Standouts: Movies

Midnight in Paris:

This Woody Allen flick examines the common impression that “the grass is always greener on the other side”.  The cast, including Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams, encounters characters like Salvador Dalí, Gertrude Stein, and F. Scott Fitzgerald in the city of Paris. On a deeper level, the subtext explores the ways we interpret art and artists, critiquing criticism itself.

Tree of Life:
“Father, Mother. Always you wrestle inside me. Always you will.”  This film from writer and director Terrence Malick casts Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain in a philosophical American drama.  Told through memory, the enigmatic film provokes inquiry into the nature of suffering and loss and provides valuable commentary on the human condition.

Super 8:
As WEEKEND reviewer Kelly Fritz commented, the JJ Abrams directed, Speilberg produced movie “is an ode of sorts: Abrams’ sweetly nostalgic love letter to the golden age of Spielberg and to the final summer of anyone’s true childhood that is untainted by the cynicism of adulthood.”  Super 8 is an action-packed fantastic must-see.

Bridesmaids:
Kristen Wiig, down and out on love (and money), teams up with an eccentric
group of bridesmaids for this hysterical wedding comedy.

X-Men: First Class:
The latest addition to the Marvel adaptations goes back in time to when Magneto and
Charles Xavier were young, fresh-faced mutants.

Source Code:
The intelligent thriller from Duncan Jones, features time traveling, a bomb and
Jake Gyllenhaal.

Beginners:
Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer deal with death and sexuality in this dark comedy.

Water for Elephants:
Based on the novel by Sara Gruen, this romantic drama is about a vet who joins a travelling circus after the death of his parents, and features Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams:
In this historical documentary, director Werner Herzog travels to the Chauvet caves of southern France to examine its paintings made about 32,000 years ago.

Rango:
In this exciting animated adventure, Johnny Depp is Rango, a chameleon
inspired to restore order in a town run by animal outlaws.