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  How do I know this style is outdated?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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Fantastic Mr. Fox

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A clever, chicken-stealing fox puts his family and an entire group of furry critters in danger when three angry farmers decide to exact their revenge.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Wallace Wolodarsky, Eric Chase Anderson, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Jarvis Cocker, Wes Anderson, Karen Duffy, Robin Hurlstone, Hugo Guinness

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! I loved this imaginative, clever and funny, stop-motion animated film. But it’s more of an adult film than a kids’ flick, with the humor and themes being more sophisticated than most animated movies.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The movie is a comedy, and yes, it will make you laugh. Both clever sight gags and verbal humor will keep you smiling throughout.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There is a touching emotional theme at its core, but not quite enough to induce water-works.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Hopefully Best Animated Film... Ah, who are we kidding, there's a Pixar film in the works this year.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: This is one of the best cast animated films to come along in years. Maybe you’ll recognize some of the voices behind the amazingly expressive puppets, or maybe not, but it won’t matter. George Clooney brings a nice balance of playfulness and authority to his central Mr. Fox character, and Streep is (as always) perfect as his exasperated but loving wife. Jason Schwartzman conveys a real childlike empathy to their son, Ash, and Owen Wilson steals the one and only scene he’s in as Ash’s coach in a sport that is so comically complicated I couldn’t begin to describe it here. But I’d probably enjoy watching an entire film about it. Oh no, now I'm actually rooting for someone to make a derivative work!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Writer/Director Wes Anderson is often a polarizing filmmaker with a lot of people either loving or hating his movies. Personally I’ve probably enjoyed more of them than I’ve disliked, and Fantastic Mr. Fox definitely has his stamp on it. His deadpan humor and subtle but effective camera moves and actor staging are all here, but the movie also has more obvious heart than some of his live-action films. Beyond the fanciful characters and engaging story, the real achievement here is the look of the film. The design and detail of every character (which are essentially like animated puppets) is breathtaking and original. And if that weren’t enough, the world these characters inhabit is so imaginative and wondrous, you almost have to see it twice to take in every detail.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story starts out strong both in setting up a plot and the main characters, but as things settle in, it has a tendency to meander and become a bit repetitive. While it sets up certain tasks and motivations for characters, it doesn’t always follow through on them in completely satisfying ways. On the other hand, the characters are strong and adults won’t likely be bored by the shenanigans taking place in Mr. Fox’s world.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/fantastic-mr-fox/28110/trailers

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The White Ribbon

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Pre-World War I Germany, in a small town made up of self-righteous a-holes, strange accidents start to occur on a regular basis, and nobody knows why or who.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Christian Friedel, Ernst Jacobi, Leonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur, Ursina Lardi, Burghart Klaussner, Steffi Kuhnert, Josef Bierbichler, Gabriela Maria Schmeide, Rainer Bock, Susanne Lothar

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It’s in black and white. It’s in German. It’s got subtitles. It’s a period piece. And it’s over 2 hours long. But if you enjoy not having a story spoon fed to you as to the why’s, how’s, and what for’s, this dark story could be your favorite film of the year.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If the depraved nature of heartless humans humors you, you will. My audience certainly discovered their dark side.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Especially if you’re Jewish, because it’s hard to look at all those Aryans and listen to the harsh German accents they are not using in jest… Although this movie certainly explains the type of cultural background it would take to lead so many people to think that joining the SS is cool.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It won the Palme D’Or at Cannes. Which says more about the French than it does about this movie.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Even the smallest of children were able to cry on cue.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: About as deliberate as it gets. You get the impression that Michael Haneke gets everything he wants on the set, and there’s nothing accidental anywhere.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Pay very close attention to the narration in the first 2 minutes. Write it down if you have to. It’s the only clue you will get as to what this movie was about, and when the story ends, it will all seem much more relevant.

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

A: Regardless of your intellectual prowess, I suggest you bring the smartest person you know. You’re going to need someone to piece it together with you when it’s over, and you won’t know where to start.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-white-ribbon/38469/trailers

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