A Dangerous Method

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) experiments with a lot of bad ideas as he (along with Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Otto Gross (Vincent Cassel)) develop what has become modern-day psychoanalysis.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Sarah Gadon, Vincent Cassel

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  The subject matter is interesting, although when you look at the questionable mental stability of the people who pioneered the modern psychology movement, you will also want to proceed with caution when it comes to getting professional help.  But the love story is disgusting and unromantic, partly due to its content, but even more-so due to a performance that makes you want to turn the movie off every time you are subjected to it.  Stay tuned to find out whose...

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  It's funny how men can find any ridiculous, convoluted reason to justify adultery... especially Austrian men played by French men, making no effort to hide their French accents.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Every time Kiera Knightley uttered a word in her terrible Russian accent I wanted to cry myself all the way out of the theater.  Stay tuned for a more in depth analysis of why and how she's awful...

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  Michael Fassbender won an acting award from the National Board of Review, but I didn't think this role involved all that much.  Meanwhile Viggo Mortensen got 3rd Place Best Supporting Actor from the New York Film Critics Circle, but I think anyone who gives Viggo Mortensen 3rd place in anything acting-related can't really be taken seriously.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  If you've ever hated Keira Knightley because she's beautiful, now you can hate her because she's ugly, too.  Her performance as a mental patient is cringe-inducing.  It reminds me of an aspiring actress desperate to prove she can make it by taking on an character that's way out of her league, and then trying too hard to give it interesting quirks and mannerisms until you feel sorry for her, because you know her dreams of stardom will never see the light of day.  I have never personally had anything against Keira Knightley, but after watching the film, I happened upon a sexy perfume commercial she stars in, and I couldn't even watch that because I still felt so embarrassed for her.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  David Cronenberg cast Kiera Knightley in this role, so that's a fail.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  In a lot of ways it's hard to tell if the script was any good, as you watch Kiera Knightley butcher it.  The scenes she's not in are passable, and sometimes even intellectually stimulating.  But most of those are talking head conversations that make it all too clear that this movie was derived from a play.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: A Dangerous Method Trailer

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The Fighter

(Guest Review by Valerie)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on a true story, The Fighter is not as much about boxing as it is about the journey and struggles of Micky Ward, and his brother, Dicky Ecklund, as boxers, sons, brothers, and town heroes.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Mickey O’Keefe,
Jack McGee, Jenna Lamia, Frank Renzulli

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Even if, like me, your first thought is, “Not another boxing movie,” you do not want to miss this one. While there are some graphic fight scenes, it is really about family, and if you have one, or even just a group of friends that are like one, you will relate to this story.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Mostly as a coping mechanism.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you’re a sucker for personal transformations that DON’T involve beauty
makeovers, you have a shot at some tears.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: You mean, other than “Most Likely to Harm the Lowell, MA Tourist Industry, While Doing Wonders for its Crack Industry?” Actually, it's already up for four well-deserved SAG awards, as well as some Golden Globes, and it will likely be nominated for some Oscars, too.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Consistently great. They thoroughly convinced me never to go to Lowell, MA, if I'm determined to avoid the types of people these performances are advertising. I don't mean to sound like a snob, but even the ones with decent personalities have no sense of style!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: David O. Russell does a great job of making you feel totally anxious and claustrophobic whenever the family is in the shot. It rang pretty realistic to me. After all, I may or may not be related to Monique.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Surprisingly nuanced, given that it’s just “another boxing movie.” The moments
of epiphany and transformation could have easily been very trite, but are instead kept fresh with writing that truly captures the duality of situations.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Fighter Trailer

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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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Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Hugh Hefner has lived through the Great Depression, a World War, two east-Asian wars, two gulf wars, the sexual revolution, the civil rights movement, and the invention of plastic surgery, and I'm pretty sure he had a hand in all of it.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: A bunch of bunnies, a bunch of horn dogs, some old-timey famous folks, and George Lucas.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's interesting to learn that before Hef hung out with gaggles of indistinguishable fake-boobed blonds, young enough to be his grand-daughters, he was an activist who made strides in racial rights and even (supposedly) in some aspects of women's rights, but it's hard to reconcile with the fact that he seems incapable of seeing how his work exploits women.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Here's something funny: Hef doesn't understand why some people call his magazines pornography. So just to be clear, I looked up the definition on Merriam-Webster, which says, "the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement." And then, next to it, there was a picture of Marilyn Monroe on the cover of the first edition of Playboy.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Dr. Ruth says it best when she pin-points the sad truth about why Hef won't be remembered for the relevant and important impact he had on making the world a more just and fair place for women and minorities. She explains that he made the mistake of mixing up his personal life with his professional life, and now no one can take him seriously, because all anyone associates with him is the fact that he's dating between three and seven women at once, all of which only love him for his money. (I admit, I added that last bit.)

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: You are not gonna believe this, but it won the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award for free speech!... Okay, it hasn't won it yet, but since Hef gives it out, don't you think it's got a good chance?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Before he got all old and creepy, Hugh Hefner was actually a much more attractive and fascinating man than I care to admit. Yeah, I would've done him.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I know Hugh Hefner is almost 200 years old, but the movie about his life didn't need to be in real time. Over 2 hours for any film is a mistake, but over 2 hours for a documentary about one person shows a lack of restraint that borders on unprofessional. I'm thinking the director is a hoarder.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Provocative, but it feels like a bit of propaganda to me. Hef has a line where he says that he still picks every centerfold and every cover, and edits all the cartoons and articles... well I've got a feeling that director, Brigitte Berman, only gained this kind of access because she gave Hef final cut on how he would be represented in his final impressions, too.

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

A: Boobies!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/hugh-hefner-playboy-activist-and-rebel/10011272/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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The Last Station

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on a novel that's based on a the true story of Leo Tolstoy's (Christopher Plummer) tempestuous love-hate relationship with his wife (Helen Mirren), as their values and life philosophies changed with age.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, Paul Giamatti, Kerry Condon, Anne-Marie Duff, John Sessions, Patrick Kennedy

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Mature audiences will feel very mature while watching this complex depiction of what happens to mature love as time matures.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Well it is funny that they want you to believe that James McAvoy is a virgin... or even that he ever has been one.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I felt angry at the ways in which Tolstoy and his groupies were dismissing the perfectly logical complaints and concerns of his wife, to the point where she started to think that she was the crazy one... But I'll tell you something very personal, I have a sore spot for that sort of moronic group mentality, where everyone is too cowardly to speak up for the one outspoken person who's making sense.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Everything about this film reminds me of the movies that have recently been nominated for or swept the Academy Awards. Strangely, it's coming out now, in January, which makes it ineligible for 2009, and will make it forgotten by 2010. Somebody's gonna get fired for this one.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Helen Mirren tops herself once again, with a character that feels like nothing I've ever seen her do. Her chemistry with Christopher Plummer is magical. And James McAvoy... he seems like he's not even acting, and yet, in every scene he makes you feel like the movie is only about him.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: According to the Q & A, the director's biggest challenge was making the clean and orderly Germany look like a messy and chaotic Russia. I also learned that the most memorable directing moment I had noticed was James McAvoy's idea.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It is filled with dramatic, contradictory emotions, through which it manages to convey how love can hold you together and pull you apart at the same time.

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

A: Another interesting tid-bit from the Q & A, was that the Russian composer wrote the entire score based solely on reading the script. The director rejected it on principle, but after several months, several composers, and several other score attempts, he asked to hear the music that had been written before a single frame of the movie had been shot... And it was perfect.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-last-station/1392634/main?icid=movsmartsearch

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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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Coco Before Chanel (Coco Avant Chanel)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The life of Coco Chanel (Audrey Tautou) up until the point when she became famous fashion designer Coco Chanel.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain, Emmanuelle Devos

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! This is a beautifully shot, well made film with good acting, and beautiful settings, that isn’t even that boring… and yet I can’t think of a single person I would recommend it to.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There’s some wit, but you have to be a fast reader of subtitles to catch most of it.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I heard a lady in the elevator, afterward, saying she cried, but she looked like a manic-depressive.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Costumes… why not?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Perfectly good acting portraying perfectly unlikable characters.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The opening shot is a little nauseating, but the rest is quite pleasant to look at.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I’m still trying to figure out the deeper correlation between Chanel’s upbringing in an Orphanage, and her success as a fashion designer. I can see how the outfits they wore as children inspired some of her cuts, as well as her desire to introduce the color black to high class women’s wear, but I’m still not totally sure why anyone liked her, listened to her, or gave her a chance.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/coco-before-chanel/37886/trailers

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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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The Soloist

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on a book, that's based on newspaper articles, that are based on a true story, this movie explores the relationship that is formed between a homeless musical prodigy and the L.A. Times reporter who befriends him in the hopes of writing about his story.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Justin, Martin, Stephen Root, Rachael Harris, Tom Hollander, Lisagay Hamilton, Marcos De Silvas, Esa-Pekka Salonen

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. On every level this film tries too hard to be important, and it would have been more so, if we didn't see everyone working so hard to matter.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I thought Jamie Foxx's hairstyle was funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not even close. Which is probably its biggest failing.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: They thought about it last year, when they started showing previews at just the right time for awards consideration, but then they pulled the release from last year's required deadline, and released it now, at a time that is no less defeatist than waiving the white flag.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Robert Downey Jr. is his usual perfect self. Jamie Foxx has the bigger challenge of playing a character with a mental disorder, without coming off like he's acting. Does he succeed? I don't know enough schizophrenic people to say for sure, but his performance may be a good argument for casting unknowns as characters who have mental disorders, so at least you don't spend the whole time knowing that the guy isn't really schizophrenic.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Not one to experiment with naturalism, or the theory that the director should be invisible, Joe Wright likes to remind the audience at every turn that THIS FILM HAS A DIRECTOR. (Also see Atonement.) Some audience members may fall for his "look at me" style, but I find his over the top visual aides distracting and pretentious.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The true story and the book likely both had a stronger emotional impact than the movie does. The pace is slow, and by the end you feel neither inspired nor moved. That said, it's in no way hateable.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-soloist/30936/main

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Waltz with Bashir

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Waltz with Bashir is an animated documentary with subtitles about trying to remember being a soldier in the first Israeli-Lebanon war of the early 80s... Have I sold you on it yet?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: The writer-director, Ari Folman, and a bunch of his friends, therapists, and battle-mates.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you weren't scared off by the parts of the description that mention animation, documentary, subtitles, war, Israel, or Lebanon, then you are probably into highbrow, art movies about serious matters that make you think about what they're trying to say instead of just telling you, and you should absolutely see this movie because you will think it's a masterpiece.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Has Beirut ever been funny?

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Only if you cry at trivial little things like genocide.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It won almost all of the Israeli Academy Awards, so it follows that it is Israel's official submission for the foreign language category at the Oscars.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I was given a program at my screening, which included a director's bio that describes how he went off to travel the world for a year, and after two weeks, he realized he hated traveling, so he settled down in Southeast Asia and spent the rest of the year writing letters to his friends pretending to be in all the different places he was supposed to have gone. His point was that his ability to use his imagination to fabricate these letters was what lead him to decide to become a filmmaker. My point is that I don't buy that this is a documentary. I think the use of animation is the perfect cover-up for the fact that this story and these characters are in part or in whole totally made up. Now that that's been cleared up, I can tell you that the acting is fine.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The animation is captivating from the first frame to the last.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Another way in which the writer covers up the fact that this story is (allegedly-- according to me) invented and fabricated, is by starting the movie out with a fascinating tid-bit about how the human memory works. One of the characters explains how when the mind can't remember something, it fills in the rest with whatever fits into the parts it remembers. This is then used to justify the fact that all the first person accounts of what supposedly happened in the various battles, 20 years ago, could also be in part or in whole totally made up. That said, the way in which this film examines the faultiness of memory is what I found most intriguing about it.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/waltz%20with%20bashir/trailers

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Frost/Nixon

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: British talk show host, David Frost (Michael Sheen), gets a chance to interview Richard Nixon (Frank Langella), after his impeachment, in the hopes of getting him to confess to his crimes.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Michael Sheen, Frank Langella, Kevin Bacon, Rebecca Hall, Matthew Macfadyen, Sam Rockwell, Oliver Platt, Clint Howard, Toby Jones

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's yet another opportunity to learn something about the history of the 1970s without having to think too hard. And much like Milk, it also has a strange timeliness, as a fallen President tries to rebuild a legacy that will hopefully be more impressive than the truth.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Only when you least expect it.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Almost. But mostly it serves as a good reminder never to drunk dial!... That may have been Nixon's biggest mistake.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: While Frank Langella looks hardly anything like Nixon (I don't even think he gets the ethnicity right), he does manage to channel his energy and his expressions in a way that will most likely get him a nod. But if he's up against Josh Brolin playing W. they could presidentially cancel each other out for the win. In any case, between them and Sean Penn in Milk, this is shaping up to be a very political race for the Oscar. And we thought that after November 4th we could finally get a break from all that!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: This is really Michael Sheen's movie, and he totally owns it, bringing with him the essence of the 70s from the hair to the goofy look on his face.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Though it's based on a play, Ron Howard manages to keep it feeling cinematic.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's hard to deny the talent that it takes to write a script that keeps things moving, when your source material is two men sitting in chairs.  Peter Morgan's script feels like a boxing match, despite the fact that both men are pinned to their seats.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

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

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W.

Q: What’s the movie about?

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

Q: Who’s in the movie?

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

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

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

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

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

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

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

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

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

Q: How is the Acting?

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

Q: How is the Directing?

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

Q: How is the story/script?

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

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The Express

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The life story of Ernie Davis, the first Black person to win the Heisman Trophy. (And hence, paving the way for OJ.)

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Darrin Dewett henson, Omar Benson Miller, Nelsan Ellis, Charles S. Dutton, Justin Martin, Justin Jones, Nicole Beharie, Aunjanue Ellis, Saul Rubinek, Geoff Stults

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's so hard to make a biopic interesting. How do you build suspense when everyone already knows what's gonna happen? In this movie they try to build conflict around the racism that Ernie Davis and his Black teammates faced-- which much like movies about the Holocaust, always makes for interesting and accessible emotional intensity-- but the movie still suffers from the fact that it's a biopic.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: In honor of Sarah Palin, I'm going to ignore that question and answer a different one... You may have noticed that I'm on a roll with seeing race-themed movie about the mid-20th century. And here's something interesting that I've learned from the experience: A Black man won the Heisman Trophy before Black people had the right to vote. I suppose as a country, we never have quite gotten our priorities straight.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I'm a sucker for these kinds of movies. It's like with romantic comedies, you know where it's going, but it still makes you teary and shivery inside.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: To give an award to a movie about a guy who gets an award is ridiculous. What would be next? A movie about the movie getting an award? And would we have to give that an award, too? No, we have to stop the self-eating cycle of ridiculousness before it begins.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Dennis Quaid is like a fine wine, he gets more textured and tasty as he ages.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Football is one of the trickiest things to film because there are tons of guys running around the field at once, they're all dressed the same, and they're all wearing helmets. Gary Fleder does a good job of keep your focus on #44, and shooting tight close-ups inside his helmet, so you can keep an eye on your main character at all times.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Even though it's a true story, it feels a little like it's been done before. And Remember the Titans did it better. If you like Football-Racism movies, you must rent Remember the Titans immediately.

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When Did You Last See Your Father?

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A son reminisces about all the resentments he's harbored toward his father over the years, and tries to figure out how to forgive his dad (Jim Broadbent), before he breathes his final breath.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth, Juliet Stevenson, Gina McKee, Sarah Lancanshire, Elaine Cassidy, Claire Skinner, Matthew Beard, Bradley Johnson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Most critics will say something to the effect of, "This film is a beautiful portrait of the inner battle between love and hate that so many of us are confronted with, when it comes to our relationships with our parents." This critic says, "Hellooooooooo, melodramatic!"

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Notatall. That's British for, "No."

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It mostly feels like there's a movie screen standing in between you and what the characters are going through. You will watch them suffering in the distance, but you will not feel their suffering. Lucky for you... Unlucky for the filmmakers.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: When you watch Jim Broadbent perform, it seems nearly impossible that he waited until his fifties to start racking up award nominations. He's six different kinds of talented in this one.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: In addition to Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson finds wonderful levels of subtlety as she puts on a happy face in front of her son, in an effort to constantly hide her miserable interior.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Mirrors and reflections play throughout the film, and I'm not one to assume I know what their significance is. If it is meant to represent Colin Firth's life reflecting back at him, that seems very on the nose. But if it is anything else, that seems very obtuse.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The film is based on a book, that's based on a true story, that's based on the author of the book, it's no wonder it all feels a bit too personal to reach the heart of the masses.

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