Flicks Favorites

OCTOBER RELEASES

Rendition
 Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Alan Arkin, Peter Saarsgard & Meryl Streep.
 Directed by Gavin Hood for distribution by New Line Cinemas.

In today's brave new world, the methods our government uses to collect information can sometimes come under fire. Isabella El-Ibrahim (Witherspoons) is about to light the match. When her foreign-born scientist husband simply disappears on a flight from South America to Washington, Isabella goes a desperate search to find answers. Meanwhile in a secret government facility, a young CIA analyst (Gyllenhaal) begins to question his job after witnessing an unorthodox interrogation. Unbeknownst to him, the subject of the interrogation was Isabella's husband.
 The Final Word: This is the movie that sparked the rumors of romance between Witherspoon and Gyllenhaal. It may also be the movie that gets both of them back into the Oscar race.
OCTOBER 19

We Own The Night
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Whalberg, Robert Duvall & Eva Mendes.
Directed by James Gray for distribution by Columbia Pictures (Sony).

Bobby Green (Phoenix) is a successful club manager catering to New York's most infamous. His brother Joseph, is a cop (Whalberg) whose trying to end one of the most dangerous crime waves his city has ever seen. When there two worlds become intertwined and Joseph is wounded by one of Bobby's big spenders, a line is crossed. All of sudden Bobby is forced to choose a side and the end result could be deadly, especially to Bobby's father, the former chief of police (Duvall).
The Final Word: This is what you call a stacked cast. Columbia is clearly trying to get the attention of the Oscar voters with this movie. It's a smart plot, with two stellar leads, both of which have been the big dance before.
OCTOBER 12

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
 Starring: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen, Samantha Morton & Abbie Cornish.
 Directed by Shekar Kapur for distribution by Universal Pictures.

One Sentence Summary: The historical saga that was the life of Queen Elizabeth I (Blanchett) continues as she must choose between love (Clive Owen) and country.
 The Final Word: Seven years after Blanchett and Rush first hit the silver screen in the Academy Award nominated “Elizabeth” the pair return for the sequel. New to the cast this time is Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh, the man Queen Elizabeth yearns for, but is unable to marry. Blanchett has made a solid career off these type of roles, but the real question here is, since then, have audiences moved on from them?
OCTOBER 12

Gone Baby Gone
Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman & Ed Harris.
Directed by Ben Affleck for distribution by Miramax

One Sentence Summary: Based on the by Dennis Lehane, the movie follows two private investigators who tackle the disappearance of a 4-year old in the Boston underworld.
The Final Word: Lehane is the writer behind the Academy Award winning film “Mystic River.” Bringing another of his classic novels to the big screen is fellow Academy Award winner Ben Affleck. In his directorial debut Affleck directs his brother Casey in a movie designed to show off the real talents of the “Good Will Hunting” star. Will audiences be able to look past “Gigli” and “Jersey Girl?” More importantly will Oscar voters?
OCTOBER 19

Saw IV
Starring: Tobin Bell, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Costas Mandylo & Lyriq Bent.
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman for distribution by Lionsgate.

One Sentence Summary: Even with the villainous and twisted Jigsaw, seemingly no longer alive, his vicious games continue for a new set of cops who have ninety minutes to beat the clock and stay alive.
 The Final Word: The sign of a good franchise is when you can kill off the main character of your series and still have a successful one. Lionsgate has managed to do just that and while nobody believes the film's villain Jigsaw is truly gone, audiences will still come back to see just what happens next.
OCTOBER 26

The Heartbreak Kid
Starring: Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan, Malin Ackerman & Jerry Stiller.
Directed by The Farrelly Brothers for distribution by DreamWorks (Paramount).

One Sentence Summary: A man (Stiller) fearing he's running out of chances to meet the girl of his dreams, marries a seemingly perfect woman (Ackerman), only to find out she's more a nightmare.
 The Final Word: From “Meet The Parents” to “Along Came Polly,” Stiller has defined himself as one of the best at playing a neurotic. What I like about him is that he knows his calling is comedy and he doesn't try to do dramas like many of his counter-parts. What I don't like is the trailer, which makes this movie look like recycled version of a few un-successful film from his past.
OCTOBER 5