Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hours 17 mins
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

April Fool! A couple of years ago the world thought Joaquin Phoenix had slowly gone crazy. He grew a wild beard and declared himself through with acting, aiming to start a career as a rapper. Thankfully the whole episode was a stunt…an experiment for a documentary film featuring Phoenix called “I’m Still Here.” Now, with the release of “The Master,” Phoenix is not only still here but truly, and hopefully, here to stay!

Freddie Quell (Phoenix) is a sailor, serving his country during World War II. To say Freddie has problems is an understatement. Freddie loves women. So much so that one day, to relieve some pressure while on the beach, he builds and then sexually mounts a female shaped sand sculpture he helped build. Upon his discharge he drifts aimlessly between jobs, the only solace he seems to find is inside of any bottle that will have him. One night while wandering the docks he stows away on a yacht which is being used as a wedding chapel for the daughter of Mr. Lancaster Dodd. Dodd is an author and the founder of The Cause – kind of a thinking man’s belief system. His many years at sea taught Freddie how to take ordinary household chemicals and turn them into some first-grade hooch! Dodd (Hoffman in the film’s second great performance) takes a liking to Freddie, and his homemade liquor, and takes him under his wing. Soon each man will learn a lot not only about themselves but about each other.

A masterpiece of acting, “The Master” is sure to be in the front of the line when Academy Award nominations come out. Visually the film is a delight, with cinematographer Mihai Malaimair, Jr.and production designers Jack Fisk and David Crank vividly recreating the past of this country. As always, Anderson’s words and direction are both bold and memorable. But the reason to see this film is the leads. Hoffman and Phoenix put on a virtual clinic and are ably supported by Amy Adams, who plays Hoffman’s wife – the very strong woman behind the man.

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Starring: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox and Rachel Nichols
Directed by: Rob Cohen
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 41 mins
Summit Entertainment

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When you’re best known for playing a sassy black grandmother it takes a lot of guts to step into shoes formerly worn by Morgan Freeman. So right off the bat I have to give Tyler Perry a tip of the hat. And he more than earns it as he steps into the title role of “Alex Cross.”

Detective (and Dr.) Alex Cross and his team (Tommy (Edward Burns) and Monica (Nichols) have been called in to solve the torture/murder of a mysterious woman. Clues left behind point to a future victim, who is saved by the group but not before inflicting some whip-ass on the law. As a way of reassuring himself, and the team, Cross informs the others that, based on his information, there will be no retribution for their attempts at foiling the bad guy! Wrong, Alex. Shall we say…dead wrong?

Based on the character and popular novels created by James Patterson, “Alex Cross” is a familiar story for those who have read them. Here, instead of Washington D.C. the trio work for the Detroit police department. All have things going on in their lives. Tommy and Monica have been quietly dating for the past couple months, something that is obviously frowned on upon in the department. Alex has been offered a job with the FBI, but it means uprooting his family. So with all of this happening they are assigned the duty of protecting Leon Mercier (Jean Reno), a French businessman who may or may not be a target. Let the game of cat and mouse begin.

Before I go any further let me answer the big question – …Yes. Though he hasn’t yet attained the quiet gravitas that Morgan Freeman brings to almost every role, Perry is fine as Cross. Part Batman, part John McClane – Perry’s Cross does not have toned abs or a chiseled face, which makes him even more believable. On the other side, “Lost” star Matthew Fox is downright terrifying as a killer who believes in giving his clients their money worth. His eyes sunken and dark, Fox appears to have lost almost all of his body fat, making his frame long and sinewy. A role that could have been played so broadly is nailed perfectly. Director Cohen, who has helmed movies ranging from “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story” to the original “Fast and the Furious,” keeps the action moving and earns extra points for featuring a climactic scene inside an old and crumbling movie theatre. The story is pretty much by the book, with the good guy and bad guy matching wits as if playing a deadly chess game. Some of the plot points do tend to go astray but for the most part the story stays on point and makes you look forward to a second chapter.

Starring: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken
Directed by: Martin McDonagh
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 49 mins
CBS Films

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

In 2008, Martin McDonagh earned an Oscar nomination for his first full-length screenplay, the quirky mob film “In Bruges.” Expect to see him earn nomination number two for “Seven Psychopaths.”

While waiting to pull off a “hit,” two men are suddenly shot dead. Placed on their bodies is a single playing card – the Jack of Diamonds. This opening sequence begins the tale of what is surely the best quirky crime drama since “The Usual Suspects.”

A thriller interspliced with an uncanny insider look at Hollywood, “Seven Psychopaths” is the story of a story, one being written by Marty (Farrell), an Irish screenwriter whose dependence on the bottle has just cost him his girlfriend. Marty is constantly asking his friend Billy (Rockwell), about his career as a dog thief or, as Marty calls himself, a “dog borrower.” Marty tails wealthy dog owners out with their dogs, kidnaps them and, when the eventual WANTED poster offering a cash reward turns up, his partner Hans (Walken, still at the top of his game at age 69) returns the dog, having just recently “found” it. Billy shares some stories with Marty, who has only gotten as far as the title of his new script: “Seven Psychopaths.” Along the way we meet some of the best written characters in recent years: the man who used to travel the country with his girlfriend, tracking down and murdering murderers (“we were serial killer killers”), the vengeful father (Harry Dean Stanton) of a murdered daughter and a crazy crime boss (Woody Harrelson), whose Shih Tzu, Bonny, Billy has made the mistake of stealing. As these stories, and others, intertwine, you are taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

The film is full of great performances but I must make the following clear:

IF SAM ROCKWELL IS NOT NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR I WILL SEND WOODY HARRELSON TO VISIT THE ACADEMY!

Rockwell gives a bravura performance here, creating a character who lives and breathes on many levels. In what could have been an over-the-top, one note performance Rockwell gives Billy a heart and, more importantly, a soul. You shouldn’t care about him but you can’t help yourself. And a special nod to Bonny, the shih tzu, who I predict will shortly become this year’s Uggie, the canine star of “The Artist.”

The script is packed with inside Hollywood references, with the comments often reflecting the film itself. The action is fast paced and the over-the-top violence is brought to life courtesy of KNB EFX Group partners Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger. McDonagh’s direction is sharp and the outdoor visuals are brought to life by cinematographer Ben Davis.

Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston and John Goodman
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I’ll say this for Ben Affleck – if this actor thing doesn’t work out he’s got a perfect job waiting for him behind the camera. With two Boston-set films (“Gone Baby Gone” and “The Town”) under his belt, Affleck moves his camera to 1979 Iran, where six members of the U.S. Embassy contingent are in hiding after the building was overrun by “students” protesting the United States giving asylum to the former Shah. How the six survived their ordeal is now featured in the new film, “Argo.”

Tony Mendez (Affleck) is among the best of the best in the C.I.A. He has made himself a “master of disguise” thanks to the help of another “master” – Academy Award winning make up man John Chambers (Goodman). In order to rescue the six citizens, who have found refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador, the agency suggests several ways to get them out of Iran. None make sense. Until Mendez suggests a phony film crew help sweep them away. However, in Hollywood, even the phony needs press!

Based on a true story, “Argo” is the first great film of the soon to be approaching Oscar season. Affleck and his “crew” manage to get the six hostages outside and, hopefully, wheels up back to America. To do this the C.I.A. hires film producer Lester Siegel (a very funny Alan Arkin) to help get the word out about the “film.” And Siegel goes all out. “If I’m going to have a fake movie,” he tells Mendez, “it better be a fake hit!” But while the jokes fly in Hollywood, on the other side of the world the smallest mistake could be the escapee’s last. Director Affleck has perfectly recreated the feel of 1979, pulling no punches in depicting the “students” and others who wish to kill us only because we have different beliefs. He has also filled the film with actors whose work takes us back three-plus decades, among them Goodman, Victor Garber as the Canadian ambassador and Cranston as Mendez’ immediate boss. “The whole world is watching you,” Cranston intones. “They just don’t know it yet.”

The film flows smoothly in an almost documentary style. During the end credits there are a selection of shots and scenes from the world in 1979 shown side-by-side with the same scenes in the film. The resemblance is uncanny. It’s obvious that Affleck has studied this subject. No, seriously. He majored in Middle Eastern Studies in college.
He has also studied well at film college. “Argo” helps cement his new reputation as a fine film maker, one who should hear his name called when Oscar nominations are announced.

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Directed by: John Poliquin
Starring: Richard Harmon, Sean Rogerson, Stephanie Bennett, Dylan Playfair, Leanne Lapp, Howard Lai, Ben Wilkinson
Distributed by: Tribeca Film
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 99 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

When I first saw the film “Grace Encounters”, I thought I was in for just another shitty horror film.  I was really pleasantly surprised.  The film had a lot of good jumps and feels a lot bigger than it is.  The film is low budget though the quality seems a lot higher.  So now we have “Grave Encounters 2″, is this just another shitty sequel? That answer is definitely no.  This film takes a unique approach to the found-footage genre and even improves on the film before it.  There are bigger scares, a bigger (and clever) plot and bigger production. Don’t miss this one!

Official Premise: Grave Encounters” was a found-footage horror phenomenon that many people believed was just a movie. Film student Alex Wright is out to prove them wrong in “Grave Encounters 2”. Alex is as obsessed with the first film, as the 20 million people who viewed its viral trailer on YouTube. While he and his friends research the events and visit the real psychiatric hospital depicted in the original film, they find themselves face-to-face with unspeakable evil, banking on the hope that their knowledge of the original film will help them survive the sequel.

The first film was written and directed by The Vicious Brothers, read out interview with them here.  On the sequel, the duo stepped aside from directing and focused on writing.  This really worked well for the sequel, since they had time to focus on the script and make it really kick ass.  These guys are going to be huge, they really know how to setup a horror film and execute it well. John Poliquin steps in the director’s chair and he also really nails it. Tribeca Film is one of my favorite studios.  They have been releasing a lot of quality films and have become a force to be reckoned with distributed independent films. All I have to say is I want “Grave Encounters 3”!

Directed by: Jordan Roberts
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Chris O’Dowd, Lizzy Caplan, Nora Dunn, Whitney Cummings, Ron Perlman, Chris Noth
Distributed by: Variance Films
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running time: 89 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“3,2,1…Frankie Go Boom” is one of the most zany, over-the-top, dysfunctional comedies of the year. It includes also one of the most unique and fantastic collection of actors. Charlie Hunnam and Ron Perlman, who have co-starred in “Sons of Anarchy” and Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming “Pacific Rim”, get a chance to team up again on this project. I have a feeling they should just together on every project. They are simple hysterical together. Lizzy Caplan is fantastic and perfectly neurotic. Also playing her father is Chris Noth, who really delivers a riot of a role and changes the way I will look at a treadmill again.

Now back to Ron Perlman because he deserves his own paragraph. He doesn’t show up till about 57 minutes in but easily makes the whole film. He has been known for his roles like Vincent in “Beauty and the Beast”, the devil child Hellboy and most recently Clay Morrow in “Sons of Anarchy”. Now in “3,2,1…Frankie Go Boom”, he is able to add the role of Phyllis, the transsexual ex-criminal. When he comes on the screen you can’t help but say to yourself…”Wow, only Ron Perlman can pull this off”. The man nails the role and steals the show.

Now let’s get to what this film is actually about. When Frank Bartlett (Hunnam) comes home to support his brothers, Frank (O’Dowd), release from rehab, who has tourterd him all his life. When Frank meets Lassie (Caplan) and finds out that his brother secretly shot sex tape of them and uploaded to the internet, they need to find a way to get it down. To make it worse they find out that Lassie is the daughter of a washed-up unstable movie star, Jack (Noth). They turn to Phyllis, the transsexual ex-criminal (Perlman), in order to take the video down before it goes viral. Let’s just say that nothing goes right.

Overall great casting and smart script lead up to this fun little film. If you are looking for a new definition to dysfunctional family, then be sure to check out “3,2,1…Frankie Go Boom”. Be sure to stay until the screen goes black for more Perlman/Noth! Totally worth it!

Starring: Hugh Laurie, Allison Janney and Leighton Meester
Directed by: Julian Farino
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 30 mins
ATO Pictures

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Neighbors are great things. If you’re fortunate enough to live next to the right people you can make life-long friends. Your kids can grow up together, fostering their own long time friendships. Or not.

Meet the Wallings. David (Laurie) and Paige (Catherine Keener) are the proud parents of son, Toby (Adam Brody) and daughter Vanessa (Alia Shawkat). David does advertising for liquor companies and is an enthusiastic jogger. Next door you’ll find the Ostroffs. Terry (Oliver Platt) and Carol (Janney) and their 24 year old daughter Nina (Meester). Terry is big on purchasing anything highly recommended by Consumer Reports and, though he jogs with David, does it with a lot less enthusiasm. Of course, this is the suburbs, where things aren’t always what they seem and ANYTHING, even the improbable, is possible.

Set in West Orange, New Jersey (hence the title), “The Oranges” is a small film that benefits from a sharp script and a strong cast. Though the major plot twist is easy to see coming (Nina and David become a couple) the circumstances leading up to, and following, the revelation isn’t hammered over your head. Nor does the situation feel forced, as if to shock the viewer. Things happen, sometimes when you’re not expecting them to. Laurie, in his “House” voice, makes David extremely likable. So much so that you don’t really fault him for his decision. It helps that Keener makes Paige very unsympathetic. On the Ostroff side, Janney is perfect as the mother hen who wants her daughter to find Mr. Right, not Mr. Right Next Door. Meester, so good in last year’s “Country Strong” and a star of television’s “Gossip Girls,” plays Nina as a free spirited woman who isn’t concerned by what others think.

The screenplay, by first-time feature writers Jay Reiss and Ian Helfer, has plenty of small moments that fit easily together to form a full story. Though the film is being sold more as a comedy (it has its funny moments), like the recent “Hope Springs” there is a lot going on beneath the laughter.

Starring the voices of: Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short and Charlie Tahan
Directed by: Tim Burton
Rated: PG
Running time: 1 hr 27 mins
Walt Disney Pictures

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

In 1984 a young filmmaker working at the Walt Disney Company made a short film that featured a young boy recreating the “Frankenstein” story by resurrecting his recently deceased dog from the dead. Horrified at the completed film, Disney fired the filmmaker, declaring the film too scary for its young audiences. The film was called “Frankenweenie” and the filmmaker was a 26 year old named Tim Burton. Almost three decades later, and the past being in the past, Disney gave Burton a boatload of money to create a feature length version of the film, with all of the style and quirks that make it a Tim Burton film. And the studio certainly got their money’s worth!

Victor Frankenstein (Tahan) is a quiet kid who makes his own home movies and enjoys science. But the thing that makes him happiest is his dog, Sparky. The two are inseparable. As Victor prepares for the upcoming science fair his father (Short) convinces him to give baseball a try. Against all odds Victor knocks the ball into the street where, sadly, Sparky tries to retrieve it. Sparky is struck by a car and killed. After the funeral Victor lies in bed missing his friend. “I’m sorry about Sparky,” his mother (O’Hara) tells him. “If we could bring him back we would.” Victor quickly begins to think. Then, to quote Gru in “Despicable Me” – “LIGHT BULB!”

Presented in black and white and accented by a great Danny Elfman score, “Frankenweenie” is a heart-tugging classic featuring Burton at the top of his game. The inclusion of some fine 3D imagery makes it THE film to see during the Halloween season. The animation is classic Burton – none of his characters look alike. There are tall people, short people – fat and skinny people. There are also pets that take on the characteristics of their humans. The story is familiar to anyone that knows the history of the Frankenstein family and the vocal cast brings it to life brilliantly. Besides the three leads, stellar work is turned in by Atticus Shaffer, Frank Welker and old Burton company members Martin Landau and Winona Ryder.

I should mention that the film may get a little scary for younger viewers due to the subject matter so parents be prepared to explain some things to your little ones.

Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen
Directed by: Olivier Megaton
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hr 31 mins
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

What do you do after you’ve rescued your daughter from sex traffickers in Paris, killing pretty much everyone in your sight to do it? If you’re Brian Mills (Neeson), you give that same daughter driving lessons and worry about her new boyfriend. You also head to Istanbul for a few days work. But when the friends and family of the people you killed decide to exact a little revenge it might be hard to find a place to hide…even in Turkey!

Liam is back! And he’s bringing the family with him. Somehow inexplicably, four years ago Liam Neeson became an action hero. And he’s a great one because not only can he kick ass he can really act! Now back together in “Taken,” Neeson and his family find themselves wanted by the last Albanians still hanging out in the fertile crescent. And believe me, they’re pissed!

What was so enjoyable about the original “Taken” was that it was nothing but action, with only the slightest bit of dialogue to alert the audience about what was going to happen next. Here the plot drags immediately from the beginning because not only is Brian the subject of the Albanian gang’s rage, he’s also managed to conveniently take his daughter (Grace) and his ex-wife (Janssen – she and the new husband are now separated) across the world with him, making them as intriguing a victim as Brian himself. Besides this slight twist, the film plays out almost exactly as the first. Someone gets grabbed, Brian gets a phone call, Brian threatens caller. Seriously. The plot is so similar they should have called this one “Took,” because you’ve seen it all before. First the daughter needs driving lessons. Next time you see her, she’s Gene Hackman in “The French Connection,” maneuvering through the cobblestone streets like a pro. And why is it always the Albanians that cause trouble? In this film, Brian seems to have pissed off every Albanian on the planet except for Jim Belushi!

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Directed by: Christopher Bessette
Starring: Dermot Mulroney, Mira Sorvino, John Billingsley
Distributed by Monterey Media
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 91 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Trade of Innocents” is a rare gem that will probably not be seen by many but it really deserves mainstream shot. The film contains some really amazing performances from Dermot Mulroney, Mira Sorvino and John Billingsley. Billingsley gives one his most intense and impressive performances to date. The film is very well shot and will directed by Christopher Bessette. The film is action packed and very suspenseful, as well as very dramatic. The content is a very difficult topic, dealing with human trafficking with young children but it really delivers from beginning to end. The running time tops just 90 minutes and I think that works in advantage for this film gives it just enough time to tell its story. Do not miss out on this film, it is one of 2012’s hidden gem and award worthy performances.

The film follows Alex Becker (Mulroney) and Claire Becker (Sorvino) who are both dealing with the loss of their young daughter. Alex is working in Southeast Asia in order to infiltrate the human trafficking and plays to expose the people behind it. Malcolm Eddery (Billingsley) finds himself as the main target, since he is looking for young girls and has the money to spend. As the couple find themselves being pulled together deeper and deeper into the lives of local girls, who lives are affected and threatened due to sex slave drives. With parallels stories and throughout twists and turns “Trade of Innocents”, takes us through the dangerous world of human trafficking.

Since the film is based on true events, the inspiration came from a personal experience of the director, Christopher Bessette, and the producers Bill and Laurie Bolthouse experiences during their trips to Phnom Penh. This is brutally raw and unsettling but also very true and needs to be addressed. If this film makes you upset and uncomfortable, then I feel that it is doing its job well. Monterey Media is a notable distributor this year releasing a lot of great films, also like Famke Jannsen’s “Bringing Up Bobby”. I know this is just a film but I hope that it will bring the public’s notice to become more aware of the issue and work to fight human trafficking.

Starring: Channing Tatum, Justin Long and Rosario Dawson
Directed by: Jamie Linden
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hr 40 mins
Anchor Bay

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

In what is sure to be remembered as “the year of Channing Tatum,” a smaller budgeted film he did last year (it played the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival) is finally seeing the light of day. That film is “10 Years” and it is, surprisingly, an intimate look at a group of young adults who return to their home town for their 10th Anniversary high school reunion.

The plot is fairly simple, if not occasionally clichéd. There is the big man on campus (Tatum) with his new girl (Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Channing’s real life wife) in tow. One of the gang has become a famous singer while another boasts of his cool life in New York City. And then there’s the former bully who is determined to make amends to all he picked on in the past Of course the BMOC is just there to see if his old flame, the former Big Girl on Campus, has shown up. The singer is encouraged to sing his hit song, which alerts the girl he wrote it for of his true feelings for her…apparently she’d never heard the song when it was a hit. And the bully (Chris Pratt)… no matter how hard he tries to make amends the old adage is true – once an ass always an ass. This tale and other similar stories are quickly brought to the forefront. Thank goodness for young and talented actors.

Most of the cast are unknowns making a small independent film. But the talented ones in “10 Years” are the names and faces you know. This is another in a string of bravura performances from Channing Tatum. Coupled with “the one that got away,” he says a quick hello to the others while worrying himself sick if he’s made the right choice with his latest lady friend. Solid work also by Long, Pratt and, most notably, Lynn Collins, whose Anna is the most deeply explored character in the film.

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt and Bruce Willis
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 58 mins
Tri Star Pictures

2 out of 5 stars

Have you ever had one of those “what the hell was that” moments? I had one tonight as I tried to figure out what happened to the two hours I spent watching the new film “Looper.”

Kansas in the year 2044. As someone who lives there in the present day I’m kind of upset to see that it doesn’t really change much three decades from now. We come across Joe (Gordon-Levitt) standing in a field. A few yards away is a plastic tarp spread out on the ground. He checks his watch. Suddenly, a bound and kneeling figure appears. BOOM! A quick blast with his shotgun and Joe has made his money. Joe is a Looper.

Kind of a reverse-“Terminator” without any of James Cameron’s wit (or wisdom), “Looper” informs us that, 30 years into the future, time travel will have been invented. Of course, it will also be outlawed. And, like the bumper stickers say, when you outlaw time travel only outlaws WILL time travel. The guy who just popped by in the field had been sent back from the future by the underworld kingpin that controls the future. This way the body is disposed in the past with no one in the future any more the wiser. Confused? Good, I thought it was just me. Anyway, the Looper kills his mark, and then receives his pay in silver bars, which he cashes in. Occasionally the Looper will discover the dead guy comes with gold bars. Sadly, this means the Looper has just killed his future self. It also means he’s free to go live his life how he wants for the next 30 years until…well, you know. When Joe realizes that he has to kill his future self (Willis, who will from here on in be known as Old Joe) he balks, allowing Old Joe to escape. Now it’s a battle of Joe vs Joe, and may the best Joe win!

A clever premise that somehow got lost in translation from page to screen, “Looper” tries to be a little bit of everything. Time Travel picture…lost love story…Tarantino-esque dark comedy. The problem is that it tries to be all of those at the same time. Gordon-Levitt does a fine job here as the smooth killer facing a tough decision. Through the magic of CGI, Joe resembles what Hollywood thinks Bruce Willis look like, which is a cross between Sean Connery (1964) and Marlon Brando from “On the Waterfront.” Willis is fine, basically playing himself, and Blunt has some good scenes as a young mother with a secret. However, all of the hard work is lost in the plot and stilted in the direction, both of which were contributed by Rian Johnson.

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Directed by: Michael Axelgaard
Starring: Emily Plumtree, Sam Stockman, Jessica Ellerby, Matt Stokoe
Distributed by: Tribeca Film
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 85 minutes

Our Score: 1 out of 5 stars

Unlike many, I am a big fan of the horror found-footage genre. “Hollow” has a cool story but really drags it feet getting started. The film spends the first hour getting warmed up and never really gets off and running. “Hollow” claims to be horror film but the only thing horroric is having to sit through this waiting for something to happen. If you are got time to burn and nothing better to do, this film is here but don’t expect since this film is quite hollow (Oh burn!).

Synopsis: An old monastery in a small, remote village in Suffolk, England has been haunted by a local legend for centuries. Left in ruin and shrouded by the mystery of a dark spirit that wills young couples to suicide, the place has been avoided for years, marked only by a twisted, ancient tree with an ominous hollow said to be the home of great evil. When four friends on holiday explore the local folklore, they realize that belief in a myth can quickly materialize into reality, bringing horror to life for the town.

Since the film is shot using handhelds there really isn’t much production value here at all. A film about a evil spirits around a haunted tree, I was hoping for something really cool here but alas let waiting. The acting is not bad but you can tell that they are all newcomers. I watch a lot of horror and I actually went to turn this off a few times throughout its short 90 or so minutes. If you are looking for a film with great scares be sure to check our “Grave Encounters 2”, also from Tribeca Film.

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Starring: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake
Directed by: Robert Lorenz
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hr 51 mins
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

If you don’t count his spot-on impression of Grandpa Simpson at this past months’ Republican National Convention, it’s been four years since Clint Eastwood has appeared on screen. It’s also been almost twenty years since he worked for another director besides himself. What could have brought Clint back for this amazing twin surprise? Loyalty. Director Lorenz has worked for Eastwood for almost two decades, serving as everything from assistant director to producer. Now, with “Trouble with the Curve,” he gets to show Eastwood everything he’s learned.

Gus Lobel (Eastwood) is a baseball scout. Though we’re told he’s signed every great Atlanta Brave from Rico Carty to Dale Murphy to Chipper Jones, we’re also aware that he’s much older than the other scouts he sits with as he travels North Carolina watching high school baseball and looking for the next great player. Gus is baseball through and though. He continues to speak with his late wife during visits to the cemetery (her head stone reads: “May the Lord Grant You Extra Innings.” His daughter (Adams) is a lawyer with the first name of Mickey. As in Mantle. Gus realizes that his eyesight is getting worse and, upon the request of the Braves, finds himself watching THE NEXT BIG THING with Mickey at his side and a rival agent and former pitcher (Timberlake) with eyes for both the ball player and Mickey.

A great companion piece to last year’s “Moneyball,” “Trouble with the Curve” is an earnest film whose major drawback is that it’s ending is telegraphed to the audience less than 30 minutes after the film starts. That being said, if you don’t spend a lot of time analyzing things it’s an enjoyable debut project for director Lorenz, thanks in great part to a committed cast. Eastwood’s Gus could be a cousin to “Gran Torino” senior citizen Walt. Gruff on the outside but with a soft, syrupy middle, Gus is content with his life on the road. Adams shines as Mickey, who slowly resumes the love for the game her father never knew existed while at the same time juggling an important legal presentation she must present in order to make partner at her firm. Timberlake continues to do solid work as a supporting character, continually learning what makes both Gus and Mickey tick. Also notable are John Goodman as Gus’ closest front office friend, Matthew Lillard and Robert Patrick as Braves execs and George Wyner and Bob Gunton as the leaders of Mickey’s firm.

Director Lorenz obviously studied Eastwood well on previous sets. His direction is simple and fluid, concentrating more on character than action. He also manages to catch brilliant glimpses of the North Carolina countryside as well as the sounds of baseball being played for fun.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena and Anna Kendrick
Directed by: David Ayer
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 41 mins
Open Road Films

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

A high speed pursuit leads to a deadly shootout with a quartet of gang bangers, captured clearly on the police car’s video camera. Just another day in Los Angeles.

Several weeks later we join police officers Brian Taylor (Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Pena) as they return to duty. Currently enrolled in college and taking filmmaking as an elective, Taylor introduces himself by way of a monologue he records before starting his shift. The first day back is also going to be the first day of the rest of he and Zavala’s lives, though even they aren’t aware of that fact.

Told in an often startling documentary style, “End of Watch” is a gritty police drama that benefits from another in a string of outstanding performances by both Gyllenhaal and Pena. Writer/director Ayers is no stranger to the police or South Central L.A., having written such tough urban thrillers as “Training Day” and “Harsh Times.” Here he includes the true camaraderie between the officers that is more like brothers than co-workers. “If anything happens to you I will take care of your children” we hear one partner tell another. And they mean it.

The story starts and ends big with a large slow gap in between. Through happenstance both Taylor and Zavala find themselves in situation that puts them I direct contact with members of a Mexican drug cartel beginning to make their move in America. These are easily the two most exciting cops in L.A. as their duty days progress and they find themselves doing things that most police officers do in an entire career. The characterizations are strong, as is the cast. It’s really only the plot, which seems to come and go when the need serves, that keeps this from being an outstanding film.