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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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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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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The Skin I Live In

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A plastic surgeon (Antonio Banderas) holds a beautiful woman captive in his house, and by the end of the film, we will know why-- Duhn-duhn-duhn!

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Marisa Paredes, Jan Cornet, Bianca Suarez, Barbara Lennie, Roberto Alamo, Susi Sanchez, Eduard Fernandez, Jose Luis Gomez, Fernando Cayo

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:Proceed with Caution. This one is for the hardest of hard core Almadovar fans only. Right when you thought he couldn't get any crazier, he completely loses his mind.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you have very dark and demented sensibilities.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I feel like crying when I look at Elena Anaya flawless skin, and remember that all youthful skin ever gave me was pimples.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: While we're on the topic of Elena Anaya, let's just give this film the ever-coveted award of Miss Universe. I can't imagine any contestant in the world pretty enough to beat her.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Speaking of beauty, Antonio Banderas at age 51 hasn't lost an ounce of it. Also, it's nice to see him still getting a chance to do a serious role once in a while, since he can really only be taken seriously in Spanish. And after Puss in Boots comes out, our ability to not laugh when he speaks English will only get worse.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Almadovar stays true to his personal style, which combines simplicity with total oddness.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's based on book, and you can't help but wonder if the book pulls off this bizarre non-linear tale of a convoluted insane family any more logically or believably than its surreal film counterpart does.

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

A: Balloons and Steamers! This is our 500th review!!!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Skin I Live In Trailer

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The Guard

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A murder in small town Ireland brings an FBI agent (Don Cheadle) into an offbeat partnership with a very strange police officer (Brendan Gleeson).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot, Rory Keenan, Mark Strong, Fionnula Flanagan, Dominique McElligott, Sarah Greene, Katarina Cas, Pat Shortt, Darren Healy, Laurence Kinlan, Michael Og Lane, Owen Sharpe

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Today I challenge you to see a film that is smarter than you and nothing like any Hollywood movie you can think of... Except:

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not since Fargo has a crime mystery been so funny due to dialect.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not since Waking Ned Devine have the Irish been depicted in their own movie as so unabashedly shameless.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Not since Snatch has an English language film so badly needed English language subtitles.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Not since In Bruges has Brendan Gleeson played such a multi-dimentionally hilarious bad guy with a heart of gold.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Not since The Future has an independent film been shot so still, wide, and patient.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Not since Inception has there been a good ending so ambiguous, debatable, and intriguing.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Guard Trailer

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Horrible Bosses

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Three guys (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis) with horrible bosses (Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, and Colin Farrell) hatch a plan to kill each others bosses.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Donald Sutherland, Lindsay Sloane, Julie Bowen, P.J. Byrne, Wenell Pierce, Ron White, Ioan Gruffudd, Isaiah Mustafa, Bob Newhart

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Of course you have to suspend disbelief during most parts of the beginning, middle, and end, didn't you read what it's about? The murderers are the good guys!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Lots of laughs. And speaking of Charlie Day, I've met more than one guy who has told me that if he could be anyone, he would be Charlie Day. With every Charlie Day movie (and episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) that I see, I understand more and more why they love him, and less and less why they would want to be him.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I feel sad for Colin Farrell's career up until now. Why didn't he ever show us before that he can be really, really funny when ugly?

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Shot of a Parking Lot... There are several shots of parking lots in this movie, so I'm pretty sure director, Seth Gordon, was shooting for that award.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I read a snippet of a review that said that Jennifer Aniston was miscast in this role, but I disagree. I think the role of a nymphomaniac rapist is a nice stretch for her, and that anyone who can't accept her range is just too attached to her being Rachel all the time.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Functional and utilitarian, except for the shot of the parking lot, which shows glimpses of genius.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There are a lot of good one-liners, the characters feel fresh (except for Jason Bateman and Kevin Spacey, who have played those characters a lot of-- let's just say "every" time), and the story holds together well for a story that could only exist in nowhere.

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

A: Rat Poison: I appreciate the wink to 9 to 5, one of my all time favorite movies.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Horrible Bosses Trailer

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Beautiful Boy

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An estranged couple (Monica Bello & Michael Sheen) find out that their son (Kyle Gallner) has just opened fire on his classmates and then killed himself, and they have no idea how to deal with this information.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Maria Bello, Michael Sheen, Kyle Gallner, Alan Tudyk, Moon Bloodgood, Meat Loaf Aday, Deidrie Henry, Austin Nichols, Cody Wai-Ho Lee

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. After nobody saw either Rabbit Hole or American Gun, I guess these filmmakers took it as a sign that audiences want more movies about school killers and the loss of a child. Despite it being a completely misguided commercial effort, the movie is still pretty gripping-- in an independent way.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Only if you're demented.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Possibly the whole time.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I'm sure it will be up for all kinds of Spirit Awards, it's just the right mix of quality actors, low budget, and depressing.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: At the Q & A, Michael Sheen said that working with Maria Bello was, "Literally the best experience I've ever had working with another actor." Which is sweet to her, but kind of an insult to all the other brilliant talents he's worked with. Then again, I've seen a lot of movies with both of them, and I can't think of any time either of them was less than spectacular, so maybe they should just get married.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Listening to Shawn Ku describe his technique was more inspiring than watching it. But listening to the actors discuss how the technique opened them up to be in the moment got me thinking that maybe I should try it on my next film!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Don't expect any answers as to why someone would shoot up a school, because we'll never know, so there's no point in speculating. What you get instead is a love story about how misery loves company, especially when there's no one else in the world who can relate to the kind of pain and confusion you're in after your kid becomes a monster... one who's never coming back to tell you if his becoming a monster was your fault.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Beautiful Boy Trailer

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Sucker Punch

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When an evil step-father institutionalizes his daughter (Emily Browning) to cover up a murder he committed, she meets four other girls (Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, & Jamie Chung) who are presumably not crazy like her and together they come up with a plan to escape the mental asylum by navigating three levels of reality.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac, Jon Hamm, Scott Glenn

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed With Caution. Fans of computer games will probably like it, with the caution that you don't get to actually be any of the characters. Every one else – you know, the average person who goes to a movie to be entertained by a well-told visual story? Well if that's you, your mileage may vary.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's a downer thanks to its subject matter. I can't remember a single time I laughed, or even cracked a smile. But my mouth was agape a few times over the shots this director pulled off.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Even without much of a story, the ending is kind of touching thanks to the talent of Abbie Cornish. So if you wind up crying, don't say you haven't been warned.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I think the executives responsible for 'greenlighting' this project should be given awards. Pink ones. Made out of paper.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: After you get past the fact that this film mainly exists to dress up hot young girls in slutty school girl outfits fabricated to make them appear as whoreish as possible, you might vaguely recall that all of these actresses did good work in the past. The acting talent shines through a little at a time, like sunlight through a bullet-ridden wall, but they can only do so much with the cardboard cutout characters the script provided them with. Maybe because she's older, Carla Gugino fares better. I didn't even know it was her until the end credits, but she's a definite highlight here.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: : I will confess that after the back-to-back awesomeness of Dawn of the Dead and 300, Zack Snyder became one of my favorite directors. With this film he continues to show what a talented visual stylist he is, like the one long continuous take of two actors sitting at mirrors that is so amazing it should be featured on one of those shows where that masked magician reveals how the trick was actually done. But he's also in charge of telling a cohesive and engaging story, and on that side of the spectrum, I'm afraid he grades out to an F this time.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There's a good conceit in which the film gets into the main character's head by using three levels of 'reality' to tell the story. Considering it's set in a mental institution, the idea is a logical one. Beyond that though, the heroine's journey becomes repetitive, boring and a bit non-sensical, and then just when you think it can't get any more depressing, it does. Maybe the Sucker Punch of the title refers to how most people will feel after paying money to see this.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Sucker Punch Trailer

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The Lincoln Lawyer

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on a best-selling novel by Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer is a procedural drama with thriller elements about a slick lawyer (Matthew McConaughey), who works out of his Lincoln Town Car, and specializes in getting guilty criminals off the hook. But when you mess with a lot of guilty people, sometimes it can come back to bite you in the ass.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Pena, Bob Gunton, Frances Fisher, Bryan Cranston, Trace Adkins, laurence Mason, Margarita Levieva, Pell James, Shea Whigham, Katherine Moennig, Michael Pare, Michaela Conlin, Reggie Baker

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! I never watch Law & Order, but I imagine that if I were a fan of it, it would be because it's a lot like this.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are some charming character interactions, but none of the laughs are out loud.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Marisa Tomei and McConaughey play a divorced couple on opposite sides of the law who spend a lot of free time together and seem to enjoy sharing a daughter. So, yeah, it kinda makes me cry that they can't just work it out.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Television Movie Not Playing on Television.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Nobody even tries to stretch beyond their limits, but sometimes that's what makes them just right for the roles they've been assigned.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Shaky hand-held camera, gritty minimalistic lighting, in-camera zooms... everything about the style and feel of this film looks completely independent, except for the presence of Matthew McConaughey.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's not the most original structure ever put to film, but the moral dilemmas are interesting, and trying to figure out the main character's thinking keeps you glued to your seat. That said, this could just as easily be the pilot episode of a TV series. A good one, though.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Lincoln Lawyer Trailer

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Limitless

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A loser writer (Bradley Cooper) discovers a drug that gives him heightened brain activity as well as the ability to recall any and all information he has ever been exposed to from his entire life. Unfortunately, once you take the drug, you can't stop taking it or your body will deteriorate and you will die. Oh, and there's an extremely limited amount of it going around.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish, Andrew Howard, Anna Friel, Johnny Whitworth, Tomas Arana, Darren Goldstein, Ned Eisenberg

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Talk about life or death stakes...

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Cocky people are funny... so long as they aren't the star of your hit sitcom.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Cocky people are also sad, because what goes up must come down. But I don't like to think about that, because it defies my medication-induced optimism. And medications are too expensive to defy.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: This deserves an Academy Award for Directing, but will most certainly be overlooked. Why it will be overlooked? Because it's early in the year and at first glance it seems like standard Hollywood fare. Why it deserves it? Because a director's job is to get you inside the mind of the story, and by the time I walked out of the theater, I felt like I had taken NZT.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Like the directing, Bradley Cooper's performance seems straight forward enough, but in fact demonstrates incredible nuance, as he seamlessly switches between a dangerous, know-it-all, drug-induced pit bull and a weak, insecure, natural lamb. And it's not just the intensified lighting of his frighteningly blue eyes.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: At first all the special effects felt a little gimmicky, to me. But once I realized that I was completely riveted by a scene where Bradley Cooper cleans up his apartment, I knew that I had been a fool to mistrust this director's instincts. Team Neil Burger, all the way to the Oscars!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Leslie Dixon presents interesting twists in such a way that you get to feel smart, because you know what's going on without being told. I love feeling smart. Which is why I've gotta get my hands on some of that NZT... And if that's not available, maybe I could get me a dose of that Charlie Sheen. From what I can tell, the effect of either drug is about the same.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Limitless Trailer

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Elektra Luxx

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Retired porn star, Elektra Luxx (Carla Gugino), is pregnant, and getting sucked into all sorts of other people's problems due to the mistaken assumption that she will have sex with anyone.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Carla Gugino, Adrianne Palicki, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Marley Shelton, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Timothy Olyphant, Malin Akerman, Vincent Kartheiser, Justin Kirk, Kathleen Quinlan, Amy Rosoff, Lucy Punch, Matt Gerald, Isabella Gutierrez, Julianne Moore

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Despite making fun of porn movies, this film has very little plot.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's meant to be a comedy, and a lot of times it is.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It doesn't make you feel that much, but for me there's always an underlying sadness about what terrible things must've happened to these women to drive them into the sex trade. And it gets a little sadder when they start to want to be treated just like everybody else.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most Subtle Sequel. It's not being billed as a sequel to 2009's Women in Trouble (which I did not see, and had never heard of until I looked up some of the actors from this film on imdb and realized they'd played characters with the same names before), but the two films have 6 characters and a writer-director in common. Hmm. Has anyone else seen or heard of Women in Trouble?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: There's a lot of hype around Adrianne Palicki getting cast as TV's new Wonder Woman. I had no idea who she was before I saw this movie, and was surprised to see that my favorite performance in the film was the very person all the hype has been about. On a sadder note, I fell asleep during a scene between two actors that I absolutely love, Malin Akerman and my future cougar bait, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Yes, it was because the scene was boring.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Sebastian Gutierrez, who is this guy? His most notable credit is as the writer of Snakes on a Plane, and I have to assume that movie made him rich because he's found a way to write, direct, and produce a trilogy of films about this particular set of invented porn stars, back to back to back. Yes, he's already got a script in the works for the threequel, and I can't imagine any financier, besides himself, who would have gotten on board for more than one of this series.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There are several vaguely intertwining stories, and I only cared about the title character, Elektra Luxx. Because of the cutaways to all the side characters' stories, we are taken away from what she is supposed to be going through, which frankly isn't very deep or realistic to begin with. On the plus side, the dialogue is cute and sometimes even clever to the point that some of the people in my audience were still laughing as they walked back to the parking garage. I imagine this is because they saw the prequel.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Elektra Luxx Trailer

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Unknown

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After an accident that causes a concussion, a man (Liam Neeson) has to prove that he really is the person he claims to be, without any verifying identification.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella, Sebastian Koch, Olivier Schneider, Stipe Erceg, Rainer Bock, Mido Hamada, Clint Dyer

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Not enough action. Not enough intrigue. No final "Ah-ha" moment to be felt when all is said and done.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I think it's funny that the simple act of casting Frank Langella in a role gives away the fact that the character is gonna be a bad-guy, even when there's nothing in the action that would indicate that we should be suspicious of him.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It makes me sad that there are articles in the Hollywood Reporter that are already discussing whether or not there should be a sequel. I'll tell you what, make a great movie first! Something I might want to see the continuation of. Then we can talk about sequels, you greedy bastards.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most Unconvincing Love Story: Lifetime Achievement Award. It's the worst developed romantic conclusion I can recall in my lifetime, anyway.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I have a hard time buying Liam Neeson as an American. Maybe because his name is Liam?... Nah, it's that pesky British accent, when he talks.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: This is the closest I've ever come to going to Berlin, and even as someone who loves to travel, I can honestly say that I have no desire to ever go back... Unless, of course, it's because someone is forcing me to go on a date with that hunky Sebastian Koch.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: To plagiarize someone I don't know, who was exiting the theater at the same time as me, "It ain't no Bourne Identity!" Then again, for all I know, he was coming out of Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Unknown Trailer

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Barney's Version

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on a book by Mordecai Richler, Barney's Version is the story of some guy named Barney (Paul Giamatti), as he partakes in life, loves, and possibly the murder of his best friend. It's a character piece.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Paul Giamatti, Rosamund Pike, Dustin Hoffman, Scott Speedman, Minnie Driver, Bruce Greenwood, Rachelle Lefevre, Saul Rubinek, Mark Addy, Jake Hoffman, Anna Hopkins, Macha Grenon

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The first two hours are very compelling, even though the final extraneous 20 minutes, meanders around until it became clear that the rest of the movie isn't really about anything either.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Paul Giamatti plays his usual slightly lovable curmudgeon, so there are a fair number of laughs from that, but my favorite humor comes simply from the names of the places. You see, he works at Totally Unnecessary Productions, and drinks at Grumpy's bar. And you even believe these locations are real, because the movie takes place in Canada... Oh, those silly Canadians!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: The extraneous 20 minutes at the end are pretty sad, but I would've rather just cut that part altogether. Why? Because it's extraneous.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's currently in a one week Oscar qualifying release in Los Angeles, so that it can be considered for Academy Awards even though it's really coming out in a month, after it's too late to be considered for 2010. So obviously they think they have something.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Dustin Hoffman is fantabulous. His son, Jake, while much better looking than his father, seems poised to follow in the footsteps of John Ritter's and Tom Hanks' sons, by not even deserving to carry the same last name as a man whose shoes he will never come close to filling. Minnie Driver plays the most annoying character in the world, and yet, this may be the most attractive she's ever looked on screen. (Kristen Bell may want to take some pointers from her.) And Rosamund Pike, when her hair is dyed brown, looks indisputably half-Asian.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Most of the time it is fast-paced and engaging, and then suddenly, in just one or two places, it slips into photographic montages that don't match the style of the rest, and therefore come off like fixes to parts of the film that probably weren't working.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: If you've been reading along with me, you already know my feelings about why biopics rarely work. So what kind of person makes a biopic about a made-up person who's not even real or famous?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OBd5jPBzOI

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All Good Things

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Inspired by the true story of the wealthy Durst New York real estate family, and using the fictional Marks family to stand-in, All Good Things speculates about the unsolved 1982 missing persons case of Katie Marks (Kristen Dunst), wife of heir David Marks (Ryan Gosling).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ryan Gosling, Kristen Dunst, Frank Langella, Philip Baker Hall, Lily Rabe, Kristen Wiig, Nick Offerman, Diane Venora, Liz Stauber, Maggie Kiley, David Margulies, Trini Alvarado, Michael Esper

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. While it's well acted, interestingly structured, and compelling, it may be too dark for some audience members who are seeking escapism in these trying times.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes, but don't go to this if you're looking for a funny time.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you were any number of characters in the movie it should have, but seeing as how cold, self-centered, and entitled most of the members of this wealthy family are, I'm not sure they would even know how.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I'd like to nominate the make-up... I know, it's a totally boring award and it shouldn't even be in the televised show, no less my blog.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Frank Langella is a complex and versatile actor who has continually proven that he can be frightening. Kristen Dunst is a complex and versatile actor who has continually proven that she can be romantic. And Ryan Gosling is a complex and versatile actor who has continually proven that he can be both frightening and romantic, which is the worst kind of romance a man can provide.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Andrew Jarecki, who brought us the most disturbing documentary I have ever seen, Capturing the Friedmans, tries to disturb us some more. This time with murder rather than pedophilia. But I don't know, as far as disturbingness goes, I'm slightly more partial to pedophilia.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story cuts back and forth between a murder trial that took place in the 2000s and the story of love and loss that took place in the 70s and 80s, focusing primarily on the later. While it's not hard to follow, I can tell from some of the momentarily confusing directing choices that some of the transitions could have been written more smoothly. On the other hand, trying to span three decades-- that aren't even next to each other-- is a huge challenge for any screenwriter, and at no point does the passage of time make the movie feel too long.

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

A: While the title's implication that all good things come to an end is somewhat clever, I have found this title impossible to remember. So, if you're interested in seeing it, you should write the title on your kid's hand, or some other place where it's equally unlikely to ever get washed off.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/all-good-things/36342/trailers

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The Next Three Days

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a man's (Russell Crowe) wife (Elizabeth Banks) is incarcerated for a crime he knows she didn't commit, he constructs a plan to break her out of jail himself.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Ty Simpkins, Olivia Wilde, Lennie James, Liam Neeson, Brian Dennehy, Helen Carey, Jason Beghe, Aisha Hinds, Allan Steele, Michael Buie, Moran Atias, RZA, Daniel Stern, Kevin Corrigan, Peyton Grace Allen

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Both the good guys and the bad guys are so many steps ahead of each other, that you get to a point where you're not sure if the good guys are bad or the bad guys are good.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There's not a lot of room for humor when you're trying to keep the tension high.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not really, but things sure can get awkward when your mom is in prison. And sometimes, it's really hard not to take it out on her.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Paul Haggis, Russell Crowe, and a November 19th release date... probably.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I love Elizabeth Banks, especially in comedies, but as hard as she tries in some of her difficult dramatic moments, you never forget that she's acting opposite Russell Crowe, and she's just not on his level.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It starts out dull and boring, much like the lives of the protagonists, and it ratchets up as the suspense builds.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Paul Haggis is an Academy Award winning screenwriter, and yet there's something about this French remake of Pour Elle that feels like it's simply a translation of the original screenplay. Though, to be clear, that's not an insult to the original film... Which, to be even more clear, I didn't see.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-next-three-days/1441492/trailers

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Winter's Bone

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a teenage girl (Jennifer Lawrence) finds out that her father gave their house up for bail money to get himself out of jail, she must track him down or prove that he's dead in order to save the house where she is the main caretaker for her 12-year-old brother and 7-year-old sister.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, Garret Dillahunt, Lauren Sweetser, Isaiah Stone, Ashlee Thompson, Shelley Waggener, Tate Taylor, Sheryl Lee, Ronnie Hall, Kevin Breznahan,

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It is very slow paced for a very long time before becoming a heart-wrenching thriller about a girl who will go to any length to protect her younger siblings.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I'm pretty sure that in the town where this takes place, you could get killed for laughing.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Mostly it'll make you thankful about all the wonderful things and people you have in your life, because if you can a afford a movie ticket, you're already about a thousand times more privileged than the white trash in this story.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It has already won prizes at Sundance and Berlin, so I'm sure the Independent Spirit Awards will follow.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: At the ripe old age of 18, Jennifer Lawrence carries the movie practically all by herself. And considering there are rarely enough great roles for women, in a year, to fill all 5 spots at the Academy Awards, I wouldn't be surprised if she pulls an Ellen Page.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Depressing, bleak, grim, meditative, cold, dank, and perfectly suited for this film... If you like that sort of thing.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The stakes are high for the main character and her family, and the drama is intense, but I'm still not sure why everybody has to be such an a-hole to this poor kid, who's been forced into premature adulthood. As dumb as they are, the townsfolk have to realize that whatever her father did to piss them off, it has nothing to do with her. She didn't ask to be his offspring. And the fact that she is doesn't make her a bad person. It makes her the victim.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/winters-bone/10024255/trailers

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Harry Brown

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After losing everything, an old man (Michael Caine) goes vigilante on the gang members in his neighborhood.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Charlie Creed-Miles, David Bradley, Iain Glen, Sean Harris, Ben Drew, Jack O'Connell, Jamal Downey, Lee Oakes, Joseph Gigun, Liam Cunningham

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This highly independent version of a shoot 'em up is well done, but it is in no way fun to watch.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Sure, if you find it funny that people in the projects are killing each other just for the sport of it.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It is depressing.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It won an Empire Awards in the UK. I've never heard of that award either.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I paid very close attention, and I have to tell you, I saw Michael Caine blink several times. If that means nothing to you, I suggest you get hip to the pop culture on the 1980s by watching this video: Michael Caine on Acting

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The first few shots will make you want to throw up because they're so shaky. And then you'll want to throw up again because of what happens in them. After that, the directing becomes less showy for the most part.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: A man with nothing to live for always makes for a great vigilante. The only problem is that when he's got nothing to live for, it's harder to care about whether or not he lives.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://film-book.com/harry-brown-movie-trailer/

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