Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: December 21, 2007

DVD Release Date: April 1, 2008

Plot 411: A man unjustly accused returns home to seek revenge on his persecutors.

Review: Corrupt Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) sentences Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) to life in prison in order to seduce Barker's wife Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly). Many years later, Barker returns under a new name - Sweeney Todd - and is anxious to reunite with his wife and daughter. However, when he learns that Turpin assaulted Lucy, Todd desperately seeks revenge. He reestablishes his barbershop above the shop of pie maker Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter). She becomes a willing participant as Todd indiscriminately kills his customers by helping him dispose of the bodies through her meat pies. This movie definitely wasn't what I was expecting, but I enjoyed the darkness of it. I loved the set design and dramatic costume and make up that all the characters had. Depp's singing could have been better (but he's not as bad as Pierce Brosnan in Mamma Mia!). Of course, since this is a Tim Burton film, there are similar visual styles between this and something like Corpse Bride and Beetlejuice. It was darkly humorous and contained some violent scenes that took me aback. It wasn't that they were totally appalling. They were just unexpected as I had thought this was just a regular musical.

Watch It: If the idea of blood and singing flicks your Bic.

Skip It: If you're relationship with musicals are more of a light-hearted affair.

The Vicious Kind

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: December 11, 2009

DVD Release Date: February 23, 2010

Plot 411: An intimate look at the relationship between two brothers and their father.

Review: This was an awesome little indie film that was disturbing, heartbreaking, realistic and hopeful. Adam Scott is Caleb, a construction worker who is tortured by his ex-girlfriend. He is emotionally shattered and unable to sleep at night. Caleb is afraid that his younger brother Peter (Alex Frost) will also be hurt because he is bringing his new girlfriend Emma (Brittany Snow) home for the first time. Caleb's actions toward both Peter and Emma are rude and obnoxious without just cause. He also does not have a good relationship with his father Donald (J.K. Simmons) and the two haven't spoken for eight years. At first, you believe Caleb is just another asshole, but as the plot unfolds you realize that there's more going on. Just like every family, this one has its secrets. Then the line between right and wrong is crossed, making it difficult to see who is the real victim in this situation. Scott puts in an amazing performance and portrays a broken man who is torn between reality and fantasy. You should watch this just for his facial expressions alone, which are extremely revealing and honest. The movie focuses on emotional and psychological health without actually analyzing it. It doesn't judge the characters' actions or motives and lets the audience decide for itself. You realize that things are not always black and white.

Watch It: Because it's got some great character moments and the plot makes subtle twists and turns.

Skip It: Because it's a bit raw at times.

In Bruges

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: February 8, 2008

DVD Release Date: June 24, 2008

Plot 411: A hitman and his protege hide out in Bruges, Belgium and await instructions from their boss after the protege has accidently killed a child.

Review: In this hysterical dark comedy, Colin Farrell plays Ray, a green hitman who has accidently killed a child during his first job. In Bruges, Ray and his mentor Ken (Brendan Gleeson) take in the sights while awaiting Ray's fate. Ray's guilt over the accidental death weighs heavily on him and makes him restless. With not much to do in the quaint town, Ray feels as though he is going insane with guilt and wanders around aimlessly meeting people and getting into trouble. When their boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) instructs Ken to kill Ray, Ken gets a gun from a local contact and sets out to find his protege. Line-for-line this may be the funniest movie I've seen in years. If you're a fan of dark humor, definitely try this one out. You may also want to switch on the subtitles when watching this movie at home. The speech is down and dirty, delivered quickly and in an accent. Don't miss out on all the truly delicious lines, such as, "If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might just impress me but I didn't so it doesn't" or "What are they doing over there? They're filming something. They're filming midgets!" Farrell is great as a man coming to terms with the effects of his actions. His onscreen relationship with Gleeson is touching in a father and son kind of way. Fiennes is also humorous in his manic displays of anger.

Watch It: Because this 2008 sleeper probably wasn't even a blip on your radar.

Skip It: Because despite being about hitmen, it is actually quite slow going in the action department.

Margot At The Wedding

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: November 16, 2007

DVD Release Date: February 19, 2008

Plot 411: With her sister getting married, Margot returns to the family home and sibling rivalry ensues.

Review: This movie captures the dysfunctional relationship between two sisters, Margot (Nicole Kidman) and Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh), as well as Margot's relationship with her son Claude (Zane Paris). For Margot and Claude, the line between friends and parent/child is often very blurry. They share a tremendous amount of information with one another, which I found weird. Margot addresses him as an adult and uses him as a sounding board for her own neuroses. When the two arrive at their family home where Pauline is to marry Malcolm (Jack Black), the movie introduces a bit of tension between the sisters. However, it doesn't really feel as though it reaches its peak. The two woman embark on a verbal catfight, jabbing at one another in bitter disapproval. The movie meanders along and doesn't really conclude well. The plot seems to drag and it isn't until near the end that life gets infused into this film. I think Kidman and Leigh do a credible job and portraying the emotionally wrought sisters. Jack Black reigns in his usual hijinks for this more serious role. I found this movie a bit difficult to relate to, which made it very boring for me.

Watch It: If you seek an escape from your own family drama.

Skip It: If you liked director Noah Baumbach's disection of family life in The Squid And The Whale. This movie feels similar but doesn't seem to have the same impact.

Secretary

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: September 20, 2002

DVD Release Date: April 1, 2003

Plot 411: A secretary and her boss share an unusual and unconventional relationship that surpasses the employer-employee boundaries.

Review: Maggie Gyllenhaal is probably one of the greatest actresses of this generation because of the types of roles she's willing to take a chance on. Who the hell would've thought someone who was cast in The Dark Knight would also play a girl in a BDSM relationship in Secretary? Gyllenhaal's character Lee is a girl with some social and emotional issues. She is young, pretty and very shy. Her mannerisms are cautious and hesitant. To her new boss Mr. Grey (James Spader), these are the things that are most attractive about her. He attempts to fight off his attraction by releasing it through angry outbursts and verbal abuse. However, when this is only met by Lee's submissive reactions and her need to please him, he is done for. The movie discusses a BDSM relationship openly, which may be shocking to some. However, it portrays the lifestyle with respect and even a bit of humor. Rather than jumping on a moral high horse spouting the benefits of diversity and the sexual revolution, the movie quietly tells its tale and allows the audience to decide for itself. On the surface, it may seem to some that Lee demeans herself by acquiescing to Mr. Grey's outrageous behavior (work related and not). His utter domination of her will be overwhelming, especially to feminists. But when you look deeper, you find that they share a symbiotic relationship and that it really isn't that out of balance. Both have needs that are being met by the other, which is a thoroughly traditional effect of romantic involvements. The movie is an unconventional love story about two socially awkward people who find one another in the vast sea of conformity.

Watch It: With a wide-open mind to fully get at its meaning.

Skip It: If you're fiercely traditional.

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.

The Last Word

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: April 20, 2008

DVD Release Date: April 21, 2009

Plot 411: A freelance suicide note writer falls in love with his client's sister.

Review: Evan (Wes Bentley) is a struggling writer who falls into and capitalizes upon writing other people's suicide notes. Strangely enough, he is really good at what he does. He creates a whole system to facilitate this process and even markets his talents on a website. While attending one of his client's funerals (to get writing tips out of the sermon), he interacts with his client's sister. Being quite introverted and awkward, Evan is intrigued with Charlotte (Winona Ryder). They soon develop a relationship, but Evan continues to hide his real job. Evan is also learning new things from his client Abel (Ray Romano), a symphony conductor who has let an early failure ruin his life. The movie is not quite a drama, not quite a black comedy and not quite a romantic comedy. It's a mix of the three. I think the concept of a suicide note writer is pretty fascinating, but the movie could've done so much more with it had it been done in a lighter tone. Overall, this was a dark comedy that had more drama than laughs. Bentley was perfect for this role. He's almost as creepy as he was in P2 but still has a bit of awkwardness that makes him endearing.

Watch It: For an interesting but underdeveloped plot.

Skip It: And write your own script with the basic plotline instead. How cool would that be?

Welcome To The Dollhouse

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: May 24, 1996

DVD Release Date: August 3, 1999

Plot 411: Junior high school couldn't be any worse than it is for Dawn Weiner, and nothing she does can change that.

Review: This is a seriously F'd up coming-of-age dark comedy about Dawn Weiner (Heather Matarazzo). And I'm not just talking about the early '90s wardrobe choice . . . although they are also pretty F'd up in their own right. Dawn's effort to fit in fails completely and she is picked on and bullied by practically everyone in school. Tragically, she's also an outsider within her own home. Her younger sister is perfect and knows just how to manipulate their mother. Their father is pretty useless. Dawn's geeky older brother receives more attention and love than she does. At times, it's awfully difficult to watch how people treat her. But, there really are cruel and insensitive people who exist in this world, and this movie captures the horror of them all like no other movie has. During some scenes, I just sat back thinking, "WTF!!" and felt indignant on her behalf. Yet, I'm sure Dawn's experience is not an isolated incident and people who have lived through this will surely be able to relate to it. This movie was wickedly funny and accurately portrays one of the worst growing-up experiences ever.

Watch It: To relive your own junior high horrors and to breathe easy when you see that your experience wasn't half as bad as Dawn's.

Skip It: If you're the fashion police and will puke at the sight of puffy kitten t-shirts or multi-colored striped shorts. God, did people really dress like that?

Late Marriage / Hatuna Meuheret

Rating: Not Rated

Movie Release Date: October 24, 2001 (France) / May 17, 2002

DVD Release Date: February 18, 2003

Plot 411: Trapped by years of tradition, Zaza is forced to meet prospective brides even though he is already in love.

Review: This film was interesting because it is so different from the American culture in which everyone is free to choose who they marry. Zaza (Lior Ashkenazi) is a 31-year-old doctorate student whose family is determined to see him married to a girl from a good family. As a family unit, they meet young women and interview them and their families. It is similar to an arranged marraige, but the groom does have the power to refuse the match. To please his parents and family, Zaza continues to make the rounds of eligible women's homes even though he is already in love. His love, however, is someone who he absolutely cannot marry. She is a divorcee, a mother and older than he is. All of these things are no-nos in their culture. It was exasperating for me to watch this movie. I felt like yelling, "Why don't you just grow a pair?!?!?" or "Damn it, man up for once in your life!" It's just very hard to relate to the constraints in which the main character lives coming from the good ol' US of A. However, with that said, there were some humorous scenes that made this downer of a film a bit more bearable.

Watch It: For an intriguing look at the Israeli culture when it comes to love and marriage.

Skip It: If you're into Hollywood endings.

Harold and Maude

Rating: PG

Movie Release Date: December 20, 1971

DVD Release Date: June 27, 2000

Plot 411: A young boy obsessed with death meets an older woman full of life who opens up his world and helps him to live for the first time.

Review: This was weirdly moving in a way that I find very difficult to describe. Harold (Bud Cort) comes from an aristocratic world to which he doesn't seem to relate. He is constantly acting out suicides using different methods. This practice is so common that his mother no longer reacts to them. It seems his behavior is merely a ploy for his mother's attention. She tries her best to engage him in the world (by signing him up for a dating service or requesting that his uncle, a military man, recruit him), but obviously this isn't fruitful. Harold continues to foster an obsession with death and attends funerals for the joy of it. He meets Maude (Ruth Gordon) at several funerals and she becomes his first real friend. Maude, who is going on 80 years old, lives life to its fullest and with no regrets. Her outlook captivates Harold and as their friendship develops, he slowly opens up to the idea of life. Maude teaches him that life, love and attachments are transient and to make the best of everything by doing whatever it is you want to do. Don't let society's rules prevent you from feeling joy through whatever means necessary. In addition to that nice little message, there are tons of funny moments throughout the film that are definitely worthwhile to see. Gordon is like a lively sprite, singing and dancing her way into your heart.

Watch It: For an amazing and memorable performance by Ruth Gordon.

Skip It: If the idea of an octogenarian and a twentysomething in bed together makes you retch.

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