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

Back To Top

Pariah

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  A semi-closeted teenage African-American lesbian comes of age.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Adepero Oduye, Pernell Walker, Aasha Davis, Kim Wayans, Charles Parnell, Sahra Mellesse, Zabryna Guevara, Kim Sykes

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  You've seen one lesbian coming of age film, you've seen them all.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  I laughed in my head when I realized that I spent the first 10 minutes of the movie trying to decide whether the main characters were women or men.  It was a seriously heated debate in there!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  Going in I thought this would be this year's Precious.  But it's like a Disney Channel movie in comparison, breaking almost no new ground... Except maybe uncovering how women make themselves look like men.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It won Cinematography at Sundance, which is especially surprising when you consider that all the out of focus shots were the one thing in this film that kept me annoyed throughout... Then again, most of what Sundance likes tends to annoy me, so I don't really know why I'm surprised.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  It is good to see Kim Wayans-- and in a dramatic role, no less!  I worked with her on a sit-com, back in the day, and I always thought she was one of the most under-rated talents I had ever come across.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  The odd choices about where to center the focus in many shots is clearly deliberate and artistic, but it doesn't work.  It's distracting and looks like a mistake.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  For a film getting so much attention, it's surprising how little feels original about it.  I mean, who hasn't already seen at least one movie where the Black husband is a cheater, the teenage girl hates her mother, and the mother is a homophobe?

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

A:  Warning: despite the scary title, this is NOT a horror film or a video game.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Pariah Trailer

Back To Top

Our Idiot Brother

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A man (Paul Rudd) is so sweet and naive in his belief in the good in people that he gets himself and his three sisters into a lot of trouble. But it's also because he has a big mouth.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Rashida Jones, Steve Coogan, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, T.J. Miller, Shirley Knight, Matthew Mindler, Sterling Brown, Hugh Dancy, Janet Montgomery, Lydia Haug

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! This is a very sweet character and a perfectly sweet movie, but there's nothing engaging about any of it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It is marketed as a broad comedy and it's not. There are still some good clever laughs, but the humor is much more subdued than you might think. It's almost British, in fact.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Still not engaging.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Movie I've Ever Told You Not to See... It's going to be more enjoyable on the small screen anyway. Wait for that.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: There are a lot of stand out performances. Paul Rudd is perfectly dumb. Elizabeth Banks is a perfectly uptight bitch, not dissimilarly to Kathryn Hahn's perfectly hippie bitch.While T.J. Miller is perfect at seeming like he's understudying for the role of the idiot brother.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: There is an energy missing from the film that keeps it from being as fun as it should be, and it seems to have something to do with the directing.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It just doesn't feel original in any way... and you really want it to.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Our Idiot Brother Trailer

Back To Top

Circumstance

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A pair of teenage girls (Nikohl Boosheri & Sarah Kazemy) fall in lesbian love in Iran, where it's illegal to be gay.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Nikohl Boosheri, Sarah Kazemy, Reza Sixo Safai, Soheil Parsa, Nasrin Pakkho, Sina Amedson, Keon Mohajeri

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Those of you who love truly independent should run to see this movie because you will love it. For the rest of you, I'm going to throw out some keywords, and you can decide for yourself if it sounds up your alley: lesbian teens, oppression, surveillance, religious fanaticism, men controlling women, secret lives, secret clubs, lack of freedom, rape. So, you in?

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: As part of their rebellion, they decide to dub the movie Milk into farsi... but mostly we watch them do the sex scenes.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: More like rise up and fight for these poor Iranians.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Foot Rape scene. Did you know that it's possible to rape someone just by rubbing their foot? Well, you do now... Oh, and it also won the Audience Award at Sundance.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Superb. Every single actor in the film brings something unique and unexpected to their role.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Very independent. At times it jumps around, leaving scenes abruptly and entering others without warning. You are often left wondering what a scene was doing in the film, and yet you find yourself giving the director the benefit of the doubt, thinking to yourself that it probably needed to be there and you're just a little too dumb to figure out why.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: This is a script of few words. And many long stares. Sometimes too long, bordering on melodrama. But sometimes just right, bordering on letting you in on the storyline.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Circumstance Trailer

Back To Top

No Strings Attached

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A guy and a girl (Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman) decide to use each other for sex, without any expectation that it'll go anywhere.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Kline, Cary Elwes, Greta Gerwig, Lake Bell, Olivia Thirlby, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jake Johnson, Mindy Kaling, Talia Balsam, Ophelia Lovibond, Guy Branum, Ben Lawson, Jennifer Irwin, Adhir Kalyan, Abby Elliott

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Everybody knows that when you don't have any expectations, that's when things go well. And everybody also knows exactly how this story is going to go well. But what it lacks in conflict, suspense, and surprises, it makes up for in utter cuteness.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: More than a lot of romantic comedies, but less than a lot of R-rated comedies.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It's all too predictable to get you crying, but when Kevin Kline tears up it's actually one of the better laughs.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most Authentic Performance by an Actress in a Romantic Comedy. I don't know what it is that Natalie Portman is doing, but it just works.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Ashton Kutcher finally found a leading lady who's prettier than he is! Also, beautiful guest performance by Lake Bell. What she does in this movie isn't as obvious as she makes it look.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I once had a directing teacher who said that 90% of a director's work is having good taste in material. And that's what Ivan Reitman does best. I know this because I've seen an s-load of his movies, and I can't remember a single shot from any of them. Okay, that's a lie, there is one shot I remember-- but who could forget the slow pan, in Twins, over to Arnold Schwarzenegger's starry-eyed grin, after the first time he has sex?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The premise holds together by a string because Ashton Kutcher is clearly in love with Natalie Portman from the first, second, third, and forth time they meet. So when they say things like, "Let's keep doing this until one of us starts to have feelings for the other," it rings completely false because he already has feelings for her. Meanwhile, her excuses for not getting more involved with him are convoluted, contradictory, and mostly very thin.

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

A: The line from the trailer where he says he can't date her because she's his oldest friend is not in the movie. This is not a friends with benefits situation, because they were never friends first. I kept waiting for the part where they would be friends, and it never came. This lacking element caused me great confusion about why they weren't giving a relationship a shot, since they were already in one.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: No Strings Attached Trailer

Back To Top

The Kids Are All Right

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A lesbian couple (Julianne Moore and Annette Bening) has their life turned upside-down when their teenage son and daughter (Josh Hutcherson and Mia Wasikowska) track down their sperm-donor dad (Mark Ruffalo).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson, Yaya DaCosta, Kunal Sharma, Eddie Hassell, Zosia Mamet, Joaquin Garrido

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This deliberately independent film is not spoon fed, nor does it get completely resolved and tied up in a happy little bow for you. It's more interested in showing the trials and tribulations of life as it really is... first difficult, and then disappointing.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is a smattering of awkward moments that will cause individualized chuckling.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If only people could visualize the repercussions of following their momentary sexual whims, before the aftermath has ruined their life, there would be a lot less heartbreak in the world.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Mark Ruffalo's character is so hard to pin down, that you can't help but admire the fact that no other actor could have portrayed this particular combination of aloofness and unconditional love. At the same time, it's one of those performances that's almost too good to get noticed as having been acting.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: With a cast like this you go in expecting the best, and come out with your expectations exceeded.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Lisa Cholodenko films Los Angeles with so much love that she makes it look like any nice normal American suburb, where even the most God-fearing of average Americans would want to live.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: What's really heart-warming about the execution of this story is that even though it revolves around a family with two matriarchs, the marriage is portrayed in a way that is filled with the same love, familiarity, and contempt that any male-female husband and wife relationship would have. Before long, you forget that you are watching a family of four with two moms, and you realize that you are simply watching a movie about a family that is about as together as they come-- in other words, hardly at all.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-kids-are-all-right/10025812/trailers

Back To Top

The Runaways

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of how the Runaways came together to be the first all-girl rock n' roll band, eventually spawning Joan Jett.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, Riley Keough, Scout Taylor-Compton, Alia Shawkat, Johnny Lewis, Tatum O'Neal, Brett Cullen, Hannah Marks

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The movie's not that bad, what makes it hard to take is the music.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Angelenos, who have experienced the smooth tones of d.j. Rodney Bingenhiemer on KROQ 106.7, will get a good laugh at Keir O'Donnell's dead on impersonation of his half-witted manner of speaking. It's like he's always reaching for the next word in a sentence, not quite sure whether or not it will come to him.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It's sad to see how easily kids on the road slip right into severe drug habits. If you, like I, know someone who is at the beginnings of a potentially very successful career in rock n' roll, this story is a scary reminder of how incredibly concerned you should be.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Yes. It's the Movie the Parents of Twilight Fans, Most Likely Don't Want their Little Girls to See. And the competition is stiff-- as you may have noticed, I saw Remember Me yesterday.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: In my review of The Yellow Handkerchief, I mentioned that Kristen Stewart is a one trick pony. Well, guess what? It turns out she has another trick. She is an incredibly convincing dyke! And Dakota Fanning, I've been a fan of hers since she was 3. Which doesn't make me feel any younger when I watch her in a film that takes place in the 70s, and it's exceedingly clear to me that she has no idea how to use a pay phone or put on a record... I can just imagine what it was like on the set, "Can someone please show Dakota how to play a 45?!" But she still gets it wrong...

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing is so good that I actually noticed it. Floria Sigismondi chooses really interesting angles and allows the actors to move around inside of her frames in ways that juxtapose them in one dynamic composition after another.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Floria Sigismondi's screenwriting skills aren't up to her direction, though. It's hard for anybody who's up against a biopic, and as usual, there's no big suspense pulling us through and keeping us involved, beside the fact that we go into it knowing that in real life they had some success.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-runaways/38105/trailers

Back To Top

Chloe

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a woman (Julianne Moore) finds out her husband (Liam Neeson) is cheating, she hires an escort (Amanda Seyfried) to hit on him and see how he responds.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Max Thieriot, Nina Dobrev, R.H. Thompson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's in the same genre as Fatal Attraction, but with a twist... and some hot girl on girl action.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I'm not sure if that was on the top of its list of things to do.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not cry, but definitely squirm.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Men like to say that women are crazy, but I find that when women act crazy in relationships, a lot of the time it is their men's behavior that is driving them to it. This movie has my vote for the Best Depiction of How Men Make Women Lose their Minds Award.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Amanda Seyfried has the most incredible eyes. All she has to do is tilt her head down and look up, and you will believe anything she says.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Most of the time you don't notice it, and then there's the part where Atom Egoyan slowly pans Julianne Moore's naked body while she's in the shower, and then, in case you missed it on the first pass, comes back to a shot of her breasts and her long pointy nipples, and just rests his camera there for a good 10 seconds for absolutely no reason... like a baby grabbing for his mother's teat when he's no longer in the mood for milk.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Erotically thrilling.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/chloe/1430056/trailers

Back To Top

Fired Up!

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Two high school football players (Nicholas D'Agasto and Eric Christian Olsen), decide that there will be more doable girls at cheer camp than at football camp, so they make up some lame excuses to cut out on one in favor of the other, and spend their summer spreading diseases. (Okay, so there's no mention of disease in the movie. I'm just prognosticating.)

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Nicholas D'Agasto, Eric Christian Olsen, Sarah Roemer, Molly Sims, David Walton, John Michael Higgins, Philip Baker Hall, Adhir Kalyan, Juliette Goglia, Jake Sandvig, Michael Blaiklock, Margo Harshman, Edie McClurg, AnnaLynne McCord, Danneel Harris

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. We spend long months and sometimes years waiting for a movie of this sort to come out, but ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, that rare commodity, that special gem... It's finally here: a movie so bad that it's good!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Every term you can think of for breast, butt, and [insert any sexual organ here] (I know) is pulled out of the gutter in this all out effort to pretend that women's lib never happened.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Well I cried when more than one man turned me down to see this movie over the weekend, because it was too stupid, and clearly for girls. And I cried again (this time with joy), when I arrived at a Tuesday night screening filled with exclusively men, secretly watching this movie with glee.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Yeah-- right!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Sarah Roemer is a beauty who may not have the chops to pull off comedy. Eric Christian Olsen is clearly 10 years too old to play high school. And Nicholas D'Agasto is just right.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: This movie reminded me of one of those cheesy low budget movies you used to be able to find at 3am on the USA Network. Some might take that as an insult, but seriously, when was the last time you managed to turn one of those off before the clock hit 5am and you realized that you just got caught up in a total schlock-fest and loved every minute of it!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It starts out at the bottom of the barrel, and painstakingly climbs its way up that barrel wall, until it ends, and you find yourself saying silly things like, "That was sweet."

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/fired-up/33561/trailers

Back To Top