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.

The Reader

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: December 10, 2008

DVD Release Date: April 14, 2009

Plot 411: A teen's brief affair with an older woman has serious repercussions throughout his life.

Review: Young Michael (David Kross) falls in love with an older woman and has a summer affair during which he falls in love with Hanna (Kate Winslet). She leaves him abruptly and he's heartbroken. Years later, as a law student, Michael sits in on a trial about Nazi war crimes and discovers that Hanna took part in the slaughter of many Jews. The disparity between the woman he knew and the one who took part in these crimes against humanity tears him apart inside. As an adult, Michael (Ralph Fiennes) records himself reading various books and sends them to Hanna. He suffers in a quiet battle with himself because he doesn't know whether he should love her for her previous actions or hate her for her more recent ones. This juxtaposition he feels between emotion and logic is also clouded by the fact that he was young and in the throes of his first love affair. Her impact on him, even before he knew of her Nazi involvement, is deep and he has issues with expressing himself to people, commitment and love in general. The movie leaves you feeling uncomfortable and also questioning what you'd do if you were in Michael's shoes. I felt a bit sorry for Hanna despite her participation in something so horrible. I think a lot of people who lived during that time could relate to her predicament. The aging process that Winslet endured for this role was pretty authentic looking. I thought Kross did a great job in the beginning part of the film, especially for being a relatively new actor and having to be naked in a bunch of scenes.

Watch It: For a movie that'll leave you questioning yourself and your beliefs and a little uncomfortable.

Skip It: If you aren't into the artsy nude scenes or the age difference between Winslet and Kross creeps you out. Their love is actually quite moving, especially from his point of view. However, there was a lot of nakedness (but done in a classy way mind you).

The Duchess

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: September 19, 2008

DVD Release Date: December 28, 2008

Plot 411: An aristocratic teen weds the Duke of Devonshire and embarks on journey toward adulthood.

Review: Normally I really dislike Keira Knightley particularly for her screeching, whiney voice. However, I think she did really well in this film as Georgiana, the duchess of Devonshire. She portrayed the duchess as an innocent girl who was excited to wed such a powerful and handsome man. The transition from this innocent teen to wise woman is pretty dramatic and Knightley really does deserve some kudos for it. The many injustices that she faced thoroughly enraged me. There were many a time when I shouted "just leave him already" to the screen. Of course, that is completely illogical considering the time was the 18th century when women had no rights at all. Ralph Fiennes was completely dispicable as William, the duke of Devonshire. Even when he manages to show a little remorse for the error of his ways, I still hated him. And I suppose that's what good actors do. They make you invest your emotions in the characters they portray. Well done. As far as historical accuracy, I have no clue if they got it right or not. I did enjoy the costumes and picturesque nature shots though. It's definitely intriguing to think that this movie is based on truth. Georgiana really was lightyears ahead of her time.

Watch It: For a sneak peek at the lives of 18th century aristocrats.

Skip It: If frou-frou dresses and corsets or guys wearing tights isn't your thing. And no, there's not duels or sword fighting like in The Three Musketeers.

Trailer: