Despite their many differences, the new film “50/50” reminded me of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s previous movie, “(500) Days of Summer.” A gentleness and innocence pervades both of these two films. Both films focus on a young man (played by Gordon-Levitt) facing
When movies aren’t shown to critics in advance, there’s usually a reason. A possible explanation is that a movie is so awful that the studio behind it believes that critics will only say terrible things about it. That seems to
It must be difficult to adapt a nonfiction book into a movie. A good screenwriter would likely try to capture all of the story’s important details while ensuring that all of the real-life figures were portrayed accurately. If that sounds
In 2011, Aaron Sorkin won an Academy Award for writing “The Social Network,” in which a young rebel repudiated conventional wisdom and changed how we use the internet and social media. This year, Sorkin is back with “Moneyball”–adapted from the
Two brothers are forced to confront their past inside and outside of a mixed martial arts (MMA) arena in the new film, “Warrior.” Starring Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte, “Warrior” focuses on a family coming together after being
Since her Oscar-winning role in “The Queen,” Helen Mirren often brings a gravitas and an air of authority to her work. Even in “Red,” where she played a retired assassin, Mirren brought a level of class to the film despite
Anton Yelchin has arrived. The young actor, who had memorable roles in 2009’s “Star Trek” and this year’s “The Beaver,” has had featured roles in films like “Charlie Bartlett” and “Alpha Dog” but he’s never really had a star vehicle
As “Crazy, Stupid, Love” begins, Cal (Steve Carell) sits in a crowded restaurant with Emily (Julianne Moore), his wife of nearly twenty-five years. When Cal, oblivious to the affair that his wife has had with a coworker, says that he
First and foremost, “Cowboys & Aliens” is a Western. It features cowboys, gunslingers and, of course, a woman at the center of the storm. These distinct characters and the beginning of the story set up the movie like a normal
[youtube 6ejs_rxQyaI nolink] —– What’s to Like From director Garry Marshall to stars like Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, and Hector Elizondo, “New Year’s Eve” feels like a carbon copy of last year’s “Valentine’s Day.” It seems clear that the producers
In the same week that a trailer for a reboot of the “Spider-Man” franchise was released, a franchise that had its last outing in theaters a mere four years ago, a new movie arrived in theaters about two friends who
[youtube ADN5ky9prqs nolink] —– What’s to Like Although this trailer isn’t as impressive as the previously-released teaser trailer for “The Muppets,” it’s still a lot of fun. With a talented cast including Jason Segel, Amy Adams and the muppets themselves,
In addition to the critical hit “October Sky,” Joe Johnston has previously directed several fun action movies including “Jurassic Park III” and “The Rocketeer.” With that in mind, it’s difficult to see where Johnston went so wrong in directing “Captain
After seven books, eight movies, and millions of satisfied fans, the long battle between Harry Potter and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has finally ended. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” is the last installment in the “Harry Potter” film series that
Early on in “Horrible Bosses,” a manager named Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey) looks condescendingly at one of his employees and says, “I own you.” That remark summarizes the three main employer-employee relationships in this new comedy about three bosses who
It’s difficult to imagine actors upstaging both Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks but that’s what happens in the new film “Larry Crowne.” Starring the two Oscar winners, the light-hearted comedy features several lesser-known stars in small roles that overshadow the
This past weekend, I attended several screenings at the 9th annual Silverdocs film festival in Silver Spring, Maryland. The festival ran from June 20th through the 26th and featured documentaries about a variety of topics. From best to worst, here
In 1962, John F. Kennedy noted that “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…” However, according to “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,”
In the new film “Bad Teacher,” it’s obvious that Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) is a terrible educator. She runs away from crying students, smokes marijuana in the school’s parking lot and doesn’t even decorate her classroom. That’s right. In an
[youtube 8oLOLTc6Qzc nolink] —– What’s to Like This comedy reunites Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg with “Zombieland” director Ruben Fleischer, which could be a winning combination. The trailer reminds us that Eisenberg can be funny when given strong material and
It’s difficult to dislike a Pixar movie because the studio is well-known for telling great stories with wonderful animation. After all, this is the studio that released the “Toy Story” trilogy and the heart-warming “Up.” “Cars 2,” the newest Pixar
The Green Lantern Corps may be the “keepers of peace, order and justice in the universe” but that doesn’t mean that they’re worth making a movie about. The Corps is featured prominently in the new film “Green Lantern,” which unsuccessfully
[youtube PIf0OlJ7QeE nolink] —– What’s to Like: The trailer’s opening has a strong ominous feeling to it that’s really intriguing and well-done. It’s too bad that the payoff to that intrigue is a wedding invitation for the nuptials of Bella
“Know your products,” is the first rule for being a salesman, according to Nick (Will Ferrell), the main character in the new independent film “Everything Must Go.” Such advice comes is handy when Nick is forced to hold a yard
In mid-May, I noted that the trailer for the science fiction thriller “Super 8” was well-done and that the film, which features a strong cast and great talent behind the scenes, looked promising. Now that I’ve seen the finished product,
[youtube txgGhyjPZGg nolink] What’s to Like This remake of 1985’s “Fright Night” has potential. It has a strong cast with rising talent Anton Yelchin (“The Beaver”) featured alongside Toni Collette and Colin Farrell. The trailer is reminiscent of 2007’s “Disturbia,”
[youtube tCRQQCKS7go nolink] —– What’s to Like: Fans of J.J. Abrams (the creator of “Lost” and the director of “Star Trek”) and Steven Spielberg are likely looking forward to this new sci-fi film. Both men produced “Super 8” and Abrams
The long-running “Fast and the Furious” film series recently returned to theaters with “Fast Five.” Since its release, this fifth installment has broken numerous box office records showing the continued strength of this series. With that in mind, I recently
In “Prom,” a group of students prepare for the last big dance of high school. Unlike most other teen comedies, this story is clean family fun that both teens and pre-teens will likely enjoy. The plot, while superficial, is also
[youtube qIUJ02ff_So nolink] —– What’s to Like: Charlie Hunnam and Patrick Wilson, two of the film’s stars, have done solid work before. Hunnam was great in the short-lived sitcom “Undeclared” and Wilson has appeared in a few strong films. What’s
[youtube mObK5XD8udk nolink] —– What’s to Like: The finale to the “Harry Potter” series promises to feature a lot of exciting action sequences and great special effects. Judging by the trailer and the content in the last book, I know
In “Scream 4,” the recently-released thriller directed by Wes Craven, a publicist refers to Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) as a “victim for life.” For Prescott, who was attacked and nearly murdered in the original “Scream” trilogy, the characterization rings true.