Friday, April 29, 2011

HANNA

☆☆☆1/2

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In this engaging suspense thriller, Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones) delivers an excellent performance as Hanna. Raised in Finland by her father (Eric Bana) to be the perfect assassin, Hanna fights to survive as she faces secrets about who she really is.
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Violent
Disappointing performance by Cate Blanchett (CIA operative).

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 51 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.




Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Water for Elephants

☆☆☆☆

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“Water for Elephants" (based on the bestselling novel) is the compelling story of Jacob (excellent performance by Robert Pattinson), a young college student, and Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), a Big Top performer, who meet and fall in love while working with Rosie…a special elephant in the circus.
Christoph Waltz as August (Marlena’s abusive husband) turns-in a strong performance as well.
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Predictable
Some fans of the novel expressed disappointment in the film version.

Rated PG-13
2 hrs. 2 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!




Saturday, April 23, 2011

Rio

☆☆☆1/2

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“Rio” (from the makers of “Ice Age”) is the fun, colorful, and family friendly animated story about Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a rare macaw, who leaves his comfortable life in Minnesota to travel to Rio to meet another rare macaw named Jewel (Anne Hathaway).

The two macaws, along with a menagerie of characters (George Lopez, Jaime Fox, Will.i.am), face the adventure of a lifetime.

Excellent in 3-D…worth the extra money.
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Looking for a little more “heart.”

Rated G
1 hr. 36 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!




Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Win Win

☆☆☆☆1/2

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“Win Win” is a heartwarming comedy from writer-director Tom McCarthy (“The Station Agent” and “The Visitor”) starring Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, and newcomer Alex Shaffer.
Mike Flaherty (Giamatti), a struggling lawyer trying to make ends meet, grabs a moneymaking opportunity by becoming the guardian of one of his clients. When the runaway grandson of the client (Shaffer) shows-up on grandpa’s doorstep, life changes for the Flaherty family.
Amy Ryan turns in an excellent performance…and Bobby Cannavale (“The Station Agent and “Will and Grace”), as Flaherty’s best friend, adds some fun.

The best film I've seen in 2011!
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This independent film isn’t getting the “BUZZ” it deserves.

Rated R
1 hr. 46 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer!




Monday, April 11, 2011

The Lincoln Lawyer

☆☆☆☆

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In this edgy thriller, based on Michael Connelly’s book, Matthew McConaughey (in one of his best performances) stars as Michael "Mick" Haller, a slick Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back of his Lincoln Continental (license plate…NTGUILTY).
Mick lands a case (defending the wealthy Louis Roulet…played by Ryan Phillippe) that takes a turn and challenges his view of right and wrong.
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May be considered predictable and/or confusing.

Rated R
1 hr. 58 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer!




Monday, April 4, 2011

Source Code


☆☆☆☆
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In this exciting science fiction thriller (from director Duncan Jones and writer Ben Ripley), Captain Colter Stevens (spot-on performance by Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in another man’s body on a Chicago commuter train that’s about to be bombed. His mission is to find the bomber in the last 8 minutes of the other man’s life.

Solid supporting performances by Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga.
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Some say the movie just doesn’t make sense.
Disturbing Images


Rated PG-13
1 hr. 33 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!