Rendition
Jake Gyllenhaal has been doing serious dramas for the last 3 years and it doesn't seem he's about to stop anytime soon. He is a dedicated political activist who believes he can make a difference with the parts he plays, hence Jarhead, this film, and one called Brothers that comes out in 2009. Reese Witherspoon hasn't had critically acclaimed work or box office blow outs since 2005's Walk the Line, which she won an Oscar for. But are they the only reasons to give this film a shot? As a war drama, it focuses on the subject of intel. In order to extract information to prevent terrorist attacks, the government has to occasionally use drastic methods. Witherspoon's Egyptian husband is suspected of treason and removed from a flight to DC. Instead of waiting by the phone to hear what the police have come up with, she goes to DC to find out for herself. Going up against the cold hearted politico played by Meryl Streep. Meanwhile, Jake plays the guy who has to interrogate her husband and produce rapid results. Both will struggle with the lengths they are willing to go to in order to find out the truth.
Things we lost in the fire
It's been 7 years since Halle Berry's done anything worth praising (Monster Ball). Perhaps, a pairing with the consistently elusive Benicio Del Toro will bring her career out of its slump. In this tear-jerking drama, she plays a woman who has to deal with the tragic death of her heroic husband (David Duchovny). She invites his drug addicted best friend (Del Toro), who her husband never gave up on, to move in with her and her children. And in between the crying and the reflection and the debilitating sorrow, they try to heal each other's wounds.
Reservation Road
Terry George, the director/screenwriter for Hotel Rwanda, wrote this drama about a man (Mark Ruffalo) who accidentally murders the 11-year-old son of Joaquin Phoenix in a hit-and-run. Ruffalo flees the scene in fear with only his own son as a witness. Jennifer Connelly plays Joaquin's wife and Elle Fanning (Dakota's little sister) plays his daughter, while Mira Sorvino plays Ruffalo's ex-wife. The way Joaquin's character deals with his grief, hunting down the driver and doing his own investigation, and the way Ruffalo's character struggles with turning himself in and relieving some of Joaquin's pain will determine how good the movie is. The most interesting aspect of the story isn't just its point of view, but how much the viewers will commiserate with Joaquin knowing that Ruffalo, the son-killer, gets to keep his own son. It's teetering on the lines of justice--should it be an eye for an eye?
3O Days of Night
Josh Hartnett + Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma) + vampires + city with no sun light for an entire month = carnage. My favorite part of the trailer is when the girl screams "Oh god!" and the vampire says, "No God!" I giggle nervously and then look around the room to make sure no "thing" is in it. This would--I think--be the first horror comic brought to the big screen. I'm sure comic-geeks will lay down the verdict this weekend of whether or not it meets their expectations.
Gone Baby Gone
Ben Affleck hasn't exactly hit pay dirt since his Gigli flop with ex-fiance Jennifer Lopez, but he did get a lot of respect for his performance in Hollywoodland. So maybe the critics won't completely torch his directorial debut and second dip into the writer's field. Placing his little bro, Casey, in the leading man spot, he tells the story of two Boston cops and a street wise insider searching for a missing girl. It's an adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel by the same name. I think the most interesting part of this formulaic kidnap-tragedy scenario is that two detectives (Ed Harris and Robert Wahlberg) are searching for her using the law and Casey is using the streets--which I think would be more effective. There's also an underlying conspiracy in the police bureau, which could add to the suspense. Morgan Freeman plays the voice of reason unsurprisingly. Meanwhile, Michelle Monaghan is Casey's supportive girlfriend (??). This would be her first notable drama. Both she and the Afflecks are going to have to step it up and take this genre into unchartered territory if they want to graduate from the B to the A list.
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