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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Albert Nobbs

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: In the late 19th century, a woman (Glenn Close) dresses as a man to work as a waiter, as he saves for his dream.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Janet McTeer, Aaron Johnson, Brendan Gleeson, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Pauline Collins, Bronagh Gallagher, Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, John Light

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I kept waiting to find out why this person was dressing as a man, and when it finally arrived, I didn't buy it. So ultimately, I had a hard time relating to what the film was supposed to be about.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you watch the trailer you might... Funnily enough, the very same jokes in the actual film aren't nearly as funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: You will definitely feel for this gentlefemme, as he tries to court a bratty young golddigger-- really a bronzedigger, considering our hero's financial means-- but your confusion about what he/she actually hopes to accomplish emotionally from marrying another woman will prevent you from actually caring to see him/her succeed. I mean, he's not even a lesbian!

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: This is one of those films that people will think they should see for the performances. Unless you're studying acting, you should never see films for the performances.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The women dressed as men will undoubtedly get some acclaim as they take on the male physicality with precision and consistency, which especially comes through when they don dresses. Even so, Glenn Close does herself the disfavor of proving that she's much more attractive as a man, while Janet McTeer looks unmistakably like a woman (albeit a butch one) from the first time she appears on the screen to the moment when she reveals her gigantic breasts.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I've enjoyed Rodrigo Garcia's work in the past, and his directing hasn't faltered. But the one difference between this and his previous projects is that he didn't write this one. So I guess he should take the fact that I enjoyed this film less than his others as a compliment.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I know it's based on book, but it was hard enough to buy that one woman was dressed as a man, so when we find out there are two women dressing as men, it's super unbelievable-- unless this was a common occurrence of the times, in which case you, the writer, should make a point of explaining that. The way it is now, it seems highly coincidental and not very well justified.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Albert Nobbs Trailer

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War Horse

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  A boy and his horse are separated during World War I, and we follow the horse's journey through the war.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup, David Thewlis, Tom Hiddleston, Bnedict Cumberbatch, Celine Buckens, Toby Kebbell, Patrick Kennedy, Leonard Carow, David Kross, Matt Milne, Robert Emms, Eddie Marsan

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Stop!  I can see the little old church ladies now, watching this movie on TV and then telling their grandchildren, "Oh, wasn't that a nice picture?"  They are the only ones who feel that way.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  I laughed several times at how ridiculously improbable every other beat in the movie was-- starting with the way the boy acquires the horse.  Any decent screenwriter knows that you can't have more than one coincidence in a script.  This movie is built around them.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  Horse lovers might, but I'd like to prevent that by reminding them that horses don't really think like humans do.  That's just a movie device.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  I think it's time to give Spielberg the Lifetime Achievement Award, because based on the movies I've seen in the last two nights, he has clearly passed his peak.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  People regularly have giant reactions to absolutely nothing; reactions that last longer than the final shot in a soap opera scene.  How do I know this style is outdated?  All of the soap operas just got cancelled.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  It's 2 1/2 hours of melodramatic acting with melodramatic music, shot in exteriors that are lit like they are on a sound stage from the 1950s.  Need I say more?

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  There is one good scene in the entire movie, and I'd seen that one done before too. 

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: War Horse Trailer

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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  Based on the book of the same name, this remake of the movie of the same name that came out two years ago, retells the Swedish story of a defamed journalist and his assistant (Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara) who try to solve the mystery of a teenage millionaire's untimely death in the 1960s-- only this time, it's American-style!

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen, Joely Richardson, Geraldine James, Goran Visnjic, Donald Sumpter, Ulf Friberg

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Go!  I was lucky enough to have missed the first version of this movie as well as the book, so I got to enjoy this clever thriller as if for the first time, because it was my first time.  

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  Bizarrely, yes, about three times.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  It's pretty cold, but there is one part that will break your heart.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  Clearly David Fincher and Trent Reznor are trying for a two-peat, and I think they have a chance.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  It was a big deal when they cast Rooney Mara (best known as the girl who dumps Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network creating the impetus for him to start The Facebook) in the part of Lisbeth Salander.  Well, she lives up to the hype.  Then again, I never saw Noomi Rapace in the part, so for all I know she's just imitating the original performance.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  There's a reason David Fincher is considered the David Fincher of movie directing.  He brings movement and artistry to scenes that would be stagnant in a lesser director's hands.  With him, you can see where the script stops and the vision begins.  And yet he does it all without drawing attention to his own work-- which may be what I respect most about his style.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  A good story is a good story in any language.  The people who read the book thought so.  The people who saw the Swedish movie thought so.  And the people who see this version will think so, too.

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

A:  I'm assuming there will be two more parts, as with the Swedish version, but I'm still waiting to find out the significance of the Dragon Tattoo.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Trailer

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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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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Q: What’s the movie about?

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

Q: Who’s in the movie?

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

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

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

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

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

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

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

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

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

Q: How is the Acting?

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

Q: How is the Directing?

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

Q: How is the story/script?

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

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Trailer

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The Artist

Q: What’s the movie about?

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

Q: Who’s in the movie?

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

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

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

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  The biggest laughs are at sounds.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

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

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

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

Q: How is the Acting?

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

Q: How is the Directing?

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

Q: How is the story/script?

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

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

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

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Artist Trailer

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Young Adult

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  A Young Adult novelist, who used to be popular in high school (Charlize Theron) and hasn't evolved since then at all, returns to her home town 20 years later to try to nab her high school boyfriend (Patrick Wilson) who just had a baby with his wife (Elizabeth Reaser).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, Collette Wolfe, Hettienne Park, Brian McElhane, Jill Eikenberry

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  While the dialogue reminds us why we fell in love with Diablo Cody, and the pacing reminds us why Jason Reitman's films so far have been 3 for 3, the story itself is fairly unimportant in every way possible.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  If you like dark and dry, this will have you laughing in that way that only dark and dry can-- silently, so that nobody can hear how f'd up you are.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  Possibly at the sex scene at the end.  It is consensual and at the same time extremely sad.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  In yet another one-man show character story, Charlize is aiming at Oscar number two.  I'd nominate her.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Patrick Wilson, in a role that looks like nothing, is the one I was most impressed with.  There is a deceptive simplicity to his role, so don't be deceived.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  There's no question that Jason Reitman is one of the most significant rising directors of his generation.  That remains true in this, his least entertaining movie to date.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  The point of the script is that nobody cares about pretty girls anymore.  The problem with the script is that nobody cares about pretty girls anymore.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Young Adult Trailer

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Son of No One

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  Told between flashbacks to 1986 and present day 2002, a boy, who is now a cop (Channing Tatum) must deal with the on-going repercussions of having accidentally murdered 2 people in the tenement he grew up in.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Channing Tatum, Jake Cherry, Al Pacino, James Ransone, Brian Gilbert, Ray Liotta, Katie Holmes, Tracy Morgan, Juliette Binoche, Lemon Anderson, Ursula Parker, Simone Jones, Peter Tambakis, Karen Christie-Ward, Decorte Snipes, Marilyn dobrin, Johnnie Mae, Roger Guenveur Smith, Michael Rivera

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Stop!  Either everyone in my audience was an idiot or the film didn't make any sense.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The funniest part to me were the multiple conversations in the bathroom afterwards as people tried to figure out what they just saw.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  Sure, maybe if you use the time to think about something sad.  Like a clown.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  Ursula Parker, a young blonde child, who looks like a cross between a young Elle and Dakota Fanning, will likely win All the Roles the Fanning Girls have Grown Too Old to Play.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Tracy Morgan will surprise you in this dramatic role-- mostly in that he can do it at all.  Al Pacino is strong and charismatic, despite the fact that his character motivations in pretty much all of his scenes are both unclear and illogical.  And Katie Holmes will impress you with the fact that she's not totally lame. 

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  Just about the same as in Dito Montiel's previous film, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  The whole story revolves around the mystique of figuring out who the mystery person is who is writing notes in 2002 about the forgotten murders of 1986, and all you can think is, "Who could possibly care about the 16 year old murder of two insane drug addicts who left no loved ones behind?'  Then at the end you find out, and you still don't care.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Son of No One

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The Descendants

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  A man's wife goes into a coma, and that's when he (George Clooney) finds out she was cheating on him. 

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Nick Krause, Amara Miller, Robert Forster, Beau Bridges, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  It's called The Descendants but it should have been called, "Come Visit My Dead Wife in the Hospital," because that's the majority of what happens in the movie.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  Yes, but not as much as you have in past Alexander Payne films.  So don't go in expecting Election or Sideways.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  Right when I thought I couldn't care less, Judy Greer had me holding back tears so I wouldn't embarrass myself by crying.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  There is buzz, but most of it is from before anyone saw the movie.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  I don't like George Clooney as an actor, he just doesn't jump off the screen.  But the 3 kids are amazing!  I predict much work in the future for Amara Miller, Nick Krause, and Shailene Woodley-- who just today came out as one of Hollywood Reporter's 35 power people under 35.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  Alexander Payne goes to great lengths to show us the ugly underbelly of the West-Coast's favorite vacation spot, Hawaii.  If this was supposed to draw tourism to the area (which is Hawaii's #1  industry), then I'm sorry to say that I'll soon be checking out Tahiti.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  There is some interesting dialogue here and there, especially out of the mouths of babes, but the story of the land buyout isn't executed in a compelling manner, and the dying wife starts to feel like she's not even there.  Sometimes, in the midst of all the characters' depression, I couldn't even remember what they were so depressed about.  Maybe it would've been different if we'd gotten to know the wife a little bit before the coma.

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

A:  People dress funny in Hawaii.  I guess the cost of getting a fashion magazine across all that ocean is just too high.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Descendants Trailer

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Martha Marcy May Marlene

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  You can take the girl out of the cult, but you can't take the cult out of the girl.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes, Hugh Dancy, Maria Dizzia, Louisa Krause, Brady Corbet, Julia Garner, Christopher Abbott

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  Interesting subject matter.  Interesting character study. I have no idea what I was supposed to think happened at the end.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  It was developed at the Sundance Institute, so I'll give you one guess, and the answer isn't "yes."

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  It's more likely to cause the deep pondering of questions like: "Why do people fall for cults?"  "How do they find them?" And, "How are they so easily brainwashed?"... I guess my parents were too loving for me to ever understand the answers to questions like these.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  Director Sean Durkin won his category at Sundance, and it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, but lost out to the previous movie I saw, Like Crazy.  Still, even the nomination looks a little bit like self-nepotism.  If you develop a movie, is it really fair to nominate yourself for a prize?

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Elizabeth Olsen gives a star making performance, but I knew that before I even saw the movie because of all the press and hype that's been surrounding her since last January.  What I didn't know is that she would be so interesting, that I would find myself struggling with how exactly she's related to her sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  Despite Sundance nominating itself for prizes, Sean Durkin actually does deserve recognition.  He seamlessly shifts between the past at the cult and the present at a Lake House, using color schemes and clever editing that has your brain working just the right amount throughout, as you try to keep up with where each scene is taking place.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  Mostly, I just wish I understood what I was supposed to take from it.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Martha Marcy May Marlene Trailer

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Like Crazy

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  An American boy (Anton Yelchin) falls in love with a British student (Felicity Jones), and before they know it they become star-crossed by immigration problems, when she can't get back into the country.  Stuck in a long distance relationship that can only exist on her side of the pond, they must now decide if it is worth it or not to give up on the love of their lives.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley, Alex Kingston, Oliver Muirhead, Finola Hughes, Ben York Jones, Chris Messina, Jamie Thomas King, Amanda Carlin

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  I am torn between my respect for the art that they attempted to create and my feeling that the end result is rather trite.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  The entire movie is improvised.  It turns out that the word "improv" isn't always followed by "comedy."

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  It's been so long since I was in love with anybody, that I can't personally relate to these emotions. Maybe you could be the judge and get back to me.  Thanks!

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  So far it has won every award it's been nominated for, which includes 2 prizes each for the lead actors, Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones, as well as the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, which only re-iterates how little I understand about what that high mountains altitude can do to your taste in movies.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Improvisation always makes the actors look good.  How can you not be in the moment when you don't have to memorize other people's words and say them back as if they are your own?  When you improvise, the words are your own.  So all you're doing is having a made up conversation, like when you were 4.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  The directing is intimate and interesting, but the credit clearly belongs as much to the cinematographer and the editor in this case, as it does to the director, because when it's all improvised, the camera guy has to figure it all out on the fly, and the editor has to take those 70 hours of footage and turn them into something cohesive... Kind of like on a reality show.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  The couple meets when she leaves a four page love letter on his car windshield, which we never get to read or hear.  Their love develops through a series of shots of them writing silly notes to each other, which we never get to see.  Many other standard moments are left out, too, like their first kiss, and any clue as to why they like each other.  Apparently the script was a 50 page detailed outline, with character back-stories, emotions, and beginnings, middles,  and ends to each scene, but no dialogue whatsoever.  Again, I am torn between my respect for the risks the filmmakers took in doing it this way, and my feelings for how the story turned out.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Like Crazy Trailer

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Footloose

Q: What’s the movie about?

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

Q: Who’s in the movie?

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

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

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

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

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

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

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

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

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

Q: How is the Acting?

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

Q: How is the Directing?

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

Q: How is the story/script?

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

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

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

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Footloose Trailer

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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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Moneyball

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of how the General Manager of the Oakland A's, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), took average players with nearly invisible gifts to create a record breaking team, and in so doing, revolutionized the game of baseball... Even though Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) really did all the work.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, Stephen Bishop, Casey Bond, Nick Porrazzo, Reed Thompson, Kerris Dorsey

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Yay for sports movies! You just can't go wrong.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes, and it will also make you want to play fantasy baseball-- even if you don't like baseball. Here's a good place to start: Razzball Fantasy Baseball site

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but it did make me a little nauseous to see the amount of food Brad Pitt shoves down his throat in every scene, for no apparent reason. (Does that really count as a character trait?)

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: This is this year's Facebook movie.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Sometimes we forget that Brad Pitt actually has a skill for which he's famous. This movie is here to remind us. And Jonah Hill is charming, despite being in the body of Jonah Hill.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The integration of real life documentary footage with actors playing real life people is subtle, and nicely done. And while the flashbacks do a good job of helping us understand Billy Beane's inner motivation, they are heavy-handed, and we all remember what Brad Pitt looked like at 18, and it wasn't Reed Thompson... And one more thing, can somebody tell me why Brad Pitt wears a wedding ring in the movie, even though he's clearly been divorced for quite some time?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Most of the time it's interesting and clever and engaging... and then there are the scenes where he hangs out with his daughter, which seem like they're in the script because some executive read a book called, "To Make a Character Likeable, He has to Have a Child," and which bring the movie to a full stop every time they appear.

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

A: The score noticeably drives the emotions in ways that are sometimes meant to throw you off, and add some nice suspense within the highly predictable sports movie format. And speaking of music, the song Brad Pitt's 12-year-old daughter (Kerris Dorsey) makes up and beautifully sings to him, is a definite radio hit that proves that America really does Got Talent!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Moneyball Trailer

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Take Shelter

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A man (Michael Shannon) starts to dream about a dangerous storm that makes people and animals violent, and in his effort to protect his family, everyone (including him) thinks he's losing his mind.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart, Shea Whigham, Kathy Baker, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Ray McKinnon, Katy Mixon, Robert Longstreet

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This movie made me feel like I wanted to be anywhere else. But maybe that's because I hate horror movies. Don't get me wrong, the film is definitely a drama first, but the horror-like dream sequences are deeply anxiety inducing.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: A man losing his mind is only funny when Bill Murray plays him.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: You know what makes me cry? The fact that I can't remember the last time I saw a movie that even attempted to entertain me... And you wonder why The Help is still in the top 5! (Okay, so I do remember, it was The Help.) But my point is-- entertain me people! I don't go to the movies to hear about your problems.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: As a French person I am embarrassed, but not surprised to see that this movie won the Critics Week Grand Prize at Cannes.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: If the little 6-year-old girl playing the deaf daughter isn't really deaf, then I'm really impressed with her... And if she is deaf, I'm pretty impressed, too.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Too slow, too long, and too self-indulgent. What I'm saying is that I had a lot of time during the film to think about how pissed off I am that somebody crashed into my car today. But for the sake of not being a total haterator, I should tell you that the special effects are excellent and the score should take the majority of the credit when it comes to inducing anxiety.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Most people who like horror don't really go for important dramas, and most people who like important dramas don't really like horror, but maybe this film will find that miniscule cross-section of people who like a good scare as they watch a married couple fall apart due to a psychological disorder. I'm certainly not it. But maybe I'm just bitter because someone crashed into my car today.

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

A: You may love a lot of the elements of the film, whether it be the cinematography, the character study, or the performances (which are no better or worse than any of these talented actors have done in other films), but for me what is lacking is a reason to subject myself to this painful experience.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Take Shelter Trailer

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Drive

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A driver for stunts, robberies, and racing (Ryan Gosling) meets a girl he likes (Carey Mulligan), but her husband (Oscar Issac) gets him into trouble with the mob.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, Kaden Leos

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution.Personally, I hated this movie despite its handful of interesting moments and artistic choices. I struggled to stay awake for the first half--a romantic drama-- and then struggled to justify how the tone of the second half--a gory, B-movie-style, mob thriller-- had anything to do with the first half. But I'm still going to recommend it to anyone who enjoyed No Country for Old Men, because clearly you people find characters who can kill in cold blood without thinking twice charming.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Mostly at the positive buzz it's been getting.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Mostly at the positive buzz it's been getting.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Probably. Which will be followed closely by me swearing at my TV.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Ryan Gosling is an extremely interesting and complex actor, even in the role of an empty vessel who hardly says anything and has no definable character traits besides the fact that he is a great driver, and has virtually no friends, family or confidants of any kind in his life. Without his performance, which brings just enough texture to confuse you into thinking that there might be something to this guy, this movie would be nothing more than B-level thriller looking for foreign DVD distribution at the AFM. (Definition AFM: American Film Market-- notorious place for selling action-thrillers with big stars to foreign markets because American companies weren't stupid enough to pick them up for distribution.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Bordering on pretentious, Nicolas Winding Refn, who is currently the hottest thing going in Hollywood, forces you at every turn to notice his directing work, with his constant use of reflections, shadows, and extreme angles. In fact, you will be thinking more about his work than about the story-- which may be a good thing for the story.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Never before has a screenwriter set us up so perfectly for a prequel. Hossein Amini gives us so little about the main character's backstory that you leave the film wondering where he came from, how he was raised, and basically what in his life makes him someone who can kill another human being so effortlessly and accurately on the drop of a dime. There are enough questions about who this talented murderer with a heart of gold is to fill an entire movie setting this one up. And the lack of dialogue, which is obviously supposed to be artistic, is completely unrealistic-- especially when it comes to the woman character.

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

A: The blood looks like Karo syrup with red food coloring #3 in it. The kind used in amateur horror movies. Not the kind used in Ryan Gosling/Carey Mulligan films. Just embarrassing.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Drive Trailer

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