Movies

Updated April 25, 2008

Smart People
Smart People is a smart comedy that stars Dennis Quaid as a grumpy professor who stumbles into an affair with a former student (Sarah Jessica Parker). Adding to the fun of this insightful collegiate comedy are Ellen Page ("Juno") as the professor's daughter and Thomas Haden Church as the professor's slacker brother. Quaid, with stooped shoulders, facial hair and lots of corduroy jackets, is remarkably convincing in the role.

The Bank Job
This is an action-packed heist film that will definitely get you out of the winter movie doldrums. Based on a true story of a daring 1971 bank robbery that made headlines, this top-notch British film steadily builds with one surprise after another. An excellent cast headed by Jason Stratham, and some wonderful acting cohorts makes this one fun to watch. In cleaning out the bank vault, the criminals also manage to discover a revealing police payoff ledger and porno flicks of high British government officials, including some uncompromising photos of Princess Margaret herself. When all these sub-plots are added to the original caper, it makes for an action-packed, suspenseful drama that turns out to be one of the best action films of this year.

Flawless
This is an exciting diamond heist film that works primarily because of the talents of its two leading players, MIchael Caine and Demi Moore. They craftily conspire to lure you deep in to their conspiracy as they attempt to lighten the pockets of a giant diamond supplier. Set in the 60's, the film deals with the exploitation of the blacks in the South African mines where the diamonds come from. The film also touches on the plight of women in an effort to push ahead in what is at that time truly a man's world. The script is full of surprises and just when you think you know where it's all going, you're taken down an unexpected detour. The production is slick and you won't be bored for a moment as you watch these would-be diamond thieves in action.

21
This film is loosely based on a true story of some M.I.T. lads who took a hiatus from academia to use their smarts and an ingenious capacity for numbers to bilk the Las Vegas casinos of some of their cash. Their formula for counting cards in the game of blackjack seemed foolproof. Local writer Ben Mezrick's non-fiction best seller "Bringing Down the House", on which the film is based, follows the group along with their scheming professor (Kevin Spacey) on frequent trips to Vegas until their secretive shenanigans are discovered. There's lots of action, wonderful shots of the Boston area, and a believable cast headed by Jim Surges and Kate Bosworth and the heavy in this case, Lawrence Fishburne. Even if you're not a gambler and don't have the slightest idea of how to count cards, you'll have a good time picking up some of the tricks of the trade.

The Counterfeiters
Based on a true story, this year's Oscar winner for best foreign involves concentration camp inmates involved in a little-known Nazi scheme to counterfeit the British pound and the American dollar, and thus cause financial chaos in both Britain and America. The select group of Jewish prisoners gathered from the underworld is headed by Karl Markovics, as the ace counterfeiter in a remarkable soul-searching performance. He is a man torn with his hatred for the Nazis and his determined instinct for survival. In German and Russian.

The Band's Visit
Israeli writer-director Eran Kolirin manages to come up with some lighthearted moments amidst the current Arab-Israeli turmoil in this beautifully played story about an eight-member Arab police band that gets on the wrong bus and finds itself marooned in a a tiny desert Israeli town. The film goes even beyond "we're all human" feelings and comes up with a satisfying foray into the human heart.

Upcoming Summer Movies:

May

Iron Man starring Robert Downey, Jr, Terrence Howard and Gweneth Paltrow.
A super hero tale which follows billionaire weapons-manufacturerTony Stark, who confronts the sins of his past after he is injured by one of his own weapons. Equipped with a high-tech suit of armor, he becomes Iron Man to combat evil on a global scale.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Trailer
Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Directed by Steven Spielberg. Indy travels to the lost city of Atlantis