Starring: Peyman Moadi, Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayat, Shahab Hosseini & Sarina Farhadi
Written and directed by Asghar Farhadi
The separation of a married couple in Iran sets off a chain reaction of events that changes several lives forever.
Lesson: Don’t let your
divorce keep you from choosing
“the help” more wisely.
Grade: A
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
A Separation is playing now in select cities.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1832382/
Starring: Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Ed Harris & Sarah Paulson
Written by Danny Strong
Directed by Jay Roach
John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign is both invigorated and challenged when Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin is chosen to be the vice presidential candidate.
Moore’s great, you betcha!
Do you think Palin can see
regret from her house?
Grade: A-
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
Game Change is now playing on HBO.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1848902/
Starring: Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen & Michael Fassbender
Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
Directed by David Cronenberg
The relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud becomes strained when Jung involves himself too deeply with one of his patients.
Keira Knightley gets
spanked, but not because of those
lame Pirates sequels.
Grade: B+
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
A Dangerous Method is available on Blu-ray and DVD tomorrow.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571222/
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks & Stanley Tucci
Screenplay by Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins & Billy Ray
Directed by Gary Ross
Yes, it’s good. So can
we all just forget about
stupid Twilight now?
Grade: B+
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
The Hunger Games is now playing in theaters nationwide.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/
Starring: Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox & Edward Burns
Written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt
Two platonic best friends decide to have a child together and split the responsibility to avoid the strains that parenthood puts on romantic relationships.
Rom-com or one big
laundry list of reasons to
shun reproduction?
Grade: B-
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
Friends with Kids is now playing in select cities.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1720616/
Starring: Jonah Hill, Max Records, Ari Graynor, JB Smoove & Sam Rockwell
Written by Brian Gatewood & Alessandro Tanaka
Directed by David Gordon Green
A slacker drags the kids he’s watching into the city to meet his girlfriend and ends up running afoul of a drug dealer.
If you need a good
sitter, I suggest finding
Elisabeth Shue.
Grade: C-
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
The Sitter is available on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/20/12.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1366344/
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen
Screenplay by Laura Lau
Directed by Chris Kentis & Laura Lau
A young woman experiences horrific events while at her family’s lake house.
You’ve been to this House
before, but Olsen makes this
visit well worth while.
Grade: B
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
Silent House is now playing in theaters nationwide.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1767382/
Starring: Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Orlando Bloom, Christoph Waltz, Matthew MacFadyen, Luke Evans & Ray Stevenson
Screenplay by Alex Litvak and Andrew Davies
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson
D’Artagnan and the three Musketeers try to stop a deadly conspiracy involving Cardinal Richelieu, the assassin Milday, and the Duke of Buckingham.
It’s all for one, but
one may be for eye-gouging
after watching this.
Grade: C-
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
The Three Musketeers is available on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/13/12.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1509767/
Starring: Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Freida Pinto, John Hurt & Mickey Rourke
Written by Charles Parlapanides & Vlas Parlapanides
Directed by Tarsem Singh Dhandwar
Based on Greek mythology, the young warrior Theseus is chosen by the gods of Mount Olympus to thwart evil King Hyperion’s plan to obtain a magical bow that can release the Titans, elder gods who will bring death and destruction to heaven and earth alike.
The plot is a myth
but Rourke and the visuals
are legendary.
Grade: B-
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
Immortals is available on Blu-ray and DVD today.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1253864/
Written by Nancy Buirski & Susie Ruth Powell
Directed by Nancy Buirski
Set during the tumultuous Civil Rights movement, this documentary tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple who were repeatedly arrested and forced to leave the state of Virginia for being married at a time when it was forbidden for whites and blacks to marry.
Forbid certain folks
from marrying? Good thing that
doesn’t happen now!
Grade: B
c2012
By Daniel J. Hoag
The Loving Story is now playing on HBO.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1759682/
The Haiku Review 