No Strings Attached
Paramount
In No Strings Attached, Emma (Natalie Portman) believes that no couple is meant to be together forever, and that love
simply doesn’t last. So when her friendship with Adam (Ashton Kutcher) is threatened after they have sex one morning, they agree to make a pact. They can continue to have casual sex if they promise to never get jealous, never fight, never buy each other gifts, or anything else that could be construed as part of a relationship. Their agreement works until Adam becomes jealous of a potential rival and begins breaking the rules. Is friends-with-benefits really possible, or will love get in the way every time? The end might be expected, but the journey there is sweet and funny.
What the critics are saying: No Strings has no surprises; it’s another raunchy romantic comedy. But even though we’ve heard this story before, Portman and Kutcher sure are pretty to look at. If there’s a sequel, maybe an actor could play Kutcher’s part.
Green Hornet
Columbia Pictures
Seth Rogen is Britt Reid, the spoiled son of a wealthy media mogul (Tom Wilkinson), who spends his time partying and complaining about his dad — until one day, his father dies. A fortune now at his command, Britt is inspired to do something productive with his inheritance; unlike some rich kids, who might give money to charity or start a nonprofit, he decides
to take on a superhero alter-ego: the Green Hornet. To this end, he teams up with Kato (Jay Chou), his father’s resourceful and inventive chauffeur, who comes up with all the cool gadgets any budding crime fighter might need, including Black Beauty, their super-charged, weaponized automobile. Frankly, Kato does all the crime-fighting too. It seems the Green Hornet is mainly there to supply the cash and take the credit. Cameron Diaz plays Lenore Case, Britt’s secretary and token female.
What the critics are saying: Annoying, uneven and mis-cast. Painful to watch, even in 3-D.
I Love You Philip Morris
Roadside Attractions
Attempting to lead a conventional life, Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) plays the model hard-working citizen, married to the highly-religious Debbie (Leslie Mann), until a near-fatal car crash wakes him from his stupor. Immediately, he leaves Debbie and comes out of the closet in high style. Since living in high style requires more funds than he has, Steven embarks on a career of credit card fraud and various other cons to satisfy his expensive tastes. This leads him to prison, where he meets the mild and naive Philip Morris (Ewan McGregor), the love of his life. When he gets out, Stephen tries to make a suitable life for himself and Philip, but can’t seem to quit conning. It’s difficult to believe this movie’s outrageous up and downs are all based on a true story.
What the critics are saying: A frenetic roller-coaster ride of cons and comedy, a Catch Me If You Can for the quirky at heart. Jim Carrey takes the strangest of stories and manages to find its sweetness and humor.
Blue Valentine
Hunting Lane Films
Blue Valentine depicts the relationship of Dean Pereira (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy Heller (Michelle Williams) in an epic, nonlinear fashion, juxtaposing scenes of their happy and hopeful early years with the harsh reality of their later ones. Cindy’s a pre-med student hoping to become a doctor, but ends up working as a nurse. Dean tries to do the right thing by marrying Cindy, who is pregnant by a previous boyfriend, but ends up unhappy and drinking too much, his earlier infatuation transformed to disdain. In hopes of saving their marriage, Dean takes Cindy to a motel for the weekend. Can they rekindle their romance, or is all lost?
What the critics are saying: This grim tale of a disintegrating marriage is disturbing to watch, but gripping in its honesty. Michelle Williams most definitely deserved her Best Actress nomination. Other critics think its realism crossed over into depressing self-indulgence.
Jolene
E1 Entertainment
Unconventionally beautiful and evoking an alluring innocence, the 15-year-old red-haired Jolene (Jessica Chastain) is a survivor, irrepressible and resilient. The thing is, she suffers from a case of very bad judgment, especially as it pertains to men. She marries Mickey (Zeb Newman) to escape the misery of her foster home and moves in with his family. As an underaged bride, she is seduced by her new husband’s Uncle Phil (Dermot Mulroney) and promptly kicked out of the house by Aunt Kay (Theresa Russell). She then winds up in juvenile detention, where she is subjected to further abuse, and finds a predatory psych nurse waiting for her. Following her escape, she marries a tattoo parlor owner named Coco (Rupert Friend) who has some disturbing secrets of his own.
What the critics are saying: While the story wanders aimlessly at times, Chastain is charismatic, inhabiting the character of Jolene with strength and radiance.
