Movie Reviews by FAQs

The White Ribbon

2009-11-26T06:37:00.000-08:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

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

Q: Who’s in the movie?

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

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

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

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

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

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

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

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

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

Q: How is the Acting?

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

Q: How is the Directing?

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

Q: How is the story/script?

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

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

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

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

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

Up in the Air

2009-11-22T19:07:00.000-08:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A professional down-sizer (George Clooney) prides himself on having the perfect life, which consists of flying around the country firing people without ever having to make any real human connections. Then, two women (Anna Kendrick & Vera Farmiga) come along and create circumstances, at work and at play respectively, that force him to start doubting the validity of the lifestyle he has come to cherish.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Melanie Lynskey, Danny McBride, Zach Galifianakis, J.K. Simmons, Tamala Jones, Amy Morton

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This film is much closer in tone and style to Thank You for Smoking than it is to Juno-- which Reitman didn't write. If you loved Juno, this is nothing like it. If you loved Thank You for Smoking, you may be in business, as this story also focuses on justifying a controversial job, and how it makes the man who does it cold hearted. Ultimately, the film is extremely well done, but thoroughly depressing and anxiety inducing, so unless you can detach yourself from the feelings it's eliciting in you, watching this may not be all that enjoyable. Especially if you're experiencing the effects of the current economic climate.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: A lot of times you will think something is funny without actually having any urge to laugh about it.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but in a weird way, it could inspire you to get back on your anti-depressant medication.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's highly likely to be nominated in the Screenplay, Directing, and Best Picture categories, but I think it's only got an outside chance of winning a WGA Award (Writers Guild of America).

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Vera Farmiga's face can say everything while doing nothing. George Clooney's face can say nothing much while doing anything. And Anna Kendrick's face only ever seems to say one thing, which I believe is something to the effect of, "The thing in my butt is stuck so far up there, that my gas has backed up all the way to my eyeballs, which I regularly have to squint and squeeze shut, in order to prevent myself from letting one rip out of my peep holes. And I really don't wanna do that, because then anyone who sees it will think I'm an eye-farting weirdo, and I totally can't handle the embarrassment." Just watch, you'll see what I'm talking about.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Jason Reitman knows what he's doing. From the moment the opening credits start to roll, he establishes his visual themes, setting them to high energy music that gets you fired up for what you are about to see, and he maintains his clearly defined personal style throughout. Did I just say "personal style"? Tyra would be so proud.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The craft is remarkable. This is one of those scripts that manages to clearly communicate almost all of what it wants to say without ever saying any of it directly. Unfortunately, the one place where it fails to communicate clearly is at the ending, which is ambiguous, and may or may not be completely devoid of hope, depending on how you chose to interpret it.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/up-in-the-air/34956/trailers

The Blind Side

2009-11-21T00:21:00.000-08:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of how offensive tackle, Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) was plucked out of the projects and invited to live with a well-to-do family, and go to a fancy private high school, where he learned that he was a naturally gifted football player.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kathy Bates, Kim Dickens, Tom Nowicki, Adriane Lenox, Melody Weintraub

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! When sports movies aren't focused on the sport, but rather on the growth of the characters, they can be as heart-warming as a baby hugging a puppy. This one is, and somehow I came away with some interesting knowledge about football, too.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Quite a bit actually, especially at the visual of the giant-sized Michael being led around by his new little brother and best friend, who is hilariously cast with the smallest possible kid they could find for the part.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Several times.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: They don't give awards to feel good movies.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: At some point, I actually forgot I was watching Sandra Bullock. Tim McGraw plays possibly the most perfect (read non-existent) husband I have ever seen-- even for the fictional world. And Jae Head, as SJ, is the Jonathan Lipnicki of the new millenium (i.e. weirdly cute kid with all the good lines in a movie about sports).

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The football action is sometimes difficult to follow, but drama-wise even the slightest of important subtle expressions to cross a person's face is captured to convey everything the character is thinking. Also there are a lot of interesting shots using reflections on glass and in mirrors, which manage to be beautiful, without distracting from the story or the emotion.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Oh my God, white people are awesome! They're so nice and pretty and perfect and Christian that it's sometimes a little hard to believe. Aside from that little suspension of disbelief, the script has it all, from the one liners to the touching.

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

A: It never gets boring, but it does start to feel like it's over 2 hours, which it is.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-blind-side/37685/trailers

Pirate Radio

2009-11-17T19:11:00.001-08:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Back in the 1960s, when British radio only allowed rock n' roll to be played for 1 hour a day, groups of DJ's formed rock stations off the coast of the UK, where they lived and partied together on boats, so they could rock out all day and night, without breaking the law. Over half the population enjoyed listening to these moderately legal radio stations on a regular basis.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Tom Sturridge, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Darby, Nick Frost, Chris O'Dowd, Kenneth Branagh, Jack Davenport, Rhys Ifans, January Jones, Emma Thompson, Tom Wisdom, Sinead Matthews, Ralph Brown, Talulah Riley, Tom Brooke, Ike Hamilton, Will Adamsdale, Katherine Parkinson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is a high energy movie, based around the love of good rock n' roll music, with a lot of ambiance, and almost no st-argh-y.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Jokes there are a' plenty.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: When you watch a bunch of horny men together on a ship for months and years at a time, it quickly becomes clear why pirates obsess on wenches, ale, and walking the plank... They are bored out of their blasted minds!... But that doesn't mean their debauchery won't still make some more high falutin' moralists cry inside.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Soundtrack. This thing is wall to wall 60s music. And not the crappy stuff either. The kind that makes you think that for every $100 they spent, $99 of it when to ASCAP.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I love the Brits... And Philip Seymour Hoffman is good, too. But I feel sorry for Tom Sturridge, because with his pasty white skin, dark hair and cherry red lips, if he'd come along a few years earlier, he could have had Robert Pattinson's career. The good news for old Tom is that Vampire movies seem to be getting more, not less, popular, and it shouldn't be too long before someone puts him in one.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing injects electricity into a so-so script... But mostly, that's because the guy can pick some music. And speaking of electricity, am I the only one who wonders how a ship can sink with all sorts of electrical machinery on it, and no one gets electrocuted as they're wading through the flood waters? Or for that matter, speaking into a wet microphone?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The script contains little hints of story in it, most of which are gravely underdeveloped (especially the storyline about the government shutting them down, which comes and goes like a ship passing in the sea.) Some of the moderately developed, meatless storylines have set ups and pay offs, but mostly it's a fun character piece about wacky djs taking the piss out of each other. (Please tell me I used that expression right, because it would certainly be the first time I did.)

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/pirate-radio/36833/trailers

A Single Man

2009-11-16T22:20:00.000-08:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A man (Colin Firth) tries to cope with the sudden death of his lover, who-- it might interest some people to know-- was also a man (Matthew Goode).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Colin Firth, Matthew Goode, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult, Ginnifer Goodwin, Ryan Simpkins, Paulette Lamori, Lee Pace

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is what people call a "beautiful film", meaning that it has a dramatic score and meditatively seems to be addressing something grand and important. You know in your heart, simply from reading that last sentence, if that's the type of thing you respond to.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Apparently, some people in my theater think suicide is funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you have recently experienced a loss, you will find the emotions here unbearable, and shouldn't go. If you haven't recently experienced a loss, you probably won't cry. So, either way, it's a no.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's got buzz. Having seen it, I'm not exactly sure around what...

Q: How is the Acting?

A: What I love about gay films by fashion designers is that the men are hot, tan, and dressed impeccably (when they're dressed). Over all, there's more eye candy than acting. And speaking of eyes, what exactly is the symbolism behind all those eye close-ups supposed to be?

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Tom Ford, Gucci's savior, debuts his visual style on the big screen, and while the lighting choices seemed a thoughtful way to differentiate the cold dead present from the warm lively past, I later read that this was supposed to all take place on the first day after Colin Firth finds out about the death of his lover (not counting the flashbacks to when his lover was alive). Well, it was specifically those lighting choices that confused me as to the time line, because they were not consistent, and sometimes the present shifted from a cold and grey, sepia color scheme to a happier looking warm yellow. Also, there are some scenes that drag on, while not advancing anything.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: To me this is one of those scripts that tries so hard to be subtle and meaningful without spoon feeding anything, that it ends up feeling self important. And in its efforts not to talk down to the audience, it ends up slapping them in the face with an uppity pretension.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eafJ4jvf-sY

Me and Orson Welles

2009-11-13T07:54:00.000-08:00

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A teenager (Zac Efron) is cast in the 1937 Broadway production of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” and comes of age in the shadow of actor/director Orson Welles’ genius.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay, Ben Chaplin, Eddie Marsan, James Tupper, Zoe Kazan

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. You might try not to pay full price for it. Although, I guess this film could pique the interest of various fans, so here’s a handy guide. Screaming insane tween female Zac Efron fans: stay away and re-watch the High School Musical trilogy on DVD. Forty year-old gay men: sorry, Zac never goes shirtless, re-watch 17 Again. Orson Welles fanatics: it’s an interesting insight into a week of his life, pre-Hollywood filmmaker genius mode. Richard Linklater fans: I don’t know what to tell you, no one gets high in this film and Jack Black is nowhere to be seen.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes. The overall tone of the movie is light and there is good wordplay and joke set-ups that pay off with nice chuckles. The funniest revolves around “the Quadruple Space,” but I won’t ruin it for you with an explanation in this review.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No. And it’s not built for it anyway so don’t hold that against it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Nothing obvious. But depending on how it plays, a buzz could begin to circle for British stage actor Christian McKay’s portrayal of a young Welles... especially when they realize that he has never acted in a movie before.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It’s all first rate if not spectacular. Christian McKay steals the show as a 22 year-old Orson Welles putting his budding genius on show. The performance sneaks up on you and builds into something completely authentic. Zac Efron might not blow you away, but there’s no denying his youthful charisma, perfect eyebrows and freakishly long eyelashes. He both naturally seduces and is seduced in a role that doesn’t call for much more than that.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It’s serviceable and works on the relatively low budget the film was shot on. It doesn’t look cheap, but it doesn’t look expensive either. The period detail is all there, but it’s mostly done in medium and close-up shots, which undercut the grandeur of the period. Otherwise the whole thing skips along at a nice pace and never bores.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Probably the biggest problem and the main thing holding the film back from a green light. Zac Efron’s character ‘Richard’ is the dual lead with Orson Welles and it’s an unfortunately underwritten part. Its purpose is for us, the viewer, to see Welles’ genius through the eyes of an everyman, but one can’t help wishing that we knew more about Richard and what he wanted out of life and his experience working in the theater. There also isn’t much conflict as Richard easily gets everything he wants up until the very end. There’s nothing glaringly wrong or bad with the movie, but as good as it is, it’s not hard to imagine how it could have been so much better with another script rewrite.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2003567129/

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

2009-11-11T22:18:00.000-08:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A woman (Robin Wright Penn) struggles with her identity when her older-man husband is forced to move into a retirement community... and also when she thinks back on how different she is from the person she has forced herself to be.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Robin Wright Penn, Alan Arkin, Maria Bello, Blake Lively, Mike Binder, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, Ryan McDonald, Monica Bellucci, Zoe Kazan, Julianne Moore, Shirley Knight, Robin Weigert, Tim Guinee

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's an interesting examination one's ability to reinvent oneself-- at least on the outside.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There aren't that many laughs, but of the ones that are there, at least two will be forever etched in my mind as moments I can mentally call upon whenever I need a good laugh about a private joke.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There's a lot worth crying over, but it most likely won't move you to tears, because you'll be too busy gloating over the fact that all that bad stuff is happening to them, and not you.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I would definitely consider this for some nominations. In particular I think it's got a chance in the acting and directing departments. But realistically, only in the Independent Spirit Awards.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Amazing. First of all, Robin Wright Penn and Maria Bello are two of the best actresses working today, despite the fact that many people still don't know who either of them are, or that they should be first on everyone's casting lists. Robin Wright Penn's pseudo-anonymity is because during her years married to Sean, she only did one movie a year, so as to spend the rest of the time with the kids. Either her kids have grown or the divorce has freed up her schedule, but she seems to be available for a lot more parts lately, which I think we can all be thankful for. As for Maria Bello the only reason I can think of that she's not more well known is that she molds herself so deeply into each role that she plays, that you forget she was in the film by the time you leave, because you're only thinking of the character she played. Also worth mentioning are Blake Lively, who busts free of her Gossip Girl persona, to prove that she's an actress of much greater depth than most of her fans might realize, and Winona Ryder, who put me in the mood for a major comeback. You go, girls!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Rebecca Miller's earlier film, Personal Velocity, made me wonder why this woman was getting a break at all, which led me to do some research on her background, which led to the discovery that she's Daniel Day-Lewis's wife and Arthur Miller's daughter, which led me to understand why she got a break. Now, I've got nothing against nepotism when the receiver can prove that there is a gift beneath the bloodline that's worthy of receiving a chance. And in this film, Miller-Day-Lewis finally proves that she deserves the chances she's gotten, and has at last honed a craft in her own right that's worthy of paying attention to.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's structured unlike any movie you've seen before, and deals with original themes and settings, so even if it's not the feel good movie of the year, it will give you something to think about that can't be easily tied up in a bow, but will likely relate in some way to your own life, or the people in it.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-private-lives-of-pippa-lee/31793/trailers

Disney's A Christmas Carol 3D

2009-11-10T16:30:00.002-08:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: If you don't know what A Christmas Carol is about you're probably too young to see a PG movie... or for that matter, to be able to read this.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jim Carrey, Jim Carrey, and Jim Carrey! (Don't you love when they say that? Neither do I.) Also with Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins, Cary Elwes, Fionnula Flanagan

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! This is a tried and true interpretation of Dickens' classic tale, that basically does no interpreting at all. If you've seen any version of it before, the only reason to see this one is for the 3D performance capture effects.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: People don't often think about that fact that this is in no way a humorous story by its nature.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you're an actor it should, because if motion capture continues to catch on, your job will soon be obsolete.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The art direction is pretty spectacular, and if nothing else depicts a beautiful traditional Christmas that makes you long for those fantasy filled days, still so far in the future...

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The actors are done no favors by the directing. Each of their animated counterparts are drawn like uglier versions of the real people, and no matter how many motion-capture probes you put on a person, you can never fully capture the look in their eye. That's why most movies hire professional actors and let them do the acting. Using this fancy technique, the director and the animators have to fill in the blanks, and they don't have nearly as much acting experience as the 3D people they're drawing.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: In his efforts to turn a 50 minute play into an hour and a half long movie, the director builds endless pauses into the dialogue and the action, most of which seem to exist to create suspense, but in fact are only there to create a good time for a little nap. Turns out, I really needed to catch up on sleep.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: That's funny, there was a writer on this? Because (coincidentally) I recently read the play, by Dickens, and I didn't see any differences... It makes you wonder how much he was paid? And how do I get that job?

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

A: If you're only going to see one version of A Christmas Carol this year, make it one of the other ones.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/disneys-a-christmas-carol/30597/trailers

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The Men Who Stare at Goats

2009-11-05T21:43:00.000-08:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After getting dumped by his wife, a journalist (Ewan McGregor) goes to Iraq to write a story that will win her back, and ends up getting the adventure of his life when he meets an eccentric military man from the psychic superpower division (George Clooney). It's somewhat based on a true story.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Lang, Robert Patrick, Waleed Zuaiter, Stephen Root, Glenn Morshower

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The premise shows more promise than the execution, which has a perfect wacky tone, but leaves you wondering what it was all supposed to be about.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It is highly reminiscent of a Coen Brothers comedy, only the jokes are a little more laugh out loud. And there are some inside jokes for people who have seen Star Wars... which I guess includes just about everyone.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Really not at all. Although when you see how they torture the prisoners, you may feel terrible for those poor little terrorists.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Jeff Bridges could finally get that nomination he was passed over for when he played The Dude in The Big Lebowski. This character is pretty much the same, except he doesn't bowl, and he's a Colonel in the military.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Aside from Ewan McGregor sometimes slipping into his Scottish accent, the performances showcase four great actors, each playing the role they do best.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Grant Heslov has clearly been paying attention on set. He doesn't quite have that Coen Brothers' flare, but you can still tell he studied at their school.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The structure jumps around in both time and place, but is nonetheless easy to follow, thanks to a running voice over by McGregor's character. Unfortunately, while the jokes are good and the characters are special, the story never really draws you in.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-men-who-stare-at-goats/38908/trailers

Michael Jackson's This is It

2009-11-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A documentary rock concert movie, chronicling the rehearsals leading up to what would have been Michael Jackson's farewell tour, if he had lived to perform it.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Michael Jackson, Kenny Ortega, and the most talented dancers, singers, and musicians they could find to match Jackson's level of skill and professionalism.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! I haven't been a fan of MJ's since about 1983, but like everyone else who sees this movie, I'm a born again. The man has been singing and dancing for the last 45 years, and his experience shows why he's the King of Pop. Not only does he demonstrate a complete mastery of every aspect of the musical subtleties, but he moves, shakes and dances from the beginning to the end of the concert, with the energy of a 5 year old and the physical precision of man who can't possibly be 50 and only days away from dying.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not a ton of humor here, but there was one funny thing I noticed... he has really big hands!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Between the looming memory of his recent death during these very rehearsals, the freakishness of his surgically rendered face, the memory of how he was both abused and worshiped as a kid, and the nagging thought that he may have molested small children, you will go through a multitude of conflicting emotions as you witness his genius unfolding before your eyes.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The Academy will want to honor this man, and what better way than a posthumous Oscar for Best Original Song. Now "This Is It" isn't a very good song, but the Academy rarely gives out Oscars to songs that don't suck, so I think he's got it in the bag.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Michael Jackson is way more in control of his set than you'd expect. He's totally with it, and every direction he gives creates improvements. But I'd like to take this moment to also talk about some of the people in the background. If you watch "So You Think You Can Dance?", you ain't seen nothing compared to the nameless, faceless background dancers, who earn a spot next to MJ (they really call him that!) Also, I was very pleased to see a gorgeous blond, Australian rocker chick on lead guitar (who looked somewhere between 12 and 14 years old, I might add). Remember the name Orianthi, and if anyone ever tries to tell you that girls can't rock out as hard as boys, just throw that one back in their face.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Kenny Ortega became known to the masses by directing Disney's High School Musical movies, but in this film-- which at times plays like a really good DVD extra-- we get to watch him behind the scenes putting together very original and complicated visuals that range from green screen to 3D to dropping Humphrey Bogart into scenes with Michael Jackson. To quote what he says to MJ in the film, "I'm a fan."

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There is none, so I'm going to take this moment to talk about pedophilia. I'm the type of person who's always tended to believe that MJ did it-- especially because he's paid out millions of dollars in lawsuits... BUT, I've recently become involved in a business negotiation where I've been forced to deal with one of the lawyers who got $20 million off of Michael Jackson for the father of one of the kids in question. This lawyer has turned out to be so incredibly incompetent, dumb, and evil, that I decided to do a little research on him via the Bar Association. Well, I found out that this lawyer has a very bad reputation as a swindler and a cheat, that the Bar Association once had to put him on probation for his crooked behavior (this is something they rarely have to do), and that upon closer examination, all signs in his particular case against Jackson point directly to extortion-- which would mean the pop star was innocent, and simply the victim of being too rich, too famous, and also a little too weird. But you would be weird too, if you were raised like he was without a childhood, and with an abusive, slave driving father.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/michael-jacksons-this-is-it/38967/trailers

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

2009-10-31T09:56:00.001-07:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After eight years in hiding, Boston's Boondock Saints (Sean Patrick Flanery & Norman Reedus) get called back into action, when someone kills a priest in a fashion that implies it was their work.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly, Clifton Collins Jr., Julie Benz, Peter Fonda, Judd Nelson, David Della Rocco, Bob Marley, Brian Mahoney, David Ferry, Gerard Parkes, Bob Rubin

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's got its holes, and it's got its flaws, but if you allow yourself to go along for the ride, you will find that this is just some good-old cheesy shoot 'em up fun.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The comedy is sort of the highlight of this film. Using an entirely new tone from the original, the film manages to brilliantly spoof itself. Now, I don't know if that was deliberate, but if it was congratulations to the filmmakers for opening up their audience, and if it wasn't they should definitely take this opportunity to pretend that it was.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Several likeable characters will die, and you will just have to deal with it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: After the original bombed at the box office, it slowly found a die-hard cult audience on video (yes, that's how long ago the original came out), and thanks to that, investors became interested in putting money up for a sequel. So it's already won the Most Unlikely Sequel Award, and that's really something to be proud of.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Sometimes when I watch these smaller films I am forced to realize that I don't watch enough TV. Julie Benz, who is mostly known for Dexter, has an absolutely break out performance. Of course, I have no way of knowing if she's always that good, because I've never seen her before. Meanwhile, Clifton Collins Jr., who can play both frightening and hilarious-- and does both within this film-- proves why he is unbelievably castable, and will be a great resource for directors needing just about any quality for many more years to come. As for the Boondock Saints themselves... they're hardly in the movie.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Troy Duffy has a very strong cinematic sense, which he proves over again in this sequel. Unfortunately, he also proves that he's self-indulgent and showy in ways that don't always highlight his talent. He often makes choices that are so busy drawing attention to his directing, that they take away from the story, and confuse the audience. In addition, there are a few scenes that end up dragging on a bit too long, and seem only to be there to showcase some great shot or effect he wasn't willing to leave on the cutting room floor. Even a second of boredom in a film can snap you right out of the world you're trying to be drawn into.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There are a lot of inside jokes that refer back to the original in ways that make it hard to follow the film if you're not in the know. I've actually seen the original, but it was so many years ago, and I've seen hundreds (possibly thousands) of other films since then, so I found myself having a hard time following the non-linear structure. I was able to quickly move past those moments, so I still enjoyed it-- especially the comedy-- but I also breathed a sigh of relief every time I was (heavy handedly) told by the characters about some relevant thing that had happened in the original.

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

A: It's hard for me to write about Troy Duffy or The Boondock Saints without recommending a documentary called Overnight. It's about him and the notorious Hollywood story of how the original script sold for a ridiculously high price to Miramax, catapulting him to overnight success, but how with his arrogance, he managed to throw it all away overnight, too, finding himself back in the struggle with everybody else, just another guy trying to get his film off the ground. This is an amazing cautionary tale for all those of you with big Hollywood dreams. Troy's story has a moderately happy ending, since we know that his story leads to a sequel-- which is a pretty indisputable proof of success. But it's also important to point out that despite all his raw talent, he wasn't able to land another directing job in 10 years until this sequel was funded. I'll be interested to see if he gets a second chance this time...

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-boondock-saints-ii-all-saints-day/39245/trailers

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

2009-10-28T23:48:00.000-07:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A poor, obese, Black teen (Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe) tries to rise above her history of abuse and illiteracy.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Sherri Shepherd, Xosha Roquemore, Chyna Layne, Angelic Zambrana, Stephanie Andujar, Amina Robinson, Nia Fraser

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's hard to watch at times, because it shows some of the ugliest sides of humanity, but there are moments, scenes, and performances that can unequivocally be called brilliant. If you thought Mommy Dearest was harsh, that's only because you haven't seen the version where the mom is broke, on welfare, and incestuous.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Strangely enough, within these grim circumstances, there's a fair amount of humor.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: ...And gasp, and scream, and gag, and sigh.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It won the Audience Awards at Sundance, Toronto, and San Sebastian. But I'm also going to go all in and bet on Mo'Nique, for Best Supporting Actress at the big show-- and not just because she has a beautiful name.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The lead actress, Gabby, loses herself in the role of the abused, self-loathing, dreamer, and makes you forget she's never acted before. The rest is pretty spectacular, too. Mo'Nique will make you forget she ever did Phat Girlz, Mariah Carey will make you forget she ever did Glitter, and Lenny Kravitz will make you forget your name-- I mean, because he's so damn fine.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Producer Lee Daniels, makes a convincing turn as Director in what seems to be his first foray. The mood is captured perfectly. The necessary tension fills each uncomfortable scene. And some shots may even stay etched in your memory for the rest of you living days. Or at least until you develop early onset Alzheimer's... We all have it coming.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Not always easy to follow, and never spoon fed, the story unfolds in an unconventional structure, with little gifts and surprises along the way, giving you something to talk about when you leave.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/precious-based-on-a-novel-by-sapphire/31794/trailers

Gentlemen Broncos

2009-10-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A home schooled teen (Michael Angarano) dreams of being a sci-fi novelist, so he takes a seminar offered by his idol... and then, as is usually the case, his idol plagiarizes his book.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Michael Angarano, Jennifer Coolidge, Jemaine Clement, Sam Rockwell, Hector Jimenez, Halley Feiffer, Mike White, Josh Pais, Suzanne May

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. For all you Napoleon Dynamite fans, this is the closest Jared Hess has come to accomplishing whatever he accomplished with that inexplicable hit.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Your ability to find the humor in this film will be directly proportional to your ability to find the humor in Napoleon Dynamite.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Again, I will refer you back to your level of emotion in watching Napoleon Dynamite. And let's be honest, nobody ever cried at Napoleon Dynamite.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Do they still have any avant-guard awards for movies? Or did those go out with the 70s?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: While I never actually enjoy his films, director Jared Hess does seem to bring an interesting quality out in his actors. The strained, awkward, never ending pauses, after which no words are often spoken, demonstrate that he has a style all his own, and he commits to it fully and consistently.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Again, I will admit that while I never actually enjoy his films, I really like the composition of Jared Hess's shots. They capture the strained, awkward, never ending pauses, after which no words are often spoken, quite descriptively. Also, this campy-stylized film has two other films in it, each more campy and stylized than the next, begging the question, "How does this guy come up with so many original ways to make awful looking movies."

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Here's where you'll have to suspend your disbelief. You see, that a teenage boy would write this ridiculous nonsensical sci-fi novel is believable. That someone would read it and like it is much less believable. But that someone would like it enough to plagiarize it is totally preposterous.

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

A: If when I mentioned Napoleon Dynamite, earlier, you thought that I was talking about some Blacksploitation version of the French Revolution, this film is definitely not for you.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/gentlemen-broncos/33271/trailers

The Yes Men Fix the World

2009-10-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Two concerned pranksters go around posing as high powered executive spokespeople from large multinational firms, and staging elaborate presentations to convince conference-goers that the corporations they represent are going to do something for the good of the people... Of course, that's not true.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: The Yes Men: Andy Bichlbaum & Mike Bonanno.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Any ideas you might get about changing the way we do things in our country for the better are alright with me.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The merry prankster style of our two heroes is not dissimilar to Michael Moore's, if he were two people, and those two people were a Vaudeville team.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No. But thankfully, it will make you angry.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: As a direct competitor to Capitalism: A Love Story, giving these guys an award would be a great slap in the face to Michael Moore-- for anyone out there who's interested in slapping Moore in the face.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: These guys have giantes cajones... Or maybe they have a secret fantasy to spend some time in jail.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The producing is really what's impressive here.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It can start to feel a bit repetitive, because while they vary the pranks at each conference and for each company they're pretending to represent, the ultimate outcome is usually the same each time. Someone figures out it's a hoax, and they're still proud that they got people talking about an important issue.

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

A: The fact that in the last month I've seen three movies (this one, Capitalism: A Love Story, and Crude) about the pitfalls and deaths caused by Capitalism and American corporate greed is a sign that this tragedy is in the zeitgeist. And the fact that it's in the zeitgeist, is a sign that it's time to take action and change our system.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-yes-men-fix-the-world/36262/trailers

An Education

2009-10-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A English school girl (Carey Mulligan), studying to go to Oxford, gets swept off her feet by an older man (Peter Sarsgaard), and starts to question which education is more valuable, the scholarly one or the one she's getting from her new boyfriend about living life.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams, Emma Thompson, Sally Hawkins

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! If for nothing else, to feel the energy of newcomer, Carey Mulligan's captivating performance.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: More so if you're highly educated and speak British.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but you do end up feeling sorry for just about everybody in it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It will certainly spend money on a campaign. I've already seen the propaganda machine start to spin... Oh, and it won the Dramatic Audience Award for World Cinema at Sundance.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Carey Mulligan embodies the character completely, laughing nervously when she's happy, excited, and nervous.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The Cinematography, which also won an award at Sundance, is beautiful. And that always makes a director look good.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's a somewhat original story, but still, there are several moments that may have you scratching your head. Like, first of all, why is everyone in the film so laissez-faire about that fact that a 16-year-old girl is dating a guy in his 30s? Her parents, her teachers, her friends, not one of them points out that it's a little weird. In fact, her parents, who don't seem to like anyone, love this guy, and I suppose I could have used a by numbers explanation of why.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/an-education/33272/trailers

New York, I Love You

2009-10-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Several short films by people who love New York, about the different kinds of love you can find in New York.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Bradley Cooper, Shia LaBeouf, Natalie Portman, Blake Lively, Orlando Bloom, Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Robin Wright Penn, Christina Ricci, Eva Amurri, Justin Bartha, Drea de Matteo, Ethan Hawke, Olivia Thirlby, John Hurt, James Caan, Chris Cooper, Anton Yelchin, Maggie Q, Andy Garcia, Julie Christie, Cloris Leachman, Eli Wallach, Jacinda Barrett, Qi Shu, Irrfan Khan, Emilie Ohana, Burt Young, Taylor Geare, Ugur Yucel, Carlos Acosta

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It has no cohesive story-- obviously, since it's a series of mostly unrelated, and sometimes esoteric shorts-- but the theme gives you some things to think about, concerning love, romance, sex, marriage, and even the simple kindness of strangers.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not very hard.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but it gets inside many of the characters' minds, and puts forth an interesting depiction of the differences between the types of love we feel in our fantasies, and the way we experience love in real life.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's up for a Golden Trailer Award-- which I think it totally deserves, because when you do a series of shorts, you can get a lot of high-profile actors, who only have to commit to about a week of filming out of their busy schedules. Then, when you condense all those performances to a minute long trailer, it suddenly looks like a super star-studded film, which actually does a great job of drawing audiences into the theater, despite the fact that most of the actors get a total screen-time of 5 minutes or less.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: There are no stand-out performances in this piece, but it's nice to see Drea de Matteo grace the screen, as well as Cloris Leachman, who's absolutely still got it.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Several directors, all of which do the inner-personality of New York justice, manage to intertwine the stories seamlessly, with montages of the city's many different neighborhoods.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's not particularly engaging, and not nearly as deep as it's trying to be, but if you've ever owned an "I heart New York" t-shirt, you won't really care.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/new-york-i-love-you/34286/trailers

Paranormal Activity

2009-10-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A young couple moves into their new house and decides to record the paranormal activity that seems to be escalating as time goes by.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs, Amber Armstrong

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Hey folks, it’s Halloween and time to be frightened, so if you’re searching for a scare-guarantee then look no further than this. With not a drop of blood, serial killer or ghostly figure anywhere in sight, Paranormal Activity uses suspense and our fear of the unknown to create a movie-going experience that will scare the pants off you.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes. Micah Sloat is goofily charming and funny as the boyfriend most girls will want as their protector and husband.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: That depends, do you usually cry when you discover that you've just crapped your pants?

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Film Hollywood Could Never-Ever Make in a million years? (But I give Dreamworks credit for buying it and releasing it as is, instead of remaking it with Megan Fox and some star from Gossip Girl.)

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Astonishing. Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat (as “Katie” and “Micah”) are tasked with bringing an ‘everyman’ anonymous quality to their characters and relationship and they almost succeed a little too well. This is all supposed to play out as if watching the found-footage of a real-life average couple that went through something extraordinary and there isn’t a false moment to be found in their performances. The fact you’ve never seen (or heard of) these actors before is a condition of making this film work, but I don’t think Katie and Micah will stay anonymous for very much longer.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: This entire movie is shot from the POV of a digital camera either sitting on a tripod or being carried around by one of the leads, but while that might sound annoying in a sea-sick feeling kind of way, thankfully it's not. It also proves how much more there is to directing than how the director moves the camera because the straightforwardness and documentary-like feel of it only enhance the creepiness. Oren Peli, the director-screenwriter may not have had a lot of resources in making this movie but he still manages to ratchet up the tension and suspense in ways that can only lead to the conclusion that he’s a gifted director with a bright future.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: This movie is so natural in the way it unfolds, it’s easy to forget there even was a script. The conceit of Paranormal Activity is to make you feel as if you’re watching the equivalent of home-movies, but the sequence of events that unfolds is masterful in how it creates escalating fear that never lets up and makes for one of the most rewarding movie-viewing experiences you can hope to have in 2009.

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

A: In case I haven't made this completely clear: this movie will scare the s**t out of you!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/paranormal-activity/33046/main

Love Happens

2009-10-14T22:19:00.000-07:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A widower (Aaron Eckhart) turns his grief into a best-selling self-help book and seminars, but he may not have actually dealt with the pain that he's trying to help others overcome.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston, Dan Fogler, Judy Greer, John Carroll Lynch, Martin Sheen, Sasha Alexander, Frances Conroy

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! The only way worth watching this movie is in your living room with your cattiest girlfriend (male or female), so that you can talk throughout, making fun of the cheesy parts-- which are mostly concentrated in the beginning, middle, and end.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: This romantic-"comedy" has not a single joke to be found. But before I went to see it, my friend Sheryl reminded me that sometimes it's fun to sit through a mindless, stupid movie, because you can always focus on the hairstyles and the clothes... So when I found myself analyzing Jennifer Aniston's eye shadow, I thought that was pretty funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you did, I would laugh at you.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Somehow, in the midst of this debacle, a little known character actor named, John Carroll Lynch, manages to pull off a couple of crying scenes worthy of an Academy Award nomination. He won't get it, because he's in the movie for less than fifteen minutes, and he's not royalty like Dame Judy Dench... And let's face it, he's in a movie that sucks.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Rarely has the chemistry of an on-screen duo been so missing in action.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It takes place in Seattle, so... oh, who cares.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: As predictable as Seattle is rainy.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/love-happens/37327/trailers

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The Road

2009-10-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After an unexplained apocalypse, a man and his son (Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee) go on the road looking for food, and trying to avoid being killed and eaten by other humans.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Garret Dillahunt, Michael K. Williams

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If I were a producer in the movie The Player, this would be my sales pitch, "Okay, here's the deal. Picture Zombieland-- number one at the box office last weekend. Got it? So our movie is just like that, but without any of the humor or the zombies." And that would actually be a pretty accurate description of this grim and hopeless depiction of a world with about as much hope as a gas shower.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Once. And it's so out of place in this dark, quiet piece, that it actually makes you feel like you just farted really loudly, and everyone knows you dealt it.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It is tense, but it's much too alienating to elicit tears.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Clearly that's the only possible goal the Weinstein Company could've had in releasing this film, cuz it's certainly not trying to entertain anyone.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Viggo Mortensen finds his on-screen equal in an 11-year-old boy named Kodi Smit-McPhee. Not only does the boy look like a perfect combination of the genes of Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron, but he acts like this isn't his first apocalypse.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: John Hillcoat's images are probably the main reason that lovers of cinema will appreciate this art film. It is truly gorgeous... I mean, if you can find beauty in a gray world covered in trash and scattered with people who are covered in grime.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Cormac McCarthy's book makes for a script of few words. It's slow, meditative, and doesn't lead toward much more than the characters' impending death. I imagine those who've read the book will find greater depth than I did in this examination of a father and son relationship at the end of a life worth living.

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

A: This is not an action-adventure "event" movie, so the following trailer is completely misleading:

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

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

Couples Retreat

2009-10-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Four couples decide to go on vacation together and find out that if they want to do any of the fun stuff the resort has to offer, they will have to go through an eccentric couples counseling course.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis, Faizon Love, Kali Hawk, Tasha Smith, Jean Reno, John Michael Higgins, Ken Jeong, Carlos Ponce, Peter Serafinowicz, Colin Baiocchi, Gattlin Griffith

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This easily digestible examination of being in a long term relationship will be relatable to anyone who's old enough to have tried it, but you probably won't gain any new insights into the matter.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: You will smile more than laugh. And considering the cast's pedigree, that may play as a disappointment to some of you.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: With all the love bouncing around this story, it would have been nice to see it pull a little harder at our heart strings.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most likely to turn people off yoga... Or, in some cases, onto it.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Jon Favreau's energy is something to marvel at, and Sex and the City's Kristin Davis, playing his wife, makes you completely forget about Charlotte. But it's newcomer Colin Baiocchi (4 years old) who steals the most scenes. He's almost like a next generation Peter Billingsley.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: And speaking of Peter Billingsley, that kid is going places... Then again, how can you go wrong when you're working with a giant handful of the most talented comedic actors of our time, and filming on location in beautiful Bora-Bora. I could have just stared at the scenery for two hours and felt fulfilled.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It does a nice job of depicting the various different types of real relationships and real relationship problems that can exist, but often times, right when I started to be interested in where a scene was going, they would cut away to something else. In some cases the jumping around adds to the comedy and the drama. But, other times, I wanted to know what would happen next-- and we'd never cut back to find out. This is especially true in the therapy sessions.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/couples-retreat/36112/trailers

Where the Wild Things Are

2009-10-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

( Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book, nine year-old Max flees home after getting into trouble, and takes a journey across the seas to a forest inhabited by wild creatures, where he becomes their self-appointed king.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Max Records, Catherine Keener, Pepita Emmerichs, Steve Mouzakis, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose, Paul Dano, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker, Michael Berry Jr., Chris Cooper

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Incredibly imaginative, strikingly visual and very true to the spirit of the book, this adaptation will most likely please a lot of fans. But it’s simply not for everyone and despite the fact that it does a good job in filling out a fifteen-page children’s book into a feature-length film, it still drags at times.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The wild creatures Max stumbles upon have a lot of humor to them, both visually and in their dialogue.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There is a lot of melancholy in Max’s journey, but only one moment might bring some tears, and even then, I’m not so sure it will for most.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It’s a gorgeous and imaginative-looking film, so it will probably be nominated for all the visual type awards.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Max Records, who plays Max, is excellent. Apparently, this is his acting debut, but he’s clearly a natural. There’s no mugging or over-acting and that goes a long way toward relating to Max’s journey and inner struggle. The Wild Things’ voices are all perfectly cast to inform their expressive faces and even though the physical actors in the creature suits will not get much mention, they also do a fantastic job.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: We’ve come to expect a lot from such a visual filmmaker as Spike Jonze and he’s definitely on his game once again. It’s easy to tell how much he loved this book and story because there are no compromises and it really feels like Sendak’s drawings have come to life right from the page. The movie also stays true to the internal plight and struggle of a nine-year-old boy and that comes though in every single detail Jonze puts on screen (including the fantastic opening shot which ends on a freeze-frame of the film’s title, so don’t be late). But it is maybe that central focus that makes the movie less mainstream. In other words, if you want a Pixar-movie-‘feeling,’ then go see a Pixar movie. At a Q & A after the screening, Spike Jonze spoke about some of the details of the six-year odyssey of making this movie which only made it that much more impressive. But it also made me wish he could figure out a way to make his movies a little faster because six or seven years is too long to wait for a new Spike Jonze film.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The script is really impressive especially when considering the source material it’s based on. In fact, it’s almost shocking that a major studio would greenlight this particular version of such a popular children’s book. In keeping with Sendak’s original intent, Jonze and co-writer Dave Eggers keep a laser-like focus on how Max’s adventure would play out in detail, and everything works. In the hands of a different director/writer, this story could have become a typical effects-laden Hollywood extravaganza, but not this version. Both emotion and imagination are given equal weight in the story and maybe the biggest compliment I could give the writers is that it plays out as if written by a nine-year-old boy. And trust me, that’s a major compliment in the context of what this film is trying to accomplish.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/where-the-wild-things-are/24823/trailers

The Invention of Lying

2009-10-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: In a world where people can only tell the truth, an unremarkable, dumpy screenwriter (Ricky Gervais) discovers the art of lying and uses it to gain power, money, and hot chicks.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan, Donna Sorbello, Nathan Corddry, Edward Norton, Martin Starr, Jason Bateman, Christopher Guest, Stephen Merchant, Shaun Williamson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Fans of the original The Office, Extras, and Ricky Gervais in general, will find their typical chuckles here, but the film ultimately wastes a lot of great comedic acting talent on uninspired cameos, while also not living up to an incredibly inspired premise.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: No big belly laughs, but if you don't find Ricky Gervais funny on some level, you should sign up for a sense of humor class.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Ricky Gervais just might turn out to be a better dramatic actor than we ever suspected, and the scene in which he proves that may well bring tears.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most controversial movie that no one is talking about. Rarely has an Atheist declaration in a main stream film gotten so little attention.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Most of the characters are two dimensional caricatures of people that would never exist, saying ridiculous things with as much seriousness as they can muster. But within that, Jennifer Garner stands out, gamely proving once again why she is a true movie star, as she figures out a way to create a character out of nothing in a film that’s about as deep as a puddle of water.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I will admit to being a huge Ricky Gervais fan and he is credited as co-director on this, so it pains me to say that the direction is pretty bad. This is the sort of premise that would have really benefited from someone who could have put a visually creative world on screen, but instead, this movie consists of the most rudimentary of camera set-ups, moves and blocking.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The script feels like a first draft by an incredibly brilliant and hilarious writer. It has great potential, but the studio executives should have given these two major notes: "1. Half way through, The Invention of Lying becomes about the biggest lie of all. This is a great twist, but it has zero pay-off, zero consequences for our hero, and thus ends up being toothless and unnecessary. Cut it. You can stick with the love story as the main theme, and that will free up room in the script to develop a much stronger execution of the main premise: A world in which people can't lie. Then, when the film does well, because it's a brilliant execution of a brilliant premise, we'll use that interesting twist for the sequel-- where it too can be developed in the greater depth it deserves. Number 2: Just because people can only tell the truth in this movie-world doesn’t also mean they have to blurt out whatever insult they happen to be thinking at the time. What you have created is a world where no one has an inner monologue, so all their subconscious thoughts are revealed. That's not the same as a world where no one is capable of lying..." But on the flip side, the lack of rules does help the script conform to Ricky Gervais’ one-liners, reactions, and awkward brand of comedy.

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

A: While the story doesn't hold together, this is the type of movie that college students will discover on TV and DVD for years to come, finding depth and relevance in the humor, as well as the questions about whether or not there is a God. Mostly, they will see this depth because they are stoned on marijuana cigarettes.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/invention-of-lying/31194/trailers

A Serious Man

2009-10-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A man's wife asks him for a divorce because she's fallen in love with their good friend, and right when he thinks things can't get any worse, they do, because Jewish people are cursed.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, Sari Lennick, Aaron Wolff, Jessica McManus, Peter Breitmayer, David Kang, Adam Arkin, Amy Landecker, Alan Mandell, Simon Helberg, George Wyner, Allen Lewis Rickman, Yelena Shmulenson, Fyvush Finkel

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This parable will mean more to people who are Jewish than it will to the rest. But just because you're Jewish doesn't mean you'll like it, and just because you're not Jewish doesn't mean you won't.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: To answer that, I must ask you this: Are you the kind of person who usually laughs at a Coen Brothers dark comedy? And if you say yes, because you laughed at Fargo, I would ask you to re-examine your answer, by eliminating all the times you laughed because someone had a funny Minnesotan accent.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not if you're Jewish, because if you are Jewish, you will already know that life is meant to be filled with pain and agony, and there's no need to cry about it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: As is often the case with Coen Brothers movies, this one could well get an award for Most Overrated Movie of the Year. Especially since, much like with Pixar movies, most critics fear they would lose their credibility if they gave it anything less than a glowing thumbs up. I just happen to have a lot less fear than most critics.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: A cast of unrecognizable faces act like they've been making Coen Brothers movies for years.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: By far the best thing about any Coen Brothers movie is their signature style. The stills from this film could go up in a gallery next to stills for Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, or even Burn After Reading, and you would instantly recognize that it was one artist (made up of two people) who shot them all.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: This is where most of you will be lost. From moment to moment the emotions make sense and build on each other, but what it is all building toward, I'm not sure I could tell you. And to confuse (or clarify) matters more, there's the opening scene, which is rich and textured and disturbing, saying everything and nothing, as it stands alone, with no need for the feature length story that follows it. This brilliant scene could have won the Academy Award for Best Short Film, if only they hadn't tagged a 2 hour movie on the end of it. But how it relates back to the rest of the movie is speculative.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/a-serious-man/29878/trailers

Whip It

2009-09-30T23:22:00.000-07:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A teenage girl (Ellen Page) discovers roller derby, and against her parents' wishes, she sneaks out to a secret world, where she becomes a celebrity bad ass.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Alia Shawkat, Daniel Stern, Landon Pigg, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Andrew Wilson, Eve, Zoe Bell, Jimmy Fallon, Sarah Habel, Eulala Scheel, Carlo Alban, Ari Graynor

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. For such a simplistic movie, I was surprised at how difficult a time I sometimes had following along. On the positive side, there is a potentially interesting mother-daughter conflict, and a lot of cool characters inside of a lot of arbitrary scenes.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: In true sports-comedy form, the best laughs come from the game time announcer.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: That is certainly its goal, as confirmed by the actors who showed up for a Q & A, and told us that director, Drew Barrymore, got emotional and cried regularly while explaining what each scene was about to her actors.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It wants to be this year's Juno, but it's really not. That said, Drew Barrymore will probably get a few nods in the First Time Director category, wherever those are available, because it's a good way to get her to show up for your ceremony.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Andrew Wilson (the oldest, cutest, and least famous Wilson brother) will finally have a chance to break out in his role as the disrespected coach, possibly even making his way toward the status his sibs have enjoyed since Bottle Rocket. Drew Barrymore has a small but delightfully unusual role. Kristen Wiig continues to deliver lines in her own strange manner, which is always weird at first, but grows on you, and delivers unexpected laughs. And I guess I sort of have to mention Ellen Page, who is cute as a button, but not always at home in character traits that don't involve being a smart aleck. She's supposed to be a Texan pageant girl who goes through a transformation to become a hard core derby girl. And while she's great as the tough bitch she becomes, you never really buy her as the sweet Texan she was supposedly passing as before she began her rebellion.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: You really root for Drew in her first foray into directing, but this movie, and the directing in particular, have got a lot of problems. Several scenes seem to exist purely because they were fun for her to film. One is a food fight, which advances the story in no way whatsoever, but looked like it might have been fun to participate in. And even more jarring, is an extended, underwater love scene in a swimming pool. For no reason and with no prompting, the two teenagers jump in wearing all their clothes (including dress shoes and leather jackets) and then undress underwater-- basically implying that they were planning to take off their clothes all along. So it makes no sense that they would deliberately ruin their best gear. Not even a teenager would be that illogical! Then the underwater seduction leads to an underwater kiss, which I don't have to remind you, isn't even possible for those of us who don't have gills. Furthermore, not being able to breathe is one of the least sexy things I can imagine... It would make a cool music video (which I'm sure it eventually will, since the boy is in a band in the movie, and a singer in real life), but in a movie that's supposed to be logical, this scene reeks of, "Hey, look guys! They gave me an underwater camera! We should use it! Where can we get a pool?"

Q: How is the story/script?

A: A lot of the scenes are energetic and fun, but this movie had some of the worst transitions I have ever seen. I struggled to understand how much time had passed from one scene to the next, and how far along we were in the progress of the sports season or the school year. Often, characters would just suddenly be somewhere new-- like at an indoor swimming pool-- and you didn't really know why or how they'd ended up there. And then there is the dialogue, some of which was so cryptic to me, that I literally had to turn to my friend and ask, "What was that supposed to mean?" Saddest of all being that after the conclusion of the love story, I couldn't be sure if the lovers had just broken up or made up.

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

A: The music and the roller derby are pretty cool.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/whip-it/32591/trailers

We Live in Public

2009-09-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A documentary about Josh Harris, an early internet pioneer who predicted that social networking would take over and destroy our ability to interact with each other as kind, loving humans, long before social networking had been invented.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Josh Harris, members of his family, his most pivotal ex-girlfriend, Tanya Corrin, and a large number of New York freaks who sign up to live together for a month in an underground bunker where they were filmed doing everything from showering and sh*tting to f*#king and sucking, and where the only thing playing on TV were channels featuring the other nutzoids living in their cult-like community-- which they ironically called, Quiet.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This movie is both fascinating and disturbing. But I'm asking you to see it anyway, so that you can get the deepest possible understanding that everything you do and say on the internet can and will haunt you for the rest of your living days. And then, maybe you'll consider taking a break from that little screen once in a while.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Sure, if you're one of those people who gets joy from watching others suffer.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If will certainly make you long for a simpler time, when we used to actually see each other in person. Oh, how I miss human to human connection... And do you remember hugging? That was awesome.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance, and I wouldn't be surprised if it got a shot at the Academy. It's just so topical!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Internet millionaires are crazy. And not in a good way, like the bi-polar, suicidal, ex-junkies that they lock up in their basements to use as lab rats in their wacky attempts to call themselves artists.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I always wonder, when a documentary director sticks with a subject for 10 years, how does she know when it's time to stop filming and just make a film already? At the same time, considering her subject's obsession with filming every detail of his life to play on the internet, I can kind of understand her optimism, since she was blessed with a giant amount of pre-existing footage. Which also begs the question: How come I never heard about this place, "Quiet" before?!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Linear. It starts in 1984, when Josh Harris first discovered the potential of the internet, and clearly and logically takes us through the period of the 90s when anything was possible, to the dot-com crash, to today, when the things you may have done in the 90s are on your permanent record, and will prevent you from ever doing anything cool again... or at least until a movie is made about your life, alerting internet investors that you may actually have a small clue as to what you're talking about.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

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