Glee: Season 1, Episode 13 – Sectionals (2009)

Sectionals is the strongest episode of Glee to date; and contrary to the outward appearance of the show, it succeeds to a high degree due to its dramatic impact rather than its musical performances. The episode also features a number of solid directorial decisions. Structurally, the episode followed a tried and true narrative of the team (or an individual) being down, but putting aside issues and coming together, which is really a summary of the main thematic element of the show. This episode also featured potent emotional storylines coming to a head resulting in fine scenes (Finn having a few of his better scenes of the half season, and great work between Schuester and Emma). The musical performances, mostly played as straight performance were entertaining, but the final number playing as both performance with the indented subtext of what Schuester means to the kids and also as a storytelling devise conveying the subtext of what Emma really means to Schuester (which was delivered in a visually satisfying way) producted to most emotional impact. However, what makes this episode great is the directorial work of Brad Falchuk (also the writer of the episode). His work on Glee has improved over the course of the season. There is an early sequence involving the kids talking to one and other on the phone while walking through the halls, which Falchuk shows in a multiple split-screen shot, effectively taking something potentially arduous in nature and making it fresh. It is not often that a director can shoot exposition (be it dramatic exposition) and make it interesting. Falchuk is also able to garner compelling performances from the cast, elevating the drama and thus further drawing the viewer in and raising the personal stake each viewer has in the show. There is a thin line between giving the audience what they want and doing what is best for the narrative as a whole. Falchuk walks that line here with the relationship between Schuester and Emma. Likely, viewers want to see them together, as the narrative has set them up that way, but should it be so easy, now that a major obstacle has been removed (or so it seems)? The episode teases the result that viewers want but leaves the payoff for the finale shot, which again plays on Falchuk’s ability to capably tell an effective narrative. It will be interesting to see how the show returns next year in April. While Glee started off as a sort of cheesy one-note show (some people just watching for the music and fast-forwarding through the rest), it has established itself as both a fun show with comedy and great music and as a dramatically moving show with relevant thematic elements of (and for) today’s society (high school and adult), Sectionals being the mid-season culmination. 10/10

Glee can be seen on Wednesday nights on Fox or on Amazon.com

Dollhouse: Season 2, Episode 6 – The Left Hand (2009)

The Left Hand is a thrilling episode filled with good performances and more twists, paying off on the set up of The Public Eye. It is part espionage and part self discovery. The show is tackling a very interesting element, having the dolls being (or becoming) self-aware. Now awake, Echo is not sure if she even would want to go back to being the Caroline – it questions the notion of self and soul and what makes us ourselves. Is it the physical elements or the sum of our experiences, or both? Echo is both cognizant that she was Caroline and is now Echo, and that Caroline is her true self, and yet is still hesitant to go back. What does that say about human nature? Is self-preservation a higher order than the value of life? In terms of the episode’s structure, the action beats work well as well, making for a narrative that flows. Wendy Stanzler’s handheld camera also keeps the action and drama fresh. The Left Hand employs comedy too, supplanted into a mostly dramatic story, allowing for the viewer to fully enjoy the experience, both laughing and invested in the dramatic outcome. And in this, Tracy Bellomo wrote great dialog and a great script. Summer Glau is excellent in this episode; her scenes with Fran Kranz are played perfectly and are just plain fun to watch. The two have good chemistry and hopefully they will have more interaction in the future. Victor’s impersonation of Topher is also brilliant (watch out for Enver Gjokaj; he is good). Alexis Denisof turns in a good performance (at one point her plays an imprint as if he is auditioning for Terminator, minus the heavy breathing). Olivia Williams also has some fun showing her aptitude in her scenes with Ray Wise. The score for the episode was wonderful. It was playful in the Bennett-Topher scenes, and the little piece that closes the show (not the music over the credits, before that) worked really well to bring forth the wonder and emotion of Echo, fully aware and fresh to the world outside. The Left Hand is a great episode of television and together with The Public Eye shows that Dollhouse is one of the better shows on TV right now. It is too bad that this season will be its last. Come for the thrills, stay for the comedy and great characters and performances. 9/10

Dollhouse airs Friday nights on Fox or can also be seen on Amazon.com

Dollhouse: Seaons 2, Episode 5 – The Public Eye (2009)

The Public Eye is a fun, creepy at times, episode full of twists and turns. Thematically, the episode has pockets of identity crisis (which plays more in the next episode). Mainly though, the episode serves as more of a lead-in to the next more than a stand-alone piece, which hurts it a bit. The first act is bludgeoned with exposition, though unavoidable, it does slow down the storytelling, and drag. Director David Solomon does his best to liven it up though, employing an active camera. But ultimately, the first act does little more than inform. There is a rather good little scene between Olivia Williams and Keith Carradine squeezed in there though for good measure. In the second act, there is action, twists, suspense, emotion, and fun. However, much like almost all scenes involving Ballard doing dramatic work, the scene between November and Ballard at LAX is a bit flat, but there is a sense that it is suppose to be, in that he has failed utterly, and this is the lowest of the lows for him, the final failure that will lead to some sort of redemption (we shall see, this is Whedon after all, so Ballard probably will not get it). The theme of identity also harkens back to the future as seen in Epitaph One, which is a nice touch. With each step to help, the audience sees the step as just another leading to the fall. It is also interesting to see the steps that lead the LA Dollhouse to be sort of an epicenter of resistance, much like in Belonging, Dewitt again decides to try to take the moral high road, or so it seems. The third act plays the best, as the intrigue heightens (and the production design is such a contrast to the LA Dollhouse). Summer Glau is quirky and creepy and delightful to watch. Stacey Scowley also plays her role well, her character is just so off-putting, and it is supposed to be (I think). Alexis Denisof was good; he evokes the characteristics of his role well, but seems fake at times, as if he is too perfect (you’ll see). Elisha Dushku has one of her better episodes too, playing in her wheelhouse. Overall, the episode is fun. There is some drama, some action, some sexiness, some comedy. But most importantly, the episode (which really does feel like part one of a two-parter) sets up what is to come nicely. 8/10

Dollhouse can be seen Fridays on Fox or on Amazon.com

Movie of the Week - Who Framed Roger Rabbit

This week’s movie is Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a film-noir like detective story with a twist, the client is a cartoon rabbit. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis (maybe his best with Back to the Future) and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film creates a fun world, one in which there is another section of LA, Toontown, where Disney and Warner Bros. (Looney Tunes) animated characters all live in a wacky city. The film is great do to the silly yet sincere interaction of Roger Rabbit and Bob Hoskins’ detective Eddie Valiant. The film also works well as it uses the noir detective genre to structure the story and employs suspense, action and emotion quite well for a film that has live-action actors interacting with animated ones (in the 80’s no less). Seeing the toons interact both in their world and ours is also one of the treats of this film, highlighted in many fantastic scenes, good dialog and extravagate characters (love Christopher Lloyd’s Judge Doom). This is one for the whole family as all ages will find something to enjoy. The film stars: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy and the voice work of Charles Fleischer and Kathleen Turner.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit [DVD]

Glee: Season 1, Episode 12 – Mattress (2009)

Mattress was another strong episode of Glee, featuring fun musical performances and gripping emotional scenes. The episode did not get off to the best start as yet again the show runners used V.O. narration to tell the audience what characters were feeling. The show is so much better when it does it through song or visually; this is turning into a bad lazy habit that needs to be broken (there was even a song in the V.O.!). However, as the episode progressed it focused in on what Glee does best. The Mattress Man performance of Jump was fun and silly – and perfect. The emotional scene between Schuester and his wife in their kitchen was easily the best shot and acted scene so far on the show and director Elodie Keene did a fine job throughout. The episode also continued the theme of acceptance and being comfortable with self, highlighted by Quinn standing up for herself. The show does a good job of putting up obstacles for the characters; it is not easy for them to stand up, which makes it more meaningful and resonate when they do. Jane Lynch, who has been funny in the show to date, seems to have stepped up in this episode, while her character has been a little one note at times, her performance continues to be a highlight of the show, and she is just great in this episode. It was interesting to see Emma finally put her foot down with Schuester. Her relationship with Ken does not make that much sense, and it made it odd for her to seem to of completely bought into it. What will happen between them is one of the intriguing storylines that will be interesting to see how it progresses. And to that note, Glee has many storylines, that have nothing to do with music or the up-coming sectionals, involving the emotions of the characters, and these are what drive the show to be great. At this point, the audience is invested, the quality of the show has been strong for a good stretch of episodes and going into its mid-season break, it is one of the best on TV. While Mattress was not great all the way through, starting slow (which Glee sometimes seems to do), it really got going. Based on the early episodes of the show, it is impressive to see the dramatic range that the show now has, and Mattress had some of the best so far. 9/10

Glee can be seen Wednesdays on Fox or on Amazon.com

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) – Review

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a wondrous film, composed of adventure, artistic aesthetic sensibility and wry wit. The film is outwardly quirky and yet has a certain charm to it, much like the other works of director Wes Anderson. It is ambitious and tedious in its presentation, in that it spares no detail in its visual composite, every shot, every article of clothing, prop, gesture, camera movement, everything was meticulously designed and executed. Much like Hitchcock, Anderson uses his camera actively and knows exactly how the film will look and play before shooting even commences, and to this degree he is surely one of the prominent auteurs working today. So what does this mean for the film? Anderson and animation director Mark Gustafson have created an astounding piece of art. The film is completely analog with all animation done manually through stop-motion. It is something to behold on a purely aesthetic level. At first, the film seems completely surreal, the animation almost feels foreign, but that fades rapidly, helped along by the well-known voice work, leaving very real characters. The animation becomes warm and inviting and the style meshes quite well with the subject matter. This film is not like anything else seen in Hollywood in some time. As for the narrative structure of the film, it is put together much like the films of the silent era and classic animation, starting with a book opening to the first page and titles that track to progression of the story. The structure works well, but for a film that is just an hour and a half, there are still a few moments where the film does drag a bit. Thus, the storytelling is not as tight as it need be. Maybe that is due to the changing expectations of audiences, most films now have a high number of action beats versus past periods; but like many other aspects of this film, it feels like a classic and not a new release. The story takes its time. It allows for characters to have moments and is not caught up in action for action’s sake. Rather action plays as the story dictates. Anderson has also created a very referential film here. There are a number of allusions to past works and genres. The use of genre in the film is also remarkable. While having an overall feel of adventure and comedy, the film employs other genres to connect to its audience. For example, there is a scene in which the whole town, guns in hand, is waiting for the animals to emerge from their hole. Through shot selection and music cues this scene very much feels like it is straight out of a western, even though it takes place in England and is between townsfolk and anamorphic animals. The ability to use genres effectively by the filmmakers allows the film to bring the audience into the moment without much exposition. It is not often that a director can mesh multiple genres effectively, but Anderson has done so here. The film at its core is about being yourself, accepting who you are and loving and ultimately empowering yourself, as told through a number of diverse characters. Roald Dahl’s work holds up and comes to life, but the adaptation by Anderson and Noah Baumbach gets more to the heart of the story they wanted to tell, which can be seen in the addition of Ash and Kristofferson. Anderson and Baumbach also employ a fair amount of dry humor, possibly spotlighted in the argument between Mr. Fox and his lawyer, Badger. The humor adds another level of enjoyment that adult viewers will appreciate. The voice acting is perfect for the wit and dryness that Anderson wanted to achieve, highlighted by George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Jason Schwartzman work. Anderson’s brother Eric Chase Anderson is also very good voicing Kristofferson. Music selection is trademark of Anderson’s style, and here the selections are unexpected but work quite well. Alexandre Desplat, continuing his trend of late, provides a rich score that works well with the visuals of the film to create an overall atmosphere of adventure and playfulness, but the score is also able to capture the dramatic scenes. If the audience can buy into the animation, to the world of Fantastic Mr. Fox, they are in for a treat of a film. 9/10

Movie of the Week - Being There

This week’s movie is Being There (1979).

Being There, directed by Hal Ashby, is a story, based on the book by Jerzy Kosinski, who also wrote the screenplay, about a man that has seemingly the mental capacity of a child but is mistakenly thought to be a sage by those that encounter him after he leaves his home. There are a number of elements that make this movie great, but the most prominent is the remarkable performance by Peter Sellers (the second to last of his life); Sellers won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar. This story was a personal project for Sellers, as he spent many years trying to acquire the story and get the film made. It very well may be the best of his career. The film was also composed beautifully by Hal Ashby and his D.P. Caleb Deschanel, which culminates in a profound and much discussed final shot. The film is a must see for fans of Sellers, comedy/dramas and cinema. The film stars: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, and Jack Warden.

Being There [Blu-ray/DVD]

Glee: Season 1, Episode 11 – Hairography (2009) - Review

Hairography is a mixed episode. It treads again on the same message as the last few episodes, that of being comfortable with yourself and excepting others. Here, however, the episode deals more with not believing in self or others or both and also trying to find the true nature of someone or self (capped off by the musical performance to end the episode). Glee continues to walk a fine line between heartfelt and cheesy, generally staying on the side of heartfelt as the cheesiness is dispelled through humor and self-referential nods, and genuine emotion and the audience caring about the characters. But parts of this episode do not succeed in not being cheesy, especially in the first half. This is something the writers need to pay attention to; otherwise the show may fall back into the weak episodes that populated the early portion of this season. Plus, there is the continued trend of falling back on voiceover narration as a means of telling the story, when visual mediums would do much better. All the musical performances in the episode were straight performances with some forwarding on the story and arc of the episode and characters, but none of them lived in the story. The musical numbers that take place in the world of Glee, rather than as an activity of Glee, resonate and are more powerful. All that being said, the second half of the episode gets a lot of stuff right: there is humor, character development and heartfelt emotion. The others strong aspect of this episode and the show is the ability to play off stereotypes, both using them as a source of humor and knocking them down so characters can rise above them. As the season progresses, one of the most interesting stories is that of Quinn and the transformation of her character – she wants to hold on to who she was, but is also growing up. One of the highlights of this episode involves her performance of Papa Don’t Preach by Madonna. Overall, Hairography is good, but not as strong as the last few episodes of the show. 8/10

Glee can be seen Wednesday nights on Fox or on Amazon.com.

Peter Jackson – Movies Spotlight – December

December’s Movies Spotlight is on Peter Jackson, whose new film The Lovely Bones opens December 25th. Best known for directing The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Jackson is one of the top reviewed directors of the last decade. Jackson has now moved into producing as well as writing and directing. Like Spielberg, Coppola and Lucas coming out of the 70s, Jackson has entered the new decade as one of Hollywood’s top auteurs, both critically and commercially.

Early Days in New Zealand

Jackson started his feature film career in New Zealand in 1987 with Bad Taste, a low-budget sci-fi horror comedy splatter film that he made with his friends. It played at the Cannes Film Festival and sold distribution rights to twelve countries. Jackson had got his name out there and started working on a number of new scripts with his writing partner Fran Walsh, including a never released sequel to Nightmare on Elm Street. Next up for Jackson was Meet the Feebles, a Muppet-style musical comedy. This film proves to be a critical step in Jackson’s career as it is the first film that he collaborated with Richard Taylor on the special effects. Taylor would go on to create Weta Workshop, which would do the effects for all of Jackson’s future films. The last of his early films, and probably the best known, is Briandead, or as it is known in America: Dead Alive. The cult horror comedy, on par with The Evil Dead, is thought of as a landmark in the genre.

Welcome to Hollywood

Jackson’s next film, Heavenly Creatures, saw a significant change in style and tone for the director, based on a tragic true local New Zealand story. The film was more of a passion project of Fran Walsh and she was the motivating force behind getting made. It also marked the breakout film for Kate Winslet. Heavenly Creatures was picked up by Miramax and Jackson and Walsh were nominated for a screenwriting Oscar. With the success of Heavenly Creatures, Jackson would sign a deal with Universal Pictures to make two big budget films. The first was The Frighteners. For the Frighteners, Jackson worked with Hollywood hotshot Robert Zemeckis, and convinced Zemeckis and the studio to allow him to shoot the movie in New Zealand, even though it takes place in America, and use Richard Taylor to do the effects. The result was not a critical or commercial success (however, the film is quite underrated in my opinion and has awesome effects and a lot of good scenes). As a result, Universal decided not to go forward with Jackson’s second film, King Kong, at least for the time being. However, shooting the entire movie in New Zealand and using Richard Taylor for the awesome effects would prove to be selling points for his next epic project.

The Lord of the Rings

Acquiring the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s story in 1997, Jackson first approached Miramax about a two picture adaptation, but Miramax insisted that he tell the full story in one film. (Thankfully!) Jackson was able to make a last minute deal with New Line Cinema, who was eager for a trilogy. The crew set off to New Zealand for the first batch of principal photography from October 1999-December 2000 with additional shoots before the release of each film. Jackson cast the film with mostly unknown actors or lesser known (to the average cinema-goer) actors, and with the release of the films, many new careers were launched. The shooting structure of the film also innovated the way future franchises would shoot their films, as all three films were primarily made during that first bout of principal photography. All the special effects were done by Weta Workshop, which made a name for itself through the films, and New Zealand has become one of the best places to shoot epics outside of America. The films were met with critical acclaim winning 17 Oscars on 30 nominations, including best picture for The Return of the King, which is the first fantasy film to ever win the honor. Jackson was now at the top, able to do any project he wanted, so he returned to Universal.

King Kong

Universal Pictures decided to sign Peter Jackson to a new deal following his success, paying him $20 million up front. King Kong was still a priority for Jackson to make, as it was the film he loved as a boy, the film that inspired him to become a filmmaker. Jackson following the same formula of all his other films decided to shoot the film in New Zealand, rebuilding a portion of New York City and use Weta Workshop for the effects. King Kong was released for Christmas 2005 to success as the film is the fourth highest grossing Universal release of all-time.

Peter Jackson: Producer

Jackson has produced all his own films. With the success of The Lord of the Rings and King Kong, he now has the power within the Hollywood system to start to put out other projects that he has an interest in without having to direct them personally. The first foray into the producing only realm was 2009’s District 9. The film was met with great reviews and commercial success and bolstered the careers of unknown director Neill Blomkamp and actor Sharlto Copley. Jackson next focuses his producing skills on Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn and the two picture adaptation of The Hobbit with Guillermo del Toro directing. But it did not all start well for Jackson as a producer. His first project was the film adaptation of the Microsoft game Halo. The film has been delayed and delayed and even delayed some more, originally set for a 2007 release. District 9 director Neill Blomkamp was going to make it his feature debut, but has now left the project completely. The film is not “on hold” and it is unknown if the project with Jackson involved will ever see the light of day.

Future Projects

The Lovely Bones comes out this month and looks to be a return to the type of style and tone of Heavenly Creatures for Jackson, mixing the stark reality of murder with the world of fantasy. After The Lovely Bones, Jackson looks have a busy slate producing The Adventures of Tintin, rumored to also be directing a sequel, and The Hobbit films. Jackson is also in the works to produce a remake of The Dam Busters based on a script written by Stephen Fry. No matter what projects Jackson does decide to pursue, we can expect great work to come from him as he is certainly one of the best working today.

Peter Jackson Box Set (Selected Filmography/Career Highlights)

1.)    Braindead (1992) [DVD] – Director

2.)    Heavenly Creatures (1994) [DVD] – Director

3.)    The Frighteners (1996) [DVD] – Director

4.)    The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) [Extended DVD] – Director

5.)    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) [Extended DVD] – Director*

6.)    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) [Extended DVD] – Director*

7.)    King Kong (2005) [Blu-ray/DVD] – Director

8.)    District 9 (2009) [Blu-ray/DVD] – Producer*

*Editor’s Picks

At the Movies – December

Must See in Theatres:

The Lovely Bones (Peter Jackson) – Drama – Dec 25

Peter Jackson returns to cinemas with what would seem to be a more intimate project, after the epic The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and King Kong. Based on the novel by Alice Sebold, the story is about a young girl who is murdered and watches over her family, and killer, from the afterlife. Should she help them catch her killer or let them move on and heal? With the help of Andrew Lesnie, Jackson seems to have taken a both stark reality and fantasy approach to the material, which is evident in the wonderful trailer. While this film may not scream out as “must see” of the month based on the cast and premise, when other more high profile films are coming out like Avatar, one look at the trailer, and remember this is a Peter Jackson film after all, and there is no doubt that this will be the cinema experience of the month. Not to mention Brian Eno is scoring it. The film stars: Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weiz, Susan Sarando, Stanley Tucci, and the up and coming great talent Saoirse Ronan. Check out the trailer.

Worth Checking Out (if not in theatres then at home):

Invictus (Clint Eastwood) – History/Sports – Dec 11

A likely Oscar contender, Clint Eastwood’s new film is an adaptation of John Carlin’s book about Nelson Mandela’s attempt to unite the citizens of South Africa following the fall of the apartheid by campaigning to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Eastwood has been on a role lately with late year’s Changeling and Grand Torino. Invictus should be another fine film, and look good too as Tom Stern returns behind the camera. The film stars: Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. Check out the trailer.

Up in the Air (Jason Reitman) – Comedy/Drama – Dec 11

Hot off the success of Juno, director Jason Reitman returns with Up in the Air a story about a consultant who is constantly travelling, outwardly for work, but inwardly because he has no real human connections and thus is afraid to stop moving. So what happens, he is grounded. The film has received praise and is considered a strong Oscar contender for Best Picture, as well as lead actor for George Clooney. The film stars: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, and Danny McBride. Check out the trailer.

Good for Dates:

Everybody’s Fine (Kirk Jones) – Drama – Dec 4

Robert De Niro is back with what looks to be a potential hit and possibility an Oscar nod (though probably not). Everybody’s Fine is about a widower that wants to spend the holidays with his three kids, so he takes a trip to visit each of them. The film looks to be a good role for De Niro and a good family film for adults during the holidays. The film stars: Robert De Niro, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, and Drew Barrymore. Check out the trailer.

Nine (Rob Marshall) – Musical – Dec 18

Rob Marshall, made famous by Oscar-winner Chicago, returns to musicals with Nine about famous film director Guido Contini as he struggles to find balance between his professional and personal lives, as shown through his relationships with five different women. The film is an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical based on 8 1/2. What else does this have going for it? Well, how about D.P. Dion Beebe (Oscar winner), music by Maury Yeston (Tony Award winner) and a fantastic cast (six Oscar winners!). Oscar voters and film fans watch out! The film stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, and Kate Hudson (not an Oscar winner, but she was nominated for one). Check out the trailer.

Fun Movies:

The Princess and the Frog (Ron Clements & John Musker) – Animation – Dec 11

Walt Disney Animation Studio’s second feature is The Princess and the Frog, the classic story, with a twist, set in the French Quarter of New Orleans during the Jazz Age. While the trailer really is not that great, there are two key things to remember: 1) this is a Disney film, and they seldom disappoint, and 2) director/writers Ron Clements and John Musker are responsible for The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules (not bad, right). And with that track record, the film will likely be good. The film has voice talent including: Keith David, Terrence Howard, John Goodman, and Oprah Winfrey. Check out the trailer.

Avatar (James Cameron) – Sci-Fi – Dec 18

James Cameron, you’ve just made the highest grossing motion picture (not adjusted for inflation) of all-time, what are you going to do now? To which Cameron has seemingly replied, not make a new film for twelve years other than a few nature/history documentaries that five people will see as I try to figure out how to eliminate actors from film. The result: Avatar. The film is about humans battling a distant planet’s indigenous peoples by way of inserting a mole. While to some the trailer may present what appears to be a lackluster film, Cameron did make T2 so that gives him some leeway. Though, do we actually really want to see films with no actors, aside for the annual Pixar film? And at an estimated $300MM budget before P&A, this better do Titanic business (actors are probably safe for now). The film stars/voice talent: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver. Check out the trailer.

Sherlock Holmes (Guy Ritchie) – Action – Dec 25

Do three terribles make a good? 1) Guy Ritchie, after making two good movies to start his career, has made three consecutive bad films. 2) Lead screenwriter Simon Kinberg is not a prudent decision, should you actually want the movie to be good (why not just hire David Koepp as co-writer and hope their combined terribleness will negate and prove to be positive outcome). And 3) the tagline is “Nothing Escapes Him” (wasn’t that the tagline to Jaws: The Revenge? I stand corrected, that tagline was “This time… It’s personal”). On the argument of good, 1) cool cast headlined by Robert Downey Jr. 2) Music by Hans Zimmer. And 3) it is a Sherlock Holmes movie! So does it all cancel out? And if so, what does that leave? Hopefully, a good time at the cinema, the trailer does show the film to be fun, and isn’t that the point of a film such as this. The film stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, and Mark Strong. Check out the trailer.

Art-House Watch:

Brothers (Jim Sheridan) – Drama – Dec 4

Brothers is a film about brothers (surprisingly so) who are both stationed in Iraq, one is missing presumed dead, and so the other returns stateside to reconcile with his brother’s wife and child, only he fall for the wife and child, and (again, surprise!) then his brother is found not to be dead and returns home. This film comes with a warning at this point: WARNING! HUGE AMOUNTS OF DRAMA TO ENSUE. But, usually, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ aside, Jim Sheridan makes pretty good films. Plus, this has a great cast and music by Thomas Newman. The film stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Clifton Collins Jr., and Sam Shepard. Check out the trailer.

The Young Victoria (Jean-Marc Vallee) – History/Romance – Dec 18

The plot of this film is self evident in the title. Plus, as we learn from the tagline, “Love rules all”, so we know all we need to know going into this. So why go see this particular film, another in a long overplayed genre? Well, it is director Jean-Marc Vallee’s second mainstream film, after the well received C.R.A.Z.Y. It stars the wonderful Emily Blunt, and has a strong supporting cast. It is written by Julian Fellows who wrote Gosford Park. And finally, it looks to be quite good based on the trailer. The film stars: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, and Mark Strong. Check out the trailer.

A Single Man (Tom Ford) – Drama – Dec 25

Another Oscar favorite, A Single Man is a film based on the book by Christopher Isherwood about an English professor who tries to go about his average day in LA amidst the sudden death of his partner. The film marks the feature directorial debut of fashion giant Tom Ford. The film has a great cast and likely will have a great look and style to it, with Ford running the show. The film stars: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Nicholas Hoult. Check out the trailer.