Filling in for Brian this week. Lots of films opening here in the Big Apple, but I doubt I’ll see any of them, at least in a theater, so I’ll skip the personal interest factor. And remember, no 32-ounce sodas.
Opened on Wednesday:
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Director: Peter Hedges
Seems to be targeting the slender “married couples who can’t have kids” market.
Metacritic Score: 48
Opening today:
The Awakening
Director:
I like ghost stories, and I like Rebecca Hall, but this is getting wan reviews. I’ll probably end up renting it.
Metacritic: 52
Compliance
Director: Craig Zobel
Drama set in a fast-food restaurant. Has Metacritic reviews ranging from 91 to 12, so who knows? Still averages the highest score of any movie opening this week.
Metacritic: 76
Cosmopolis
Director: David Cronenberg
Normally I’d be up to see anything by Cronenberg, but I’m tired of movies about rich hedge fund managers and their absent souls and I absolutely don’t get Robert Pattinson. Will teenage girls wander into this, and then get completely confused?
Metacritic: 58
Paranorman
Director: Chris Butler
I would have wanted to see this when I was a kid, as I loved monsters (I still do). But I’m old and jaded now, so the only way I’ll see this is if gets a nomination for Best Animated Film. And it might.
Metacritic: 73
Robot & Frank
Director: Jake Schreier
Frank Langella forms an attachment with a personal-care robot. Could be interesting, but it probably won’t come out to the suburbs.
Metacritic: 62
Sparkle
Director: Salim Akil
Musical that will be best known as the last work of Whitney Houston, even though she is not the lead. Instead, that goes to American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. Call me a grouch, but I will never see a movie starring an American Idol winner–but wait! I did see From Justin to Kelly, because I have a crush on Kelly Clarkson.
Metacritic: 54
Also opening this week:
Beloved (French musical)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dollar? (doc about economy)
Chicken With Plums (French film set in Iran)
Ek Tha Tiger (Hindi-language film)
The Expendables 2 (second in the series featuring over-the-hill action stars)
The Green Wave (Persian-language documentary)
The Matchmaker (Hebrew-language film set in the ’60s)
Painted Skin: The Resurrection (Chinese sword and sorcery flick)
Speak (documentary about a toastmaster’s competition)
True Wolf (doc about a wolf being cared for by a couple of naturalists)
Why Stop Now? (drama starring Melissa Leo, Jesse Eisenberg, and Tracy Morgan)
