He's Just Not That Into You

Movie Info

Directed by: Ken Kwapis (About A Boy, The Office (TV))
Written by: Book: Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo, Screenplay: Abby Kohn (Never Been Kissed) & Marc Silverstein (Never Been Kissed)
Starring: Jennifer Aniston (Marley & Me, Friends (TV)), Ben Afflect (Good Will Hunting, Pearl Harbor), Drew Barrymore (E.T., Fever Pitch)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for sexual content and brief strong language
Runtime: 129 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 44% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 48/100
IMDB Rating: 6.5/10
My Response: While this one looks to try to be an American version of Love Actually, it falls way short. It may be the best romantic comedy to come out in a while, but that's not saying much.

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Hotel for Dogs

Movie Info

Directed by: Thor Freudenthal (Motel)
Written by: Lois Duncan (book), Jeff Lowell, Robert Schooley, & Mark McCorkle (screenplay)
Starring: Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew, Wild Child), Jake T. Austin (The Ant Bully, Everybody's Hero), Lisa Kudrow (Friends, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion)
Genre: Family/Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG - for brief mild thematic elements, language and some crude humor
Runtime: 100 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 44% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 51/100
IMDB Rating: 4.2/10
My Response: I will start off by telling you the absolute best thing about this movie: the director's name is Thor. Thor?!? Really Thor's parents? You're going to do that to him?? Oh well, skip his movie.

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Not Easily Broken

Movie Info

Directed by: Bill Duke (Hoodlum, Sister Act 2)
Written by: T.D. Jakes (novel) & Brian Bird (screenplay, The Last Sin Eater)
Starring: Morris Chestnut (Boyz N The Hood, Ladder 49), Taraji P. Henson (Four Brothers, Hustle & Flow)
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for sexual references and thematic elements
Runtime: 99 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 37% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 42/100
IMDB Rating: N/A
My Response: What? No Tyler Perry? That's weird. This must be the first Africa-American focused film in years without the pretense "Tyler Perry Presents". I think that's a good thing (diversity is always good), but this one still looks like a bomb. Skip it.

Trailer



Official Website

The Reader

Movie Info

Directed by: Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours)
Written by: Bernhard Schlink (book "Der Vorleser"), David Hare (screenplay, The Hours)
Starring: Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List, Quiz Show)
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R - for some scenes of sexuality and nudity
Runtime: 123 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 60% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 58/100
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
My Response: This film was actually released to a few theaters about a month ago to start getting buzz around it before it's wide release on Friday (a trend that is getting too popular in my opinion). But, it's obviously worked, as The Reader is up for four Golden Globes and just about every review mentions the word "Oscar". With the director, writer, and both stars already being nominated for the gold statue in the past, this one definitely has the pedigree to go the distance. See it.

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Official Website

Defiance

Movie Info

Directed by: Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai)
Written by: Nechama Tac (book), Clayton Frohman (Under Fire) & Edward Zwick (The Last Samurai)
Starring: Daniel Craig (Casino Royale, Munich), Liev Schreiber (The Manchurian Candidate, Scream), Jamie Bell (Billy Elloit, The Chumscrubber)
Genre: Drama/Action/War
MPAA Rating: R - for violence and language
Runtime: 137 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 40% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 56/100
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
My Response: Everyone is saying two things about this film: the direction turned a great story into a run-of-the-mill movie, but the acting is pretty solid. Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber perform admirably, and I've been a huge fan of Jamie Bell (since he's still young, he's going to be an actor to watch for years to come). But despite these performances, this film looks to dissappoint. Skip it.

Trailer



Official Website

Marley & Me

Movie Info

Directed by: David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada)
Written by: John Grogan (book), Scott Frank (Get Shorty) & Don Ross (Happy Endings)
Starring: Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers, Bottle Rocket), Jennifer Aniston (Friends, The Break-Up)
Genre: Comedy/Family
MPAA Rating: PG - for thematic material, some suggestive content and language
Runtime: 120 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 51% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 53/100
IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
My Response: This is the kind of movie that a certain group (dog lovers) will love no matter what, and most other people will think it's sub par. See it if you are the former, skip it if you're a cat person.

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Official Website

Revolutionary Road

Movie Info

Directed by: Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition)
Written by: Richard Yates (novel), Justin Haythe (screenplay)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed, Romeo + Juliet), Kate Winslet (Finding Neverland, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R - for language and some sexual content/nudity
Runtime: 119 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 69% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 70/100
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
My Response: While I will not discuss the movie that made DiCaprio and Winslet famous, I will talk about about how great this film looks. There really are no weaknesses to be found here. Director Sam Mendes has already won an Oscar (for American Beauty), Leo and Kate have been nominated several times each, and all are looking for more awards this season. The buzz around this film has been nothing but positive. DiCaprio and Winslet are both in roles that really let them expand their acting skills, and I can't wait to see them on screen.

Trailer



Official Website