Adam

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A romance develops between a man with Asperger's Syndrome (Hugh Dancy) and his beautiful neighbor (Rose Byrne).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. While the movie clearly tries to shed light on what it is to live with Asperger's Syndrome, it's unclear if the filmmaker is trying to create sympathy for the bearers of this mental condition, or if this is a cautionary tale warning the rest of us to stay away from them.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you see any blurbs describing this film as a "romantic-comedy" (as I did), I would advise you never to read the trash-rags on which that was printed again, as a film is required to have jokes, in order to qualify for that label.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It makes me sad to think that if this film's depiction of Asperger's is correct, no one should ever date a person who has it... On the bright side, since one of the key elements of Asperger's is that you can't tell how other people are feeling, at least you would never have to know that you are not loved.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Not to go back to the whole "Half-retard" thing (see Tropic Thunder), but clearly Hugh Dancy took this role in the hopes that he would get recognized by award-givers everywhere. Unfortunately, his forced performance is one of the things that worked against the movie's success.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Not only is Hugh Dancy's performance uneven, and way too autistic to represent the true functionality of a person with Asperger's, but he's also not nearly as attractive when he doesn't use his English accent. Rose Byrne proves to be a TV actress, at best... Although, I've never seen her on TV, and guest reviewer Russ says she's no good at that either.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Since the director is also the writer, I have to blame him for the bad performances, as he had to have known the right way to deliver the lines, and wasn't able to get the actors to do it. If Hugh Dancy, for example, had simply trusted the words in the script, and said them like a normal person, instead of adding so many actorish mannerisms to them, the words alone could've gotten his social awkwardness across in a much more believable way. It's called trusting the script.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: For once, the script was better than the movie. Not by much, mind you, but with stronger actors, it could have been ever so slightly more compelling. And perhaps I would've understood what the author was trying to tell his audience about people who have Asperger's. Because I find it hard to believe that he went to the trouble of writing a film, raising money for it, going through an arduous production and post-production process, doing the festival circuit, and finding a distributor, just so that I could take away the message, "Don't bother with these people, they're not worth the effort."

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/adam/trailers

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My Sister's Keeper

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An 11-year-old girl (Abigail Breslin), who was genetically created to be an organ donor for her cancer-ridden sister (Sofia Vassilieva), takes her parents (Cameron Diaz & Jason Patric) to court for the rights to her own body.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Abigail Breslin, Cameron Diaz, Sofia Vassilieva, Jason Patric, Alec Baldwin, Evan Ellingson, Heather Wahlquist, Joan Cusack, Thomas Dekker, David Thornton, Emily Deschanel

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. What an incredible moral dilemma! Protect your own long future or save your sister's life, over and over again as she quickly approaches certain death? And to put that in the hands of an 11-year-old! I was so excited to sit in the theater as I watched it unfold, not sure whose side to take... And then suddenly, about half way through, the filmmakers completely forget what their premise is, drop the lawsuit storyline, and start meandering off on a melodramatic tangent about how hard life is for the 15-year-old cancer victim.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Alec Baldwin is in the film, so he squeezes a little humor out of his parts.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Almost the whole way through... For the first half. And then you sit there, wondering where the great movie you were watching went.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It seems like Cameron Diaz is angling for one. But I think it'll take a lot more than this film to get the Academy to notice her.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Excellent, on everyone's part. They all regularly have to cry on cue, and none of them have any difficulty being right there with it.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It stops too frequently for beautiful collages set to sad songs. Cut, cut, cut!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It starts off with this interesting voice over that floats from one character to another. But before long, that becomes nothing more than a device used to throw in random scenes that the writer doesn't have to think of clever transitions for, creating a movie that is episodic instead of fluid. And I hate to see a good dilemma get ignored.

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

A: Whoever was in charge of creating the art that both the cancer victim and her brother lay claim to in the film, is talented.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/my-sisters-keeper/32323/trailers

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The Proposal

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a powerhouse publisher (Sandra Bullock) finds out she's getting deported back to Canada, she blackmails her assistant (Ryan Reynolds) into marrying her for the Green Card. Because she's a beeatch!

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Malin Akerman, Oscar Nunez, Denis O'Hare, Aasif Mandvi

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This movie makes you wanna kiss somebody.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's funny how, in romantic comedies, relationships are so much cooler than in real life. I guess real life relationships would be cool, too, if you never had to find out what happens to you after the first three days.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It makes me cry to know that no matter how many sweet movies I go see, in my real life, the a-holes I encounter never turn out to have a heart. You know who you are... Oh, no wait, you're too full of yourself to know that you don't have a heart. Well, rest assured, we know who you are.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best night scenes to take place in full daylight. Thank you, Alaska. You are a very confusing place. But at least now I understand why you pick such strange leadership. You haven't had a good night's sleep since last winter.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Cliche alert!!! Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have great chemistry... But they actually do. And Oscar Nunez gets laughs just for showing up. (You'll know what I mean when you see it.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I love that Anne Fletcher's career is thriving! What would I love more? To see more than one woman director thriving at a time. One scene I was particularly impressed by was the naked collision scene. Spoiler alert!!! (Not really-- it's in the trailer) She manages to show all the movement and action of naked people accidentally walking into each other, without showing any of the nudity. I sat for several moments wondering how she pulled it off so well. When I see it on DVD, I'll make a point to pay closer attention.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Peter Chiarelli does a nice job setting up a story that seems impossible to justify. Sure you have to ignore a couple of realities, like the sexual harrassment lawsuit Reynolds could have filed and won, but the one thing I had a hard time overlooking-- and I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm stereotyping-- was Sandra Bullock's personality. Because I have never met a Canadian that wasn't nice.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-proposal/30250/trailers

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Year One

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Two men (Jack Black & Michael Cera) from a primitive village, who think they are meant for more than the small life they are living, set off on a pedestrian road trip to discover what else can be accessed by foot in the world around them.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Oliver Platt, David Cross, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Vinnie Jones, Hank Azaria, Juno Temple, Olivia Wilde, June Diane Raphael, Xander Berkeley, Horatio Sanz, David Pasquesi, Matthew J. Willig, Gia Carides, Bill Hader, Kyle Gass, Harold Ramis, Eden Riegel

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I had a really hard time answering the question, "What is the movie about," so that's not a good sign. And if my description sounds boring, maybe that's the movie's main problem-- it's really not about anything. The only thing the plot lends itself toward is a series of silly jokes and sketches about biblical times, and another amazing performance by Michael Cera.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Is there still an audience that finds licking poo and animals attacking funny?

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but their hairstyles may give you visions of happy little bugs, living happy little lives, in the happy little bug villages that most likely exist at the border of these men's scalps. It definitely makes you wish they'd invented Supercuts a lot sooner.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: While the farting and the graphic intestines scenes are disgusting, I will give this movie credit for having the Best Peeing Scene I've ever witnessed in a movie.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Not since Stanislavski has someone reinvented the art form of acting the way Michael Cera has. In movie after movie, he brings a style to the screen that is completely original, surprising, and real. I don't even think it's possible to write for the way he makes stuff funny. He's a genius.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The whole movie feels dated. Unfortunately, it's not so much because it takes place in the days after Jesus died, as it is because the whole style of the piece feels pulled right out of an ancient time I like to call the 1980s.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The writers do manage to put the characters into precarious situations, like getting coiled by a snake and attacked by a vicious cougar, but instead of showing us how they get out of those binds, they simply cut to the next scene, and have the characters say things like, "Wow, that was a bad day." To put this in terms you can relate to immediately, that's like me telling you about the time I was mugged for my computer by meth addicts, and how I chased them, and they held me at gun point, and just when you start to wonder how I was gonna get my computer back and escape with my life, I start talking about ice cream.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/year-one/30328/trailers

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The Stoning of Soraya M.

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When an Iranian man’s wife refuses to divorce him, because he’s not offering her enough money to put food on the table for their daughters, he mounts a plot to get rid of her so that he can marry the 14 year old girl of his dreams.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Shohreh Aghdashloo, Mozhan Marno, James Caviezel, Navid Negahban, Ali Pourtash, Davis Diaan, Parviz Sayya, Vachik Mangassarian

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. (In case you didn’t already gather that from the title.) This is a powerful and disturbing movie, based on a true story. All of you should be strong enough of heart and mind to see this gut-wrenching film about the inhumanities being procured against women around the world, but I know that some of you aren’t. Yes, that is a challenge. I double-dog dare you to see this amazing film.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It’s not too big on the comic relief. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the whole stoning a girl to death thing?

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: : If it doesn’t, you have the heart of a Jihadist, and you should sign yourself up to the Terror Watch List immediately.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's showcasing at the L.A. Film Festival this weekend, and since that's run by the same organization as the Independent Spirit Awards, it's safe to say it's on its way. The only concern I have for this film, is that it's a little too good to get a Spirit Award nomination, and far too much about stoning a woman to death, for any of the voters to actually sit through it... wimps!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: You'll find out that Shohreh Aghdashloo’s first nomination (for House of Sand and Fog) wasn’t just a fluke. She is an Oscar caliber actress. And it's fun to see Jim Caviezel playing a French-Muslim as his follow up to Jesus, although I wasn’t sold on his efforts to sound French.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It all takes place in a tiny little, picturesque Iranian town, built into a mountain, so it’s very beautiful to look at in all its claustrophobia. But at times the lighting goes from a fairly dark scene to an extremely bright scene, and my pupils literally had difficulty adapting and refocusing on the image… Something to consider for all you cinematographers out there.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: With a story this powerful, a screenwriter doesn’t have to do much outside of not mess it up. Which, thankfully, Cyrus and Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh didn't.

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

A: The Iranians and the Muslims are not going to like how they’re portrayed in this film. But it’s a true story, so maybe instead of being offended, they should take part in re-educating the branches of their religion and culture that give men all the rights and women none. Also, when you see how government is run at the small town level in Iran, it sheds a lot of light on how their recent Presidential election could've gotten so messed up.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/the%20stoning%20of%20soraya%20m/trailers

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Imagine That

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A financial adviser (Eddie Murphy), who is estranged from his young daughter (Yara Shahidi), finds out that her security blanket can take him to a magical world that can predict the stock market. Get it? It's a securities blanket.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Eddie Murphy, Yara Shahidi, Thomas Haden Church, Ronny Cox, Martin Sheen, Bobbe'e J. Thompson, Nicole Ari Parker, James Patrick Stuart, DeRay Davis, Vanessa Williams, Timm Sharp, Talen Ruth Riley, Stephen Root

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's very cute, but if you don't have a family to bring, you'll find yourself wondering why you're there.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are some laughs. And a couple of them aren't even totally immature.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Maybe if you're on your period... Yes, some girls get it when they're still young enough to be in the demographic for this movie! And don't say, "Eiw," it's a fact of life, it's where babies come from, and you should have a little more compassion for those poor young girls who are already having to deal with it, even though they're only 9 or 10 years old.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most Adorable Disney Movie to come out of Nickelodeon this year.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Yara Shahidi has a mug you could look at for hours. She is beautiful from all angles, in all hairdos, and in all emotions-- each of which she plays like a real child, but without any of the bad acting that usually comes with having to let a child play the part. It's amazing to think that she's never done a movie before.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Run of the mill, but inoffensive.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I can't help but wonder whose idea it was to make a children's movie so heavily centered around stock trading. It's hard to imagine that even if there were an imaginary world in which 3 invisible Princesses and a Queen can communicate with a little girl through her blanky, that they would talk to her about which companies' values were going to rise or plummet on the market, the next day. While it's a good device to help the little girl relate better to her dad, kids don't want to see a movie about that, and imaginary royalty certainly wouldn't care about it either.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/imagine-that/28965/trailers

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Whatever Works

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A self proclaimed genius (Larry David), who hates everything about other human beings, meets a young, naive, God-fearing, Southern girl (Evan Rachel Wood), who for some unexplainable reason wants to spend all her time with him

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Ed Begley Jr., Henry Cavill, Conleth Hill, Michael McKean, Olek Krupa, Jessica Hecht, Christopher Evan Welch, John Gallagher Jr., Samantha Bee

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I always enjoy a good cynical comedy about how life sucks and God is hooey. But at least 80% of you inchworms will be offended by the film's abrasiveness.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It takes Larry David saying his lines to truly see how much more angry and offensive Woody Allen is than Larry David.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you have strong religious beliefs, this one will probably send you crying to Lord Jesus for the simple sin of having exposed your delicate mind to the heresy in this movie.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The French will think of something to give it. They'll do anything to get Woody Allen to visit their country.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Larry David constantly looks like he's thinking, "I can't believe somebody cast me in a movie!" And Evan Rachel Wood can not do comedy. In fact, she reminded me so much of a girl in a bad acting class, that I spent the first 15 minutes of the movie wondering if it was actually her.  

Q: How is the Directing?

A: There are certain things about Woody Allen that never seem to change. One is his simplistic, underachiever directing style, and the other is his not-so-subtle belief that every beautiful girl who's almost reached drinking age wants to date a guy as old as her grandpa.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The first 30 to 40 minutes require a lot of suspension of disbelief. The way the characters meet is ridiculous, but not in a good way, and that's only one of the problems with the set up. But if you can make it until Patricia Clarkson shows up, you'll be rewarded with a film that's intelligent, daring and ridiculous-- but this time in a good way. And you're not gonna believe this but the ending to this piece about how humans are selfish, greedy, cretins who can't help themselves is actually uplifting.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/whatever%20works/trailers

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The Hangover

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A bunch of guys go to Vegas for a bachelor party, and get into a lot of trouble, none of which they remember.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Sasha Barrese, Jeffrey Tambor, Ken Jeong, Rachael Harris, Mike Epps, Rob Riggle, Cleo King, Brian Callen, Matt Walsh, and Mike Tyson as himself.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Every once in a while I go to a movie that I know I'm going to love... And then I don't love it. For me, this was one of those times. So why am I telling you to go? Because I know that a lot of you are going to enjoy this film more than I did, and watch it over and over in your college dorm rooms, while taking bong loads, and slipping yourselves roofies. Now that that's out of the way, let me tell you why for my "money, baby," it didn't meet its full potential. While this film is relatable to anyone who's tried to go to Vegas to sin as hard as they can, there are a lot of missed opportunities that could've made it more emotionally and psychologically compelling. The characters are undeveloped beyond being caricatures of wacky people who gain and lose personality traits according to the story's needs. And they experience no growth from having lived through this incredibly extreme situation. So ultimately, to me, the film ends up feeling like nothing more than a slice of life, held together through a series of moderately funny vignettes.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Men will laugh from beginning to end at the juvenile and irresponsible behavior they have come to admire so much in themselves and others. Women will smile from beginning to end, but probably not laugh out loud, as they are faced with a constant reminder of how they usually find themselves picking up the pieces.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: The best comedies always move you... This one doesn't even think to try. And the most disappointing part is that it could have without a lot of effort.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The movie might not be, but this review may be in serious contention as my Most Controversial and Hated one to date. "It's about Vegas," you say, "It's not supposed to be that deep." But it breaks my heart to see something come so close to greatness and then miss the mark by leaving out such obvious and simple story beats as the lesson learned.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: They've been trying to groom Bradley Cooper into our next leading man, and this performance is just more proof that he can pull it off. But in the long run, this will be most remembered as Zach Galifianakis's breakout, as he introduces the masses to the character he's been playing in his real life for years. He's a strange cat, but nobody else does what he does better.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Down deep, I think we all know that Vegas is a lot more exhausting and stressful than it is fun and glamorous. By coupling slick dutch angles, a fun soundtrack, and sudden breaks for slow-mo, with shots of the seediness of the strip's backside, and the constant construction, whose only aim is to con you into losing your entire net worth in seconds flat, Todd Phillips manages to capture both the excitement of being in a supposed black hole of what counts toward your real life, and the stress of the real life consequences that anyone with half a brain knows have no chance of actually staying in Vegas.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Even my friend, Xavier, who's not a professional screenwriter, was able to see that this story never chooses a main character to follow, and suffers from it, because we are never given any reason to care about any of them. Sure, they have wacky personalities that make for funny jokes, but we really don't know who any of these two dimensional people are, or what they want. Only Ed Helms becomes a slightly better person from this wild journey, but even in his case we don't know what it is about the experience that causes him to change, or for that matter, what it was about him that caused him to be in a demented and abusive relationship in the first place. And this, our inability to relate to or understand the characters' motivations and thought processes, is exactly why we don't get that feeling of magic inside our guts, that is the reason most of us go to the movies, and why I didn't leave feeling 100% satisfied.

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

A: The sound is not turned up high enough on a lot of the dialogue, especially when it comes to Zach's lines, which he often mumbles under his breath. Obviously, this won't be a problem once it gets to DVD, and you can rewind.  Also, the funniest part of the movie takes place during the closing credits.  Some would consider this a brilliant move, because you leave the theater as the movie hits its highest point.  But in some ways, it's a cop-out to finally show us what really happened to these guys after the story has already ended.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-hangover/35061/trailers

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The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a subway train gets hijacked, a central control dispatcher (Denzel Washington) finds himself getting a crash course in hostage negotiations.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzman, Victor Gojcaj, John Turturro, James Gandolfini, Michael Rispoli, Ramon Rodriguez, Aunjanue Ellis, John Benjamin Hickey, Alex Kaluzhsky, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Katherine Sigismund, Jake Siciliano, Gary Basaraba

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's a fast paced Hollywood-style thriller, with a pinch of action, and as usual, this time it gets personal!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's not quite as funny as it thinks it is, but every once in a while, one of those clever comebacks you'd only hear in a studio movie doesn't sound cliche.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There is one part that's pretty moving, where we find out Denzel's backstory, and surprisingly, it's nowhere near the end.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Denzel Washington film involving hostages and taking place in one day to come out this year. (I've watched the movies you pick, Denzel, and I'm onto you.)

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It's like a smörgåsbord of top professionals doing what they do best: be badass.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Tony Scott never stops moving the camera. So even though you're watching two guys in static locations talking on the phone, (by which I mean walkie-talkies), you feel like you're watching a non-stop action-filled roller coaster ride.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I didn't find any flaws in it. And if you've been reading my blog you know that's saying something.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/taking%20of%20pelham%20123/trailers

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Moon

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is weeks away from finishing a three-year stint working all alone on the moon harvesting new energy to ship back to earth when something goes horribly and mysteriously wrong.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott, Kaya Scodelario, Matt Berry, Malcolm Stewart, Benedict Wong

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Moon is a sci-fi, thriller and psychological character study all rolled into one – and the mix works really well. Sam Rockwell is practically a one-man show in this, with only a computer named GERTY (voiced by Spacey) as companion. Something is amiss very early on in Moon, and once the mystery starts unfolding it’s impossible not to be riveted and intrigued by an intelligent, thought-provoking pay-off. This movie will not be for everyone, but if you have the patience for an-- at times slow-- film that’ll make you think, Moon is the one to see and then go discuss with your friends for hours on end afterwards.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you still see the humor in emoticons.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There is a scene near the end between Sam and his daughter which may indeed start the water works. You’ve been warned.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Even though it’s being released during the summer, Sam Rockwell makes such a searing impression that it will be hard to ignore his performance(s) come awards season at the end of the year. In fact – without any spoilers – Sam Rockwell could conceivably become the first actor in history to be nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for playing the same part in the same film. Wow, I think I just blew my own mind thinking about that. But go see Moon and you’ll understand and agree with me.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Sam Rockwell is an amazing talent and has made a career of effortlessly working in both indies and big studio films. He is so good in this film – and in many regards it’s a very understated performance – that I can’t think of a single actor who would have been better. Rockwell has a way of conveying emotion that is uniquely his own and just hits you in the gut because it’s so devastatingly real and heartbreaking.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Up to this point director Duncan Jones was probably most famous for simply being the son of singer David Bowie. But this debut film will push him out from under his famous father’s shadow. For all intents and purposes Moon is an indie film (picked up for distribution by Sony at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival) that looks and feels rich on what was probably a relatively low budget. The special effects are not flashy but the moon locale, machines, space-suits and space-station all feel authentic and real. And Jones displays a sure hand in presenting challenging material in a way that is visual and suspenseful but also respectful to the audience.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There is a strong emotional core to Moon, that is embedded in its story, and as the secrets of what’s happening unfold, the logic of it all makes perfect sense. Additionally, within the trappings of an unraveling mystery that is both suspenseful and tense, the story asks fascinating questions about what makes us human – and how much respect does a living breathing person deserve. It’s also worth mentioning that the ending of Moon is so good that you will realize it has perfectly set up a sequel that might be even more compelling. (And I nominate they title the sequel Moon 2: Earth.)

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/moon/36289/video/moon-trailer-no-1/20292755001

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Drag Me to Hell

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A loan officer (Alison Lohman) makes a fatal mistake when she doesn’t approve an old woman for a loan and gets a supernatural curse placed on her that makes her life a living hell.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymar, Reggie Lee

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It’s scary, it’s funny and gross as hell (of the PG-13 variety). And you’re in the talented, masterful hands of a filmmaker who knows this genre inside and out. Grab your bucket of popcorn and 10 gallons of soda and go scream with two-hundred other people and have a great time. This is why we go to the movies, right?

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes. It’ll make you laugh in two ways, 1: Nervous laughter cause you know things are about to go horribly wrong and 2. Genuine laughter because the filmmakers meant for you to laugh.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Does projectile vomiting make you weep? If so, bring Kleenex.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Probably not, but I’d rather see Sam Raimi win something for this than a Spider-Man movie.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Lorna Raver as Mrs. Ganush, the gypsy woman who puts a curse on Alison Lohman, is brilliant. She’s all sorts of creepy-scary and her dentures alone will give you nightmares. And just wait till her eyelid gets stapled shut. Awesome! Also, I would be remiss not to mention a goat in this movie that is weirdly expressive and gets some good laughs.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Before becoming a mega-director overseeing the Spider-Man franchise, Sam Raimi made some cool horror movies in his early career and it’s obvious he’s having a great time returning to that genre with this film. If you’ve seen any of his Evil Dead movies, then you’ll have an idea of the tone of this one and what constitutes Sam Raimi Horror. He knows how to keep it suspenseful, scary and funny without the gross-out of severed limbs and tons of blood. Drag Me To Hell offers up a bunch of sequences that will make you want to hurl, but your revulsion will be tempered by how much you’re laughing. A five-minute sequence in a parking garage near the beginning of the film is worth the price of admission alone; it has to be seen to be believed.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There is just enough back-story mumbo jumbo about the curse to make it work, and that’s about all this movie really needs to get you hooked. The humor (mainly from Justin Long) is appreciated and the plot zips along fast enough so that you don’t think too much about any plot holes or if Alison Lohman’s character really deserves the curse she incurs. I wish the twist had been cleverer – it’s not hard to figure out – but it doesn’t detract one bit from a great ending that still comes as a nice surprise. With a title like Drag Me To Hell, don’t expect this movie to wimp out for even one second of its 99 minutes.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/drag-me-to-hell/32362/trailers

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Up

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After losing the love of his life, an old man (Ed Asner) decides to fulfill the dreams of adventure that he'd always promised his wife. And no, he doesn't bring her ashes.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger, Elie Docter

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I'm going to be the first to say it: the emperor has no clothes on. Just because something has the name Pixar on it, does not automatically mean it's a masterpiece, and if somebody doesn't speak up, our general ability to discern quality from mediocrity could be destroyed forever. But the first 15 minutes are very good.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not nearly enough. Not to mention that the best laugh in the movie comes from someone in the Walla* group.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Boy do they think they're going to. But even though I knew the boyscout had daddy issues from the first time he mentioned "all the dads" coming to the award ceremony, I can honestly say that after watching the whole movie, I have no idea if his dad is supposed to be absentee or just dead. It makes a big difference in regards to what the movie is trying to say. And trust me, it is trying to say something.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Yes, it will win the Academy Award for Best Animated Picture. Not because it's the best, just because it's Pixar.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The dog is good. And I suppose the rest of it would be acceptable to you if you were a small child.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: There is so much that's confusing in this movie, that it comes to no surprise that the lighting, weather, and mood of a scene or location can change within seconds from gloomy to sunny and bright or vice versa. Frankly, the whole movie is heavy handed about what it wants you to feel, and the result is that you feel manipulated and empty.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Sure there are some parts of the story that are cute, clever, and colorful, but there are also parts that are boring, illogical, and completely unexplained.

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

A: *Walla is the group of people who go into the studio during post-production and improvise and record all the voices of the people you see in crowd scenes. In the case of this movie, the "people" consist primarily of talking dogs.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/up/30386/trailers

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My Life in Ruins

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An American tour guide in Greece (Nia Vardalos) hates her life and all the ugly tourists in it... until they conspire to help her find her "kefi"-- which is basically the Greek word for mojo.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, Alexis Georgoulis, Alistair McGowan, Harland Williams, Rachel Dratch, Brian Palermo, Caroline Goodall, Ian Ogilvy, Sophie Stuckey, Maria Botto, Maria Adanez, Jareb Dauplaise, Simon Gleeson, Natalie O'Donnell, Sheila Bernett, Ralph Nossek, Bernice Stegers, Rita Wilson, Ian Gomez

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! If you liked My Big Fat Greek Wedding, this movie has the same tone, family-friendliness, light-heartedness, humor, romance, and leading lady, with a totally new story about being half-Greek, and a setting that makes you feel like you've just gone on a nice vacation.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Stereotypes are funny. And it turns out that Greeks using Windex as a cure-all is just the tip of the iceberg, because let's face it, people are stupid.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Even if you don't cry at the magnificent/majestic scenery (inside joke to be enjoyed by those who have already seen the movie), you might still cry at the touching parts of the story.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Since the timing of the release-- amidst the big budget summer blockbusters-- seems to coincide with the strategy used to turn My Big Fat Greek Wedding into a $200 million hit, this one could also have an outside chance of winning the 2009 Summer Sleeper Award, as audiences trickle in to buy tickets because the movies they planned on seeing were sold out.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: You will remember why we all fell in love with Nia Vardalos' "average girl looking for a break" charm, and why you liked her before she did Connie and Carla. (That's not a reference to a lesbian threesome, that's actually the name of a movie she made.) In other delightful acting news, apparently, several of the actors improvised their lines, including two drunk Australians spouting meaningful gibberish that can only be understood by the natives of their land, and a 5 minute monologue about pancakes by Brian Palermo.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: How can you go wrong in Olympia, Delphi, and Athens? If you're one of the few people in the world who still has $1500 in the bank, you'll be booking your airline ticket as soon as you get home from the theater.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The structure of the story is dynamic because despite the fact that it's a predictable romantic comedy, the two lead characters are not each other's love interest. The second lead, Richard Dreyfuss, is in the script for a whole other purpose. Along with the many little details and side stories going on for each of the tourists, this movie ends up feeling like something you haven't quite seen before.

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

A: There are a few inauthentic moments, here and there, you will have to grit your teeth through. Like, for example, I don't think a tour guide, who knows she's going to be walking on ruins all day would regularly wear 4 inch wedge heals to work. And I can't think of any good reason in this day and age for a tourist to purposely throw his mobile phone in a fire. It's easy enough to just turn it off, and by dealing with it that way, you don't lose all your contacts. Because realistically, one day your vacation is going to end, and you might actually need to call your friends and co-workers again. Not to mention the safety factor-- anyone who's seen Taken knows that it's not as safe as it used to be for Americans to travel abroad.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/my%20life%20in%20ruins/trailers

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Terminator Salvation

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Future savior, John Connor (Christian Bale), leads a human resistance in a war against Skynet machines in order to save mankind.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Anton Yelchin, Helena Bonham Carter, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Jane Alexander, Michael Ironside

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The Terminator franchise, which now consists of four movies (and one TV show, RIP), includes two bona fide classics (the first and second films), a boring one I can’t even remember (#3) and now Salvation which lands somewhere in the middle. The action is pretty cool and the machines are sort of like transformers with no paint, but the biggest thing missing is still James Cameron in the director’s chair.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you've heard the recording of Christian Bale's on-set freak out, then it probably already has.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Isn't it enough to know that he made his cinematographer cry? And he should be very proud of that, too, because it would certainly be the first time anyone has laughed or cried at one of his films.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It actually already won a secret underground award for Film Most Likely to Make you go Deaf. And it turns out someone snuck out a snippet of audio from Bale's acceptance speech. I have titled it, "Ohhhhhhh, good for you!" (*warning: contains foul language) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrvMTv_r8sA

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Does anyone care about the acting in Terminator movies? Maybe James Cameron once did. Sam Worthington who is the real star of this movie actually makes an impression and from what I can tell he does it all by himself since the script did him no favors. And speaking of James Cameron, he cast Worthington as the star of his next movie, which is called Avatar and is supposed to blow everyone away when it comes out on December 18th. Proving once again James Cameron knows good acting. Anton Yelchin pops up in yet another summer blockbuster and you’d never know he’s the same guy who played Chekov in Star Trek – the kid has a future. Moon Bloodgood has a cool name and gives a cool performance to go with it. I think maybe Christian Bale is in this movie too, but he did not have pointy ears and a cape so it was hard to tell.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: McG can definitely direct action, and boy is there a lot of it in this movie. Pretty much wall-to-wall and some sequences are genuinely riveting. But there is so much of it, it only makes you recall what made the first two Terminator movies so good; namely the subversive humor, suspense, character development and quiet between the big action set pieces. There is no salvation from the noise in Salvation, and we learn almost zero about any of the characters. I mean, Bryce Dallas Howard plays a pregnant woman who is in a bunch of scenes with Christian Bale, but by the end I still had no idea if she was his wife or his maid. (And really, it didn’t matter either way but I’m thinking it should have.)

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story is sort of interesting and has a decent twist to it, but it could have been way better and executed for more suspense. It all revolves around Marcus Wright, the Sam Worthington character and the less you know about him going in the more satisfying it will be. There is still that whole time-travel tripiness to the story, so it helps to have seen the first two films (at the very least). Maybe the fact this movie isn’t horrible is a triumph in itself. Or have my expectations for summer movies just fallen way too far?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/terminator-salvation/31561/trailers

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The Brothers Bloom

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A couple of con artist brothers (Adrien Brody & Mark Ruffalo) contrive their cons to tell the stories they want their lives to be about.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane, Maximilian Schell, Ricky Jay, Zachary Gordon, Max Records, Nora Zehetner

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Highly stylized and convoluted, this is a love-it or hate-it kind of piece, that asks the question can you control the outcome of your own life, by planning the perfect con?

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It is certainly a comedy, but in a bizarre and artsy way. Babel's Rinko Kikuchi, whose offbeat character garners most of the laughs without hardly ever uttering a word, sums up the tone in a nutshell. But then again, blowing things up can often be a more decisive way to express yourself than words.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Rather than use words to answer this, I'm just going to blow something up... [wait for it]... [wait for it]... Okay, it's done. And I think you catch my drift.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Rian Johnson's last film, Brick, was nominated for a bunch of Independent Spirit Awards, and they tend to enjoy recycling their nominees, so in that sense this film has a decent chance of getting attention over there. Unfortunately, this film is a lot more entertaining than Brick, so Johnson may have shot himself in the foot, because the Spirit Awards don't usually nominate films that are fun to watch.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Superb across the board. All the actors manage to give real feeling performances while delivering lines and concepts that are completely over the top and absurd. Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo are excellent, but it's the women who steal the show. Rinko Kikuchi with her evilly detached, yet secretly caring persona. And Rachel Weisz, who glows and bounces off the screen with a childlike joy, that makes it hard to tell if she's the conman or the mark.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: As in writer-director Rian Johnson's first film, the story blurs the lines between a realistic world and a fantasy, without ever outright defining the rules of the fantasy world. The look of the film is realistic, not fantasy, so you're never quite sure where you are in this pseudo-surreal existence. If my description isn't making this any easier for you to grasp, know that that is quite deliberately the filmmakers intention.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story is a lot of fun, though in some ways predictable. You never know who's conning who, but you know it doesn't matter because it's all being done out of love. You also never know what the con is that their pulling, who's getting what out of it, or even what era the movie takes place in, as the characters dress and talk like they're in the 1940s, and travel to Europe by boat, despite the discovery that one of them has a cellphone. Those are the aspects of the film you will either find highly artistic and inventive or completely annoying.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-brothers-bloom/27798/trailers

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