The Debt

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Three Mossad agents (Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, & Marton Csokas) go on an assassination mission against a German, Nazi, Doctor (Jesper Christensen), but when they get older (Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, & Tom Wilkinson) they realize they have a debt to pay.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, Maron Csokas, Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Jesper Christensen, Ciaran Hinds, Romi Aboulafia

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Going in it seems like it will be an original and special film, but underneath all the intrigue, there's not that much there.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The bad guy has most of the funny lines, so that's sick and twisted.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Mossad agents do actually have something in common with the Germans. They're cold. Not that there aren't any emotions in the film, but the characters are all so reserved that you can hardly play along.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It certainly hopes to be, but I can't think of any it could get besides maybe a Supporting Actress award for Jessica Chastain. But if the Academy is gonna give her that one, I'd rather see her get it for The Help.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Helen Mirren may have top billing, but this movie belongs to Jessica Chastain. Who is she? Where did she come from? I don't know, but she just came out in The Tree of Life, The Help, The Debt, and she still has Sundance winner Take Shelter and William Shakespeare's Gerard Butler and Ralph Fiennes vehicle, Coriolanus, coming out later this year. Which is why my bet on Academy recognition isn't such a long shot.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The interweaving of the past and the present is artful and appropriate, but I'd like to give most of the credit for that to the script.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Structurally it's a very interesting storyline, but the moral may be a little too subtle and unrelatable for me.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Debt Trailer

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It's Complicated

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: 10 years after her husband leaves her for a younger woman, Jane (Meryl Streep) finds herself having an affair with her ex-husband (Alec Baldwin), behind his new young wife's back.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski, Lake Bell, Zoe Kazdan, Hunter Parrish, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Mary Kay Place, Rita Wilson, Alexandra Wentworth, Emjay Anthony

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. While most good romantic comedies leave you a feeling like you want to fall giddy in love, this one instead, leaves you feeling like you want to fall giddy into bed with someone, so you can feel giddy the next day about how you fell giddy into debauchery.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are some funny set pieces having to do with old people smoking pot, old people being naked, and old people getting caught being bad. Yeah, old people are pretty funny when they do young people stuff.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you're from a family of divorce, you may be as moved as I was to see how loving it can feel to have all the scattered pieces of your original brood, back together around the lunch table, like it was old times.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Meryl Streep is competing against herself for the Golden Globe. Unfortunately for this gourmet chef, the other one is probably going to win.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Let's skip over the people we already know are great, and get right to the fact that the 3 children they supposedly conceived together are terrible. From the first frame to the last, every reaction they have is over the top and seems fake-- like they were plucked right out of their beginning acting classes to do this film. Only Hunter Parrish gets a pass, for being so cute, and reminding me of a young Ethan Hawke (minus the acting skills-- don't want to offend Ethan).

Q: How is the Directing?

A: As guest reviewer, Russ, pointed out to me, Nancy Meyers' directing is like an add for Williams-Sonoma. Although Meryl Streep has a beautiful and large kitchen, she dreams of having (--and is finally hoping to get in this movie--) a beautiful and large kitchen. As Russ put it, "It's like rich people's problems." I imagine it's easier to shoot a family of five (plus an ex-husband) in a beautiful and large kitchen. I imagine that's why she didn't choose to shoot the multiple kitchen scenes in an ugly and small kitchen. But I can't imagine how the renovations she's making on her house will do anything besides give her a smaller backyard.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Nancy Meyers clearly goes to a lot of trouble to make her two main characters somewhat likeable in the midst of their despicable act of cheating. I also respect and admire that she's telling original stories about older women in modern times. I'm learning so much about what is to come for me, although by the time I'm that old, modern times will be different than they are now, so I may need to learn entirely new lessons at that point. I also want to applaud her for several moments where the characters' reactions to a situation are not what you'd expect. The one thing I feel dissatisfied by, however, is why does Steve Martin's character have to be so damn dull? It certainly doesn't make you root for him to win the girl.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/its-complicated/34200/trailers

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