I guess this week is payback for the awesome week that was last. So let’s sift through what’s there this week:
Grab ‘Em Right Away:
Nothing. Save your money for that rainy day coming soon.
Check it out:
The Good Heart
Directed by: Dagur Kári
Written by: Dagur Kári
Starring: Brian Cox & Paul Dano
Why should you rent this movie? Because no matter how you look at it there are still two phenomenal performances in this movie. Brian Cox and Paul Dano are pitch perfect. Cox plays the asshole bartender who hates everyone and everything – except his bar – so much that, well, eventually you end up loving him; and you love him even more when you see him begin to like Lucas (Paul Dano) and show his more vulnerable side. It’s the perfect 90 minute heart-to-heart (yes I just did that) film that you’ll like to sit back and enjoy at least once this week. Check out my full review here.
Avoid Like the Plague:
Death at a Funeral (2010)
Directed by: Neil LaBute
Written by: Dean Craig
Starring: Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Zoe Saldana, Tracy Morgan, Keith David, Peter Dinklage, Danny Glover, James Marsden, Columbus Short & Luke Wilson
Why should you just bury the dead? This is the remake of Franz Oz’s British film of the same name that was released three years ago. I saw it on TV one day, with absolutely no pretense and liked it as an enjoyable surprisingly funny movie. Now the US of A has decided that they need their version and they are wrong. This movie is the same movie you’ve seen before and nothing more, nothing less. It’s not a horrible movie but to say that it’s as good as the predecessor would be a lie. Where it was funny before it remained funny and where it feel flat before it remains flat. However, just the knowledge that I’ve seen this movie already – and in such a recent timeline – I can’t help but have to hate this movie on principle. Check out my full review here.
Date Night
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Written by: Josh Klausner
Starring: Steve Carell & Tina Fey
Why should you stay home and watch some HBO? Because the movie is boring. From start to finish Carell and Fey throw the quirky characters at you from the shows you know them from (The Office and 30 Rock respectively) and make you try and laugh. However, out of the context of those ridiculous everyday scenarios this movie feels stupid and paint by numbers. Along with a myriad of small cameos from numerous character actors such as: Mark Wahlberg, J.B. Smoove, William Fichtner and Ray Liotta the film just felt so cliché that it was never enjoyable. The one scene that did stand out to me had to be the moment that the Foster’s caught up with the Triplehorns, played by James Franco and Mila Kunis. Franco and Kunis know how to make the already ridiculous characters funny. After that the movie dive bombs into boredom territory. Check out my full review here.
Jordan’s Blu-Ray Pick of the Week
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition) [$11.99]
The Rest
The Joneses
Helen
Crumb (The Criterion Collection)
Trauma: Season One
Triage
Louie Bluie (Criterion Collection)
Blu-ray
National Lampoon’s Vacation
National Lampoon’s European Vacation
In The Shadow of the Moon
What are you picking up or renting this week?