Basement Matinee Quick Hits

A lot of people write reviews about movies, and since this is partly a home theater blog, I thought I'd share my opinions as well. They will be brief.

A little background first - it should help determine if you share the same taste in movies that I do. I think the Lord of the Rings films are among the best of all time; I'm a big fan of the Star Wars movies; I generally enjoy comic book adaptions (Batman Begins, Constantine, and V for Vendetta are among my favorites); I will always stop to watch a Bond flick (Casino Royale was fantastic); I enjoy taking a look at the classic movies; I loathe just about all Adam Sandler "comedies"; hated Napoleon Dynamite (except for the dance scene at the end); Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are great films; the Pixar movies are terrific, even for adults; and I enjoy a good drama every now and then. Ok, so I mostly like the typical guy movies, but my range does expand quite a bit too.

1408 (DVD)

A strong performance by John Cusack anchors this very entertaining thriller. Based on a Stephen King short story, the movie centers on Mike Enslin (Cusack), a writer of books like "The 10 Best Haunted Mansions in America". Having never seen a ghost before, though, he's very pessimistic when it comes to all things "haunted". Until, that is, he checks into room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel.
This is a genuinely scary and tense thriller; nothing like the average teen horror thriller (i.e., The Grudge). Since Enslin is really the only main character (Samuel L. Jackson, as a hotel manager, gets second billing, but really only makes a brief appearance), the film rests on Cusack's shoulders, and he delivers a great performance. There are a few times where the film feels like it's going for too much, but there are plenty of twists and thrills to keep you interested. A great workout for your home theater setup too - I was impressed at how busy the surrounds were, and it really added to the suspense. Definitely a must-see.

Bullitt (DVD)

I had wanted to check out a Steve McQueen movie for some time, and this was one of his movies that I kept reading about. And for good reason - this is a classic crime/action/suspense flick. The plot is solid - McQueen is a police detective in charge of keeping a witness safe. When the witness is killed, he has to find out who did it and why. The action is pretty intense - the car chase scene is well-known for good reason - and the performances are good. Plus, the movie holds up pretty well for being made in 1969 - some devices will get you laughing (look for the fax machine), but it's the story and performances that set this one apart.
If you've never seen it and like the classics, this is definitely one to check out.

Dan in Real Life

This romantic comedy sounded like it could be kind of fun - Steve Carell and Dane Cook in a movie together must be pretty funny, right? Not so much. Not to say that this was a bad movie; it was just more depressing than it was funny.
Carell stars as the title character. He's an advice columnist for a newspaper and a single father of three girls. He and the girls take their annual trip to stay with his parents and siblings in a sort of week-long family get together. While in town (which apparently has a population of 5), he meets Marie (Juliette Binoche); they share a coffee and talk. Later, Dan finds out that she's dating his brother (Cook). Love stricken, Dan tries (and fails) to ignore the feelings that he has for Marie while dealing with his girls and family.
This actually is a pretty good date movie for the guys - it's not the usual sappy crap. It's got a nice, albeit predictable story, and it does have a few comedic moments. Carell is very good, Cook is restrained (probably a good thing), and the rest of the cast fits nicely, although most are simply there without much to do. There's just a few things that bugged me. First, we find that Dan becomes infatuated with Marie after their first meeting, but I never got the feeling that Marie felt the same about Dan. And I really never did - she was having too much fun with the family - but it was suddenly assumed that Marie couldn't stand not being with him.
A couple side plots never seemed to mature either - Dan's oldest daughter talked about how she wants to go away to college, but it was never explored beyond that. Dan also gets a chance to have his column become syndicated, but it just seemed forced into the story.
Criticisms aside, if it's your wife/girlfriend's turn to pick the movie, there could be a lot worse things than Dan in Real Life.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (DVD)

As a superhero movie fan, it usually takes a lot for me NOT to like a movie like this. The first FF movie was okay, but it was probably the least impressive comic book adaption I've seen in a while. This one is worse.
It's just a mess - no character is really developed at all (including the Silver Surfer; we find out very little about him). It's one of those films where everything just happens without reason or logic - and yes, I know it's based on a comic, but it can still be better than this.
Once again, Chris Evans fares the best as Johnny Storm; Jessica Alba and Ioan Gruffold are very stiff as Reed Richards and Sue Storm, and even Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm doesn't impress this time around. The Silver Surfer does look impressive, but that's about the best thing this film has going for it. Unless you're a fan of the first, stay away from this not-so-fantastic movie.

Fido (DVD)

This movie, while smart and ambitious, just didn't connect with me. It tries to be a comedy, drama, parody, satire, and buddy movie at the same time; I just never felt it was sure what it was trying to be.
Fido (Billy Connolly) is the name that young Timmy Robinson (K'Sun Ray) gives his new zombie. In this film, after the dead started arising and becoming blood-thirsty zombies, a war took place. Afterwards, a collar was invented that turns the zombies into controllable beings - and they became perfect for inane tasks (like servants or milkmen). Every household has at least one; except for the Robinson's, since Timmy's father Bill (Dylan Baker) is terrified of them. Helen (Carrie-Anne Moss) does get one though, and the zombie and Timmy quickly become attached.
The story is interesting and fun - the execution just didn't score for me. The concepts are good, but they just seemed cluttered. The pace of the movie didn't work either - it seemed too slow at times, and then everything just happened all at once. Much has been said of Connolly's performance, and for good reason - he's very impressive in a role that basically has him grunting and using his eyes to communicate. In fact, all of the acting is great; Ray is also good as Timmy. I just can't recommend it though; as much as I wanted to like it, it just didn't engross me like a movie should.

The Fountain (Blu-ray)

First off, this is not a film for the average movie-goer. While visually beautiful, it's a confusing and deep movie from the mind of Darren Aronofsky. That being said, to a certain degree I liked it. It takes about 20 minutes to get a handle of what is going on, but once the film starts focusing on the present day, it does become interesting.
The story is complicated, to say the least. Hugh Jackman and Rachael Weisz play a number of roles in three different time periods - 17th century Spain, present day, and 2600. The periods are connected in a way, although it's somewhat difficult to piece them together. Jackman's performance is outstanding - or, I should say, performances. He plays a Spanish explorer, a present-day doctor researching brain tumors, and a mystic-type person in the future. The weight of the movie is on his shoulders, and he carries it well. Weisz is also good as the Spanish queen and present-day wife who has an inoperable brain tumor. She provides the movie with some spunk and romance.
Upon repeat viewings, I think I'd like this movie more. It's a hard movie to recommend; my wife hated it, and I don't know of too many people I'd recommend it to. It truly is an amazing movie (especially with the sound and visuals - a great way to try out your Blu-ray player), but it's going to be far too deep and confusing for most.

Gone Baby Gone

This movie is best-known for being Ben Affleck's directing debut. In the future, I think it will be simply known as a great film. Ben's brother Casey plays the lead character Patrick; he and his partner/girlfriend Angie (Michelle Monaghan) are hired to investigate the case of a missing four-year-old girl. It appears to be an open-and-shut case, but the second half of the film focuses on Patrick's continued determination to dig deeper into the details. The story moves along briskly and while you might guess how it ends (I didn't), it's not predictable enough where you'll know what's coming next.
Co-starring Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris, there are great performances all around, especially from Harris and Casey Affleck - it's his movie, and he is outstanding. Without a doubt, this is one of the best movies I've seen this year.

Good Luck Chuck

I caught this one at the theater with my wife. I wasn't expecting much, since RT has it at a whopping 3% on the Tomatometer. I must say, though, for part of the movie I was genuinely surprised. The first half starts fairly well - in a somewhat interesting concept, whatever woman that Charlie (Dane Cook) dates, the next person the woman dates after him finds the man of her dreams. It has its funny moments, and Cook is surprisingly likable in this role (for a while). Jessica Alba plays the klutzy love interest Cam, and her and Cook have some decent chemistry. It's was fun to watch until Charlie gets obsessed with not losing Cam - then he just gets annoying. Dan Fogler plays Stu, Charlie's best friend, and he provides the most unfunny gross-out jokes I've seen in a long time, including a reoccurring one with a grapefruit. He's simply an annoying character.
It's a fun little movie for a while, but when it loses its way it becomes almost unbearable. My wife was expecting a romantic comedy...it is, just a really gross one. If you're in the mood for a gross comedy, it's worth a rental, but nothing more.

Hard Candy (DVD)

I had a hard time deciding if I liked this movie or not; at times, it was engrossing, shocking, and suspenseful. Other times, it was boring and uninteresting. Overall, if you're in the mood for a smart, provocative thriller, there are worse ways to spend a couple hours.
Hayley (Ellen Page), a fourteen-year-old girl, meets up with Jeff (Patrick Wilson) after chatting with him on the internet. They go back to Jeff's place, and it's there that you learn that Hayley is the one with "ulterior" motives - in this case, she believes Jeff is a pedophile and in order to keep him from doing anything to young girls ever again, she plans on performing a "preventive" procedure. If you've heard anything about this movie already, you'll know what that means.
Page and Wilson are great - the film credits five actors, but these are the only two you see for more than 5 minutes. They really bring some great intensity to their roles. Page is especially brilliant - she goes from young, innocent girl to flirtatious woman to psychotic at various times throughout the film.
This movie does do a good job of keeping you in suspense - we're not sure (until the end) if Jeff has actually done anything that Hayley accuses him of. But in the end, there are just too many lapses for me to give a strong recommendation.

The Incredible Hulk

I went into this movie considering it a largely unnecessary reboot of the Hulk franchise. I enjoyed Ang Lee's Hulk, but I realize why it didn't connect with everyone.
So enter The Incredible Hulk. Edward Norton takes over the role of Bruce Banner from Eric Bana and Liv Tyler replaces Jennifer Connelly. While Norton does a good job here, for some reason I still don't buy him in the role. He's a great actor, but in comparing him with Bana I prefer Bana. But overall, the acting is solid.
The story and the action sequences are really what sets this above Lee's Hulk though. Lee's film got a little silly at the end - this one plays it straight up, with Hulk going up against the Abomination (basically a bad Hulk). It makes the movie much more accessible to the average moviegoer, and it is entertaining.
The film still has its faults, but it's a worthy entry into the Marvel superhero cannon and a fun summer action movie.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

I, like a lot of people, was very much anticipating this movie. Yes, Harrison Ford is quite a bit older now, but how great was it going to be to see Indy on the big screen again? The answer: Ford was fantastic, and it's hard not to love Indy, but like a lot of people, I found this movie to be extremely disappointing.
Steven Spielberg may be the director, but you can certainly see George Lucas' influence in every one of the ridiculous aspects of this film. From the CGI prarie dogs to Shia LaBeouf swinging through trees with monkeys (no, really...), you have to wonder where his mind is - and you have to wonder why Spielberg went along with it.
The story isn't bad, at least for an Indiana Jones movie. It centers around the search for an alien crystal skull that grants the holder extreme knowledge and leads to an alien spaceship that landed on earth many years ago. I think. It's all pretty jumbled. It's pretty much on par with The Temple of Doom in terms of story - and nowhere near as good as Raiders or Grail.
Rather than the Nazis, Indy is racing against the Russians this time (the film takes place during the Cold War). Cate Blanchett plays the main villain, but her role is really badly underwritten and just not very powerful. LaBeouf plays Mutt, Indy's "sidekick" of sorts (and more), and he does a respectable job with what he's given.
The film is just so ridiculous and unbelievable - if it wasn't an Indiana Jones movie, I have no doubt that I would've hated it even more. Like the Star Wars prequels, it's really disappointing more than anything. It's a movie I think you should see - it is Indy after all - but you won't want to see it again.

Iron Man

This movie blew me away. Critics were raving about it when it first came out, so I was expecting something good. But director Jon Farveau and actor Robert Downey Jr. have created one of the best superhero movies to date. It's simply a lot of fun and will easily go down as one of the best movies of the 2008 summer.
Downey Jr. is outstanding as Tony Stark, the billionaire owner of a major weapons and R&D manufacturing company. After getting kidnapped by terrorists, he escapes by building a crude metal suit. He later elaborates on that idea and creates a much more sleek and dynamic suit of armor and becomes Iron Man.
Downey Jr. plays Stark with the perfect mix of intensity, arrogance, and humor. He starts the movie as kind of a bad person, but we never really dislike the guy. Add in Gweneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts and Terrance Howard as Stark's military best friend, and all of the acting is pretty superb.
The only reason it lost of half star in my mind is because I didn't feel that the villain was very strong. While I don't believe that you necessarily need a strong bad guy anymore, I just didn't find him to be that compelling in Iron Man. But really, it doesn't matter - this is a movie that you simply cannot miss.

Juno

I haven't smiled and laughed at a movie in a long time as much as I did when watching Juno. This is a quirky, sweet, and very funny film about teen pregnancy, love, and friendship.
A lot of the press about this film goes to first-time writer Diablo Cody - and for good reason. This is an amazing story - it seems like it should be familiar, but it never feels like it. The writing is sharp and witty as well. Combined with top-notch performances, Juno is well-deserved of its attention.
Speaking of performances, Ellen Page is simply fantastic. She plays Juno as a not-so-normal high school junior, but she doesn't play it too the point where we think she's odd or completely out of whack. She comes across as normal at the right times, and that's a real testament as to how good Page is.
Page really makes this movie special, but the supporting cast makes it great. J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney play Juno's loving and supportive parents, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman are the prospective adoptive parents of Juno's baby, Michael Cera is the father of the baby, and Olivia Thirlby (who I thought was especially good) plays Juno's best friend. All were perfect in their roles, and they make Juno one of the best movies that I've seen.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Nicolas Cage returns as Ben Gates in this sequel to the entertaining National Treasure. In this, someone presents Gates with evidence that one of his ancestors was a conspirator in the Lincoln assassination. With the help of his father (Jon Voight), Riley (Justin Bartha), and Abigal (Diane Kruger) - all returners from the previous film - he sets out to clear his name.
Doing this takes them to Paris, London, Washington D.C., and Mount Rushmore (among others). The first movie was a light and entertaining adventure - mostly fluff, but it was fun. The second continues in that manner, but the believability factor goes completely out the window. Yes, the first one was a stretch in spots, but mostly believable. Book of Secrets isn't - this film makes it seem easy to walk into the Oval Office or Buckingham Palace. I just didn't have any real moments of suspense like I felt with the first.
Ed Harris plays the rival treasure hunter, taking over for Sean Bean. Harris is a fine actor, but his character just isn't as good as Bean's. During the first part of the film, his gang is shooting at Ben's group, but it's later revealed that he needed Gates to help him find the treasure. Why would he be trying to kill him then?
If you liked the first, you'll probably like Book of Secrets...just not as much.

Notes on a Scandal (DVD)

Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench star in this drama. The story is told from the point of view of Barbara (Dench); she's a near-retirement school teacher who becomes obsessed with Sheba (Blanchett), who is a new teacher at the school. She witnesses everything that goes on in Sheba's life: a failing marriage, a boy with Down's syndrome, and an affair with a young student. Barbara is manipulative and pathetic at the same time; Dench gives an outstanding performance.
The film starts slowly, but builds into a decent thriller. Definitely worth a rental.

Once (DVD)

This is an small-budget take on a modern-day musical. The story is simple - a Guy (Glen Hansard) meets a Girl (Marketa Irglova) while he's singing on a street in Dublin one night. Through music, their romance starts, stops, and then simmers throughout the film as they work toward a weekend studio session to get his Coldplay-esque music produced.
Even though the story is simple, this is one of the best movies of the year. The film is sweet, charming, and funny, and the music is simply fantastic. Hansard and Irglova (who are more musicians than actors) are outstanding - for not having any acting experience, they give their characters great emotional depth and keep the viewers guessing as to whether or not they will get together romantically. And because they are real musicians, the music really provides a great level of emotion; all the songs feel like they are integral to the movie.
I cannot recommend this movie enough - it's a great romantic comedy/musical that you can't help but falling in love with. It's easily one of the best movies of 2007.

The Pursuit of Happyness (Blu-ray)

Will Smith gives a strong performance in this uplifting, if quite predictable, drama about the real-life story of Chris Gardener. Chris and his wife (Thandie Newton) and son (Jaden Smith - Will's real-life son) are barely getting by in 1981 San Francisco - he sells portable bone-density for a living. Frustrated but determined to provide a better life for his son, he accepts an unpaid internship at Dean Witter to become a stock broker, even as his wife leaves him and his money runs out.
My initial thoughts after seeing this were good: the story is uplifting and inspiring and Smith's portrayal of Gardener is powerful - you really feel sympathetic for him throughout the film. After thinking about it, though, the message is somewhat muddled: Chris wants desperately to provide for his son, but they resort to living on the streets instead of seeking other options (like a temporary job)? And while Chris' journey is inspiring, the movie seems to push the idea that money really does buy happiness.
Of course, most people won't put that much thought into it. In any case, it's a solid movie that would be worth a rental.

Quantum of Solace

After the success of Casino Royale, I was extremely excited to see what the next Bond film had in store. And thanks to another terrific performance by Daniel Craig, I wasn't disappointed.
Taking place mere minutes after Royale ends, Solace finds Bond bringing Mr. White in for interrogation by MI6. After he escapes, Bond spends the film looking into Quantum, an organization attempting to influence world events. The film's villian, Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), has his sights set on controlling the water supply in Bolivia by having General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio) installed as the country's new dictator.
Bond meets up with Camille (Olga Kurylenko) along the way; she's looking for revenge against the general for murdering her family. He also finds help from Mathis and Felix, two characters from the previous film, and Judi Dench returns as M.
Most of the reviews I've read have generally been negative, but I'm not seeing it. There are a few quibbles - the action scenes are badly edited (it feels like they were really going for the Bourne effect), and a few characters aren't well developed. I've seen a lot of people say the story was confusing - I thought that it was pretty easy to follow, especially for a Bond movie. I was impressed by Kurlyenko and Amalric - both were impressive additions to the Bond girl/villain library.
In a way, this does feel more like an action movie than it does a Bond movie though; the classic Bond elements are few and far between. This is definitely a darker film than previous Bond entries, but I think it's a good thing - I really like how it continued Bond's storyline from Royale rather than just forgetting about it. It's not as good as Royale, but I'm certainly looking forward to the next one.

Role Models

If you're in the mood for a raunchy, profanity-laced comedy, look no further than this. It's definitely a hilarious movie; it's also really good for 2/3 of the running time - it's only in the final 1/3 where it loses its spark.
Paul Rudd - who should be a star already - proves that he is a spectacular comedic actor. He teams up with Seann William Scott here as co-workers of an energy drink company that get in trouble with the law. Instead of going to jail, the duo are teamed up with "littles" at Study Wings (think Big Brother/Big Sister). Danny (Rudd) gets assigned to Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a role-playing obsessed teen; Wheeler (Scott) gets Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson), a foul-mouthed, breast-obsessed 10-year old.
True to formula, the adults and the kids have a rocky relationship, then become best friends, then have a fall out, then make up. But for most of the film, you don't care - you're having too much fun. Rudd is hilarious playing the down-trodden Danny - his comedic timing is perfect. His relationship with Mintz-Plasse is also good. Scott is also excellent, and his pairing with Thompson is nearly perfect - some of the most hilarious scenes showcase those two.
In the end though, the film falls into the way-too-predictable and cheesy ending - everyone is happy and all is forgiven. It just seems to lose a little of its touch, and I felt that a "rougher" ending would've suited this movie better. Overall though, this is one of the better laugh-out-loud comedies that I've seen in a while.

Shoot 'Em Up (DVD)

If you accept the fact that this movie is completely unrealistic, it will be the most fun you'll have watching a movie. This is a balls-out bullet-flying action movie, and it's an absolute blast.
Clive Owen plays Mr. Smith, the carrot-chomping hero. If you were making a list of the coolest movie characters of all-time, he would be near the top. Owen is a great actor, but this role really shows his ability as an action star. He's a perfect fit for this part. His nemesis in Shoot 'Em Up is Mr. Hertz (Paul Giamatti). I wasn't sure what to think of Giamatti as the bad guy at times, but he does a good job taking his character over the top as well.
The action sequences are simply incredible; these are some of the most original moves you'll see. I never thought I'd ever see a carrot used as a weapon, but this makes use of it more than once. There are too many awesome sequences to list, but the sex scene Owen has with Monica Bellucci - he's shooting enemies all over the room - is a major highlight.
Even if you're not a huge fan of action movies, give Shoot 'Em Up a shot.

Shrek the Third (DVD)

After enjoying the first two Shrek films (especially the first one), I was looking forward to seeing what the third one had in store. After watching it, I can say that I've been very disappointed.
I realize that the Shrek movies are filled with pop-culture references and jokes that won't hold up over time. The first two seemed somewhat relevant at the time, though - this one seems like it's already 5 years too old. Also, it seemed like many jokes were rehashed from the previous films - they used the "innocent kitty" look of Puss-n-Boots twice (to predictable effect). Overall, many of the jokes fell flat and even the message - believe in yourself, not what others think of you - was muddled and unclear.
Not all was bad: the main characters really seem settled into their roles. Shrek (Mike Myers), Fionna (Cameron Diaz), Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and Puss (Antonio Banderas) have good chemistry with each other and are entertaining. Especially Banderas - a Puss spin-off would be much more anticipated than a fourth Shrek. Beyond them, though, there's just too many new characters to even register: Snow White, Merlin, Sleeping Beauty, Lancelot, etc. are all given bits of screentime, but they're all just forced into the screenplay.
The kids will like it, I'm sure, but unlike the first two Shrek's, the parents (or big kids like me) will not.

The Simpsons Movie (DVD)

I heard a lot of good things about the long-awaited film with the Simpsons, so I was anxious to watch it. After seeing it, I think it was a good effort, but it just wasn't successful.
The plot (if you can call it that) centers around the pollution of Springfield. After Homer dumps pig waste into the town's lake, the EPA determines that Springfield is a contaminated area and seals the entire town in a bubble. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie escape, but are determined to return and save their city from destruction.
While I don't watch it every week, I do enjoy The Simpsons TV show. It's usually smart, sharp, and funny. Their movie has its moments, but as a whole it really felt like it was stretching a 30-minute concept into 90 minutes. If you're a Simpsons fan you'll definitely want to check it out; otherwise, just watch a few episodes of the show to get your Simpsons fix.

Transformers (DVD)

While this is easily one of the best big-budget summer blockbusters of 2007, it does suffer from being too long. You can tell it's trying for epic status, but there's a point in the movie where you think that it should just end. Visually, it's beautiful - the transforming of the Autobots and Decepticons are absolutely amazing, and I don't remember noticing any CGI effects that I thought were out of place. Shia LeBeouf gives a solid lead performance and the other performances were okay, but most just weren't given much to do - the real stars are the Transformers themselves anyway. Some of their "comedic" bits don't work very well, but otherwise the robots are impressive characters - although besides Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, I found it difficult to keep them straight. In the battle scenes, it can be especially hard to figure out which are Autobots and which are Decepticons.
If you're in the mood for a mindless blockbuster action flick, this is an excellent choice.

True Romance (DVD)

I had never caught this 1993 movie before, but I'd heard good things, so I wanted to check it out. Directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino, the movie focuses on Clarence (Christian Slater) and Alabama (Patricia Arquette), two people who meet, fall in love, get married, happen upon a suitcase full of cocaine, then attempt to sell it. Of course, the drug dealers want their cocaine back, and the cops are looking for a big bust, so that's where the action comes in.
For a 15-year-old movie, it holds up very well. The characters are fun, and the story is solid. It's one of those movies that looks familiar until you realize that all films you've seen lately probably used this as a influence. You'll have the most fun picking out all of the big-name stars with minor roles - Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Brad Pitt, Tom Sizemore, James Gandolfini, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, and Val Kilmer (as Elvis!) are just a few examples of the talent involved. If you haven't seen it before, it would be a great pickup for an at-home movie night.

Waitress (DVD)

Keri Russell is great as a small-town waitress with a baby on the way in this smart, cute, and quirky drama/comedy. Russell plays Jenna, a young woman married to a controlling husband who she no longer loves. Already feeling like her life sucks, those feelings escalate when she finds out she's pregnant (her husband got her drunk one night). She trudges through her life until she meets her new doctor (Nathan Fillion), who she begins an affair with.
In one of the unique things about this film, Jenna's moods are expressed to us by the pies she makes. She makes amazing pies, and she names them based on her current mood. It's a fun (and appetizing) method of portraying her feelings.
All of the acting is superb. Russell is definitely a treat; Fillion (one of my favorite actors) is a perfect fit for the nervous and klutzy doctor; Cheryl Hines and director Adrienne Shelly (who was murdered before this movie was released) are great as Jenna's co-workers and friends; and Jeremy Sisto gives a good performance as Jenna's terrible and insecure husband.
The film does drag out some scenes, especially in the beginning. But thanks to the performances, it's definitely worth a rental.

We Are Marshall (DVD)

As far as uplifting sports movies go, this was not one of the better ones. Far too contrived and predictable, I never really got emotionally vested in any of the characters. Matthew McConaughey plays Jack Lengyel, the football coach hired after a 1970 plane crash took out most of Marshall's football team and staff. He works with Red Dawson (Matthew Fox) and Donald Denman (David Strathaim) to rebuild the team for next season (which included getting the NCAA to allow freshmen to play, a first).
Fox fares the best, and Strathaim isn't bad, but McConaughey just didn't fit right. He plays his character as being very eccentric, but it's so over the top that it gets in the way of the story. If you really like these kind of movies, then it's not a bad way to spend a couple hours; if not, leave it on the shelf.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe (Blu-ray)

The question that I had after watching this movie was, "why was this made?". It felt like an extended version of a television show; the problem, though, is that it felt like a standard television crime drama - not an X-Files episode.
I'm definitely not up on my X-Files lore; I watched quite a few of the shows and thought the first feature film, Fight the Future, was pretty decent (at least it has an expanded sense of scope, anyway - something this movie lacked). I did miss the last few seasons, so apparently I missed quite a lot - for example, when did Mulder and Scully start sleeping together? That was a shock to see that; and it really seemed out of place.
Regardless of my lack of knowledge, though, I'm still not sure what the reasoning behind this movie was. A paycheck? Getting the gang back together? Whatever the reason, it definitely wasn't the script. Like I said, standard TV drama stuff - a former priest sees visions of women being abducted; the FBI brings Mulder back (with Scully's help) to help with the case (I'm still not really sure why though - was there no one else at the FBI patient enough to deal with this "psychic"?). Without giving much else away, it ends up being pretty standard stuff - nothing X-Files-ish about it.
David Duchovany and Gillian Anderson are both respectable in reprising their roles as Mulder and Scully, respectively, although both seem to just be going through the motions sometimes. They just didn't seem to have the magic that they used to - maybe that was due to the script though. And the supporting cast, including Amanda Peet and Xzibit, are forgettable. Unless you're a huge X-Files fan, there's no reason to give this movie a try.

Zodiac (DVD)

This is an extremely well-made movie that just suffers a bit from being too long. Director David Fincher put together a great cast in telling the true story of the Zodiac serial killer who terrorized San Francisco in the 60's and 70's. San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhall) takes center stage as the man obsessed with finding the identity of the Zodiac killer; with help from reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) and detective Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo), he risks his marriage and his life in his quest.
While definitely an intriguing film, the main problem I had with it was that the Zodiac killer himself was just never that interesting. We're teased with the notion that many of the so-called Zodiac killings weren't really done by him anyway. So while he was obviously responsible for some deaths, it's not really certain how insanely dangerous he was, and that loses some of the drive of the movie.
Of course, the main focus is really on the investigation anyway, and Fincher does shine in this regard. The leads and all the supporting characters are fantastic, and they help make the investigation truly compelling. It becomes a tad drawn-out when Graysmith starts following up on a number of leads that are never really fully explained, but I think part of it might be that we know the case was never truly solved (although the film strongly suggests a conclusion). In a way, I'm divided; I know this was a great movie - definitely worth seeing - but it just didn't have the bite that I felt I should be taking from it.