Nationwide Releases
WALL-E
Directed: Andrew Stanton
Starring: Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin, Ben Burtt, Sigourney Weaver, John Ratzenberger
Trailer
Synopsis: In the future, humans leave Earth and there is one robot that is left to clean up all the garbage left behind. He develops a personality and becomes lonely.
My Take: I love Pixar and I think it looks adorable, like R2D2.
RT Score: 96%
RT Consensus: Charming, audacious, and timely, Wall-E‘s lighthearted magic and stellar visuals testify once again to Pixar’s ingenuity.
Wanted
Directed: Timbor Bekmambetov
Starring: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Thomas Kretschmann, Common
Trailer
Synopsis: A guy is recruited into an assassin organization because of his similar talents that his father had, such as shooting the wings off flies and curving bullets.
My Take: Good looking action film with a cool director. Also, James McAvoy is cute.
RT Score: 73%
RT Consensus: Wanted is a fast-paced, crackling thrill ride tailor-made for the Summer audience.
Limited Releases
The Last Mistress
Directed: Catherine Breillat
Starring: Asia Argento, Fu’ad Ait Aattou, Roxane Mesquida, Claude Sarraute, Yolande Moreau
Trailer
Synopsis: In 19th century France, a penniless young man is set to marry a virginal aristocrat, even though he has had a mistress for 10 years. She isn’t too keen on him getting married.
My Take: It appears to be good bodice-ripping, sexy fun.
RT Score: 74%
RT Consensus: More complicated than your average bodice ripper, Catherine Breillat’s Last Mistress features beautiful costumes, wrought romances, and a feral performance from Argento.
Trumbo
Directed: Peter Askin
Starring: Joan Allen, Brian Dennehy, Michael Douglas, Paul Giamatti, Nathan Lane
Trailer
Synopsis: In the 1940s, a screenwriter was blacklisted for being accused of communism. He decided to start a fight with Congress.
My Take: Actually looks pretty interesting.
RT Score: 68%
RT Consensus: Trumbo celebrates the life and work of blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo with measures of humor and sadness.
Elsa & Fred
Directed: Marcos Carnevale
Starring: China Zorrilla, Manuel Alexandre, Blanca Portillo, Robert Carnaghl, Jose Angel Egid
Trailer
Synopsis: Two older people find out they still have a lot to live for when they fall in love.
My Take: Crazy old people being wacky.
RT Score: 54%
Finding Amanda
Directed: Peter Tolan
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow, Maura Tierney, Peter Facinelli, Steve Coogan
Trailer
Synopsis: A guy who has quit drinking and drugs, still has a gambling problem, and now he is off to Vegas to find his prostitute niece and taking her to rehab.
My Take: Sounds interesting and I like the people in it, but it still seems like it wouldn’t be super great.
RT Score: 40%
RT Consensus: Despite a charming turn by Matthew Broderick, Finding Amanda is too flimsily executed to succeed as a dark comedy.
Red Roses and Petrol
Directed: Tamar Simon Hoffs
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Susan Lynch, Max Beesley, Greg Ellis, Heather Juergensen
Trailer
Synopsis: An Irish family gather for a funeral and their dysfunction comes to the surface.
My Take: Their accents were pretty thick. I’m not sure what they said.
RT Score: 0%
Full Grown Men
Directed: David Munro
Starring: Matt McGrath, Judah Friedlander, Alan Cumming, Debbie Harry, Amy Sedaris
Trailer
Synopsis: A man’s wife kicks him out of the house until he grows up, but he decides to behave like a kid again while on a road trip with his best friend growing up, who does act like an adult now.
My Take: It is supposed to be a comedy, but it didn’t look very funny.
RT Score: 39%
Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot
Directed: Adam Yauch
Trailer
Synopsis: Documentary by one of the Beastie Boys following eight high school basketball players who are trying to get into the NBA.
My Take: I’m not interested in sports documentaries.
RT Score: 86%
RT Consensus: Beastie Boy Adam Yauch proves his worth as a director with Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot, a fun-filled chronicle of the top high school hoopsters of 2006.
Bustin’ Down the Door
Directed: Jeremy Gosch
Trailer
Synopsis: Documentary about the start of surfing turning into a pro sport.
My Take: My mind started wandering during the trailer.
RT Score: 100%
