We Bought a Zoo

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After the death of his wife, Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) feels the need to move himself and his kids out of town to escape all the memories of her, but the house he falls in love with happens to also be a zoo.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Colin Ford, Maggie Elizabeth, Jones, Angus Macfadyen, Elle Fanning, Patrick Fugit, John Michael Higgins, Carla Gallo, J.B. Smoove, Stephanie Szostak, Kym Whitley

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This is the "family film" version of The Descendants, and between you and me, it's a lot more pleasant to watch.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: More than The Descendants.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: More than The Descendants.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Less than The Descendants, but that wouldn't be the case if I were the boss of all things buzz.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Matt Damon is always good-- if we don't count that moment when he smiles a little too hard at Scarlett Johansson, who is usually bad, but bucks that trend in this one-- if we don't count that moment when she stares a little too hard at Matt Damon. But the true breakouts here are the kids, Colin Ford, who shows some real acting chops at the ripe young age of 14, and Maggie Elizabeth Jones who may actually be as cute as Drew Barrymore was as a kid.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: My only gripe about the directing is actually about the acting. Both John Michael Higgins and Angus Macfadyen seems to be in a much broader and over the top movie than the rest of the cast, who played it real. I would let it slide with a lesser director, but Cameron Crowe, you're better than that.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Nothing in the script is particularly brilliant, but you still let the occasional cheesy or improbable line of dialogue slide because the story is so damn sweet.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: We Bought a Zoo Trailer

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50/50

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  A 27-year-old guy (Joseph Gordon Levitt) discovers he has cancer, with a 50/50 chance of survival.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston, Serge Houde, Andrew Airlie, Matt Frewer, Philip Baker Hall, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Sugar Lyn Beard, Sarah Smyth

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  A lot of people are hyping up this movie, but I think it may be because it's inspired by the true story of writer Will Reiser's actual cancer, and they feel like they have to say good things about it because, shit, the guy had cancer!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  Seth Rogen does his schtick, and it works, but guess what?  Cancer's not funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  There is one moment that almost got me, and surprisingly, it was a shot of a book.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  It will most likely win a Golden Globe for Best Comedy because it's not funny.  I've noticed that Awards shows don't like to recognize sense of humor as an award-worthy skill, so if they can find a project that was marketed as a comedy, even though it's not, they feel more dignified giving an award to that.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Joseph Gordon-Levitt is impeccable, as always.  This is by far Anna Kendrick's best performance ever.  And Seth Rogen is perfectly cast in the role of himself-- really, his character is based on the real life him.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  Jonathan Levine finds ways to be interesting even in the most mundane of shots.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  There's nothing wrong with it, but ultimately it's just like watching someone go through cancer, and as the friend who turned me down to go to this movie with me said, "Don't we do that enough in our real lives?"

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: 50/50 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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Made in Dagenham

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: In 1968, Ford Automotive's female factory workers in Dagenham, England went on strike to try to get equal pay for women, and in the process shut down the whole plant, putting their own husbands out of work, and pissing everybody off.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Geraldine James, Daniel Mays, Andrea Riseborough, Miranda Richardson, Jaime Winstone, Rosamund Pike, Kenneth Cranham, Richard Schiff, Rupert Graves, Marcus Hutton, Roger Lloyd-Pack

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Anything worth having is worth fighting for. But in this day and age, we've all grown so entitled about what we think we deserve that we don't think we still have to fight to get it, and sometimes I wonder if any of us will ever have anything worth having again.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I finally understand why I'm reading so much about Andrea Riseborough in all the Hollywood trade magazines. In this movie, she looks like Angelina Jolie with a potty-mouth and a low class British accent. So as you can imagine, she has all the good lines.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Most of the time... then again, women's lib has been my issue since elementary school, where I used to pick fist-fights with the boys just to prove that a girl could beat them up, so maybe it's just me.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I can't imagine any of the British Awards will overlook this Norma Rae for Limeys.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The British don't ever seem to put actors in their movies who can't act. Can you think of anyone in any British movie that was less than excellent?

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I'm trying to figure out what it is about Nigel Cole that attracts him to so many projects about the plight of women. In Calendar Girls he fought against ageism geared at women by telling the story of a group of women over 50 who put together a nude calendar, and here he follows that up with what can only be described as part two of a natural trilogy. I'm thinking the final installment should be about a group of women who figure out how to get their husbands to do housework.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: You know this script is British because nothing gets overly dramatic or in your face, and right when you think of the obvious comeback for a character, they say something much more subtle, and possibly more effective than the obvious.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/made-in-dagenham/51718/video/made-in-dagenham-trailer-no-1/648405641001

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Fair Game

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of how Ambassador Joe Wilson and his wife, CIA agent Valerie Plame, had inside information about how the reasons we waged war against Iraq in 2003 were a lie. They knew for a fact that we'd been lied to because they were the ones who had done the reconnaissance proving that Iraq had no Weapons of Mass Destruction. But when Wilson spoke up about his findings-- or lack thereof-- Vice President Cheney's office outed Valerie Plame's status as a covert agent, compromising all of the missions she had been working on for her country, and causing the deaths of hundreds of innocent people. And that's not counting all the soldiers and civilians who were killed in the war.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, David Andrews, Michael Kelly, Sam Shepard, Bruce McGill, Noah Emmerich, Liraz Charhi, Brooke Smith, Ty Burrell, David Denman, Tim Griffin, David Warshofsky, Kristoffer Ryan Winters, Anand Tiwari, Ashley Gerasimovich, Quinn Broggy, and George W. Bush as himself.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! We were lied to. You should care.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If any of Joe Wilson's dialogue is accurate, he's a funny guy!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Excuse me? You've read this review this far and you're not crying already?

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Hopefully Best Picture, but I'm giving it the Patriot Award, because these people stood up for what's right, even though it was the President who was wrong. And you'd have to be a true red-blooded American to do that.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Having seen two Naomi Watts movies back to back, I can honestly say that she's always the same. By the same but different token, Sean Penn is always the same level of amazing.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: As Doug Liman himself said in the Q & A, his style is recognizable from one film to the next because he doesn't know how to do anything else. And in the long run, that's the kind of comment you come to regret having said.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It starts out heady and hard to follow, but fear not, before long it all becomes clear, emotional, and engrossing, and you realize that you didn't really need to understand any of the things that were going over your head.

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

A: I'm sure some idiot out there will find a way to say that this movie is a lie. And that's why that person will be an idiot.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/fair-game/1428068/trailers

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127 Hours

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place, by Aron Ralston, about the time he went hiking in Canyon Country and really got caught between a rock and a hard place for 127 hours. Which, if you do the math, like I did, is over 5 days in a canyon.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: James Franco. There are others like Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Treat Williams, Clemence Poesy, Lizzy Caplan, John Lawrence and Kate Burton... but you will only ever remember James Franco.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is a classic film that will be revered in film communities for generations to come. A one man show, based on a true story, brought to life by dynamic filmmaking that gets you inside the captive's mind and outside the endless valley of rocks at the same time. It is a true accomplishment. But it is not fun to watch. In fact, if I get cancer, it's from the stress caused me by this movie.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: He's a funny guy until he comes face to face with death... and even then he can be pretty funny. But the part I'm thinking about now was made up by screenwriter, Simon Beaufoy.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but feel free to bring your own barf bag.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: People often wonder why sometimes a film gets nominated for Best Picture, but it doesn't get nominated for Best Director. The reason is, to make room for films like this that have no chance at a Best Picture, but can absolutely not be overlooked in the Best Director category. Danny Boyle finds ways to expand what we see beyond one man and one canyon, creating moments of horror, most emotionally reminiscent of Jaws. You won't easily forget the feelings or images this film gives you.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: According to Danny Boyle in the Q & A, James Franco keeps super-stardom at bay by constantly seeming as if he were stoned. Underneath that stoned veneer, though, Franco is constantly working and preparing. So much so that they weren't able to interchange dialogue in editing from later parts of the film with earlier parts of the film, because as the days of thirst and starvation went by, Franco had changed the timbre of his voice so dramatically. Also, he's such a method actor, that the studio made them all guarantee that Franco would stay hydrated in real life, so he wouldn't die, despite his initial desire to deprive himself of water to make things feel more real. I know, that's just stupid.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: This story could not survive without the vision, style, and musical choices of Mr. Danny Boyle. Although he blew me away in Trainspotting, and reminded me of his genius in Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours is clearly the film most reliant on his skill-set, without which it would be as boring as 5 days is long.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: While he's trapped in the canyon, the script really hopes to be about his regrets. Face to face with death, Aron has a chance to look back on all the love he could've given his family and ex-girlfriend, but didn't. Honestly, that wasn't what resonated with me. I was too busy wondering how on Earth they managed to turn this impossibly enclosed story into a feature film.

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

A: When the film ended, not a single person in my packed audience got up. It may have been because of the Q & A with the writer, director, and producer of Slumdog Millionaire (who also performed their roles on this film, not so coincidentally), but it might also have been because, like me, they were incapable of moving.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/127-hours/10020565/trailers

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Conviction

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: This true story is about a Massachusetts woman (Hilary Swank), with only a GED from high school, who decides to get her BA and her Law Degree in order to prove that her brother (Sam Rockwell) is innocent of the crime he's been incarcerated for.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, Owen Campbell, Conor Donovan, Bailee Madison, Tobias Campbell, Melissa Leo, Karen Young, Loren Dean, Clea DuVall, Juliette Lewis, Ari Graynor, Peter Gallagher

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you don't know anything about this story, you will be inspired and amazed by it. If you do know anything about this story, you will see a story about something you already know.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The people sitting behind me and kicking me in the back throughout the movie might've laughed once. But I think that's because they were whispering jokes to each other.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: After approaching me to apologize, the people sitting behind me and kicking me in the back throughout the movie claimed that they couldn't stop crying.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Juliette Lewis will get nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and she will probably win, despite the fact that she only has two scenes. I usually get this category right, so think of me when it comes time for your Oscar pools.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The people sitting behind me and kicking me in the back throughout the movie claimed that the acting was so good, they felt like they were watching a documentary. Despite my ongoing annoyance and back pain, I, too, had a chance to notice that the acting was of the highest caliber, with a special mention to my man, Sam Rockwell, for being consistently out of this world in everything he does.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The people sitting behind me and kicking me in the back throughout the movie claimed that it was a beautifully made film. The guy specifically responsible for all the kicking, even claimed that he used to be in the business, so he would know. But considering that he doesn't even know how to sit quietly in a movie theater, I'm gonna guess that he was a teamster. (For those of you who don't know, teamsters are the guys who drive the trucks and act like they're in the mob.)

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There are some nice moments, but overall there is something missing. Knowing the outcome of the case took some of the wind out of it for me, but ultimately, while I could see the characters struggling, I never felt their struggle inside my own heart. The people sitting behind me and kicking me in the back throughout the movie would disagree, though. They felt it. Hell, they couldn't stop crying.

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

A: Oh my Gosh, I just got the title. You see, he gets a conviction, and his sister has conviction to overturn the conviction. Get it?... For a smart girl, I sure can be dumb sometimes.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/conviction/36474/trailers

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The Social Network

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of how Mark Zuckerberg invented--ahem-- stole the idea for Facebook.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella, Rashida Jones, Rooney Mara, Brenda Song

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Facebook has changed the way we live our lives, so finding out that every person behind its creation is a total a-hole is enlightening-- by which I mean disheartening.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Any time you see a character with such profound sociopathy, it's bound to make you laugh once or twice. I mean, come on, people who can't relate to others are hysterical!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It certainly should make cry the good people at MySpace and Friendster. They're probably still scratching their heads as to why Facebook is having so much more success than they are, for providing basically the same service.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Yes. It's the front runner in buzz so far, and why shouldn't it be? When there are no movies out about handicapped people, the next most likely award recipient is always the tortured genius-- probably because being on the brilliant side of retarded is still considered a handicap.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Jesse Eisenberg is perfectly cast as the sort of stuck-up, entitled, Harvard nerd that I've often encountered. Armie Hammer's portrayal of the stuck-up, entitled, Harvard jerk also ressembles my experience of Harvard people. And Andrew Garfield, who constantly gets rave reviews and hot upcoming roles (like Spiderman), is totally not growing on me.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: David Fincher has certainly done more showy movies than this one, which doesn't stand out as having a branded-imprint directing-wise. For this kind of story, though, that's probably a wise choice.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Okay, I know Aaron Sorkin is a genius and all that, but instead of giving him carte blanche, I feel like somebody's gotta point out that nobody talks like that. In particular, I was struck by the fakeness of the first conversation between Mark and his girlfriend, right before she breaks up with him, as well as the introduction of the Winklevoss twins, as they pompously row their crew boat, several boat-lengths ahead of their competitors, calmly discussing how one of them should row forward while the other rows backwards to make it a fair race. Come on!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-social-network/1413499/trailers

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Mao's Last Dancer

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of Li Cunxin (Chi Cao), who was taken away from his family as a boy in Moaist China, to train at the Beijing Dance Academy, and later recruited to the United States where he was accused of turning his back on China, and denied re-entrance to his homeland. Meanwhile, in America he becomes an acclaimed ballerino.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Chi Cao, Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen, Amanda Schull, Shuang Bao Wang, Madeleine Eastoe, Aden Young, Chengwu Guo, Wen Bin Huang, Camilla Vergotis, Su Zhang, Gang Jiao, Ferdinand Hoang

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This film is so beautiful, its beauty can only be properly expressed in French with tears in your eyes. So here goes... C'est beau! (sniff-sniff)

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There's one musical cue that's kind of funny, although I'm not sure it's deliberately funny. You see, the film takes place in the 70s, so for authenticity's sake, they have no choice but to cut to disco music once in a while.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I predicted what they were going to do, I knew it was gonna make me cry, and I still cried, full on tears, both eyes.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: This is the kind of slow and important film that the Academy goes crazy over. The only thing it has going against it is that I like it, too.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: After watching Bruce Greenwood play very straight and very powerful men, in both Dinner for Schmucks and Star Trek, it is fascinating to see him pull off a man who is obviously gay, but in no way flamboyant. Joan Chen is delightful as the dancer's mother, with touching moments of both anger and joy. And it deserves a mention that Chi Cao, who is an amazing professional ballerino, but has no acting experience to speak of, makes you believe that you are watching a documentary, and not a scripted movie.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Despite a few passing moments that are pointlessly showy, Bruce Beresford's directing is impressive both in the flawless coverage of the numerous ballet numbers, and in the little touches, like making the film negative look like grainy stock footage, straight out of the 70s and 80s, when he shows us the date of each sequence.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Obviously, it's a true story and a tear jerker. My only complaint is that for those of us that know structure, there are a few moments which feel like they're approaching the ending but then don't, which makes the film feel momentarily longer than it is. But all is forgiven, as the last 10 minutes are worth the wait.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/maos-last-dancer/10014074/trailers

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Get Low

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A grumpy recluse (Robert Duvall) pays a funeral home operator (Bill Murray) to plan a funeral for him while he's still alive, so that he can attend it and hear what people have to say about him.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, Lucas Black, Sissy Spacek, Gerald McRaney, Bill Cobbs, Scott Cooper, Lori Beth Edgeman

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. People will want to argue that this is one of those original, special gems that you discover every so often and can't wait to tell your friends about... until they get to the funeral scene, which is disappointingly anti-climactic after all the great build up and anticipation.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The humor is so smart and so serious and delivered in perfect dead-pan by Bill Murray.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It's all about death and funerals, so obviou-- No.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Contrary to my review, I'm pretty sure it'll get nominated at the Spirit Awards for Best Original Screenplay. Those guys love to try to contradict me, so at least this time I'll be able to say "I told ya' so!"

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Bill Murray is quintessential in this one, but in quintessential Bill Murray style, he totally flaked out on the Q & A. Which is really too bad for him, because if he'd been there, he might've gotten a standing ovation like Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek did. Sure, their acting was good, but the standing O might also just be because when 'Boo' Radley walks into a room with Carrie, it becomes pretty impossible not to stand up.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The main thing that impressed me about Aaron Schneider's directing was how well he captured the Coen Brothers' comic timing and sensibility. Not easy to do.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: So much is good about this script that it pains me to say: when your whole movie is about a guy throwing his own funeral so that he can hear all the nasty rumors that have been going around about him for the last 40 years, you have to have a least one person at the funeral stand up and tell us a nasty rumor!!!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/get-low/36568/trailers

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Creation

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Charles Darwin (Paul Bettany) struggles with his religious views as well as those of his wife (Jennifer Connelly) as he writes, "On the Origin of Species."

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Jeremy Northam, Martha West, Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jim Carter

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! It sounds interesting enough, but really the movie is about what a hard time Darwin had overcoming his eldest daughter's untimely death, which ultimately he pins on the fact that he married his first cousin. There are no interesting discourses in favor of either the theory of Creation or the theory of Evolution. And you feel as if you should have taken a few hours away from the movie to read his book cover to cover, if you are to understand the logic behind his wife's final conclusion.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Exactly one time... if you're not sleeping during that part.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It might bore you to tears.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most lost opportunity to do something interesting and controversial.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I thought the ape was amazing!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The pace is slow, the story jumps around in time, in what seems to be an effort to befuddle the viewers, and the score is a blatant rip off of Swan Lake.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: When you have the opportunity to really dig into the best arguments for Evolution and pin them up against the best arguments for Creation; the opportunity to really make your audience think-- possibly even swaying their preconceived notions, one way or another, and causing them to question their predispositions; why on Earth would you give us a boring story we've seen a million times about the loss of a child?! Yes, losing a child is probably the most devastating thing anyone ever has to go through, but that's not what we want when we go see a movie about Charles Darwin!!!

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

A: Riddle me this: Why is it that when real life couples work together on screen, the movie is never good?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/creation/1425333/trailers

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Invictus

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of how President Nelson Mandela of South Africa used the national rugby team to unite whites and blacks after the emotional scars that were left by Apartheid.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge, Patrick Mofokeng, Matt Stern, Julian Lewis Jones, Adojoa Andoh, Marguerite Wheatley, Leleti Khumalo, Patrick Lyster, Penny Downie

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! If any of the words in this script were actually spoken, Nelson Mandela was easily the smartest, most honorable, strongest, most peaceful, most spiritual, inspiring man of unwavering integrity who ever lived. And we all need to be led by a good example more frequently.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I didn't see any actual attempts at humor, but there is some unadulterated cuteness near the end that might get you giggling.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It's an inspiration... I only wish Obama and Fox news would sit down and watch it together.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Neither Clint Eastwood, nor his films, seem to be able to avert them.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: When you're dealing with actors like Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman the only thing you're gonna have to worry about is whether or not their South African accents are convincing. They were to me (though a native may beg to differ), but Damon seemed to always be slightly paranoid about the authenticity of his, for some reason.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I will say this, I left the theater wanting to form a women's rugby league. Luckily, when I went outside, there was a guy in front of the doors waiting to hand me a flyer about a women's rugby league that already exists, so that should save me the trouble of having to start one up. P.S. If I stop supplying you with reviews any time soon, it's because I broke my fingers, arms, or neck indulging in my newfound passion pastime.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I must've liked it, because I walked out of the theater smiling so wide that I was hit on by a plethora of male suitors, each of whom had obviously assumed that my smile was meant for them. Oh, why am I so hard on myself? It might have had nothing to do with the complex talents of the screenwriter. It might have simply been because I looked really hot.

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

A: As usual, Clint's movie is over 2 hours and therefore too long. The parts that dragged were easily identifiable as occuring during the World Cup section. The crowds, the build up, the games, we get it after two seconds, we don't need 20 minutes of it.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/invictus/30532/trailers

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The Blind Side

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of how offensive tackle, Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) was plucked out of the projects and invited to live with a well-to-do family, and go to a fancy private high school, where he learned that he was a naturally gifted football player.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kathy Bates, Kim Dickens, Tom Nowicki, Adriane Lenox, Melody Weintraub

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! When sports movies aren't focused on the sport, but rather on the growth of the characters, they can be as heart-warming as a baby hugging a puppy. This one is, and somehow I came away with some interesting knowledge about football, too.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Quite a bit actually, especially at the visual of the giant-sized Michael being led around by his new little brother and best friend, who is hilariously cast with the smallest possible kid they could find for the part.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Several times.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: They don't give awards to feel good movies.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: At some point, I actually forgot I was watching Sandra Bullock. Tim McGraw plays possibly the most perfect (read non-existent) husband I have ever seen-- even for the fictional world. And Jae Head, as SJ, is the Jonathan Lipnicki of the new millenium (i.e. weirdly cute kid with all the good lines in a movie about sports).

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The football action is sometimes difficult to follow, but drama-wise even the slightest of important subtle expressions to cross a person's face is captured to convey everything the character is thinking. Also there are a lot of interesting shots using reflections on glass and in mirrors, which manage to be beautiful, without distracting from the story or the emotion.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Oh my God, white people are awesome! They're so nice and pretty and perfect and Christian that it's sometimes a little hard to believe. Aside from that little suspension of disbelief, the script has it all, from the one liners to the touching.

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

A: It never gets boring, but it does start to feel like it's over 2 hours, which it is.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-blind-side/37685/trailers

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My One and Only

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a high-class woman (Renee Zellweger) walks in on her husband (Kevin Bacon) cheating, she takes her two sons (Logan Lerman & Mark Rendall), and goes on a road trip across America to find a new husband who can support her.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Renee Zellweger, Logan Lerman, Mark Rendall, Kevin Bacon, Chris Noth, Nick Stahl, Troy Garity, J.C. MacKenzie, Eric McCormack, Molly C. Quinn, Steven Weber, Robin Weigert, David Koechner, Phoebe Strole

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is one of those movies that carries you along at a lukewarm clip, without too much suspense, but pays off in the last two minutes, when you find out who it is about. The ending is satisfying, but more so if you don't already know whose true story it is, and you're old enough to put that person's name to their face. So my advice, if you want the best possible experience, is don't read anything about this movie before you see it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is one big belly laugh, and it's about a car, and where you take it when it breaks down. Why are you still reading?

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: You're still reading?! That means that either you've already decided not to see this movie, or you've figured out that I'm not going to give anything away. In either case, you're much too intellectual to be moved by the slight emotional moment at the end of the movie.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Since you're still reading, I'm gonna give you the award for biggest knucklehead. Unless you've already seen the film, in which case, I invite you to put all the spoilers you want in the comments section.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Logan Lerman is the hearthrob of the future, so you may as well get used to him. I guarantee this kid will soon be starring on the cover of magazines, as well as the majority of movies you try to see in the next decade. (He hasn't been cast in them yet, I'm just warning you, it's his destiny.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It's fun to see the styles and sets of the 1950s, and they are well highlighted in this film, but the passage of time, especially how much of it has gone by from one scene to the next is very hard to follow.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: If you can get past Renee Zellweger's giant face, and the bizarre fact that everyone continually tells her how beautiful she is, here are three things that might stand out about the script. 1. She has the cutest little sayings about stuff, and you'll wonder where they come from. 2. It feels like it would make a better book than a movie. 3. The main character has an uncanny knack for running into rich ex-boyfriends the moment she sets foot in any big city in America. I mean, sure, that happens to me all the time, but-- who are we kidding, that doesn't happen to anyone!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/myoneandonly/

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Julie & Julia

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Aspiring writer, Julie Powell (Amy Adams), decides to cook her way through all of Julia Child's (Meryl Streep) recipes, and blog about her and Julia's love of great food and great husbands.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond, Helen Carey, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jane Lynch, Joan Juliet Buck, Vanessa Ferlito, Casey Wilson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The main characters are charming and highly watchable, but as they repeatedly make boeuf bourguignon, you begin to wonder, "Where's the boeuf?" This story has no meat.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is a Saturday Night Live sketch in the piece where Dan Aykroyd does a funny send up of Julia Child. It beckons back to a time when both Saturday Night Live and Dan Aykroyd were funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It will definitely make you hungry.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Meryl Streep is in it.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Meryl Streep is in it.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Nora Ephron smoothly transitions back and forth visually between the story of Julia Child in the 1950s and that of Julie Powell in 2002, and also smoothly differentiates between the two stories with happy bright lighting in the 50s, contrasted with grittier, darker lighting in present day... Begging the question, why don't we get to live during the happy lighting time?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Maybe following Julie Powell's neurosis in blog or book form was intriguing, but a movie still needs conflict, and more than anything, that's what is missing from this story of perfect women with perfect husbands who cook perfect little meals making them perfect little housewives.

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

A: Don't go on an empty stomach.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/julie-and-julia/26129/trailers

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Notorious

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true life story of Christopher Wallace, A.K.A Biggie Smalls, A.K.A Notorious B.I.G., A.K.A. Big Poppa, covering his childhood dealing drugs on the streets of Brooklyn to his highly publicized East Coast/West Coast hip-hop/rap rivalry with Tupac Shakur, which ultimately led to both of their untimely deaths. This movie begs the question: does any man need that many names?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jamal Woolard, Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie, Angela Bassett, Naturi Naughton, Antonique Smith, Dennis L.A. White, Marc John Jefferies, Julia Pace Mitchell, Kevin Phillips, and Christopher Jordan Wallace-- Biggie's real son, playing his dad as a youngster.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's a perfectly well done movie about a perfectly overdone story. While this is the first fictionalized version of Biggie's life, it doesn't shed any new insight onto the matter that hasn't already been brought to light in the 2002 documentary Biggie and Tupac or the 2007 documentary Notorious B.I.G. Bigger Than Life... Or for that matter, from having lived through it, since it all only happened 12 years ago.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The funniest thing is how even keeled and charming Sean "Puffy" Combs comes off, as portrayed by Derek Luke. Just to give you an idea of how funny this is, here's a story: My friend Kimberly's friend used to work for P. Diddy, until she quit because she realized he was a chair thrower. Yes, at people. What makes this joke particularly funny, is that Puff Daddy is an executive producer on the film, and the only surviving member of the feud, and therefore also the only one who could protect his image as to how he would be represented in this film.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There is a very touching scene, where Biggie's friendly neighborhood drug dealer takes a rap for him, and goes to prison in his place, so that Biggie can pursue his rap career. I don't buy it for a second as truth, but it's very good writing.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Probably an Image Award. After all, in this version of the truth, Biggie does manage to make amends, before he dies, with all the women he'd been using, abusing, cheating on, impregnating, and undeservedly treating like complete whores. His apologies make for another moment that I don't buy, but I enjoyed as a piece of good writing.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The most impressive thing is how all these drop dead gorgeous women manage to act like they're attracted to this ugly-ass man. (No offense to newbie actor, Jamal Woolard, who was pretty much pulled off the street to play this part, and does a very convincing job.) And don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of his music, too, but talent is no excuse to despicably disrespect women like he does-- especially if he was raised by a mother as loving and strong as the one depicted in this film by Angela Bassett.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: George Tillman Jr. creates the perfect ambiance for the story, using the grain in the film stock to create a look that's glamorous but not glossy-- perfectly matching the tone of Biggie Smalls' life.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story is well told, it has simply been told too many times... Which is probably why my favorite parts were the parts that seemed made up.

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

A: It's somewhat distracting that the actress who plays Lil' Kim, , looks exactly like Mary J. Blige.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/notorious/32029/trailers

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Battle in Seattle

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A fictional retelling of true events, Battle in Seattle follows an organized group of peaceful rioters, as they stand in protest with tens of thousands of other, against the World Trade Organization, which is meeting in their hometown for five days. Unfortunately, when the police begin attacking them, things don't stay peaceful for long.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Martin Henderson, Michelle Rodriguez, Woody Harrelson, Charlize Theron, Andre Benjamin, Ray Liotta, Rade Serbedzija, Joshua Jackson, Connie Nielsen, Channing Tatum, Jennifer Carpenter, Ivana Milicevic, Isaach De Bankole, Tzi Ma

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Selfishly, I want to send you all to this movie just in case you don't already know what the WTO is doing to put commercialism ahead of both the individual human being and the environment that sustains us. Not only that, but certain heretofore unnamed world powers within the World Trade Organization (take a lucky guess who) use their position to suppress the rights of Third World countries, keeping them in a constant state of bankruptcy, which in comparison, makes our own financial crisis seem not so bad. So please take my impure intentions into consideration before you rush out to see this one. But do me a favor, if you decide to skip it, at least try to do a little personal research on the WTO.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Andre 3000 has a couple of funny moments. But none of them are quite as funny as the fact that he has a four digit number in his name.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: You'll probably cry more by doing your research on the World Trade Organization-- another well intentioned group, turned evil in the face of greed.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: After the film, I sat through the first 5 minutes of a Q & A with writer-director, Stuart Townsend, during which he mentioned that they're releasing the film now because it's, "After the Summer Blockbuster season and before Awards Season." So clearly they're not expecting any.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: If you can get past Martin Henderson's New Zealand accent coming in and out of his attempt at an American one, and if you can get past Michelle Rodriguez's one-note, angry-at-the-world act, and if you can get past Connie Nielsen's spontaneous turn from caricatured bitch on wheels of a news reporter, who will do anything for a story, to a suddenly compassionate supporter of human rights... Whew-- that's a lot to get past... But my point is Andre Benjamin is delightful in all his optimism, Channing Tatum, in a very small role, gives one of his most naturalistic performances to date, and Rade Serbedzija is spot on-- so long as you can get past the fact that he's playing a French man, but when he gets angry, he curses in his native language: Yugoslavian?

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Stuart Townsend, who's never directed before, does a surprisingly good job of seamlessly interweaving actual documentary footage of the events with newly shot fictional footage, involving his made up characters. He will direct again.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Also during the Q & A, Townsend mentioned that his objective was to inspire audiences to demonstrate, and to anger people into action. While I was angered, I left the theater feeling more hopeless about the individual's ability to make a difference, than I felt inspired to try it. On the other hand, it's sad that it took an Irishman to stand up and make a statement about an American historical event, that most of us here aren't even thinking about... So maybe I should at least be inspired by him.

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