Here are the new movie releases for this week.
Opening in Wide release:
- Max Payne - Mark Wahlberg stars in this video game adaptation as an undercover DEA agent framed for murder and out for revenge. The story also revolves around a new drug people are taking that gives them crazy delusions (like the freaky angels and demons you've seen in the trailer). I was kind of excited about this movie when I first heard about it, but the more I've seen the less interested I've become. And the fact that it's not rated R is really lame. But it does boast an appearance by Brea Grant, aka my favorite new "Heroes" cast member (she plays Daphne, the speedy chick), so maybe I'll rent it. But unless that interests any of you, you'll probably want to stay away from what looks to be another bad video game-to-movie adaptation. Rated PG-13.
- Sex Drive - A teen embarks on a crazy road trip in his brother's 1969 GTO to lose his virginity with a woman he knows only through the internet. I'm always up for a good teen-sex comedy, but it needs to be funny (see "Superbad"). This movie does not look funny to me; it looks gross and stupid. Sorry, but even Seth Green playing an Amish guy isn't enough to get me to see this movie. Skip it. Rated R.
- The Secret Life of Bees - Dakota Fanning flees her hometown and is taken in by an eccentric trio of beekeeping sisters in 1960s South Carolina. There's not much I can really say; it doesn't really interest me, but I'm pretty sure that if you liked the book and/or the trailer makes you want to see this movie, then you probably won't end up being disappointed. Rated PG-13.
- W. - Josh Brolin ("No Country For Old Men") stars as George W. Bush in Oliver Stone's biopic about the eventful life of the 43rd President of the United States. Otherwise known as the most controversial movie of the year. Most people (me included) assumed that the openly leftist Stone would do a hatchet job on Bush, but that doesn't seem to be the case; rather, he seems to have made a film than is both critical and sympathetic to the President. That being said, it doesn't look interesting enough to make me see it in the theater... but I'll definitely rent it on DVD. Rated PG-13.
Opening in Limited release:
- Filth and Wisdom - Three very different London flat-mates - A.K., Juliette and Holly - dream big and live desperately in Madonna's directorial debut. Yes, it's that Madonna. This is a very strange-looking movie; I'm not sure exactly what to make of it. On the plus side, it stars Eugene Hutz, who is the frontman for the crazy Gypsy-punk troupe Gogol Bordello, and who also starred in a great film called "Everything is Illuminated" (if you've never seen it, go out and buy/rent it immediately). But, on the other hand, it's directed by Madonna, and sometimes her love of weird and off-the-wall stuff doesn't really work very well. Intriguing enough for a DVD rental. Rated R.
- Morning Light - Fifteen inexperienced young sailors train to compete in the Transpac, the most revered of open-ocean sailing competitions. This looks to be an excellent and really enjoyable documentary. What's crazy is that the trailer makes it look more like a scripted Hollywood film than a regular documentary (which is a compliment in regards to the amazing story). Definitely worth seeing; my top pick of the week. Rated PG.
- What Just Happened - Robert De Niro is a desperate movie producer trying to survive the treachery of Hollywood and the hell of getting his movie made. This looks to be a very funny movie about the inner workings of Hollywood; it also kind of reminds me of movies like "Best in Show" and "This Is Spinal Tap" if you took away their documentary-esque nature. I'll see pretty much anything Robert De Niro is in, and Bruce Willis and Sean Penn, both playing ego-heavy versions of themselves, look to be hilarious. Worth checking out. Rated R.
Posts
