Brief Interviews With Hideous Men

Rating: Not Rated

Movie Release Date: September 25, 2009

DVD Release Date: March 16, 2010

Plot 411: A grad student interviews men for her thesis and learns more about herself in the process.

Review: Julianne Nicholson plays Sara, a woman who has recently burned by love and is focusing her efforts on her research project to uncover the motivations of men. Through interviews with subjects, she gathers information about their fears and desires. Their anecdotes help her analyze her own situation with her ex, played by John Krasinski. Even after watching this, I don't really understand what it's all about. So, if you've seen this flick definitely leave a comment and demystify it for me. The movie is quirky because the interviews make it seem like a documentary but there are also characters that speak directly into the camera and serve as narrators. What's the movie really trying to say? Does it even know? The movie featured cameos by Timothy Hutton, Chris Messina, Will Arnett, Will Forte, Dominic Cooper and Christopher Meloni.

Watch It: And help a sistah out by 'splaining it to me.

Skip It: If you don't want to bust your brains on one of these high concept endeavors.

Last Holiday

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: January 13, 2006

DVD Release Date: May 2, 2006

Plot 411: A conservative woman finally learns how to enjoy life when she is told she only has weeks to live.

Review: Queen Latifah stars as Georgia, a clerk at a department store who dreams about becoming a chef. After a freak accident, she is examined and told she has brain tumors. She decides to spend her remaining days enjoying life and quits her job. She withdraws all the money from her bank and jets off to an exotic locale where she reinvents herself as a wealthy woman. Her carefree, kind nature touches everyone at the hotel, including Chef Didier (Gerard Depardieu). This film was an interesting twist on the regular rom-com as it was more about self-discovery and self-acceptance than about the love thing. Georgia's love interest, by the way, is her co-worker Sean, played by LL Cool J. The film was uplifting and inspiring despite the heavy-handed message that we should all cherish our lives and live them to the fullest. Still, Latifah has a wonderful pressence on screen that is almost infectious. She has good comedic timing and isn't afraid to look dumb. LL Cool J is pretty stiff during his scenes but that could be due to all those muscles. Also in this film are Timothy Hutton and Alicia Witt.

Watch It: For a good dose of shop-therapy.

Skip It: Because really it's just another rom-com.

Ordinary People

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: September 19, 1980

DVD Release Date: August 14, 2001

Plot 411: The fallout experienced by a family after the tragic death of their eldest son.

Review: This is another movie about a dysfunctional family that is struggling to cope with a death. Timothy Hutton plays Conrad, a teen who is involved in a boating accident that kills his brother. His survivor's guilt and depression eventually lead him to attempt suicide. He is hospitalized and the movie begins upon his return home. His parents, Calvin (Donald Sutherland) and Beth (Mary Tyler Moore), each deal with what's happened in a different way. Beth is especially distant and cold. She desperately clings to rituals and social norms like dinner parties. She refuses to even discuss her son's death and becomes an emotional hermit. This self-defense mechanism she uses isolates her from both her husband and son and causes Conrad a lot of emotional turmoil. It's almost as if she blames him for living while her other son, who of course is her favorite, dies. Calvin, on the other hand, is more emotionally giving, yet he still walks on eggshells around his wife. Because he is able to connect better with Conrad, there is a little tension between him and his wife. This is a really intriguing look into an upper-class family, who are so restricted by social conventions that they are unable to properly mourn their loss. Beth, especially, uses this to avoid feeling any kind of emotion. She really is hurtful and it makes you despise her. Still, her reaction is perfectly normal when seen as an individual response and you can't really blame her much. It jus makes you feel sad for the family as they seem to pull away from each other. Throughout the film "Pachelbel's Canon" plays in the background, which also creates a pretty haunting and melancholy feel. Also in this movie are Elizabeth McGovern, a girl who begins to help Conrad become "normal" again, and Judd Hirsch, Conrad's shrink.

Watch It: For an intense and emotional experience of love and loss.

Skip It: If you're already on Prozac because this will make you want to up your dosage.