All in all, it looks like ho-hum weekend compared to the last one. There’s one big release (which doesn’t look amazing), but some of the new, smaller films sound like good alternatives. Let’s dig in and see what we have…
1. “Couples Retreat” - Something about this is just not clicking with me. I love this cast (including Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, and the great Frenchman Jean Reno), and I’m always up for seeing the Swingers reunion team of Favreau and Vaughn…but I have a feeling this will be somewhat of a disappointment. This one follows four couples as they head to a Bora Bora resort for a special “retreat”. Turns out, instead of a nice, relaxing vacation, the weekend transforms into intense couples-counseling sessions from Jean Reno’s bizarre zen-master (with such tactics as the “Cirlce of Life” swimming-with-sharks exercise). It’s a funny premise, and the trailer (which you can see below) is good for a few laughs; still, the mostly negative reviews don’t help, and all of the ads and TV spots feature pretty much the exact same scenes and jokes. Could still be entertaining—there’s a lot of funny people here (including John Michael Higgins, who was hilarious in Community last week, and stole his scenes as the gay brother in The Break-Up), and Vaughn and Favreau, two of the best improvisers in the business, are magic whenever put together (the duo also co-wrote this script). I do plan on catching this…but I think I could wait for the DVD.
2. “An Education” - Opening in very limited release, this one’s riding a wave of buzz from the festival circuit, especially for the star-making performance of Carey Mulligan. From a script by Nick Hornby (whose works gave us the insightful About a Boy and High Fidelity), this is basically a coming-of-age story of one 16-year-old in 1960’s London. With big dreams and aspirations, she’s fortunate to meet a much older, very charismatic man (Peter Sarsgaard), and that fateful meeting takes her on a journey, supposedly one with lots of heart-tugging emotion and humor. Hornby’s a gifted writer; even though most of his works tend to deal with guys (and, boy, does he get how dudes think), all of his characters come across as layered, relatable people…and High Fidelity is one of my favorite movies about growing up (even though its lead character is in his 30’s). The universally positive reviews make it sound like it’s well worth seeing (or hunting down until it releases wider), and it really does look like a charming film. It’s also populated by some great supporting players, including the amazing Emma Thompson and Alfred Molina, and leading lady Mulligan is receiving tons of Oscar talk for her performance. Could be some great, quality entertainment—I might not rush out to see it this weekend, but I’ll definitely catch it in the next few weeks.
3. “Trucker” - Like An Education, this is another tiny, limited release, and one that’s also getting raves for its leading lady. Trucker traces the story of one careless big-rig driver, and how she turns her life around to deal with her abandoned 11-year-old son. Lead actress Michelle Monaghan has been good in a lot of things, from supporting-wife/girlfriend roles in Mission: Impossible III and Made of Honor to strong character turns in the likes of the great (and criminally underseen) Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang with Robert Downey Jr. She’s due for her chance to shine, and this sounds like it could very well be that movie. Her performance is also getting its share of Oscar buzz and this film could be worth seeing just for that. The supporting cast is excellent as well, featuring Nathan Fillion (from one of the best TV shows of all time—Firefly! Great to see you, Captain Mal!) and Benjamin Bratt. It probably won’t make much of a dent in the box-office, but it sounds like a smart and powerful little film, especially if you’re in the mood for a low-key, emotional drama.
4. “Good Hair” - I didn’t know about this film until last week, and, while it doesn’t look groundbreaking, it could turn out to be some pleasant, light-hearted entertainment. Starring and produced by Chris Rock, this is a documentary exploring African-American hairstyles (seriously). The topic sounds frivolous, but Rock’s got a good eye for smart humor (with a dash of social commentary), and the whole thing sounds breezy and enjoyable. Not must-see for me, but a nice alternative to consider.And that’s all we have for this weekend. It’s not as exciting as last week, but I think there’s some good, solid choices here.
So, what about you guys? Are you tempted to watch any of these (either this weekend or sometime in the future)? Out of all of these, I most want to catch An Education, which, judging by the ecstatic reviews all around, sounds like a real winner.
For this weekend, though, my top priority is catching the Toy Story 3-D Double Feature. Just a quick reminder: for anyone interested, this is the last week you’ll be able to see that—the limited run of two of Pixar’s best movies ends this Sunday!
Images courtesy of Universal Pictures, BBC Films, Sony Pitures Classics, Plum Pictures, HBO Films, and Roadside Attractions.
Clips courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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