Nov 30 2007
Movies Opening Nov 30
Nationwide Releases
What is up with the lack of nationwide releases this week? No one wanted to compete with Jessica Alba?
Awake
Directed: Joby Harold
Starring: Jessica Alba, Hayden Christensen
Trailer
Synopsis: A man is awake even with anesthesia for an open heart surgery. That’s not the worst of it since he can hear his surgeons making plans to kill him and collect millions.
My Take: The beginning part of the premise sounds intriguing, but the second half sounds tacked on so they could make an actual movie out of the subject.
RT Score: 13%
Limited Releases
Teeth
Directed: Mitchel Lichtenstein
Starring: Jess Weixler, John Hensley, Josh Pais, Hale Appleman
Trailer
Synopsis: A girl finds out that she has teeth in her vagina, which freaks her and everyone else out.
My Take: Sounds completely wacky, but they loved it at Sundance. That’s a good sign.
RT Score: 80%
The Savages
Directed: Tamara Jenkins
Starring: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco
Trailer
Synopsis: Two grown children have to wrestle with the idea of putting their estranged father, who has developed dementia, into a nursing home.
My Take: I really like Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman, so it would be something I’d want to see on Netflix.
RT Score: 90%
RT Consensus: A brilliantly constructed family drama with superb performances, The Savages is never less than compelling.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Directed: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josee Croze
Trailer
Synopsis: A man who lives every day like it his his last has a stroke that leaves him paralyzed everywhere, while his mind is intact. He uses his past memories and his own imagination in order to get through the days.
My Take: It is based on a true story, and looks inspirational, but also sad. I’d have to be in a certain mood for it.
RT Score: 93%
RT Consensus: Breathtaking visuals and dynamic performances make The Diving Bell and the Butterfly a powerful biopic.
Protagonist
Directed: Jessica Yu
Trailer
Synopsis: Documentary covering four men–a German terrorist, a bank robber, a gay evangelist and a martial arts student–and shows how they control and don’t control their own destinies.
My Take: Still not completely sure of the point of the movie, but it looks interesting.
RT Score: 77%
Budda’s Lost Children
Directed: Mark Verkerk
Trailer
Synopsis: In Thailand, an ex-boxer turned Buddhist monk takes in orphans in a village to turn them into self confident men.
My Take: Looks very sweet.
RT Score: 100%
Sex and Breakfast
Directed: Miles Brandman
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Kuno Becker, Eliza Dushku, Alexis Dziena
Trailer
Synopsis: Two young couples are in group sex therapy sessions.
My Take: Why do people in their twenties need group sex therapy? Not believable!
RT Score: 20%
Oswald’s Ghost
Directed: Robert Stone
Trailer
Synopsis: Documentary covering how people are still haunted by the JFK assassination and how many people believe that Oswald didn’t act alone.
My Take: I don’t think Oswald acted alone, but don’t think I need to see another documentary about it.
RT Score: 79%
The Sasquatch Gang
Directed: Tim Skousen
Starring: Jeremy Sumpter, Justin Long, Carl Weathers, Joey Kern
Trailer
Synopsis: A couple of butt rock guys with mullets look for ways to make money so the bank doesn’t take their Pontiac Firebird. Another group of friends spend their time playing live-action role playing and think they found Sasquatch’s footprints. Then the two groups collide.
My Take: A movie made for stoners. They will find it hilarious.
RT Score: 38%
Mama’s Boy
Directed: Tim Hamilton
Starring: Jon Heder, Diane Keaton, Jeff Daniels, Anna Faris
Trailer
Synopsis: A 29-year-old refuses to grow up and move out of his mom’s house, which becomes a problem when her new boyfriend wants to move in.
My Take: Would be more believable if his mom was overbearing, making him into a mama’s boy, but she actually wants him out of the house and to have his own life. If the premise doesn’t make sense, will the rest of the movie?
RT Score: 0%
Badland
Directed: Francesco Lucente
Starring: Jamie Draven, Grace Fulton, Vinessa Shaw, Joe Morton, Chandra West
Trailer
Synopsis: A man who doesn’t have a great life, goes off to Afghanistan and Iraq, and when he returns, he is even more messed up.
My Take: I almost fell asleep during the trailer.
RT Score: 25%
Undoing
Directed: Chris Chan Lee
Starring: Kelly Hu, Sung Kang, Tom Bower, Russell Wong
Trailer
Synopsis: A man left behind his violent past, but returns after a year, to make up for his past actions. He gets dragged back into old life.
My Take: Familiar story, but doesn’t have anything else to grab my interest.
RT Score: 67%
