Adoration (2009)

A high school French teacher, gives her class a translation exercise based on a real news story about a terrorist who plants a bomb in the airline luggage of his pregnant girlfriend.

The assignment has a profound effect on one student, Simon, who lives with his uncle. In the course of translating, Simon re-imagines that the news item is his own family’s story, with the terrorist standing in for his father.

Years ago, Simon’s father crashed the family car, killing both himself and his wife, making Simon an orphan. Simon has always feared that the accident was intentional. Simon reads his version to the class and then takes it to the Internet.

In essence, he has created a false identity which allows him to probe his family secret. As Simon uses his new persona to journey deeper into his past, the public reaction is swift and strong. Then an exotic woman reveals her true identity. The truth about Simon’s family emerges. The mystery is solved and a new family is formed.

Not Forgotten (2009)

Warning! This synopsis contains spoilers

Jack Bishop lives the life of every mans dream with a beautiful wife and a happy, healthy daughter, Toby. He has the career he always wanted and a loving home in a peaceful Texas border town. But it is no coincidence that Jacks life seems perfect. His past hides a black secret, one he hides from his family, one he hides from himself.

When Toby goes missing, Jack knows his past has come back to haunt him. He also knows the only way he can find her is to use the powers of his long forgotten faith, La Santa Muerte, protectors of the sinner, the worshippers of the dead.

Accompanied by the insecure newly-appointed sheriff and a pair of wary FBI agents, Jacks search takes him deep into his past, to a psychic who visualizes Jacks secret in terrifying detail, to the squalid barrios and seediest brothels in Mexico Citys underbelly. But the power of the La Santa Muerte is stronger then he ever imagined, as it reaches out to touch his family and reveals an even darker and unexpected web of lies and deceit.

Daytime Drinking (2009)

Hyuk-Jin has just broken up with his girlfriend and decides to take a trip to Jeongseon in the province of Gangwon-do. The next day, his friends are too hung over to get up, so Hyuk-Jin makes his way to his destination alone. A trip of opportunity takes a cruel and unexpected turn as misunderstanding and crossed paths occur over and over again. Written by Jeonju International Film Festival listing

After breaking up with his girlfriend, Hyuk-Jin hangs around in a bar with his friends. Totally drunk, they decide to travel to Jeongseon, a small town in Gangwon Province to console Hyuk-Jin’s broken heart. Next day, Hyuk-Jin gets on the bus to Jeongseon but he finds out he is the only one who made it to the destination. He calls up his friends but they cannot come together due to a terrible hangover. One of his friends suggests visiting a lodge run by his old pal from the college. Intrigued Hyuk-Jin goes to find the lodge but ends up in a wrong place. Hyuk-Jin doesn’t realize that this is the start of his strange journey. He encounters with strange couple and gets invited for a drink. When the guy falls asleep drunk, the girl seduces Hyunk-Jin. Next morning Hyuk-Jin opens his eyes on the middle of snowy high way without his cell phone and wallet as well as his pants. He hitchhikes to survive, then a kind but somewhat weird driver offers him a drive and a drink again. Now Hyuk-Jin has to find a way to get out of the world’s worst hangover and to end his drunken odyssey. Written by Eleven Arts, Inc

The Big Shot-Caller (2009)

Warning! This synopsis contains spoilers

As a child, Jamie Lesser (David Rhein) watched ‘Strictly Ballroom’ ninety-seven times a day and dreamed of being a salsa dancer, but real life and his visual handicap of severe near-sightedness finally caught up with him. Living in New York City and working as an accountant, his life seems to make sense. He works nine to five, has a nightly beer in a sports bar (where he can’t even see the screens), but goes home with hardly any human interactions. One night after receiving a promotion at work and feeling cocky, Jamie decides to stop by a salsa party at his local dance studio. He bumps into Elissa, a gorgeous Dominican girl from Washington Heights, and before he knows it, he now has a woman in his life. His world is brighter and more vivid than ever before…until Elissa stops calling him back. No explanation. Nothing. To return to the loveless world that was his reality before she came along is too unbearable. He sinks into a downward spiral and begins to lose everything; his job, his apartment, his self-esteem. With nowhere else to go, he reluctantly moves in with his estranged sister, Lianne (Marlene Rhein) – a streetwise, self-proclaimed hip hop dancing dynamo. 

She tells him that this is all happening for a reason: that God, ‘The Big Shot-Caller,’ is in charge; that if he reaches for his childhood love of Salsa dancing, he will find the answer to his broken heart; that you must look within to find happiness. Jamie ignores her psycho-spiritual banter and takes menial jobs to keep from feeling the pain. When even that doesn’t stop the downward spiral from engulfing him and the darkness has left him no option, he goes to the dance studio for a vulnerable first attempt at Salsa class.

 

Starring:	Marlene Rhein, Robert Costanzo, David Rhein,Robert Costanzo, Laneya Wiles
Directed by:	Marlene Rhein

Rachel Getting Married (2009)

 

Rachel Getting Married” is a about the return of an estranged daughter to the family home for her sister’s wedding. Kym’s reemergence throws a wrench into the family dynamics, forcing long-simmering tensions to surface in ways both hilarious and heartbreaking. Written by Jacob Felix

Kym is released from rehab for a few days so she can go home to attend her sister Rachel’s wedding. The home environment is always challenging for a recovering addict, no less so when the visit if only for a few days. While the sisters feel genuine affection for one another, there is tension in their relationship. Rachel feels that her father dotes on Kym far too much and Kym is upset to learn that Rachel has selected a friend to be her maid of honor. Their father is genuinely concerned about Kym’s well-being but doesn’t see the stress the relationship is causing. Both women also have to deal with their selfish mother who is clearly more concerned with her own well-being ahead of that of her children. Underlying the family’s dynamic is a tragedy that occurred many years previously and for which Kym is held by some to be responsible. Written by garykmcd

Rachel and Sidney decide to get married, and Rachel’s friend, Emma, is to be the maid of honor. Arrangements for a traditional Indian service are made. However, much to Emma’s chagrin, she is replaced by Kym, Rachel’s substance-abusing sister who appears shortly before the engagement. It is on the day of the formal engagement that Rachel and the rest of the family will realize that involving Kym may have been a huge mistake, the past will be re-visited and skeletons will start surfacing from hitherto closed and forgotten closets.

 

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October Road: The Complete Second Season (2009)

Length: 552 min

Distributor: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Starring: Bryan Greenberg, Lauren Prepon, Warren Christie, Geoff Stults, Tom Berenger, Rebecca Field, Brad William Henke, Evan Jones, Jay Paulson, Slade Pearce, Odette Yustman, Lindy Booth

 

You could look at all that drama and think this is one of those shows that drags you through the mud, throwing in the occasional mushy moment only to be followed by things falling apart again but that’s really not the case with this series. October Road is full of heart, humor and great story arcs. Drama is running high on the Ridge when the second season of October Road picks up. While we watched certain relationships build in the first season, other’s started to crumble. If you’re unfamiliar with October Road, the series follows Nick Garrett (Bryan Greenberg) and his childhood friends as he reconnects with them after leaving them behind for a decade. Nick left Knights Ridge to backpack through Europe after high school, leaving his girlfriend Hannah (Laura Prepon) and the rest of his friends and family behind. He was supposed to return after a few weeks but it took him ten years to get back home. 

In that time, Nick went on to publish a trendy novel based on his life. He returns to Knights Ridge for a seminar and ends up reconnecting with the people he hadn’t spoken to since high school. His former girlfriend Hannah has a son, Sam who’s ten years old and may or may not be Nick’s son. Hannah claims Nick’s not the father but that’s really left up in the air. His friends have all moved on and some of them are already dealing with their own self-inflicted drama. 

Among Nick’s former BFF’s is Ikey, the dopey side-kick type whom we learn in the first season, is sleeping with other-BFF Owen’s wife. This becomes public news at the end of the first season, leaving Owen to pick up and take off for New York to get away from the small town where everyone knows his best friend was sleeping with his wife. Then there’s Eddie, the former football star with a reputation for being a lady’s man and bedding beautiful women. In the first season, he begins to fall for Janet, the full-figured (but still beautiful) bartender at the local pub. Their relationship picks up in the second season and the two finally decide to go public but it’s a bumpy road for them in season two as Eddie’s not used to being in a serious romantic relationship and Janet’s not really used to being in any romantic relationship, let alone being the girlfriend of one of the dreamiest guys in town. 

Meanwhile, Physical Phil, as he’s known by his friends, still won’t go outside. We learn in season one that he hasn’t left the house in years. Basically, after 9/11 he decided to stay home and watch the news and after that, he just stayed home. Now he’s the weirdo on the block, with a collection of baseballs that have landed on his lawn and were left there by kids that were too afraid to step onto the property to retrieve it. While Phil might be a shut-in, he’s more adorable than he is the creepy agoraphobe and we get to see his relationship with Pizza Girl, the equally cute and stylish delivery girl, blossom in the second season. 

There are a lot of other things going on in the season two, including Nick’s on-again-off-again relationship with Aubrey, a writing student at the university where Nick teaches. Personally, I found this plot as uninteresting in the second season as I did in the first but it does get a little better when we learn that Nick’s brother has a thing for Aubrey. Meanwhile, Hannah gets engaged to Big Cat, who swears he’s turned over a new leaf and is supposedly less douchy than he was in the first season. And no one’s really talking to Ikey after everyone learned that he was sleeping with Owen’s wife. There are numerous attempts to bring the group back together but Owen’s too hurt by the betrayal to really let Ikey back into the fold. Finally, there’s the Who Is Sam’s Dad plot. We get hints that there was something going on between Hannah and Eddie during the summer when Nick first left the Ridge. So it could be Eddie. Or it’s Nick. Or it’s “Gavin Goddard.” It becomes an issue because Big Cat wants to adopt Sam once he’s married to Hannah and because Eddie has guilt-issues about their hook-up after seeing what happened between Owen and Ikey. 

You could look at all that drama and think this is one of those shows that drags you through the mud, throwing in the occasional mushy moment only to be followed by things falling apart again but that’s really not the case with this series. October Road is full of heart, humor and great story arcs for the most part. The characters all have their flaws but they’re likable and they’re all just trying to find happiness and figure themselves out. 

One of things that serves to add a huge amount of charm to the series is the music. Songs from artists like Ben Folds, The Jayhawks, Spacehog, Soul Asylum and Meatloaf, for example, serve as an excellent backdrop to emphasize the history these characters have with each other. The music is actually one of the things I love most about this series, so kudos to whoever was responsible for selecting the playlist for this show because it really adds to the flavor of the series. 

The only major downside of season two, aside from it being only thirteen episodes long is that we’re given an open-ended finale. Fortunately, the DVD set offers a solution to this and it’s one I wish other cancelled shows would include on their final-season DVDs. Other than that, if you loved the show, you should own this DVD set. And if you’ve never seen the series, I recommend checking out the first season to start but if you can’t, the second season is still enjoyable enough on its own and they do a decent job of catching you up in the first few episodes to let you know who’s who and what’s what. 

 

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District 9 (2009)

Director: Neill Blomkamp 
Stars: Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope (Full Cast)
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)

 

The Plot: A sci-fi/action story set in a fictional world, where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa.

 

THE BUZZ: You might remember director Neill Blomkamp’s name from Halo, which is on pause for the foreseeable future. With the launch of D 9‘s viral-y official site, a clutch of fans rejoiced with the confirmation the project is a feature version of Blomkamp’s short film, Alive in Joburg. Since Peter Jackson is behind the effort, I’m thinking this exercise in lower-budget studio filmmaking is an attempt to show what can be done with Halo. This one has potential franchise written all over it, provided its Cloverfield-like marketing concepts appeals to more than boys.

Julie & Julia (2009)

Director: Nora Ephron 
Stars: Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina (Full Cast)
Studio: Columbia Pictures

 

The Plot: Frustrated secretary Julie Powell (Adams) tries to shake up her life by chronicling her attempt to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child’sMastering the Art of French Cooking in a year’s time.

 

THE BUZZ: Another blogger gets a chance to turn her Internet archive into a motion picture, but the real-life Julie Powell has a leg up on the Diablo Codys of the writing world, since her memoir Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen became an enduring best seller since its debut in 2005. Two things I’m worried about here: The stiff hand of writer-director Nora Ephron (Bewitched) and the decision to cut back and forth between Powell’s travails with marrowbones and lotsa butter and Julia Child’s life circa 1949. But here’s a question: Has Amy Adams been styled to resemble Cynthia Nixon, and does it look like the contemporary half of the movie was filmed in Carrie Bradshaw’s old apartment?

 

Based on Julie Powell’s book “Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen.” Julie Powell recounts how she conquered every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and saved her soul. Julie Powell is 30-years-old, living in a rundown apartment in Queens and working at a soul-sucking secretarial job that’s going nowhere. She needs something to break the monotony of her life, and she invents a deranged assignment. She will take her mother’s dog-eared copy of Julia Child’s 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and she will cook all 524 recipes. In the span of one year.

At first she thinks it will be easy. But as she moves from the simple Potage Parmentier (potato soup) into the more complicated realm of aspics and crepes, she realizes there’s more to Mastering the Art of French Cooking than meets the eye. With Julia’s stern warble always in her ear, Julie haunts the local butcher, buying kidneys and sweetbreads. She sends her husband on late-night runs for yet more butter and rarely serves dinner before midnight. She discovers how to mold the perfect Orange Bavarian, the trick to extracting marrow from bone, and the intense pleasure of eating liver. And somewhere along the line she realizes she has turned her kitchen into a miracle of creation and cuisine. She has eclipsed her life’s ordinariness through spectacular humor, hysteria, and perseverance.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)

Director: Stephen Sommers 
Stars: Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans (Full Cast)
Studio: Paramount Pictures

 

The Plot: An elite military unit comprised of operatives known as the Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity look to dismantle Cobra, an organization headed by a Scottish arms dealer.

 

THE BUZZ: This is being written just before G.I. Joe‘s first look, which will be revealed during the Superbowl. While the character sheets and other peeks haven’t maintained much enthusiasm for the project, we know that star Channing Tatum is one of the hottest Internet properties around, and co-star Rachel Nichols’s star is rising thanks to her appearance here and inStar Trek. So the eye-candy factor is high, rumor has it CGI-heavy director Stephen Sommers is reigning in the visual effects for a less flashy/more stunt-y production, and actual-real screenwriter Stuart Beattie has a say in the story. This one might not be so bad, you know. More after the aforementioned Superbowl spot surfaces.

 

Warning! This synopsis contains spoilers

 

 

Stephen Sommers will direct (here’s hoping he reigns in the CG), from a script by Stuart Beattie. The story is set at Brussels-based GIJOE, an acronym for the Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, and revolves around an international co-ed force of operatives who use high-tech equipment to battle Cobra, an evil org headed by a Scottish arms dealer. –Real Movie News 11/20/07 

This has since changed due to overwhelimg negative response from fans and even servicemen.

GiJoe is once again “A real american hero”, not an international UN type organization according to Hasbro-

Now all is back to what GI Joe should be and will hopefully remain!

Funny People (2009)

Director: Judd Apatow 
Stars: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures

 

The Plot: When seasoned comedian George Simmons (Sandler) learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship inspires him to take a relatively green performer (Rogen) under his wing as his opening act.

 

THE BUZZ: With no Will Smith movie set for July 2009, Adam Sandler looks to rule the season with a comedy-drama (don’t say “dramedy”) that I’m hoping will feature his best performance since Punch-Drunk Love. Little bits of evidence here and there, such as the presence of Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and a certain special event, have convinced me that Judd Apatow is looking to crack his mold and usher in a different kind of, ummmmm, masculine realness (?) for his third go-round behind the camera. Also, with Ms. Apatow and Sarah Silverman cast (in major and minor roles, respectively), maybe the director finally will learn how to fold actual-real funny women into a story.