels, prequels, remakes and bad rehashings of every other film ever made, where only the character names and situations have changed. So I can see how they would get excited about a script that in no way resembles any previous commercial success. The question remains, though, whether or not that means this script can ever be a commercial success.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Beaver Trailer

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In a Better World

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Two outcast school boys (William Johnk Juels Nielsen & Markus Rygaard) begin to retaliate against the violence and injustice of their assaulters and it goes too far.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, Ulrich Thomsen, William Johnk Juels Nielsen, Markus Rygaard, Bodil Jorgensen, Toke Lars Bjarke, Simon Maafaard Holm, Odiege Matthew, Elsebeth Steentoft, Anette Stovelbek, Kim Bodnia, Martin Buch

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. As is the case with most of Susanne Bier's films, you have to have a strong stomach and a fair amount of patience to endure it, but if you can, you will find you have a lot of respect for how angry she makes you feel.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Susanne Bier doesn't believe in humor.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Cry for a better world maybe. But mostly, it will inspire you not to have children, because they are the ones who will have to live in this one.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I predict that it will win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, last year.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: If the Academy really felt compelled to nominate kids for acting awards, these are the ones they should've nominated. Both Markus Rygaard and William Johnk Juels Nielsen blow Hailee Steinfeld out of the water. And if their characters had met her in a swimming pool, they probably would've done it literally.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Susanne Bier is one of the original Dogme 95 crew, and 16 years since that Danish filmmaking philosophy was founded, she hasn't seemed to veer too much from it. Some of the rules she still follows are: shooting solely on location and hand held. One of the rules she no longer follows is: The director must not be credited.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Intense, vicious, and true to how quickly sorrow, depression and desperation can turn even the most average of us into destructive psychopaths.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: In a Better World Trailer

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Win Win

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a lawyer (Paul Giamatti) decides to be the legal guardian to an old man with dementia (Burt Young), he doesn't realize that he's also about to get a surrogate son (Alex Shaffer).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Paul Giamatti, Alex Shaffer, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young, Melanie Lynsky, Margo Martindale, David Thompson, Clare Foley, Nina Arianda

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. People who can relate to growing up with a parent who's an addict, or making extreme decisions in the face of money struggles, or high school wrestling, may find brilliance in this piece. Everyone else will leave the theater having felt a little less than they were expecting to.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Bobby Cannavale's hatred for his ex-wife is about as strong as it gets. The rest of the humor is probably too quirky for most of you.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Could do, but mostly if you're dealing with any of the above listed problems... Like high school wrestling, for example.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: While we're on the topic, I'd like to take this moment to point out that I was in an Oscar pool with the editor of this film, and he cheated. He knows I wasn't pleased. I don't think he knows I have a blog, though.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Amy Ryan is the new Meryl Streep. Have I ever seen her do anything that wasn't 100% real? No, never. Actually, I'm starting to believe that she's not an actress at all, she's just this real person who goes from film to film saying all the stuff that's going on in her life, while actors say their lines around her.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Tom McCarthy has a very naturalistic style that you don't notice at all. After 3 very simple successful films, I'd be interested to see him challenge himself with something a little more stylized. I mean, he doesn't have to, I'm just curious to know if he can.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It deals with a lot of deep issues in a slightly comedic manner. The storyline works, however small the scope may be, but I would have liked to see the comedy be a little less slight.

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

A: Wrestling really is gay. And I don't mean that in the metaphorical way, like in The Dilemma, I mean it's really homosexual. I'd heard people joke about it my whole life. But there's a lot of it in this movie, and it's no joke. They're in leotards and their weenies are sticking out, and the goal is to get the other guy on the floor and wrap your legs around him. The only thing gayer I've ever seen is gay sex, and that's only because I've actually seen gay sex.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Win Win Trailer

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The Music Never Stopped

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A man with severe memory loss (Lou Taylor Pucci), learns to recall his teenage years by listening to the music of the 60s, and through the music, also manages to rekindle a failed relationship with his father (J.K. Simmons).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: J.K. Simmons, Lou Taylor Pucci, Julia Ormond, Cara Seymour, Mia Maestro, Tammy Blanchard, Scott Adsit, Max Antisell

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's trying to attract the "mature" audience that fell so hard for The Visitor, and quite frankly, I think that audience will be pleased with this story of father and son estrangement. But don't expect to flip out over it like you did the former. This is a personal message to my Dad. I apologize to all those of you who are not him.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It teeters on the edge of the ability to do so.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It teeters on the edge of the ability to do this, too... or either, depending on if you're a glass full or glass empty kind of person.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Lou Taylor Pucci's role is that kind that actors take on in hopes of gaining award recognition. Unfortunately, as is the case with all the roles I've seen him play, there is something a little too actor-y about his work. In other words, he's self-conscious. So, no awards. But the songs on the soundtrack have won enough awards, between them, to more than make up for it.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: J.K. Simmons does a nice job of playing a character with more than one dimension. Among the other members of the cast, I heard English accents slipping out of more than one of them, and on more than one occasion.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Despite the familiar soundtrack, there is an energy missing from the film, which is causing all the emotional teetering. I'm pretty sure it's because first time director, Jim Kohlberg, is still learning how to control his edits.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's based on a true story, and without that little nugget, it would be even more predictable than it is.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Music Never Stopped Trailer

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No Strings Attached

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A guy and a girl (Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman) decide to use each other for sex, without any expectation that it'll go anywhere.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Kline, Cary Elwes, Greta Gerwig, Lake Bell, Olivia Thirlby, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jake Johnson, Mindy Kaling, Talia Balsam, Ophelia Lovibond, Guy Branum, Ben Lawson, Jennifer Irwin, Adhir Kalyan, Abby Elliott

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Everybody knows that when you don't have any expectations, that's when things go well. And everybody also knows exactly how this story is going to go well. But what it lacks in conflict, suspense, and surprises, it makes up for in utter cuteness.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: More than a lot of romantic comedies, but less than a lot of R-rated comedies.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It's all too predictable to get you crying, but when Kevin Kline tears up it's actually one of the better laughs.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most Authentic Performance by an Actress in a Romantic Comedy. I don't know what it is that Natalie Portman is doing, but it just works.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Ashton Kutcher finally found a leading lady who's prettier than he is! Also, beautiful guest performance by Lake Bell. What she does in this movie isn't as obvious as she makes it look.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I once had a directing teacher who said that 90% of a director's work is having good taste in material. And that's what Ivan Reitman does best. I know this because I've seen an s-load of his movies, and I can't remember a single shot from any of them. Okay, that's a lie, there is one shot I remember-- but who could forget the slow pan, in Twins, over to Arnold Schwarzenegger's starry-eyed grin, after the first time he has sex?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The premise holds together by a string because Ashton Kutcher is clearly in love with Natalie Portman from the first, second, third, and forth time they meet. So when they say things like, "Let's keep doing this until one of us starts to have feelings for the other," it rings completely false because he already has feelings for her. Meanwhile, her excuses for not getting more involved with him are convoluted, contradictory, and mostly very thin.

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

A: The line from the trailer where he says he can't date her because she's his oldest friend is not in the movie. This is not a friends with benefits situation, because they were never friends first. I kept waiting for the part where they would be friends, and it never came. This lacking element caused me great confusion about why they weren't giving a relationship a shot, since they were already in one.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: No Strings Attached Trailer

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The Green Hornet

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A spoiled rich kid (Seth Rogen) who's mad at his dead dad (Tom Wilkinson) teams up with his dad's newly unemployed barrista/mechanic (Jay Chou) to fight crime in Los Angeles.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Tom Wilkinson, David Harbour, Edward James Olmos, Jamie Harris, Chad Coleman, Edward Furlong

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. There is something very exciting about this movie... But it might just be the car.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The humor is very dark and a little weird. I liked it... But I might have just been excited about that car.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Seth Rogen loses his mother, then his father... But I mostly felt bad about what happened to the car.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Better Car than the Batmobile. Yeah, I said it, Batmaniacs, bring it on!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Jay Chou is not John Cho with a Chinese accent. Although, he's equally as funny, in a much more Taiwanese way.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Michel Gondry plays down his abilities for the first time ever, simply telling the story without drawing excessive attention to his own superb directing skillz. He only showboats in two scenes. The first one is the opening party scene which feels forced and out of place next to the style of the rest of the film. The second showboating scene, though, where all of L.A.'s criminals spread the word about a million dollar bounty, leads your eye in so many interesting directions that you want to watch it more than once just to figure out how he did it.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Seth Rogen co-wrote the script, so I'm surprised he didn't make his own character a little more likeable. It's probably the one thing that could've really taken this movie from slightly off-putting and vaguely disturbing to just plain great.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Green Hornet Trailer

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TRON: Legacy 3D

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A fearless rebel (Garrett Hedlund) enters a dangerous video game to try to find his father (Jeff Bridges), who disappeared when he was a boy.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Garrett Hedlund, Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, Michael Sheen, James Frain, Beau Garrett, Cillian Murphy

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. From the Benjamin Buttons effect to the live action video game play, the special effects are impressive. Everything else about the movie is painful.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: You know, making even a single attempt at humor might've been a good idea. You don't get to make a silly movie about being a live player running around a video game AND take yourself seriously.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It's a sad story about childhood abandonment by a father trapped in a gilded cage, but I didn't cry. Maybe because I was so busy wondering what I was doing at a movie that could only appeal to 10-year-old boys. No, that's not it. It's because the writing sucked.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I hope the visual effects get a nomination, because otherwise, this the biggest waste of $300 million I've ever seen.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Garrett Hedlund had me thinking, "Why this guy?" I have to imagine they picked him because he was cheap, and they needed a nobody to counteract the high cost of special effects. But still, there are so many nobodies running around L.A. looking for a job like this one, so, "Why this guy?" Jeff Bridges, on the other hand, had me thinking, "I know why this guy!" He plays two versions of himself, and so convincingly that you sometimes forget he's talking to himself. Separately, I should mention that it's great to see Michael Sheen playing a character that's not Tony Blair.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Okay, so the guy can do special effects. But truth be told, as they were playing their death-games with their little disks, I rarely had any idea who was winning, how they were winning, what the rules were, why somebody died or disintegrated while somebody else didn't, or even who was playing to begin with. And my inability to follow the action is directly related to how the action is directed.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Father and son stories easily lend themselves to heartfelt, universal emotions, but when you bring dialogue like "The Creator" and "His Son" into it, you patronize the Christian audience you're trying to pretend this was made for, and you alienate everybody else. Not to mention that the sci-tech talk is incomprehensible, and the emotional talk is trite. But, yeah, go see it for the special effects, everybody! I know how important those are to you.

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

A: Daft Punk is getting a lot of notoriety for doing the techno-score, but musically, the thing that impressed me the most was the use of Journey to harken the 1980s, when Tron was born... Although I beg you not to do the math on that, because if Sam's dad disappeared when old- fashioned video games and arcades were still hot, Sam should be a lot closer to 37 than 27-- which is the age that he says he is... Then again, based on the city they live in and the technological advances, the movie takes place some time in the future, so realistically, he's probably closer to 127.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: TRON: Legacy Trailer
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How Do You Know

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After a woman (Reese Witherspoon) gets cut from her professional softball team, two very different men (Owen Wilson & Paul Rudd) become smitten with her... In part because she's so cut off from her emotions, that it allows them to get in touch with theirs.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson, Kathryn Hahn, Mark Linn-Baker, Shelley Conn, Lenny Venito, Molly Price, John Tormey, Teyonah Parris, Tony Shalhoub, Dean Norris

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Despite a few slow spots and a few passing moments that are only 90% realistic, this romantic comedy finds success by relying on dialogue that is thoughtful and intelligent without being pretentious.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The laughs tend to come from organic dialogue, rather than pie-in-the-face/fall-on-your-face set-comedy pieces that do nothing to advance the story of the characters' arcs. So you won't laugh as hard or as often as you've become accustomed to in these types of movies, but you will laugh more genuinely, and kind of feel grateful that you didn't find yourself accidentally laughing at forced stupidity.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Possibly. And this time, surprisingly, at romance.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It has come out just a few days too late to qualify, but Reese Witherspoon deserves the Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical way more than Angelina Jolie does for starring in the thriller, The Tourist.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Reese Witherspoon transforms herself yet again. She subtly embodies the physicality of a female jock, from her stance to her voice, without ever losing her femininity or seeming like a lesbian. It sounds like I'm saying that jocks and lesbians aren't feminine, and maybe I am, but you have to see her performance to truly grasp just how impressive her accomplishment is.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: When James L. Brooks directs a comedy, he goes for an "instant classic" style, rather than a "currently classic, but it won't seem funny in 10 years" style. His films consistently cross gender lines and genre lines, often getting dubbed as dramedies-- which somehow makes them feel more sophisticated. And when compared to all the pie-in-the-face/fall-on-your-face set-comedy piece directors, his style almost seems old fashioned. But in this case, old fashioned is a compliment, so why don't we just go ahead and call it "antique."

Q: How is the story/script?

A: James L. Brooks is the master of romantic comedies. He writes the scripts that the rest of us wish we could... And by wish we could, I mean, "wish were allowed to"-- after all, no one is gonna tell James L. Brooks to add in a few pie-in-the-face/fall-on-your-face set-comedy pieces that do nothing to advance the story of the characters' arcs. It's for the trailer.

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

A: There are so many interesting ideologies introduced about how to find happiness, get over painful moments, and understand your life, that you may even need to see it twice to remember any of them.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: How Do You Know Trailer

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All Good Things

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Inspired by the true story of the wealthy Durst New York real estate family, and using the fictional Marks family to stand-in, All Good Things speculates about the unsolved 1982 missing persons case of Katie Marks (Kristen Dunst), wife of heir David Marks (Ryan Gosling).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ryan Gosling, Kristen Dunst, Frank Langella, Philip Baker Hall, Lily Rabe, Kristen Wiig, Nick Offerman, Diane Venora, Liz Stauber, Maggie Kiley, David Margulies, Trini Alvarado, Michael Esper

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. While it's well acted, interestingly structured, and compelling, it may be too dark for some audience members who are seeking escapism in these trying times.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes, but don't go to this if you're looking for a funny time.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you were any number of characters in the movie it should have, but seeing as how cold, self-centered, and entitled most of the members of this wealthy family are, I'm not sure they would even know how.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I'd like to nominate the make-up... I know, it's a totally boring award and it shouldn't even be in the televised show, no less my blog.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Frank Langella is a complex and versatile actor who has continually proven that he can be frightening. Kristen Dunst is a complex and versatile actor who has continually proven that she can be romantic. And Ryan Gosling is a complex and versatile actor who has continually proven that he can be both frightening and romantic, which is the worst kind of romance a man can provide.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Andrew Jarecki, who brought us the most disturbing documentary I have ever seen, Capturing the Friedmans, tries to disturb us some more. This time with murder rather than pedophilia. But I don't know, as far as disturbingness goes, I'm slightly more partial to pedophilia.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story cuts back and forth between a murder trial that took place in the 2000s and the story of love and loss that took place in the 70s and 80s, focusing primarily on the later. While it's not hard to follow, I can tell from some of the momentarily confusing directing choices that some of the transitions could have been written more smoothly. On the other hand, trying to span three decades-- that aren't even next to each other-- is a huge challenge for any screenwriter, and at no point does the passage of time make the movie feel too long.

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

A: While the title's implication that all good things come to an end is somewhat clever, I have found this title impossible to remember. So, if you're interested in seeing it, you should write the title on your kid's hand, or some other place where it's equally unlikely to ever get washed off.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/all-good-things/36342/trailers

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