The Amazing Spider-Man ***

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan
Director: Mark Webb
Running Length: 2:16
MPAA Classification: PG-13

It has been 10 years since the original Spider-Man, and only 5 years since the mis-step that was Spider-Man 3.  Apparently, that's all the time that is needed to start over.  And so, Mark Webb's The Amazing Spider-man has found its way to theaters.  This time, we get a re-told, and slightly different, origin story that promises to shed more light on Peter Parker's parents' disappearance from his life.  I suppose that this is more of an overall story for the recently announced parts 2 and 3 that will be making their way to us over the next few years.

This time around, Spider-Man (Garfield) is more of a smart ass, like he is in the comics.  His love interest is Gwen Stacy (Stone), and the bad guy is The Lizard (Ifans).  Garfield does a good job of bring ing a different version of Peter to the screen.  I wouldn't say better or worse, just different.  Emma Stone brings more personality to the love interest this time around.  Lastly, Rhys Ifans does the best he can with playing the Lizard. 

So, the good...the effects look great.  They have come a long way in five years, and Spidey swinging through the city never looked so good.  The Lizard looks as good as a giant man-lizard can look, and about as real as he could look too.  The chemistry between Garfield and Stone is believeable, and for the most part the supporting cast does a good job trying to not imitate their predacessors.

On the down side, its only been 5 years.  Why reboot?  Why do we need another origin story?  For me, switching actors and continuing the story or just jumping back in mid-stream without an origin story would have been a better way to go.  I can't quite put my finger on the specific reason, but the costume looks terrible this time around.  The Lizard is a weak villian.  He would be better used as a second villion in a two villian movie.

The biggest problem for me is that, with only 5 years having past, its hard to look at this movie without comparing directly to what has gone before.  Like I said previously, a non-reboot sequel would have been the better way to go.  That being said, now that they have established the new universe, I am looking forward to seeing where they go with it.

The Amazing Spider-Man is not the best of the Spider-Man movies.  That honor still falls on Spider-Man 2.  Its not the worst either, and a few years will give a little more distance for the sequel to have less comparisons with Sam Raimi's trilogy.  The franchise has a future, and I think it is promising.

Brave 3D ***

Cast (voices): Kelly MacDonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson Director: Brenda Chapman, Mark Andrews
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: PG


Princess Merida (MacDonald) is strong-willed and a bit of a tomboy.  When suitors are lined up by her monther, Queen Elinor (Thompson), Merida takes control of the situation by one-upping all of the contenders.  Elinor is quite displeased, and tries to lay down the law, but Merida seeks outside help and soon finds the situation out of control as her mother is turned into a bear.  To make matters worse, King Fergus (Connolly), who has some bad history with bears and is unaware of the transfermation, is on the hunt.

Brave is Pixar's first foray into the fantasy realm, and it is a bit of a misfire (for them).  It plays like a Disney princess movie, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but Pixar has always been better than this.  While the story has something to say about mothers and daughters, it is ultimately middle of the road for them.  I don't know what I wanted from Brave, but it definately was something more.  Visually, Brave is beautiful.  They have set the computer-generated animation bar a bit higher here, but that is to be expected.  The voice talent all do excellent jobs as well.

I think that ultimately this film will play well, but it is a bit of a step down from their recent efforts.  Like I said, a good movie in general, but slightly below par by Pixar standards.  Maybe I am just too picky when it comes to their movies, but I have come to expect a little more from them.  The short before the film, "La Luna" was cute, and about on par for the shorts they have placed before their features.

Lastly, I saw this in 3D, mostly to get in to an earlier show time.  Is 3D necessary for Brave?  Not really, but it doesn't take away from the film either, as it is done well.  Either a 2D or a 3D viewing should give about the same experience.

Drag Me to Hell ***

Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer, Adriana Barazza
Director: Sam Raimi
Running Length: 1:39
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Christine Brown (Lohman) is a loan officer with visions of advancement. To make herself a better candidate than her co-worker, she decides to take the hard-line approach to customers. When Mrs. Ganush (Raver) is behind on her payments and about to lose her house, Christine is unsympathetic. Mrs. Ganush doesn’t take this well, puts a curse on Christine. Christine begins to have nightmarish visions, and seeks out the help of a mystic (Rao). He tells her that after three days of haunting, the demon will drag her to hell if she cannot get rid of it.

“Drag Me to Hell” is the latest horror movie from director Sam Raimi, after his three “Spider-Man” films. It marks a return to his roots, and he doesn’t seem to have missed a beat. The film is scary, gross, and funny. The PG-13 rating, normally the mark of a crap horror movie, works perfectly. In fact, it is about as close to an R rating a film can get. Lohman is good as the unsympathetic lead character, and the supporting cast works well together. “Drag Me to Hell” is a solid horror movie that is worth checking out.

Angels and Demons ***

Cast: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Thure Lindhardt
Director: Ron Howard
Running Length: 2:14
MPAA Classification: PG-13

The mourning over the death of the pope has ended in the Vatican, and the time has come to choose a new leader for the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, the four leading candidates have been kidnapped by people claiming to be the Illuminati, an underground society bent on taking down the Church. They threaten to kill the candidates and then blow up Rome with an antimatter bomb stolen from the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Enter Robert Langdon (Hanks), an expert on the Illuminati and Vittoria Vetra (Zurer), one of the scientists who created the antimatter. With the support of Commander Richter (Skarsgård), head of the Swiss Guard and Camerlengo Patrick McKenna (McGregor), they set out to solve the clues left behind to stop the Illuminati.

“Angels & Demons” is the sequel to “The DaVinci Code”, and provides more action and less talking than its predecessor. It is also marginally better (unlike the book which is far superior). Hanks is once again slipping into Langdon’s shoes, and seems comfortable there. (Rumor has it they are already planning an adaptation of the new Langdon novel). The story is entertaining despite being a little on the unbelievable side. The ideas presented are compelling though, and that soothes the more outrageous moments. “Angels & Demons” is definitely worth your time, especially if you enjoyed “The DaVinci Code.”

Star Trek ***

Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood
Director: J.J. Abrams
Running Length: 2:06
MPAA Classification: PG-13

James Kirk (Pine) is a talented but undisciplined young man. Captain Christopher Pike (Greenwood) sees potential in him and challenges him to be greater than his father, a man who saved many in a deadly attack against a ship he was temporarily captaining. When an emergency mission calls upon the U.S.S. Enterprise, Kirk is there along with First Officer Spock (Quinto), Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Urban), Communications Officer Uhura (Saldana), and Navigators Sulu (Cho) and Chekov (Yelchin). The only one missing is Scotty (Pegg), who they will pick up along the way. They have to stop Nero (Bana) and his ship from the future from changing the past, but things don’t go as planned, and soon the future is in question.

“Star Trek” is both a re-imagining and a reboot. The look and feel of the film is like nothing ever seen before in a “Star Trek” television show or movie. That is due to director J.J. Abrams, who really does bring things up to date. Also, there is a ton of action. The storyline reboots things for future movies as well. The cast is all well chosen, echoing the original actors without imitating them. As far as movies go, this is a fun, summer movie. For die hard “Star Trek” fans though, there may be some grumbling. Some might argue that there is too much action and too little thought throughout the film. Most will have an issue with the reboot that manages to essentially erase everything ever presented on television or in the movies, and provide a weak excuse. Unlike every other time the timeline is disrupted, this time they don’t feel the need to fix it. Still, “Star Trek” brings a lot to the table, and will no doubt bring in a lot of new fans. This is worth checking out.

State of Play ***

Cast: Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Robin Wright Penn, Helen Mirren, Jeff Daniels
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Running Length: 1:58
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Congressman Stephen Collins (Affleck) is the chairman of a committee reviewing whether Pointcorp should be used to outsource homeland security. One of his researchers apparently commits suicide, and it comes out that he had an affair with her. Collins believes that she was murdered because of his position. Journalist Cal McAffrey (Crowe) is his friend and a top reporter at the Washington Globe. He begins investigating the murder with a newbie blogger named Della Frye (McAdams). Soon, he is digging into areas that may be better left untouched, if he wants to continue living.

“State of Play” covers a lot of material in its two hour running time, being based on a five hour BBC miniseries. There are layers upon layers of story here, and while a little confusing at times, it is satisfying. The acting is solid, especially from Affleck and Crowe. This is a smart thriller that provides a twist ending that shows that all is not what it initially seems. “State of Play” is worth checking out.

Observe and Report ***

Cast: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, Celia Weston, Michael Pena, Collette Wolfe, John Yuan, Matt Yuan, Jesse Plemons
Director: Jody Hill
Running Length: 1:25
MPAA Classification: R

Ronnie Barnhardt (Rogen) is a security guard in the local mall. He has four subordinates: Dennis (Pena), the Yuen twins (Yuan and Yuan), and Charles (Plemons). They all look up to him, and he runs things like it is the most important job that ever existed. Ronnie himself has a thing for Brandi (Faris), who works in cosmetics, but she doesn’t return his affections. Nell (Wolfe), another mall employee likes him, but she is too plain for him to notice. Then tow things happen to rock Ronnie’s world: a flasher begins terrorizing customers and employees, and a string on robberies. Despite the police becoming involved, Ronnie sees this as his problem, and takes things into his own hands.

“Observe and Report” is a surprising film. It is not your typical Seth Rogan comedy. In fact, its darker undertones are reminiscent of Adam Sandler’s “Punch Drunk Love”. This alone will be polarizing for people looking for something like “Knocked Up”. Rogan does well, stretching his acting chops as Ronnie, a seriously flawed individual. There are a lot of laughs, but there is an awful amount of uncomfortable moments as well. Director Jody Hill even manager to push the limits of male nudity to humorous and uncomfortable effect. “Observe and Report” is a better movie than I initially thought walking out of the theater, but it is definitely not for everyone. See at your own risk!

I Love You, Man ***

Cast: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, Jane Curtin, J.K. Simmons, Andy Samberg
Director: John Hamburg
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: R

Peter’s (Rudd) best friends are all women. He has no realy guy friends. So, upon his engagement to Zooey (Jones), the question arises of who will be his best man. His only real choices are his father (Simmons) and his brother (Samberg), who aren’t really the best of choices. Peter embarks on a number of man-dates in an attempt to meet a new best friend. They go wrong in many ways, and when Peter is ready to give up, he meets Sydney (Segel). They bond in Sydney’s “man cave”, jamming to songs by Rush and just hanging out. The friendship is going so well that soon Zooey is feeling left out.

I’ve been a fan of Paul Rudd for a while now, and it is good to see him headlining a film. He and Segel have good chemistry in what is essentially a romantic comedy between two straight men. Despite its share of raunchiness, there is some unexpected sweetness too. “I Love You, Man” is an enjoyable film, and I recommend it.

The Tale of Despereaux ***

Cast (voices): Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Waston, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, Frank Langella, Sigourney Weaver
Directors: Sam Fell, Robert Stevenhagen
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: G

Despereaux (Broderick) is a mouse who is banished from Mouseworld for not acting like a mouse. He doesn’t cower, he doesn’t intentionally trip mousetraps, and he speaks to humans. In the human’s world, he meets Princess Pea (Watson), and decides to go on a quest for her to restore sunlight to a dark and grey kingdom. He is assisted by the rat Roscuro (Hoffman), who had caused the problem in the first place. Meanwhile, Miggory Snow (Ullman), the princess’s servant, is plotting to remove the princess and take her place.

“Despereaux” has a more complex story than one might expect from G-rated fare, but it is not too much to alienate younger viewers. The storylines intersect well, and all come together in the end. The animation is good, but not Pixar quality. That is a small complaint, and Pixar is in a league of their own anyway. The voice talent is made up of many big names, and Broderick, Hoffman, and Watson are all excellent. This is an entertaining family film that can be enjoyed by all.

The Reader ***

Cast: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Bruno Ganz, Lena Olin
Director: Stephen Daldry
Running Length: 2:03
MPAA Classification: R

Michael Berg (Kross) meets Hanna Schmitz (Winslet) in 1958. She finds him near her apartment, coming down with Scarlet Fever. She takes him home to recover, and when he does, he seeks her out to thank her. They begin an affair, combining sex and him reading to her. When she vanishes, Michael does not see her again until 1966, when she goes on trial for being a Nazi and killing 300 Jews at Auschwicz.

“The Reader” is an interesting film that could have been more effective if it was told a bit differently. The non-linear aspect makes the film come across as choppy, and detracts from the overall effect. Winslet and Kross are solid as the leads, bringing believability to both their characters. Winslet is especially excellent, portraying Hanna as both good and evil as the story progresses. Perhaps evil is not the right word though, as her motivations are a bit different than one might expect. This does not make her more likeable, but it does give a glimpse into how many Germans dealt with the everything that happened during World War II. This is an interesting film, but not for everyone.

Push ***

Cast: Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Djimon Hounsou, Neil Jackson, Cliff Curtis, Ming-Na, Nate Mooney
Director: Paul McGuigan
Running Length: 1:51
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Nick (Evans) is a “mover” – someone who can move things with his mind. He meets up with Cassie (Fanning), a “watcher” – someone who can predict the future. She is trying to rescue her mother from the government, but as they try to piece things together, Kira (Belle) enters their lives. Kira is a “pusher” – someone who can influence others thoughts. She also had a relationship with Nick, and is the only person to survive a power “enhancement” drug that was administered to her by the sinister Company. Now, the Company is after her, and Nick and Kira must help her if they want to survive.

“Push” is a gritty looking superhero movie that is not based on any existing comic book (for a change). It is fast paced and rich in mythology. Evans, who has some experience in these types of movies, is credible as Nick. Fanning, who is great in any movie she appears in, can add action star to her resume. The story is full of backstory, but that does not slow down the almost nonstop action. The gritty look adds to the feel of the film, and works well. “Push” is a surprisingly good film, and I recommend checking it out.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans ***

Cast: Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Rhona Mitra, Steven Mackintosh, Kevin Grevioux
Director: Patrick Tatopoulos
Running Length: 1:32
MPAA Classification: R

Hundreds of years before the first “Underworld” movie, werewolves were slaves to the vampires, led by Viktor (Nighy). The werewolf Lucian (Sheen) is the favored slave of Viktor. They maintain a respectable relationship despite their differences. Unbeknownst to Viktor, Lucian and Viktor’s daughter Sonja (Mitra) are in love. They sneak off to be together even though relationships between vampires and warewolves is forbidden. Their relationship prompts Lucien to remove his collar and go after when she is in danger. Despite saving her, Lucien is punished like the rest of the warewolves. This plants the seeds for their uprising.

“Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” is a movie that probably does not need to be made. The story was laid out quickly in the first “Underworld” movie. That being said, “Rise of the Lycans” is surprisingly entertaining. Nighy and Sheen are doing the overacting that fans of the series have come to love. There are plenty of actions scenes. And, this time, the film is a bit of a period piece. Shakespeare this ain’t, but I do not think that fans of the series will be disappointed.

Marley and Me ***

Cast: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Kathleen Turner, Alan Arkin
Director: David Frankel
Running Length: 2:03
MPAA Classification: PG

John Grogan (Wilson) and his wife Jennifer (Aniston) decide to get a dog soon after getting married. Marley, a yellow Lab, becomes part of the family, and although he is cute and loveable, he is not a model dog. He fails obedience school, and chews on just about anything. He terrorizes the dog-sitter as well. Despite all that, the Grogans love him, and when they begin to have kids and things get crazy, Marley is the constant.

Based on the memoir by John Grogan, “Marley & Me” is a good adaptation. The movie captures most of the key moments in the book, and manages to be true to its spirit as well. Wilson and Aniston have good chemistry with each other and with the dogs playing Marley. It’s funny without being a comedy and serious without being a drama. “Marley & Me” is an excellent choice for a family movie. Anyone who has ever had a dog will appreciate this film, and everyone else will enjoy it too.

Bolt 3D ***

Cast: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell, James Lipton, Greg Germann
Directors: Dan Fogelman, Chris Williams
Running Length: 1:36
MPAA Classification: PG

Bolt (Travolta) the dog is the star of a television show about a girl named Penny (Cyrus) and her super-powered dog who battle the evil Dr. Calico (McDowell). A mix up sends him across the county and way out of his element. See, Bolt doesn’t know he is the star of a television show. He thinks that he is actually super-powered. On his journey to get back to Penny, he teams up with a cat named Mittens (Essman) and a hamster named Rhino (Walton), and begins to inspire them to be more than they are despite learning that he is not as powerful as he thought.

“Bolt” is a step in the right direction after the last few animated films for Disney. The opening sequence grabs the viewer and takes tham on an action packed thrill ride worthy of the best summer blockbusters. The voice talents of Travolta, Essman, and Walton breathe life into their characters and make them likeable and relatable. The animation is solid, as one would expect from Disney, with the 3D effects crisp and clear. Finally, “Bolt” is a movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Four Christmases ***

Cast: Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, Tim McGraw, Mary Steenburgen, Kristen Chenoweth, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight
Director: Seth Gordon
Running Length: 1:22
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Brad (Vaughn) and Kate (Witherspoon) are heading to Figi for Christmas so they do not have to spend time with their family. A dense fogbank grounds all flights out of San Francisco and destroys their plans. A local television report from the airport seals their fate, and soon they are off to see their families – Brad’s divorced mom and dad and Kate’s divorced mom and dad. Brad’s dad (Duvall) and brothers (Favreau and McGraw) are hell on Brad, but Kate finds amusement in his discomfort. Kate’s mom (Steenburgen) is a bit of a cougar, making things uncomfortable for everyone. By the time they have survived Brad’s mom (Spacek), their relationship is hanging by a thread. Kate’s dad is not so bad, but by then it may just be too late.

“Four Christmases” is a pretty funny holiday film. Vaughn and Witherspoon are two likeable, funny leads. A star-studded supporting cast keeps the humor coming as well. The humor is of the squirmy, uncomfortable kind. You feel bad for these two as they are forced to deal with their families. This is an entertaining film for fans of holiday movies. If you are in the mood for something Christmassy, check it out.

Quantum of Solace ***

Cast: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Arterton, Jeffrey Wright
Director: Marc Forster
Running Length: 1:46
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Picking up where “Casino Royale” left off, James Bond (Craig) is taking Mr. White back to M (Dench). White is not giving up the goods on his employer, and when the interrogation goes awry, Bond is tracks down a woman by the name of Camille (Kurulenko), who in turn leads him to Dominic Green (Amalric). Greene is attempting to control Bolivia’s water supply. His role in Vesper’s death puts him in the crosshairs of Bond, who is bent on revenge. Meanwhile, M has orders to rein Bond in, but that is easier said than done.

“Quantum” has a lot to live up to after “Casino Royale”, almost too much. And, as such, it falls short. There is plenty of action, and Craig is once again great as James Bond, but the direction is seriously lacking. Forster is a good director, but does not know how to film action scenes, and the result is a confusing mess at times. It is nice to see an actual sequel in the series, especially since “Casino Royale” set “Quantum” up so nicely. Wright reprising his role as Felix Leiter is also a nice touch. It is clear that the producers wanted to set up a new bad guy organization for Bond to deal with and that is done fairly well. However, it would have been nice to have some info on them disseminated. Sure, they are probably waiting for the next Bond film, but they needed to give the audience something. Not the best Bond, but a solid effort nonetheless.

W. ***

Cast: Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks, Richard Dreyfuss, Ellen Burstyn, Scott Glenn, Toby Jones, Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton
Director: Oliver Stone
Running Length: 2:09
MPAA Classification: PG-13

“W.” is a look at the 43rd President of the United States (Brolin), and is told in a non-linear fashion. The main story takes place from about 2002 onward, while flashing back to key points in Bush’s past, including his time at Yale, meeting Laura (Banks), working for his father (Cromwell), and his decision to run for governor of Texas. In the “present”, Bush is dealing with the Iraq war and its ramifications.

“W.” is an odd film that sometimes tries to be a serious drama, and other times branches off into satire territory. It is interesting, looking at Bush’s “daddy issues” and their motivation for the man he becomes. But then, performances like Newton’s Condoleezza Rice are downright campy and take away from the overall effect of the film. Also, dream sequences undermine the factual elements of the film, since it is unlikely that President Bush had any input into this film. Brolin’s performance is solid enough to make this worth seeing. Bush does not really come off that bad, the same cannot be said for Cheney. Liberals will think it doesn’t go far enough, conservatives will think it went to far, and those in the middle will probably find it the most interesting. Any way you look at it, “W.” will have you talking.

Appaloosa ***

Cast: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons, Renée Zellweger, Lance enrickson, Adam Nelson, Ariadna Gil
Director: Ed Harris
Running Length: 1:54
MPAA Classification: R

Outlaw Randall Bragg (Irons) and his gang do whatever they please in the Old West town of Appaloosa, but all that is about to change. The town leaders have had enough of him, and decide to bring in gunman Virgil Cole (Harris) and his associate Everett Hitch (Mortensen) to clean things up. As marshal, Cole demands some leeway to take care of things his way, and that is granted by the town. Soon, Cole and Hitch are able to stage a midnight arrest of Bragg at his hideout, but getting justice is not that easy. Bragg’s men are out to get him back.

Not many westerns make it to theaters these days, but “Appaloosa”, Ed Harris’ second directorial effort does not disappoint. The leads all produce real characters that are not perfect people. There is an understated humor that keeps things from getting to heavy, and everything in the film looks authentic. “Appaloosa” is an entertaining film that will satisfy any thirst for a fresh western. I recommend it.

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist ***

Cast: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Ari Graynor, Alexis Dziena, Aaron Yoo, Rafi Gavron
Director: Peter Sollett
Running Length: PG-13
MPAA Classification: 1:30

It has been a while, but Nick (Crea) is still trying to get over his ex-girlfriend Tris (Dziena). One night, he and his friends head out into New York City to look for the secret site where his favorite band, Where’s Fluffy, is playing. Norah (Dennings) is going on the hunt as well, with her friend Caroline (Graynor). Norah has a bit of a crush on Nick through an inadvertent sampling of mix cds he had made for Tris. At a club, to overcome not having a boyfriend when questioned, she gets Nick to play the part. Together, they set out to find Where’s Fluffy and Caroline, who is drunk and missing in NYC.

“Nick and Norah” succeeds because of two things: the chemistry between Cera and Dennings, and the quality of the screenplay. Nick and Norah are likeable characters that belong together, even if it takes them a little while to figure it out. The relationship develops slowly, and pays off nicely. The script is smartly written with clever dialogue. The movie is fresh and enjoyable. I recommend “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.”

Burn After Reading ***

Cast: George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins
Director: Joel & Ethan Coen
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: R

Osborne Cox (Malkovich) would rather quit his job with the CIA than be demoted. His wife, Katie (Swinton), thinks this is a mistake and is irritated with his decision. Her lover, Harry Pfarrer (Clooney, an ex-secret service agent, is trying to decide weather to divorce his wife to be with Katie. Harry is a bit of a player though, and has been known to search the internet for dates. On the internet, he meets Linda (McDormand), a gym worker who is desperate to get some money to have cosmetic surgery done. Linda and her co-worker Chad (Pitt) find a way to get that money: sell CIA secrets from some unpublished memoirs found at the gym and belonging to Osborne Cox to the Russians.

This is the type of movie that the Coen brothers do best: idiots with a plan that goes horribly wrong. “Burn After Reading” delivers the goods with solid performances all around. Brad Pitt is probably the stand out, but Malkovich also gives a strong performance. The stories are interwoven effectively so the pieces come together at the right time for maximum drama and humor. This is no “No Country For Old Men”, but it many ways it will appeal to a wider audience, if only for the star power. “Burn After Reading” is another solid effort from the Coen brothers.