Date Night

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A boring married couple (Steve Carell and Tina Fey) go out on a date in Manhattan and try to make it special. When they can't get a table at the fancy restaurant they're pretending to care about, they take someone else's reservation, and get caught up in a case of mistaken identity that finds them running from both cops and robbers.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Walberg, Taraji P. Henson, Jimmi Simpson, Common, William Fichtner, Leighton Meester, Kristen Wiig, Mark Ruffalo, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Bill Burr, Ray Liotta, J.B. Smoove, Jonathan Morgan Heit, Savannah Argenti

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Steve Carell and Tina Fey make such a great couple, you'll wish they were married in real life.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Steve Carell and Tina Fey make such a funny couple, you'll wish they were married to you in real life.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Steve Carell and Tina Fey make such a touching couple, you'll wish you were them in real life.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: They'll win Cutest Couple in the 2010 Hollywood Senior Poll. And there is a Senior Poll, because everyone knows that Hollywood is just like high school. Except that in Hollywood, "Senior" obviously means that Steve Carell and Tina Fey are very, very old.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Because she's such a hilarious writer, and because she seems to have fallen into acting completely by accident, I've always had a hard time taking Tina Fey seriously as a performer. But you know what? She's really God damned funny.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: At 88 minutes, I'm always a fan of a film where the director knows to get in, get out, and leaves you wanting more.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Steve Carell and Tina Fey make such a great couple, you'll wish that in real life, people sometimes remembered that the writer came up with most of the cute, loving, and clever dialogue they exchange.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/date-night/37547/trailers

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A Prophet (un prophète)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A young Arab man (Tahar Rahim) goes to prison, where he is forced to kill or be killed. Before he knows it, he is rising through the ranks in a gang of Corsican natives who hate Arabs.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Hichem Yacoubi, Reda Kateb, Jean-Philippe Ricci, Jean-Emmanuel Pagni, Leila Bekhti, Slimane Dazi, Rabah Loucif, Frederic Graziani

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Navigating politics is never easy, but navigating prison politics is so hard, you'd have to be some kind of prophet to do it. This film plays out like a season of Survivor, where if you get caught lying and manipulating, you get your flame snuffed out-- but literally.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: More than you'd expect from a film filled with blood and murder. But for me the funniest bit was a conversation about conjugating the French subjonctif plus-que-parfait, which reminded me of the time I spent in French school asking the teachers why, if nobody used it anymore, I (along with every other French child in the world) was required to learn it? It would be like Americans having to learn old English... or new English, for that matter.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you didn't want to go to prison before seeing this, then after seeing this film, you really won't want to go there. You might even get scared right into passing your GED.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: All of them. Here's a condensed list of the ones it's already won: BAFTA, Cesar, National Board of Review USA, European Film Awards, Cannes... And this weekend we'll see if it adds Spirit Award and Oscar to the list. I think it will.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: There were actors in this film? I didn't recognize any of them.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The movie is way too long, but there is a lot of information to get out, and certainly some moments when you notice how interestingly that information is gotten out.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Intricate, intense, original, and with an Arab protagonist, who is not a good guy, but only doing bad things because he has to. He is also smarter than anyone else in the room, and more honest, so you never stop feeling for him, despite the fact that he's not usually doing anything that commendable.

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

A: As a native French speaker, I wondered if it would be confusing to mono-linguists watching subtitles where the Corsicans often speak their language, and the Arabs often speak their language, and there is no differentiation on screen for those who don't know that they're no longer speaking French-- which is relevant because it means certain people in the room can no longer understand what is being said. And what is being said could potentially at any time be, "Kill that guy."

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/a-prophet-un-prophete/38552/trailers

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The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After eight years in hiding, Boston's Boondock Saints (Sean Patrick Flanery & Norman Reedus) get called back into action, when someone kills a priest in a fashion that implies it was their work.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly, Clifton Collins Jr., Julie Benz, Peter Fonda, Judd Nelson, David Della Rocco, Bob Marley, Brian Mahoney, David Ferry, Gerard Parkes, Bob Rubin

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's got its holes, and it's got its flaws, but if you allow yourself to go along for the ride, you will find that this is just some good-old cheesy shoot 'em up fun.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The comedy is sort of the highlight of this film. Using an entirely new tone from the original, the film manages to brilliantly spoof itself. Now, I don't know if that was deliberate, but if it was congratulations to the filmmakers for opening up their audience, and if it wasn't they should definitely take this opportunity to pretend that it was.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Several likeable characters will die, and you will just have to deal with it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: After the original bombed at the box office, it slowly found a die-hard cult audience on video (yes, that's how long ago the original came out), and thanks to that, investors became interested in putting money up for a sequel. So it's already won the Most Unlikely Sequel Award, and that's really something to be proud of.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Sometimes when I watch these smaller films I am forced to realize that I don't watch enough TV. Julie Benz, who is mostly known for Dexter, has an absolutely break out performance. Of course, I have no way of knowing if she's always that good, because I've never seen her before. Meanwhile, Clifton Collins Jr., who can play both frightening and hilarious-- and does both within this film-- proves why he is unbelievably castable, and will be a great resource for directors needing just about any quality for many more years to come. As for the Boondock Saints themselves... they're hardly in the movie.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Troy Duffy has a very strong cinematic sense, which he proves over again in this sequel. Unfortunately, he also proves that he's self-indulgent and showy in ways that don't always highlight his talent. He often makes choices that are so busy drawing attention to his directing, that they take away from the story, and confuse the audience. In addition, there are a few scenes that end up dragging on a bit too long, and seem only to be there to showcase some great shot or effect he wasn't willing to leave on the cutting room floor. Even a second of boredom in a film can snap you right out of the world you're trying to be drawn into.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There are a lot of inside jokes that refer back to the original in ways that make it hard to follow the film if you're not in the know. I've actually seen the original, but it was so many years ago, and I've seen hundreds (possibly thousands) of other films since then, so I found myself having a hard time following the non-linear structure. I was able to quickly move past those moments, so I still enjoyed it-- especially the comedy-- but I also breathed a sigh of relief every time I was (heavy handedly) told by the characters about some relevant thing that had happened in the original.

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

A: It's hard for me to write about Troy Duffy or The Boondock Saints without recommending a documentary called Overnight. It's about him and the notorious Hollywood story of how the original script sold for a ridiculously high price to Miramax, catapulting him to overnight success, but how with his arrogance, he managed to throw it all away overnight, too, finding himself back in the struggle with everybody else, just another guy trying to get his film off the ground. This is an amazing cautionary tale for all those of you with big Hollywood dreams. Troy's story has a moderately happy ending, since we know that his story leads to a sequel-- which is a pretty indisputable proof of success. But it's also important to point out that despite all his raw talent, he wasn't able to land another directing job in 10 years until this sequel was funded. I'll be interested to see if he gets a second chance this time...

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-boondock-saints-ii-all-saints-day/39245/trailers

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RockNRolla

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A real-estate scam leads some underworld tough-guys to millions in cash, but not before a lot of double-crosses with a lot of colorful characters set in the colorful city of London.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Jeremy Piven, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Mark Strong, Karl Roden, Jimi Mistry, Toby Kebbell, Tom Hardy, Idris Elba

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. RockNRolla signals a nice return to form for writer/director Guy Ritchie, so if you loved Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, you will eat this up. If thick British accents, dark humor and plot-twists for days aren’t your thing, then maybe skip it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: When criminals, Russian mobsters, gay and straight tough-guys and sexy accountants are all this smart, this dumb, this lucky and this snake-bitten, it’s hard not to laugh. But fortunately, you’re supposed to.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No. If you want to see a Guy Ritchie movie that’ll make you cry, go rent Swept Away. On second thought, don’t, I can't want to be responsible for your suicide.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Probably not, but there would be no shame in seeing Tom Wilkinson and newcomer (at least to America) Toby Kebbell (as rocker Johnny Quid) get acting nominations.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It’s all so natural that it makes you forget how good everyone is, and it’s always nice to see some fresh faces that are lesser known on American shores. How does Tom Wilkinson find these roles year in and year out and become such completely different characters? He’s amazing. Gerard Butler is slyly funny, confident and freaked-out all at the same time. And one more mention to Toby Kebbell (I know: Who!?) as the RocknRoller (i.e. singer) who wants to be a RocknRolla (i.e. gangster) that everyone is trying to find. He starts out as a side-note, until you realize he’s the most pivotal character in the film, and probably the most interesting.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Guy Ritchie is never at a loss for directing with true style that doesn’t come off as showy, but rather informs his story and characters. RockNRolla is less hyper than his past films, but in this case, that’s a good thing.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The thin plot is what makes RockNRolla a lesser film than either Snatch or Lock, Stock…, but it’s just engaging enough to keep you interested. And after an over-explained set-up that can be hard to follow, it doesn’t turn out to be that hard to follow. The final intersection of the two divergent stories could have been smoother, but that’s a minor quibble. Overall, it’s a satisfying framework in which to let these oddball characters loose, so they can rattle around and bump up against each other for two hours.

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