Movie Releases by Genre

The Escapist

The Escapist

April 3, 2009
Frank Perry is a lifer; in prison for the rest of his natural born days. He's never had a problem with that: he did the crime: he'll do the time. Until now. He receives a letter telling him that his only and much loved daughter is critically ill following an overdose. He knows that he must see her and to do that he'll have to escape. But he can't do it alone. A motley crew of younger associates is assembled to enact his plan: Lenny Drake, Brodie, and Viv Baptista. As they prepare to break out Frank's focus is distracted by the arrival of a young con James Lacey-- a reminder of days long lost. As the new kid on the block Lacey also attracts the sadistic attention of Tony, the drug-addict brother of wing‐king Rizza. Personality conflicts put the escape in jeopardy and Frank is forced to find the energy and courage of the man he once was. (IFC Films)
Metascore:
56
User Score:
6.4
Fast & Furious

Fast & Furious

April 3, 2009 | PG-13
It’s been eight years since ex-con Dominic Toretto drove across the Mexican border, committing himself to a fugitive existence. Now, holed up in a beach shack in the Dominican Republic, and living on the run with the sole remnant of his past, Letty, he tries to piece together a new life. But he knows the authorities are always just steps behind him. And, when a tragic death of someone he loves brings Brian O’Conner back to L.A., Dom reignites his feud with the agent. As they are forced to confront a shared enemy, a sociopathic drug kingpin who is flooding the U.S. with lethal product, Dom and Brian must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to outmaneuver him and avenge the tragedy that he caused their small de facto family to endure. [Universal Pictures]
Metascore:
46
User Score:
6.4
Paris 36

Paris 36

April 3, 2009 | PG-13
The setting is Spring 1936 ; a working-class district in the north of Paris. In the center of town there is a small square, a few shops, lopsided buildings, cobbled streets and the peeling façade of the neighborhood music hall, the Chansonia. In this blue-collar neighborhood, the triumphant election of the Popular Front government is greeted with enthusiasm and hopes for a brighter tomorrow, yet stirs up all kinds of extremism. Among the new government's promises is a law guaranteeing paid holidays for workers. In early May, three residents of the Faubourg – Pigoil, Milou, and Jacky – still sulk over the closing of the Chansonia four months ago. Supported by the locals who live to the rhythm of Monsieur TSF's radio, the three friends decide to take hold of their destiny by producing the "hit" musical the Chansonia has always needed. (Sony Pictures)
Metascore:
40
User Score:
4.4
The Song of Sparrows

The Song of Sparrows

April 3, 2009 | PG
Karim works at an ostrich farm outside of Tehran, Iran. He leads a simple and contented life with his family in his small house, until one day when one of the ostriches runs away. Karim is blamed for the loss and is fired from the farm. Soon after, he travels to the city in order to repair his elder daughter’s hearing aid but finds himself mistaken for a motorcycle taxi driver. Thus begins his new profession: ferrying people and goods through heavy traffic. But the people and material goods that he deals with daily start to transform Karim’s generous and honest nature, much to the distress of his wife and daughters. It is up to those closest to him to restore the values that he had once cherished. (Regent Releasing)
Metascore:
74
User Score:
7.9
Tulpan

Tulpan

April 1, 2009
Following his Russian naval service, young dreamer Asa returns to his sister’s nomadic brood on the desolate Hunger Steppe to begin a hardscrabble career as a shepherd. But before he can tend a flock of his own, Asa must win the hand of the only eligible bachelorette for miles—his alluringly mysterious neighbor Tulpan. Accompanied by his girlie mag-reading sidekick Boni (and a menagerie of adorable lambs, stampeding camels, mewing kittens and mischievous children), Asa will stop at nothing to prove he is a worthy husband and herder. (Zeitgeist Films)
Metascore:
88
User Score:
6.3
Spinning Into Butter

Spinning Into Butter

March 27, 2009 | R
A vicious hate crime at an elite New England college thrust the new dean of students into the investigation. When charged with maintaining order on campus, she is forced to examine her own feelings about race. Based on the critically acclaimed play, Spinning into Butter is a compelling movie that examines the emotional fallout of prejudice within the cloistered walls of academia. (Screen Media Films)
Metascore:
20
User Score:
5.3
The Education of Charlie Banks

The Education of Charlie Banks

March 27, 2009 | R
Charlie Bank's sheltered world at his Ivy League campus is shaken when Mick, an old acquaintance with a violent past, unexpectedly shows up at his dorm room. Intrigued by Charlie's privileged lifestyle, the charismatic Mick quickly wins over Charlie’s friends and his crush, Mary as he seamlessly integrates himself into Charlie’s life. Unnerved yet also in awe of Mick's easy charm, Charlie's unresolved feelings of jealousy, admiration and fear – as well as an unspoken secret between the two—threatens to come to a head with ruinous consequences. Set in the early '80's against the backdrop of Greenwich Village's rough and tumble playgrounds and an elite academic institution in Upstate New York, The Education of Charlie Banks is a stirring coming-of-age story about trusting your instincts, your friends and yourself. (Strong Heart Pictures)
Metascore:
50
User Score:
6.8
The Haunting in Connecticut

The Haunting in Connecticut

March 27, 2009 | PG-13
The Haunting in Connecticut charts one family's terrifying, real-life encounter with the dark forces of the supernatural. When the Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history: not only was the house a transformed funeral parlor where inconceivable acts occurred, but the owner's clairvoyant son Jonah served as a demonic messenger, providing a gateway for spiritual entities to crossover. Now, unspeakable terror awaits when Jonah, the boy who communicated with the dead, returns to unleash a new kind of horror on the innocent and unsuspecting family. (Lionsgate)
Metascore:
33
User Score:
6.1
Goodbye Solo

Goodbye Solo

March 27, 2009 | R
On the lonely roads of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, two men forge an improbable friendship that will change both of their lives forever. Solo is a Senegalese cab driver working to provide a better life for his young family. William is a tough Southern good ol‘ boy with a lifetime of regrets. One man‘s American dream is just beginning, while the other‘s is quickly winding down. But despite their differences, both men soon realize they need each other more than either is willing to admit. Through this unlikely but unforgettable friendship, Goodbye Solo deftly explores the passing of a generation as well as the rapidly changing face of America. (Roadside Attractions)
Metascore:
89
User Score:
7.5
Knowing

Knowing

March 20, 2009 | PG-13
In 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures to be stored in a time capsule. But one mysterious girl fills her sheet of paper with rows of apparently random numbers instead. Fifty years later, a new generation of students examines the capsule's contents and the girl's cryptic message ends up in the hands of young Caleb Koestler. But it is Caleb's father, professor John Koestler, who makes the startling discovery that the encoded message predicts with pinpoint accuracy the dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster of the past 50 years. As Ted further unravels the document's chilling secrets, he realizes the document foretells three additional events—the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale and seems to somehow involve Ted and his son. When Ted's attempts to alert the authorities fall on deaf ears, he takes it upon himself to try to prevent more destruction from taking place. (Summit Entertainment)
Metascore:
41
User Score:
6.1
Sin Nombre

Sin Nombre

March 20, 2009 | R
Seeking the promise of America, a beautiful young Honduran woman, Sayra, joins her father and uncle on an odyssey to cross the gauntlet of the Latin American countryside en route to the United States. Along the way she crosses paths with a teenage Mexican gang member, El Casper, who is maneuvering to outrun his violent past and elude his unforgiving former associates. Together they must rely on faith, trust and street smarts if they are to survive their increasingly perilous journey towards the hope of new lives. (Focus Features)
Metascore:
77
User Score:
8.0
Sunshine Cleaning

Sunshine Cleaning

March 13, 2009 | R
Once the high school cheerleading captain who dated the quarterback, Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) now finds herself a thirty something single mother working as a maid. Her sister Norah, (Emily Blunt), is still living at home with their dad Joe (Alan Arkin), a salesman with a lifelong history of ill-fated get rich quick schemes. Desperate to get her son into a better school, Rose persuades Norah to go into the crime scene clean-up business with her to make some quick cash. In no time, the girls are up to their elbows in murders, suicides and other... specialized situations. As they climb the ranks in a very dirty job, the sisters find a true respect for one another and the closeness they have always craved finally blossoms. (Overture Films)
Metascore:
61
User Score:
6.3
The Last House on the Left

The Last House on the Left

March 13, 2009 | R
The night she arrives at the remote Collingwood lakehouse, Mari and her friend are kidnapped by a prison escapee and his crew. Terrified and left for dead, Mari's only hope is to make it back to parents John and Emma. Unfortunately, her attackers unknowingly seek shelter at the one place she could be safe. And when her family learns the horrifying story, they will make three strangers curse the day they came to The Last House on the Left. (Universal)
Metascore:
42
User Score:
6.1
The Cake Eaters

The Cake Eaters

March 13, 2009 | R
Living in rural America, The Kimbrough family is a normally odd bunch; Easy, the patriarch, owns a butcher shop and finds himself grieving over the loss of his wife, Ceci, while hiding a secret ongoing relationship for years; Beagle, his youngest son who was left to care for his ailing mother, works in the local high school cafeteria by day but has a burning passion inside that manifests itself through painting street signs; and the eldest son, Guy, has been away pursuing his musical aspirations. Upon Guy’s return home, the complex nature of each character unravels; Beagle’s pent up emotions connect with Georgia Kaminski, a terminally ill teenage girl wanting to experience love before it’s too late; Easy’s long time affair with Marg, Georgia’s eccentric grandmother, is exposed to the Kimbrough family; and Guy discovers that, in his absence, his high school sweetheart, Stephanie, has moved on and started a family of her own. Through it all, The Kimbroughs and Kaminski’s manage to establish a new beginning in the face of their greatest fears; truthfulness, intimacy, the afterlife, and family. (57th & Irving Productions)
Metascore:
60
User Score:
5.3
The Edge of Love

The Edge of Love

March 13, 2009 | Unrated
Two feisty, free-spirited women are connected by a brilliant, charismatic poet who loves them both. Desire and guilt are complicated by love and friendship in this real-life tale set in beautiful London and the majestic Welsh countryside. (Capitol Films)
Metascore:
39
User Score:
6.6
The Perfect Sleep

The Perfect Sleep

March 13, 2009 | R
In a timeless city, a man with no name returns to the violent, brutal domain of assassins he left ten years before – back when they dubbed him The Mad Monk for his disregard for his own life and his intense devotion to one woman, Porphyria; a beautiful, luminescent woman; the girl he grew up with; the love of his life; the one thing he has ever wanted; the one thing he can never have. To protect Porphyria, this unnamed man will return to a life of torment and torture. He will face off against the father figure he turned his back on so many years ago. He will revisit this existence full of people imprisoned by their desire, their history, and their very blood; a world where the only thing keeping you from happiness is yourself, the world of The Perfect Sleep. (Unified Pictures)
Metascore:
27
User Score:
tbd
Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America

Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America

March 13, 2009
In 1007 AD on the mainland of North America, two stranded Vikings search against all odds to find their way home. As they struggle to survive in the vast forests of the New World, their paths diverge as one pursues a spiritual quest and the other reverts to his primal instincts. An inward adventure set entirely in the Northern American Woodlands. (Magnet Releasing)
Metascore:
51
User Score:
4.1
Tokyo Sonata

Tokyo Sonata

March 13, 2009 | PG-13
Tokyo Sonata is a portrait of a seemingly ordinary Japanese family. The father who abruptly loses his job conceals the truth from his family; the eldest son in college hardly returns home; the youngest son furtively takes piano lessons without telling his parents; and the mother, who knows deep down that her role is to keep the family together, cannot find the will to do so. From the exterior, all is normal and the same. But somehow, a single, unforeseeable chasm has appeared within the family, threatening to disintegrate them. Director Kurosawa’s use of light and dark to express a sense of simultaneous hope and horror verges on awe-inspiring and the ending will leave you enthralled. [Regent Releasing]
Metascore:
80
User Score:
7.1
Everlasting Moments

Everlasting Moments

March 6, 2009 | Unrated
Sweden, early 1900s. In a time of social change and unrest, war and poverty, a young working class woman, Maria, wins a camera in a lottery. The decision to keep it alters her whole life. The camera grants Maria new eyes with which to see the world, and brings the charming photographer "Piff Paff Puff" into her life. Trouble ensues when Maria's alcoholic, womanizing husband, feels threatened by the young man and his wife's newfound outlook on life. (IFC Films)
Metascore:
80
User Score:
7.4
Tokyo!

Tokyo!

March 6, 2009 | Unrated
In Tokyo!, three of the world's greatest filmmakers come together for an omnibus triptych examining the nature of one unforgettable city as it's shaped by the disparate people who live, work (and even run amok!) inside one enormous, constantly evolving, densely populated Japanese megalopolis - the ravishing and inimitable Tokyo. Triptych, rhapsody, psychogeography, omnibus, urban valentine, freak show, mindwalk and many other things, Tokyo! is a fantasy in three movements that will make you see one of the world's greatest cities - if not any city - in unpredictable new ways. (Liberation Entertainment)
Metascore:
63
User Score:
6.7
Explicit Ills

Explicit Ills

March 6, 2009 | R
In the harsh streets of Philadelphia, the lives of strangers intersect in a bold and moving semi-autobiographical tale that crosscuts between the many people (adults, teenagers, and children alike) who struggle in the face of poverty, drugs and the human connection. (Peace Arch Entertainment)
Metascore:
54
User Score:
tbd
Reunion

Reunion

March 6, 2009
Members of secret society come together after a death reveals startling secrets.
Metascore:
23
User Score:
tbd
Watchmen

Watchmen

March 6, 2009 | R
Watchmen is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the outlawed but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion--a disbanded group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers--Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching the Watchmen? (Warner Bros.)
Metascore:
56
User Score:
8.1
Phoebe in Wonderland

Phoebe in Wonderland

March 6, 2009 | PG-13
Phoebe in Wonderland, which recently had its world premiere at Sundance 2008 and is based on Daniel Barnz’s original screenplay, concerns a young girl who longs to be in her school’s production of "Alice in Wonderland." After being cast in the lead role of Alice by her eccentric drama teacher, Phoebe reveals a unique talent but, much like Alice herself, is increasingly at odds with the world around her and begins to retreat into a world of her imagination. Though her parents initially see their daughter’s unusual behavior as signs of creativity, they gradually realize that Phoebe is at risk of falling “through the looking glass.” (THINKFilm)
Metascore:
56
User Score:
8.4
12

12

March 4, 2009 | PG-13
A loose remake of “12 Angry Men”, 12 is set in contemporary Moscow where 12 very different men must unanimously decide the fate of a young Chechen accused of murdering his step-father, a Russian army officer. Consigned to a makeshift jury room in a school gymnasium, one by one each man takes center stage to confront, connect, and confess while the accused awaits a verdict and revisits his heartbreaking journey through war in flashbacks. (Sony Picture Classics)
Metascore:
72
User Score:
7.4
Red Riding Trilogy

Red Riding Trilogy

March 3, 2009
Sure to be one of the cinematic events of the year, Red Riding is a mesmerizing neo-noir epic based on factual events and adapted for the screen by Tony Grisoni from David Peace's electrifying series of novels. An official selection of the Telluride, New York, Chicago and AFI Festivals, and acclaimed by critics an eminent accomplishment, the trilogy follows several characters in intertwining storylines united by the horror wrought by the "Yorkshire Ripper," a serial killer who terrorized northwest England in the 1970s and '80s. The three films are directed by three notable filmmakers and each boasts a stellar British cast that includes Andrew Garfield. (IFC Films)
Metascore:
77
User Score:
7.0
Crossing Over

Crossing Over

February 27, 2009 | R
The US offers hope—but that often comes at a price. Many can earn citizenship legally through a lengthy bureaucratic process, but others find themselves out of luck in a country where virtually anything can be bought. Sex, violence and betrayal become their currency. Some wait in line for permission to enter the U.S. while others take matters into their own hands. (The Weinstein Company)
Metascore:
38
User Score:
5.7
The Trouble with Romance

The Trouble with Romance

February 27, 2009
In one Los Angeles hotel, each room hides a different trouble with romance. Jack and Jill can't get up the hill because Steve is blocking their way. Paul and Karen have been married for 7 years and could use a little spice (aka Rachel) in their love life…well, maybe not. Jimmy is from Mars and Steph is from Venus and they’ve got commitment issues that span the solar system. And Nicole thought she knew what men wanted, and what she wanted, but Charlie’s different…or is he not? Sometimes you get love advice from all the right - and wrong - people; who’s to know who is who and which is which? (Girls Club Entertainment)
Metascore:
11
User Score:
tbd
An American Affair

An American Affair

February 27, 2009 | R
Washington DC, 1963: the Cuban Missile Crisis is last year’s news, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s young administration is starting to hit its stride. Behind the scenes, however, winds of discontent are swirling. Thirteen-year-old Adam Stafford has his own problems to deal with. At that uncomfortable age when nothing seems possible, he’s a bit of a loner, a kid who spends too much time wrapped up in his own thoughts as he suffers through the daily grind of nuns, bullies, and girls at Holy Cross School. Until the evening his adolescent yearnings come to life: Adam spies a beautiful naked woman in the house across the street, and his curiosity is inflamed. Catherine Caswell, a stunning thirty-something blond beauty, has just moved in. Captivated, Adam is determined to learn all he can about his new neighbor. (Screen Media Gems)
Metascore:
31
User Score:
8.0
Madea Goes to Jail

Madea Goes to Jail

February 20, 2009 | PG-13
After a high-speed freeway chase puts Madea in front of the judge, her reprieve is short-lived as anger management issues get the best of her and land her in jail. A gleeful Joe couldn't be happier at Madea's misfortune. But Madea's eccentric family members the Browns rally behind her, lending their special "country" brand of support. Meanwhile, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Hardaway is on the fast track to career success. But Hardaway lands a case too personal to handle - defending young prostitute and former drug addict Candace Washington - and asks his fiancée and fellow ADA Linda Holmes to fill in on his behalf. When Candace ends up in jail, Madea befriends the young woman, protecting her in a "motherly" way as only Madea can. (Lionsgate)
Metascore:
50
User Score:
5.3
Delhi-6

Delhi-6

February 20, 2009
Roshan travels from USA to India with his ailing grandmother. Little does he know that this quick trip will turn into the longest journey of his life… a journey within! The story is told against the backdrop of the ancient walled city of Delhi which is a character by itself. A city that represents the chaos of Indian people, their religion and their beliefs. The pin code of this old city is 110006. With pride and love they call it DELHI-6. (UTV)
Metascore:
45
User Score:
7.6
Katyn

Katyn

February 18, 2009
In 1941, during their march on Moscow, the Nazis discovered the mass graves of 22,00 Polish intellectuals, clergy and officers. Katyn is the story of Joseph Stalin's order to execute these people.
Metascore:
81
User Score:
7.1
Two Lovers

Two Lovers

February 13, 2009 | R
Leonard is a charismatic but troubled young man who moves back into his childhood home following a recent heartbreak. While recovering under the watchful eye of his parents, Leonard meets two women in quick succession: Michelle, a mysterious and beautiful neighbor who is exotic and out-of-place in Leonard's staid world, and Sandra, the lovely and caring daughter of a businessman who is buying out his family's dry-cleaning business. Leonard becomes deeply infatuated by Michelle, who seems poised to fall for him, but is having a self-destructive affair with a married man. At the same time, mounting pressure from his family pushes him towards committing to Sandra. Leonard is forced to make an impossible decision – between the impetuousness of desire and the comfort of love – or risk falling back into the darkness that nearly killed him. [Magnolia Pictures]
Metascore:
74
User Score:
8.4
The Caller

The Caller

February 13, 2009 | PG-13
A whistle-blower for an energy company fears for his life. He decides to hire a detective to uncover the source behind a series of threats.
Metascore:
33
User Score:
tbd
Gomorrah

Gomorrah

February 13, 2009 | Not Rated
Power, money and blood: these are the values that the residents of the province of Naples and Caserta confront every day. They have practically no choice, and are forced to obey the rules of the "System," the Camorra. Only a lucky few can even think of leading a normal life. Five stories are woven together in this violent scenario, set in a cruel and ostensibly invented world, but one that is deeply rooted in reality. (IFC Films)
Metascore:
87
User Score:
7.2
He's Just Not That Into You

He's Just Not That Into You

February 6, 2009 | PG-13
He's Just Not That Into You tells the stories of a group of interconnected, Baltimore-based twenty- and thirtysomethings as they navigate their various relationships from the shallow end of the dating pool through the deep, murky waters of married life, trying to read the signs of the opposite sex... and hoping to be the exceptions to the "no-exceptions" rule. (Warner Bros.)
Metascore:
47
User Score:
6.0
Push

Push

February 6, 2009 | PG-13
Push burrows deep into the deadly world of psychic espionage where artificially enhanced paranormal operatives have the ability to move objects with their minds, see the future, create new realities and kill without ever touching their victims. Against this setting, a young man and a teenage girl take on a clandestine agency in a race against time that will determine the future of civilization. (Summit Entertainment)
Metascore:
36
User Score:
6.9
Fanboys

Fanboys

February 6, 2009 | PG-13
It's 1998 and "Star Wars" fanboys across the globe eagerly await the release of "Episode I." But for Eric, Linus, Hutch and Windows the term "fanboy" is more than just a title, it's a badge of honor. Spurred by impatience and an undying loyalty to their cause, these former high school friends reunite to undertake the road trip of their fan-tasies. Traveling West across the country to visit their Mecca - George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch - the plan is to break in, steal the film and stake their claim as the first fanboys in history to watch it. But to secure their place in the fanboy hall of fame, they'll have to contend with bizarre bikers, a crazy pimp, a deranged group of trekkies and the quiet intensity of William Shatner. (The Weinstein Company)
Metascore:
45
User Score:
7.7
Memorial Day

Memorial Day

February 4, 2009
Beginning as a rowdy beach weekend video, Memorial Day twists and turns to find the dark hearts of young Americans who live to tape their most debauched adventures. The characters are thrust into full exposure, both physically and emotionally, to a place where self-exploitation and the exploitation of others give rise to a shocking new kind of entertainment. The camera creates a sphere of provocation wherever it goes, ramping up actions and pushing characters to a place of hyper-real catharsis. The film takes a major twist half way through, pushing the themes of the weekend to their extremes. (Artists Public Domain)
Metascore:
25
User Score:
tbd
The Uninvited

The Uninvited

January 30, 2009 | PG-13
In the suspense thriller The Uninvited, based on the 2003 Korean motion picture "Changhwa, Hongryon" written and directed by Kim Jee-woon, Anna returns home after spending time in a psychiatric facility following her mother's tragic death and discovers that her mother's former nurse, Rachel, has moved into their house and become engaged to her father, Steven. Soon after she learns this shocking news, Anna is visited by her mother's ghost, who warns her that Rachel has evil intentions. Together, Anna and her sister must convince their father that his new fiancee is not who she pretends to be, and what should have been a happy family reunion becomes a lethal battle of wills between stepdaughters and stepmother. (Paramount)
Metascore:
43
User Score:
6.4
Service (Serbis)

Service (Serbis)

January 30, 2009 | R
The Pineda family operates and lives in a run-down movie house that shows dated sexy double-feature films. As they go about their daily activities, we get a glimpse of how the family suffers and deals with each other’s sins and vices. Preoccupied with their own personal demons, they are unmindful that inside their movie theater another kind of business is going on between the “serbis” boys and the gay patrons. [Regent Releasing]
Metascore:
76
User Score:
6.3
Luck by Chance

Luck by Chance

January 30, 2009
A starlet and a struggler meet while trying to navigate through the Hindi Film Industry and end up changing each other’s lives forever. Lucky by Chance is a slice of film industry life, in which self advancement is the sole motivator. Here, notions of superstition, fate and destiny may underline every decision but it’s the gigantic egos, the grand desires and the small opportunities that converge to form strange patterns. Patterns that we call kismet. (Excel Movies)
Metascore:
58
User Score:
7.3
Shadows

Shadows

January 30, 2009
When Lucky is involved in a disastrous car crash and mysteriously saved from a sure death, his life begins to change. He meets strange people: an old man with a baby, an ancient lady speaking a forgotten dialect, a beautiful young woman with a sad secret? Their only message is: "Return what's not yours. Have respect." (Mitropoulos Films)
Metascore:
49
User Score:
7.5
Taken

Taken

January 30, 2009 | Unrated
When his estranged daughter is kidnapped in Paris, a former spy sets out to find her at any cost. Relying on his special skills, he tracks down the ruthless gang that abducted her and launches a one-man war to bring them to justice and rescue his daughter. [20th Century Fox]
Metascore:
51
User Score:
7.4
The Lodger

The Lodger

January 23, 2009 | R
The Lodger follows a seasoned detective on the trail of a ruthless killer intent on slaughtering prostitutes along West Hollywood's Sunset Strip. It appears that the murderer's grisly methods are identical to that of London's infamous 19th century psychopath Jack the Ripper - a relentless serial killer who was never caught by police. To make matters worse, the detective soon notices the parallels between the crimes committed by the West Hollywood stalker and those of a serial murderer incarcerated years ago. Could the wrong man be behind bars? (Sony Pictures)
Metascore:
17
User Score:
5.4
Donkey Punch

Donkey Punch

January 23, 2009 | R
After meeting at a nightclub in a Mediterranean resort, seven young adults decide to continue partying aboard a luxury yacht in the middle of the ocean. But when one of them dies in a freak accident, the others argue about what to do, leading to a ruthless fight for survival. (Magnolia Pictures)
Metascore:
43
User Score:
5.6
Chandni Chowk to China

Chandni Chowk to China

January 16, 2009 | PG-13
From Chutney in India to Chow Mein in China, Chandni Chowk to China follows one man's passage from simple cook to kung fu fighter on a thrilling, madcap journey from the by-lanes of Chandni Chowk in Delhi, India, to the grandeur of the Great Wall of China and beyond. The first-ever Bollywood kung fu action comedy, the film brings together the two largest Asian communities, India and China, on one cinematic canvas. (Warner Bros.)
Metascore:
44
User Score:
5.1
Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms

January 16, 2009 | Unrated
Only Trudi knows that her husband Rudi is suffering from a terminal illness. She decides not to tell him and convinces him to visit their family in Berlin. Then, suddenly, Trudi dies. Rudi is devastated but vows to make up for her lost life. And so he embarks on his last journey - to Tokyo - in the midst of the cherry blossom festival, a celebration of beauty, impermanence and new beginnings. (Strand Releasing)
Metascore:
62
User Score:
8.2
Notorious

Notorious

January 16, 2009 | R
In just a few short years, Notorious B.I.G. rose from the streets of Brooklyn to become one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. B.I.G. was a gifted storyteller; his narratives about violent life on the streets were told with a gritty, objective realism that won him enormous respect and credibility. His stories were universal and gave a voice to his generation. (Fox Searchlight)
Metascore:
60
User Score:
5.7
Not Easily Broken

Not Easily Broken

January 9, 2009 | PG-13
Chronicling the story of one couple's love, loss and ultimate faith in one another, Not Easily Broken follows the lives of Dave and Clarice Johnson in their second decade of marriage. Dave's dreams of major league baseball success were dashed by an injury in college, leading him to a steady but unfulfilling career as the head of a small construction firm. Clarice is basking in the glow of real estate stardom, creating a life that revolves around her rise to the top. She has become blind to Dave's needs, the most important being his desire to become a father and start a family with her. Soon Dave and Clarice must face a married couple's most serious questions: are we really meant to be together, and if we are, how do we fight to keep what we have built as man and wife? (Sony Pictures)
Metascore:
43
User Score:
6.1
Yonkers Joe

Yonkers Joe

January 9, 2009 | R
An ode to old time gamblers, now outdated in an age of powerful upscale casinos, Yonkers Joe tells the story of a dice hustler whose determination to make one last grab for a big score in Vegas is complicated by the reappearance of his estranged, mentally challenged son into his life. (Magnolia Pictures)
Metascore:
48
User Score:
7.0
Just Another Love Story

Just Another Love Story

January 9, 2009
Just Another Love Story is about Jonas, a likeable family man with a wife and two kids. Jonas' life takes an unexpected twist when he inadvertently causes Julia to crash her car. The next day, Julia wakes up in a hospital with amnesia and Jonas comes to visit. In a grotesque mix-up, Julia and her family mistake Jonas for her exotic new boyfriend Sebastian, whose return from abroad they had all been expecting. Jonas assumes the other's identity, and a boundless world opens up to him. But one day, truth comes knocking at the door. (Revolver Entertainment)
Metascore:
69
User Score:
7.0
Silent Light

Silent Light

January 7, 2009
Johan and his family are Mennonites from the north of Mexico. Against the law of God and man, Johan falls in love with another woman. (Bac Films)
Metascore:
79
User Score:
7.6
Defiance

Defiance

December 31, 2008 | R
Based on an extraordinary true story, Defiance is an epic tale of family, honor, vengeance and salvation in World War II. (Paramount Vantage)
Metascore:
58
User Score:
6.0
Good

Good

December 31, 2008
A German literature professor in the 1930s, John Halder explores his personal circumstances in a novel advocating compassionate euthanasia. When the book is unexpectedly enlisted by powerful political figures in support of government propaganda, Halder finds his career rising in an optimistic current of nationalism and prosperity. Yet with Halder’s change in fortune, his seemingly inconsequential decisions potentially jeopardize the people in his life with devastating effects. (THINKFilms)
Metascore:
40
User Score:
4.9
Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road

December 26, 2008 | R
Adapted from the landmark novel by Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road is an incisive portrait of an American marriage seen through the eyes of Frank and April Wheeler. Yates’ story of 1950’s America poses a question that has been reverberating through modern relationships ever since: can two people break away from the ordinary without breaking apart? (Paramount Vantage)
Metascore:
69
User Score:
7.3
Last Chance Harvey

Last Chance Harvey

December 25, 2008 | PG-13
New Yorker Harvey Shine goes to London for a weekend to attend his daughter’s wedding but promises his boss that he'll be back on Monday morning to make an important meeting. Harvey arrives in London only to learn his daughter has chosen to have her stepfather walk her down the aisle instead of him. Doing his best to hide his devastation, he leaves the wedding before the reception in hopes of getting to the airport on time, but misses his plane anyway. When he calls his boss to explain, he is fired on the spot. Drowning his sorrows at the airport bar, Harvey strikes up a conversation with a woman named Kate, and finds himself energized by her intelligence and compassion. The growing connection between the pair inspires both as they unexpectedly transform one another’s lives. (Overture Films)
Metascore:
57
User Score:
6.3
Marley & Me

Marley & Me

December 25, 2008 | PG
John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of puppy love. Life would never be the same. (20th Century Fox)
Metascore:
53
User Score:
6.8
Valkyrie

Valkyrie

December 25, 2008 | PG-13
In a country in the grips of evil, in a police state where every move is being watched, in a world where justice and honor have been subverted, a group of men hidden inside the highest reaches of power decide to take action to eliminate one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known. (United Artists)
Metascore:
56
User Score:
6.4
Waltz with Bashir

Waltz with Bashir

December 25, 2008 | R
One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night, the same number of beasts. The two men conclude that there’s a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties. Ari is surprised that he can’t remember a thing anymore about that period of his life. Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up in surreal images. [Sony Classics]
Metascore:
91
User Score:
7.9
The Spirit

The Spirit

December 25, 2008 | PG-13
The Spirit is the story of Denny Colt, a murdered cop who is mysteriously reborn as the masked crime fighter called the Spirit. Determined to keep his beloved Central City safe, the Spirit pursues Central City’s villains from the shadows and seeks to remove to the worst of them all: the psychotic megalomaniac known as the Octopus. Yet as busy as his ongoing mission keeps him, the dashing crusader always manages to make time for beautiful women, though he never quite knows if they want to seduce, love or kill him. But there is one lady who will never betray him, and to whom he will always be true: Central City, the proud old metropolis where he was born – twice. (Lionsgate)
Metascore:
30
User Score:
7.4
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

December 25, 2008 | PG-13
“I was born under unusual circumstances.” And so begins The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man’s life can be. Benjamin Button is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time. (Paramount Pictures)
Metascore:
70
User Score:
7.4
The Secret of the Grain

The Secret of the Grain

December 24, 2008 | Unrated
The Secret of the Grain is a touching and resoundingly humanistic story set in the rustic port of Sete in southeastern France. Slimane has worked in the same shipyard job for over 35 years, when his growing dissatisfaction prompts him to try to open his own restaurant. His dream seems unbelievable, but his contagious conviction and persistence work their way into the hearts of his loyal but dispersed family; the four children from his first marriage, his ex-wife, current girlfriend and her bright, outspoken daughter, Rym. A grand film about ordinary people, The Secret of the Grain is a deliciously slow-burning drama about fate, food and family. (IFC Films)
Metascore:
83
User Score:
7.3
Moscow, Belgium

Moscow, Belgium

December 19, 2008
Ordinary Matty has nothing but three kids to her name. She works at the post office, her husband has run off to the bedroom of one his students. At forty-three life is pretty hopeless.Then she gets in a fender-bender at the grocery story with twenty-nine year old Johnny. After some harsh words, Johnny finds himself enamored with Matty, who finds that she likes being wanted, and decides to take a chance on Johnny. A romance ensues just as the wandering husband comes home. Now Matty finds she is the center of attention. Matty must choose to settle back into the life she was leading or to break into something new and step into the unknown. This heart-felt movie is covered in subtle humor making the story like a well made meal. (NeoClassics Films)
Metascore:
68
User Score:
tbd
Seven Pounds

Seven Pounds

December 19, 2008 | PG-13
Ben Thomas is an IRS agent with a fateful secret who embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers. (Sony Pictures)
Metascore:
36
User Score:
5.8
The Class

The Class

December 19, 2008 | PG-13
François and his fellow teachers prepare for a new year at a high school in a tough neighborhood. Armed with the best intentions, they brace themselves to not let discouragement stop them from trying to give the best education to their students. Cultures and attitudes often clash in the classroom, a microcosm of contemporary France. As amusing and inspiring as the teenaged students can be, their difficult behavior can still jeopardize any teacher's enthusiasm for the low-paying job. François insists on an atmosphere of respect and diligence. Neither stuffy nor severe, his extravagant frankness often takes the students by surprise. But his classroom ethics are put to the test when his students begin to challenge his methods. (Sony Classics)
Metascore:
92
User Score:
7.5
Nothing But the Truth

Nothing But the Truth

December 17, 2008 | R
Inspired by today’s politically charged climate, Nothing But the Truth is about Washington, DC political journalist Rachel Armstrong, who writes an explosive story about a government scandal in which she reveals the name of a covert CIA agent. When a special government prosecutor demands she divulge her source, she refuses and finds herself behind bars, struggling to defend the principles she has based her career upon. (Yari Film Group)
Metascore:
64
User Score:
7.0
The Wrestler

The Wrestler

December 17, 2008 | R
Back in the late ‘80s, Randy “The Ram” Robinson was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey. (Fox Searchlight)
Metascore:
80
User Score:
8.1
Che

Che

December 12, 2008 | Not Rated
November 26, 1956; led by Fidel Castro , a band of 80 rebels sails to Cuba. Among these young rebels is Argentine physician, Marxist, soldier, Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Nation-less, strapped for resources and fueled only by determination, the group engages in swift, bloody battle to free the Cuban people from the corrupt dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Che and his soldiers wrestle the nation's resources and affection from Batista's grasp. Though considered a hero by some, Che becomes a hugely controversial figure. At the height of his fame and power, he disappears. Entering South America incognito, Che recruits another band of guerilla fighters in the harsh Bolivian jungles. They embark upon a mission to spark revolution throughout Latin America. (IFC Films)
Metascore:
64
User Score:
7.0
Timecrimes

Timecrimes

December 12, 2008 | R
Hector is relaxing on a lawn chair outside of his new country home, surveying the nearby hillside through a pair of binoculars, when he catches sight of what appears to be a nude woman amidst the trees. Hiking up to investigate, he is attacked by a sinister figure whose head is wrapped in a grotesque, pink bandage. Fleeing in terror, he takes refuge in a laboratory atop the hill, where a lone attendant ushers him in to a peculiar scientific contraption. He emerges what seems to be moments later, only to find that he has traveled back hours in time, setting in motion a brain-twisting, horrifying chain of events when he inadvertently runs into himself. (Magnolia Pictures)
Metascore:
68
User Score:
7.2
The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still

December 12, 2008 | PG-13
The Day the Earth Stood Still is 20th Century Fox’s contemporary reinvention of its 1951 classic. Klaatu, an alien who arrives on our planet, triggers a global upheaval. As governments and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind the visitor’s appearance, a woman and her young stepson get caught up in his mission – and come to understand the ramifications of Klaatu calling himself a “friend to the Earth.” (20th Century Fox)
Metascore:
40
User Score:
4.8
Doubt

Doubt

December 12, 2008 | PG-13
It's 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A vibrant, charismatic priest, Father Flynn, is trying to upend the school's strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline. The winds of political change are sweeping through the country, and, indeed, the school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller. But when Sister James, a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Donald, Sister Aloysius is galvanized to begin a crusade to both unearth the truth and to expunge Flynn from the school. Now, without a shred of proof or evidence except her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn, a battle that threatens to tear apart the Church and school with devastating consequences. [Miramax]
Metascore:
70
User Score:
7.9
Nothing Like the Holidays

Nothing Like the Holidays

December 12, 2008 | PG-13
It's Christmas and the far-flung members of the Rodriguez family are converging at their parents' home in Chicago to celebrate the season and rejoice in their youngest brother's safe return from combat overseas. But when old disputes resurface and new surprises arise, familial bonds are stretched to the limit and the Rodriguezes realize they're going to have to pull together to make it through the holidays in one piece. Nothing Like the holidays is a hilarious and heartwarming look at a holiday one family will never forget. (Overture Films)
Metascore:
50
User Score:
8.0
Adam Resurrected

Adam Resurrected

December 12, 2008 | R
Adam Resurrected follows former Berlin magician and circus impresario Adam Stein, an enthralling, enigmatic patient at the Seizling Institute, a remote Israeli rehabilitation outpost for Holocaust survivors. Entertainer, clairvoyant, sophisticate and lothario, Stein veers from brilliance to eroticism, horror and madness, with flashbacks to the physical and psychological demoralization he endured under Commandant Klein in the Stellring death camp. Stein appears to have everyone stymied and overawed, but an unusual new patient seems to have the magnetic power to break him free of the grip of his relentless torment. (Bleiberg Entertainment)
Metascore:
58
User Score:
5.4
Dark Streets

Dark Streets

December 12, 2008 | R
When a naive playboy investigation the shadowy death of his wealthy father, his charmed life as the eligible owner of the city's hottest nightclub begins to spiral out of control. A noir fever dream of music, seduction and murder, Dark Streets features stunningly choreographed dance numbers and an original soundtrack performed by legendary bluese, jazz and R&B artists. (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Metascore:
38
User Score:
6.0
What Doesn't Kill You

What Doesn't Kill You

December 12, 2008 | R
Brian and Paulie are friends who grew up like brothers on the gritty streets of south Boston. They do whatever it takes to survive, living by the code of their dog-eat-dog neighborhood. Petty crimes and misdemeanors grow into more serious offenses and eventually, they fall under sway to organized crime boss Pat Kelly. As Brian becomes increasingly lost in a haze of drugs and ‘jobs,’ even the love he has for his wife and his children does not seem like it will be enough to redeem him. Meanwhile, Paulie plans “one last heist” but knows it will take both of them to pull it off. How can they escape the only life they know? (Yari Film Group)
Metascore:
71
User Score:
5.5
Where God Left His Shoes

Where God Left His Shoes

December 12, 2008
Where God Left His Shoes is the story of Frank, Angela, and their two children. When they are evicted from their New York City apartment, they have no choice but to move into a homeless shelter. After a few difficult months, a glimmer of hope arrives on Christmas Eve: a nearby housing project has an apartment available immediately. The catch is that Frank needs a job in order to qualify. While the rest of the city prepares for Christmas, Frank and his ten-year-old stepson, Justin, roam the cold streets of the city trying to find a job by day's end so that they have a home on Christmas morning. (IFC Films)
Metascore:
61
User Score:
tbd
While She Was Out

While She Was Out

December 12, 2008 | R
A suburban housewife is forced to fend for herself when she becomes stranded in a desolate forest with four murderous thugs. What starts of as a quick trip to the mall ends in the woods with a fight for her life. All she has is a will to survive. (Proud Mary Entertainment)
Metascore:
40
User Score:
5.4
Gran Torino

Gran Torino

December 12, 2008 | R
Retired auto worker Walt Kowalski fills his days with home repair, beer and monthly trips to the barber. The people he once called his neighbors have all moved or passed away, replaced by Hmong immigrants, from Southeast Asia, he despises. Resentful of virtually everything he sees--Walt is just waiting out the rest of his life. Until the night someone tries to steal his `72 Gran Torino. The Gran Torino brings his shy teenaged neighbor Thao into his life when Hmong gangbangers pressure the boy into trying to steal it. But Walt stands in the way of both the heist and the gang, making him the reluctant hero of the neighborhood--especially to Thao's mother and older sister, Sue, who insist that Thao work for Walt as a way to make amends. Though he initially wants nothing to do with these people, Walt eventually gives in and puts the boy to work fixing up the neighborhood, setting into motion an unlikely friendship that will change both their lives. (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Metascore:
73
User Score:
8.0
The Reader

The Reader

December 10, 2008 | R
The Reader opens in post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna, a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two are quickly drawn into a passionate but secretive affair. (The Weinstein Company)
Metascore:
58
User Score:
7.3
Wendy and Lucy

Wendy and Lucy

December 10, 2008 | R
Wendy Carroll is driving to Ketchikan, Alaska, in hopes of a summer of lucrative work at the Northwestern Fish cannery, and the start of a new life with her dog, Lucy. When her car breaks down in Oregon, however, the thin fabric of her financial situation comes apart, and she confronts a series of increasingly dire economic decisions, with far-ranging repercussions for herself and Lucy. Wendy and Lucy addresses issues of sympathy and generosity at the edges of American life, revealing the limits and depths of people's duty to each other in tough times. (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Metascore:
80
User Score:
6.3
Cadillac Records

Cadillac Records

December 5, 2008 | R
In this tale of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950's Chicago, Cadillac Records follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter and Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry. (Sony Pictures)
Metascore:
65
User Score:
7.2
Nobel Son

Nobel Son

December 5, 2008 | R
A son struggles to finish his thesis when his father wins the Nobel Prize in chemistry, making life all the more difficult for him and his mother, a well-known forensic. (Freestyle Releasing)
Metascore:
28
User Score:
7.3
Punisher: War Zone

Punisher: War Zone

December 5, 2008 | R
Waging his one-man war on the world of organized crime, ruthless vigilante-hero Frank Castle sets his sights on overeager mob boss Billy Russoti. After Russoti is left horribly disfigured by Castle, he sets out for vengeance under his new alias: Jigsaw. With the "Punisher Task Force" hot on his trail and the FBI unable to take Jigsaw in, Frank must stand up to the formidable army that Jigsaw has recruited before more of his evil deeds go unpunished. (Lionsgate)
Metascore:
30
User Score:
6.0
The Black Balloon

The Black Balloon

December 5, 2008 | PG-13
When Thomas and his family move to a new home and he has to start at a new school, all he wants is to fit in. When his pregnant mother has to take things easy, his father Simon puts him in charge of his autistic older brother Charlie. Thomas, with the help of his new girlfriend Jackie, faces his biggest challenge yet. Charlie's unusual antics take Thomas on an emotional journey that causes his pent-up frustrations about his brother to pour out - in a story that is funny, confronting, and ultimately heart-warming. (NeoClassics Films Ltd)
Metascore:
68
User Score:
7.0
Frost/Nixon

Frost/Nixon

December 5, 2008 | R
For three years after being forced from office, Nixon remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprised everyone in selecting Frost as his televised confessor, intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place in the hearts and minds of Americans. Likewise, Frost's team harbored doubts about their boss' ability to hold his own. But as cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits resulted. Would Nixon evade questions of his role in one of the nation's greatest disgraces? Or would Frost confound critics and bravely demand accountability from the man who'd built a career out of stonewalling? Over the course of their encounter, each man would reveal his own insecurities, ego and reserves of dignity--ultimately setting aside posturing in a stunning display of unvarnished truth. [Universal Pictures]
Metascore:
80
User Score:
7.8
Hunger

Hunger

December 5, 2008
Hunger follows life in the Maze Prison, Northern Ireland, with an interpretation of the highly emotive events surrounding the 1981 IRA Hunger Strike led by Bobby Sands. With an epic eye for detail, the film provides a timely exploration of what happens when body and mind are pushed to the uttermost limit. (IFC Films)
Metascore:
82
User Score:
7.7
Four Christmases

Four Christmases

November 26, 2008 | PG-13
No one enjoys the holidays more than Brad and Kate. Every December 25th, this happily unmarried, upscale San Francisco couple embark on a holiday tradition they have shared every year since they met—ditching their crazy families for a relaxing, fun-filled vacation in some sunny exotic locale. But not this year. Shorts and sunglasses packed, Brad and Kate are trapped at the San Francisco airport by a fogbank that cancels every outbound flight. Worse yet, they are caught on camera by a local news crew, revealing their whereabouts to the whole city…and to their families. With no escape and no excuses, they are now expected home by Brad’s father. And Kate’s mother. And Brad’s mother. And Kate’s father. Four Christmases in one day. (New Line Cinema)
Metascore:
41
User Score:
7.3
Milk

Milk

November 26, 2008 | R
In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into major public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans. (Focus Features)
Metascore:
83
User Score:
7.5
Special

Special

November 21, 2008 | R
Les Franken is a kind-hearted and soft-spoken man who loves reading comic books. He’s completely average and virtually invisible. However, everything changes for Les the day he is accepted into an experimental drug study for a new and exciting anti-depressant, Specioprin Hydrochloride. As Les begins to take the drugs an unexpected side effect occurs – he begins to develop special powers. Faced with the dilemma of how best to utilize his new “powers,” the answer seems obvious to Les. He puts together a homemade superhero suit and hits the streets to fight crime and protect the world from the forces of evil. Surveillance videos bring him to the attention of the businessmen developing the drug. Worried about the bad publicity Les is bringing to their new anti-depressant, they attempt to put an end to his superhero antics before too much damage is done. (Magnolia Pictures)
Metascore:
57
User Score:
7.7
Lake City

Lake City

November 21, 2008 | R
When a young man gets into trouble with a local drug dealer, he hits the road running with a young companion and heads to the last place on earth he wants to go - his childhood home. (Screen Media Films)
Metascore:
29
User Score:
5.2
Twilight

Twilight

November 21, 2008 | PG-13
Bella Swan has always been a little bit different, never caring about fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix high school. When her mother re-marries and sends Bella to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn't expect much of anything to change. Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen, a boy unlike any she's ever met. Edward is a vampire, but he doesn't have fangs and his family is unique in that they choose not to drink human blood. Intelligent and witty, Edward sees straight into Bella's soul. Soon, they are swept up in a passionate, thrilling and unorthodox romance. To Edward, Bella is what he has waited 90 years for - a soul mate. But the closer they get, the more Edward must struggle to resist the primal pull of her scent, which could send him into an uncontrollable frenzy. But what will Edward & Bella do when a clan of new vampires comes to town and threaten to disrupt their way of life? (Summit Entertainment)
Metascore:
56
User Score:
4.9
A Christmas Tale

A Christmas Tale

November 14, 2008 | Not Rated
Abel and Junon had two children, Joseph and Elizabeth. Victim of a rare genetic condition, Joseph's only hope was a bone marrow transplant. As they and Elizabeth were incompatible, his parents conceived a third child in the hope of saving their son. But little Henri too was unable to help his brother, and Joseph died at the age of seven. The Vuillard family has never recovered. Many years have passed, and family relationships are more strained than ever. In particular, those between Elizabeth, authoritarian head of the family and Henri, a cynical drop out who divides his time between women and drink. After a violent argument, Elizabeth banishes her feckless brother, cutting him off from his nephew, her son Paul - a tortured adolescent beset by serious mental problems. Masterfully directed and acted, by turns savage, bittersweet, darkly comic and unbearably moving, A Christmas Tale shows internationally acclaimed Desplechin at the height of his powers. (IFC Films)
Metascore:
84
User Score:
6.9
Eden

Eden

November 14, 2008 | Not Rated
Breda and Billy Farrell are a seemingly happy, normal couple approaching their tenth anniversary. In private, however, their marriage shows signs of strain. As Billy begins to obsess over a younger woman, Breda desperately searches for a way to preserve their bond. [Liberation Entertainment]
Metascore:
63
User Score:
4.2
House of the Sleeping Beauties

House of the Sleeping Beauties

November 14, 2008
Edmond, a man in his sixties whose wife has recently passed away, is told about a secret establishment where men can spend an entire night in bed alongside beautiful, sleeping young women, who stretch, roll over and dream, but never awaken. Bedazzled by their seductive yet innocent tenderness, but distressed about the reason for their deep sleep, he delves into the mystery of the house of sleeping beauties. Based on the beautifully strange novella by Yasunari Kawabata, acclaimed writer-director Vadim Glowna has crafted a mysterious thriller about loneliness, sex, eroticism and mortality. (First Run Features)
Metascore:
21
User Score:
tbd
The Dukes

The Dukes

November 14, 2008 | PG-13
The Dukes is the wry comic tale of a down-and-out Doo Wop band who take a bumbling detour into burglary in their endless quest to make good on their dreams. Featuring an accomplished ensemble cast and the directorial debut of beloved tough-guy actor Robert Davi, the film is a rollicking caper that is also deeply candid about life, love, friendship and the heart it takes to keep on struggling to find meaning and connection as life takes one absurd turn after another. For when these middle-aged buddies are forced to become mid-life bandits – and think they’ve hit on a sure-fire plan for the score of a lifetime -- it accidentally results in far greater pleasures than loot. (CAVU Pictures)
Metascore:
46
User Score:
tbd
How About You ...

How About You ...

November 14, 2008
Ellie, a free-spirited and headstrong young woman, is left in charge of a residential home, owned and operated by her older sister Kate, over the Christmas holidays. Her youth and inexperience bring her into bitter conflict with the four grumpy old residents known as the "Hard Core": retired screen beauty Georgia, spinster sisters Hazel and Heather, and a reformed alcoholic judge, Donald. The film deals with the hilarious antics of these uncivilized seniors, the gradual solidarity that develops between the residents and Ellie, and an unlikely romance. (Strand Releasing)
Metascore:
50
User Score:
7.3
Australia

Australia

November 14, 2008 | PG-13
Australia is an epic and romantic action adventure, set in that country on the explosive brink of World War II. In it, an English aristocrat travels to the faraway continent, where she meets a rough-hewn local and reluctantly agrees to join forces with him to save the land she inherited. Together, they embark upon a transforming journey across hundreds of miles of the world's most beautiful yet unforgiving terrain, only to still face the bombing of the city of Darwin by the Japanese forces that attacked Pearl Harbor. [Twentieth Century Fox]
Metascore:
53
User Score:
6.7
Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire

November 12, 2008 | R
Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show’s questions. Intrigued by Jamal’s story, the jaded Police Inspector begins to wonder what a young man with no apparent desire for riches is really doing on this game show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out. [Fox Searchlight]
Metascore:
84
User Score:
7.8
JCVD

JCVD

November 7, 2008 | R
JCVD is an action-packed, comedic satire of the life of movie hero Jean-Claude Van Damme. Playing himself, Jean-Claude finds himself out of money, fighting for custody of his daughter and losing every good action role to Steven Seagal. In an attempt to escape, the aging star walks away from his shrinking spotlight and returns home to his native Brussels. But when he is thrown into a real-life hostage situation, everyone sees a side of Van Damme they've never seen before as he takes on the police, battles the perpetrators and creates a media firestorm that captures the attention of the world. (Peach Arch Entertainment)
Metascore:
64
User Score:
8.0
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