Transsiberian

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: July 18, 2008

DVD Release Date: November 4, 2008

Plot 411: An American couple gets more than beautiful scenery when they take the train from China to Russia.

Review: After volunteering to help children in China with their church, Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) jump on the transsiberian train enroute to Moscow. This is an adventure that Roy hopes to give Jessie because they're having some marital issues and need some time away. Plus, he just loves trains. On the train, they meet a curious couple - Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and Abby (Kate Mara). Jessie immediately gets a weird vibe from Carlos but thinks it's just his overtly flirtatious attitude. As they continue on their six-day travels, Roy goes missing and it seems as though Carlos might be the reason. This movie treated us to some gorgeous scenery of the snowy countrysides, serene mountains and barren plains. This isolation also added to the claustrophobia of keeping to such tight sleeping quarters and never being able to get away from people. This increased the suspense in this otherwise slow burn of a movie. Even when Ben Kingsley appears, the tempo doesn't pick up. It just quietly creeps along. It gives you time to wonder what you'd do in a similar situation.

Watch It: Because Ben Kingsley is great, as always.

Skip It: Because Woody Harrelson is completely annoying and embodies the reason why other countries despise Americans.

Shutter Island

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: February 19, 2010

DVD Release Date: TBD

Plot 411: Two U.S. marshals go to Shutter Island, a facility that houses the criminally insane, to investigate a missing patient.

Review: Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) are assigned to a case involving a missing woman who is believed to have escaped the mental ward. Dr. Crawley (Ben Kingsley) is the liaison at the island and tries to help them by giving them access to the buildings, grounds and patients. The facility is heavily guarded by armed officers as only the extremely violent or crazy people get sent to the island. The film uses dreams, hallucinations and visions to jump between the past and the present, creating doubt in the audience's mind as to what is real and what isn't. There have been movies like this in the past, but I think this one was carried out very well. While the twist is nothing new and almost too easy to figure out, I still felt that the film was able to take you on a ride. I wish that Ruffalo had a bigger, better part. However, he probably did the best that he could do with what he was given. All the juicy parts were given to DiCaprio, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was nominated for some awards. Also in this film are Max von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Jackie Earle Haley and Elias Koteas.

Watch It: For a throwback to film noir that keeps you at the edge of your seat.

Skip It: If an intense Leo is a turn off. He's pretty much the focus of the show and you can't escape him or his frown lines.

The Wackness

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: July 3, 2008

DVD Release Date: January 6, 2009

Plot 411: A drug dealer and his client become friends despite their age, taste in music and lifestyle.

Review: First off, this movie has the best soundtrack ever. If you grew up in the '90s, this will flash you back to your diaper days. Music from A Tribe Called Quest, Notorious B.I.G., R. Kelly and more are featured in this movie. It's "dope!" Ok, getting on with the review . . . Luke (Josh Peck), a small-time drug dealer and recent high school graduate, is on the outskirts of popularity. He's the dude who supplies the drugs. That's it. No matter how much he wants to be liked and to have friends, he is unable to connect with the hip kids. Instead, he connects with one of his clients, Dr. Jeffrey Squires (Ben Kingsley). Squires is a shrink who trades couch time for dime bags. The guy's got his own bag of issues but seems to be a decent shrink for others. As time goes on, Luke and Squires develop a friendship - both professional and personal - that helps them through rough times. Luke's parents are facing eviction and Squires and his wife Kristen (Famke Jannsen) are drifting apart. Luke has also never gotten laid before, and this is at the top of his priority list. Yet, despite Squires' encouragement to up his game, Luke is hung up on Squires' stepdaughter Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby). As one of the popular kids, she is definitely out of his reach. But, during the summer before college, the two hook up. Luke's reasons are romantic and even though he lives in NYC, pushes drugs and listens to rap, he is sweetly innocent and naive. Under all that stereotype, he is still a kid from a decent part of town no matter how hard he tries to go all thug life. Steph's, on the other hand, is just a bored little rich girl. This is a period piece (if you can call 15 years ago a period) that is littered with drugs, sex and dark humor. It feels utterly real - from the dialogue to the music to the clothes. One of my favorite quotes is: "I got mad love for you shorty. That's on the real. I like . . . I wanna like listen to Boyz II Men when I'm . . . when I'm with you." That is true love - '90s style. LMAO!

Watch It: For a trip down memory lane and a movie with a decent plot.

Skip It: For the excessively high drug content.