All you need to plan your next three months.
Rating key:
**** = I’ll see it opening weekend
*** = I’ll see it in the theatre—eventually
** = I’ll wait for Netflix
* = I’ll catch it on tv maybe….when I’m home sick
0 = You couldn’t pay me
MAY:
The Hangover, Part II
NOW PLAYING
See my review.
**
The Tree of Life
NOW PLAYING
Word from Cannes says this cerebral, philosophical, meditative, contemplative and gorgeous film from director Terrence Malick is one for the ages. Starring Brad Pitt, this one is for those of us who like our movies really, REALLY deep.
****
The Tree of Life trailer
JUNE:
Beginners
June 3
Part love story, part father-son story, this is about a man who’s elderly father comes out of the closet after 44 years of marriage. The main attraction about this film that’s getting good buzz is the stellar cast: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Melanie Laurent (from Inglourious Basterds).
***
Beginners trailer
X-Men: First Class
June 3
Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy as the original mutant superheroes? Yes, please.
****
X-Men: First Class trailer
Submarine
June 3
A quirky little indie movie about a quirky teenager who falls in love with another quirky teenager. Sounds just quirky enough to be interesting.
**
Submarine trailer
Beautiful Boy
June 3
Two of my favorite actors, Maria Bello and Michael Sheen, in an intense drama about parents who find out their son went on a killing rampage at his college. Nothing like a little light summer fluff.
**
Beautiful Boy trailer
Super 8
June 10
The geeks are all a-twitter about this sci-fi thriller/coming-of-age tale from director/writer J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg. Me? I’m not quite sold on it yet.
**
Super 8 trailer
Judy Moody and the Not-Bummer Summer
June 10
Apparently, this is based on a popular series of childrens’ books, which is probably why I’ve never heard of it.
0
Judy Moody and the Not-Bummer Summer trailer
The Trip
June 10
If the names Michael Winterbottom and Steve Coogan get you excited, then I don’t have to say any more. For the rest of you, let’s just say this road movie about two British comics talking, doing impressions and eating in restaurants will be an acquired taste. Yummy.
***
The Trip trailer
Green Lantern
June 17
Ryan Reynolds in a skin-tight green superhero costume. There’s the marketing campaign.
**
Green Lantern trailer
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
June 17
Normally, I totally wouldn’t go for a “family comedy” starring Jim Carrey, but this one has penguins! That automatically puts it worlds ahead of Horton Hears A Who.
**
Mr. Popper’s Penguins trailer
The Art of Getting By
June 17
Quirky movie about quirky teen #2. Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) stars in this coming-of-age indie drama.
**
The Art of Getting By trailer
Bad Teacher
June 24
Dangerous Minds meets Bad Santa. Cameron Diaz plays a mean-spirited, foul-mouthed junior high school teacher. Justin Timberlake plays the straight-laced yuppie that she tries to get to fall for her. Yeah, reminds me exactly of my junior high school.
**
Bad Teacher trailer
Cars 2
June 24
Cars was my least favorite Pixar movie, but the worst Pixar movie is still better than most other movies.
**
Cars 2 trailer
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop
June 24
I’m looking forward to this documentary that follows Conan O’Brien behind the scenes of his comedy tour following the drama of his departure from The Tonight Show.
***
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop trailer
JULY:
Larry Crowne
July 1
I’m not sold on this Tom Hanks/Julia Roberts star vehicle. Hanks plays a loveable loser who tries to win Roberts over. I smell a dud.
**
Larry Crowne trailer
Monte Carlo
July 1
A perfect summer feel-good comedy—-if I were a 13-year old girl.
0
Monte Carlo trailer
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
July 1
Yeah…no.
0
Transformers: Dark of the Moon trailer
Horrible Bosses
July 8
Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston in a comedy that harkens back to the dream sequence in 9 to 5 where they all fantasize about killing their bosses. Looks hilarious. And not just for Colin Farrell’s combover.
***
Horrible Bosses trailer
Zookeeper
July 8
Kevin James in a wacky family comedy with talking animals….oh, nevermind.
0
Zookeeper trailer
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
July 15
Say no more.
****
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 trailer
Winnie the Pooh
July 15
It doesn’t matter how old you are, this one will find the kid in you.
***
Winnie the Pooh trailer
Captain America: The First Avenger
July 22
Totally not my cup of tea.
*
Captain America: The First Avenger trailer
Friends with Benefits
July 22
Didn’t we already see this?
**
Friends with Benefits trailer
Sarah’s Key
July 22
Kristin Scott Thomas continues her run of independent European movies with this one about a journalist who, when researching the Nazi roundup of Jews in 1942, discovers the story of a 10-year old girl who hid in a cupboard to escape the SS. Worth checking out.
**
Sarah’s Key trailer
Life in a Day
July 24
A day in the life of planet Earth. No, really. A film made up of home movies shot by ordinary people all over the world, all on the same day. It looks like an Oprah show on steroids.
**
Life in a Day trailer
Cowboys and Aliens
July 29
Now we’re talking. Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, a western with aliens. I’m SO there.
****
Cowboys and Aliens trailer
Crazy, Stupid, Love
July 29
Steve Carell doing what Steve Carell does best: playing a clueless but adorable schmuck. I can’t imagine not loving this one, about a depressed divorced man who tries to win his wife, Julianne Moore, back, with the help of studly Ryan Gosling.
***
Crazy, Stupid, Love trailer
The Smurfs
July 29
These toys are very close to my heart—there, I said it—so I may actually cough up the dough to see this in the theatre, but I think I’ll skip the 3D.
***
The Smurfs trailer
The Guard
July 29
A dark comedy with Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle? How can I not be intrigued.
**
AUGUST:
The Change-Up
August 5
The ol’ switcheroo premise again, this time with Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman switching bodies. Yeah, sounds stupid, but I’ll see anything Jason Bateman is in.
**
The Change-Up trailer
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
August 5
You’ve got to be kidding me.
0
Rise of the Planet of the Apes trailer
Magic Trip
August 5
An unearthed documentary by ‘60’s author and icon Ken Kesey about a psychedelic trip cross country in the famed Magic Bus. If the ‘60’s is your thing, this is your trip.
*
Magic Trip trailer
30 Minutes or Less
August 12
Oh boy. Looks like Jesse Eisenberg has made the first bad decision of his career. This comedy about a pizza delivery boy who gets trapped into having to rob a bank looks not only insipid, but I’m losing IQ points as I write about it.
0
30 Minutes or Less trailer
The Help
August 12
Looks like this movie about a writer in Mississippi in the ‘60s who writes about the divide between the white upper class and the black maids who serve them might be the sleeper of the summer.
**
The Help trailer
Final Destination 5
August 12
“Death makes a killing in the next installment in the horror series…” ‘Nuff said.
0
Final Destination 5 trailer
Conan the Barbarian
August 19
If muscles, swords and monsters are your thing, well, here ya go.
0
Conan the Barbarian trailer
Fright Night
August 19
Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, Anton Yelchin and David Tennant in a remake of the classic vampire thriller/comedy? Looks promising.
**
Fright Night trailer
One Day
August 19
Anne Hathaway (with a British accent) and Jim Sturgess in a sappy romance about two people who meet one day a year and don’t realize they are the loves of each other’s lives. Yawn.
*
One Day trailer
Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World
August 19
Wait, how did I miss parts 1, 2 and 3?
0
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
August 26
The final nail in the coffin of Katie Holmes’ career. What the hell is Guy Pearce doing in this really cheesy-looking horror movie?
0
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark trailer
Apollo 18
August 26
A horror movie set in space? Ignore this and watch Alien again instead.
0
Apollo 18 trailer
Colombiana
August 26
Zoe Saldana as a cold-blooded assassin? If this is closer to Hanna than Salt, it has real potential.
*
Colombiana trailer
Our Idiot Brother
August 26
Paul Rudd, Steve Coogan, Elizabeth Banks and Zooey Deschanel? No matter how dumb this comedy looks, that’s one hell of a great cast.
**
Our Idiot Brother trailer