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Inception


Inception

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, and Marion Cotillard
Directed by Christopher Nolan (Dark Knight)
Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action throughout
Appropriate for ages 15+

    Leonardo DiCaprio is Cobb, a techno-pirate who leads a team of thieves whose job it is to steal ideas from people’s heads.  When a job goes horribly wrong for him, the target hires him to plant an idea, called an inception, in a futuristic game of corporate espionage.  In order to make this work, the team must go dream inside a dream inside a dream, making it an extremely dangerous task to undertake.  To make matters worse, Cobb’s past has the ability to destroy the mission like a dream immune system. 

    If there’s one thing this film has going for it is certainly novelty.  It’s original in every sense of the word.  Then again, Nolan excels at that which is one of the reasons he has such a rabid fan base.  That being said, it’s so original it’s confusing – in a good way.  And I’m not saying I left the theater confused.  He wouldn’t allow that.  Instead, he had to throw in so much exposition to keep this from happening that it got in the film’s way.  This is a film that should take two or three viewings to fully comprehend, rather than walking away happy in one.  That would have been okay with his fans as well too since they would have felt that much more intelligent once they got it.  His film Memento, which I still consider to be his best, was like that.  But instead there was just too much unnecessary rambling and even an extra character that could have been avoided, in order to keep the audience feeling comfortably smart.

    So is this film the brilliant masterpiece that all of the fan boys are proclaiming?  Not really.  It’s good, but in my opinion it’s not even the best in the ground-breaking special effects sci-fi dream genre (I might have just made that genre up, but there are a few films that meet the requirements).  I had much more fun watching The Matrix (not the sequels) or Total Recall and think that the stories in these films are just as complex yet more rewarding than Inception.  I realize that neither of those films can boast this amazing cast.  It’s hard to compare Arnold and Keanu to Leonardo in the acting arena.  But for some reason those films were simply more entertaining.  And maybe that’s the key word: entertaining.  I didn’t have that much fun watching this film.  I definitely have admiration for it, but take my breath away it did not.  I didn’t really like the characters that much and while I was cheering for Leo to succeed, I was still not certain that what I was seeing was real or if it really mattered.  The movie was clever as all get out, and intellectually stimulating, but aside from a moment at the end, it failed to capture my heart.  Maybe that is something that happens the second time you see it.  B+

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New on DVD

New on DVD

The Losers
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence, a scene of sensuality and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
What I originally thought was an A-Team copycat, I soon found out to be a film based on a popular graphic novel (that was probably an A-Team copycat).  In the film, an elite group of soldiers are mistakenly left alive by the very funny super-villain played by Jason Patric and now they are upset and after revenge.  While the script suffers from a budget not able to support a big action film, the cast is a pretty solid one with Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Watchmen), Zoe Saldana (Avatar), and Chris Evans (Fantastic Four).  The movie offers nothing in the way of originality, but there is tons of action to be found although I found myself not really caring about any of the characters by the end.  it might be a mediocre flick, but it fits in well into our mediocre movie year we are having.  C

Cop Out
Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, violence and brief sexuality
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan are a team of fumbling cops in this film directed by Kevin Smith that can’t decide if it wants to be a parody or a cop comedy.  There’s no doubt you will laugh a lot as Morgan is hilarious and Willis plays a great straight man to his clueless partner.  And Seann William Scott steals every scene he is in as a thief that they apprehend and befriend.  But the tone of the film never takes a clear direction and it almost feels like Smith wanted to give the movie an indie vibe, and in the process made it come off as unprofessional.  One thing I did like about the Blu-ray was the creativity of the special features including “Maximum Comedy Mode” which makes the film immensely more enjoyable.  Smith is such a likable fellow and this special feature is almost like watching the movie with him and letting him laugh about it and make fun of it with you.  I’ve always said that Warner Brothers releases the best Blu-rays and even their bad and mediocre films are elevated by their special features.  C+

Mary and Max
Not Rated
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
I’m a little behind on this one as it was released last month, but as it is a little indie that almost escaped me, I thought it might have escaped most of you, and I just had to do everything I could to prevent that.  This stop-motion clayography film follows a little Australian child named Mary who finds an older Autistic pen pal in New York named Max.  Both are lonely and in need of a friend, and over a span of many years, the two develop a beautiful friendship of the most bizarre kind.  While certainly not for kids, the film is a wonderfully creative movie with an absolutely unforgettable storyline that many adults will be enthralled with.  It might be a bit sad for some, but the tears didn’t take away from the enjoyment at all.  Voiced by Toni Colette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Eric Bana, as well as many other gifted actors, this film is a showcase for talent in every aspect.  A  

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The Girl Who Played with Fire

The Girl Who Played with Fire

Starring Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist
Directed by Daniel Alfredson
Rated R for brutal violence including a rape, some strong sexual content, nudity and language
Appropriate for ages 17+
Swedish with English Subtitles

    Shortly after the events of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, computer hacker Lisbeth (Rapace) and journalist Mikael (Nyqvist) investigate a sex-trafficking ring when Lisbeth becomes the suspect of three murders, forcing her to go on the run until she can clear her name.  As she gets closer to the case, she discovers the case is more closely related to her than she could have ever thought possible.

    While the first film (or book for that matter) in the series was a great way to set up this trilogy, the two different story lines weren’t as beautifully intertwined as is the case with this story.  In fact, what appears to be two different story lines become one in a way that only a truly gifted writer can craft.  To say this film is engrossing is a massive understatement.  While over two hours in length, the pacing is remarkable and the storytelling so intense that time flies.  This film is far more exciting than any of the big-dollar action films that have come out this summer so far and my nails were all the worse because of it.  The fact that it is intelligent too makes it that much more thrilling. 

    Rapace turns in another amazing performance in the titular role which will make it that much harder for an American actress to fill her stilettos when David Fincher recreates the Hollywood version of the trilogy.  Nyqvist takes a backseat in this one in a very understated performance where he is very much the supporting character rather than the strong male lead.

    Just like the first film, which you may recall was originally translated “Men Who Hate Women” by the Author Stieg Larsson before wisely renaming, this film also deals with the theme of brutality towards women, with the heroine being a strong, courageous, smart female lead.  While the first film was upsetting in its sexual violence, this one is shocking in its frank sexuality.  It’s not that you haven’t seen a movie like this before, but perhaps you haven’t outside of flipping through the channels on Cinemax.  This is what most surprises me about how popular the novels have become worldwide.  I can understand Harry Potter and possibly even Twilight given its audience, but the worldwide phenomenon that these books have become, especially considering their subject matter, is very peculiar.  I guess adults need their own hero also, even if she is quite a bit flawed.  A

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New on DVD

New on DVD

Greenberg
Rated R for some strong sexuality, drug use and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Ben Stiller stars in this film written and directed by Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) about a single, forty-something man who prides himself on the fact that he does nothing.  When he housesits for his brother over an extended period of time, he falls for and emotionally abuses his brother’s personal assistant (Greta Gerwig), who very knowingly allows him to use her in her own sense of experimentation.  It’s a comedy in the sense that it has some extremely awkward moments that make you so uncomfortable that you can’t help but laugh.  But just like his other films, this discomfort only serves as a stop sign for most viewers.  Ben Stiller might have a draw in zany pics, but in films like these, where he actually shows off his acting chops, his core audience won’t follow along.  If they do – they might not like what they see.  This is more of a film for those folks who like Baumbach, and if you don’t know if you are one of them, you’ll find out rather quickly once you stick the disc in.  B

The Greatest
Rated R for language, some sexual content and drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Carey Mulligan is the only one of a pair of teenagers to survive a car crash that leaves the son of Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon taken too early.  Pregnant after their first night together, Mulligan turns to the boy’s parents to help her, but due to their grief they don’t know how to accept the only part of their son that is still alive.  What could have been a super-manipulative mess, only turns into a slightly manipulative one.  The problem with films about loss of life like this is that they are just too uncomfortable to watch.  Needless to say, the acting is great, which is probably why the film doesn’t feel as fake as you would think it would.  Then again, you have to be wanting a good cry to watch a movie like this and there’s hardly ever a time where I want to sit and stew in my own tears.  So while it’s a good film, I just can’t see it flying off the shelves.  B+

Our Family Wedding
Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and brief strong language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This twist on the multicultural wedding movie pairs the black family with the Latino family as a young couple in love have to introduce their parents, and most notably their fathers: Forest Whitaker and Carlos Mencia.  Of course they don’t get along at first and then the formula is followed down to the closing credits.  It’s one cliche after another and the jokes are as lame as can be.  I’m glad Forest Whitaker is getting work, but he has been cursed since he won his Oscar in 2006 for The Last King Scotland.  He should have enough money now that he’s taken all of these horrible jobs that he can finally accept some great roles again.  D

White Collar: The Complete First Season
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
On this hit USA show, Mat Bomer is a con man that escapes from a maximum security prison only to be caught again and brought in as a consultant for the White Collar Crimes Division of the FBI.  Other than the bad (and I mean horrible) acting by Tiffani Thiessen, this is one extremely watchable show that is about as entertaining as, well, all of the other shows on USA.  Fast paced, well written, and just plain fun, the series makes for a good summer excursion.  A-

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The Last Airbender

The Last Airbender

Starring Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, and Nicola Peltz
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Rated PG for fantasy action violence
Appropriate for all ages

    In a world where there are four nations on Earth: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, and each have parties that can bend the elements and use them to fight with, one individual alive has the ability to bend all four: The Avatar.  When the Avatar is discovered by the evil Fire kingdom, they attempt to kidnap him to use him for their sinister plans.  But when dissension in the ranks and a young Water kingdom girl get in the way of this happening, an immense battle occurs between the Water and Fire kingdoms.

    This is a review where I have to keep myself from becoming too mean – but it is hard.  So is there anything good about the film?  Sure.  The effects are decent enough and I actually like the lore of the film.  The mythology works for me and I would have liked to have seen a decent representation of the original material. 

    But it appears Shyamalan is incapable of delivering that simple feat.  He has such a huge ego and a destructively heavy hand that his will should be considered the fifth element – able to destroy any enjoyment from movies.  He gets almost all of the blame – because it is almost entirely his film.  His script is absolutely embarrassing and would have failed any of the most basic college screenwriting courses.  He already had great source material, but chose to make the dialogue mundane and ridiculously uncreative.  The story plods along like he knows he has shots to get to and he doesn’t know how to get there – so he has them say something.  Anything.  And the actors chosen to deliver the lines are great martial artists, but can’t act worth spit, so combined with poor directing provide a very miserable viewing experience.

    And the great shots he supposedly has to get to aren’t so great.  The battle sequences are far from exciting.  In fact they are almost comical.  For example, during the big one at the end, the Water kingdom is in prep to fight.  The soldiers are all standing guard with weapons in hand in the streets.  As fire rains down on them in the front lines, women are just lazily carrying baskets around.  It’s incredibly silly.  What would women with dainty baskets be doing in an epic battle?  Feeding the soldiers berries? 

    Then there is the horrific 3D transfer.  Just like Clash of the Titans, the studio decided to steal as much money from their audience as possible by doing a last-minute conversion to 3D that looks like garbage.  The ending battle sequence is so dark that you can hardly see it and the whole thing turns out to be a giant waste of extra money. 

    The idea behind The Last Airbender is unique and imaginative but when given to a filmmaker like Shyamalan, the creativity seems to be stripped out and replaced with a genericized fantasy that neither excites nor entertains.  My review of The Happening came with a plea to Hollywood to not give this man any more money to make movies.  I am now begging.  Hollywood: until he can prove to be a good steward of our hard-earned movie dollars, please stop funding this man’s mediocre-at-best talent.  D

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New on DVD

New on DVD

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Rated R for disturbing violent content including rape, grisly images, sexual material, nudity and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Swedish with English subtitles
Now the biggest literary sensation since Harry Potter (sorry – can’t give any respect to Twilight), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Millennium Trilogy has been at the top of the New York Times best seller charts for months and is one of the most adult-read books in ages.  While there will soon be an American version with big stars and directed by David Fincher, it will be hard to beat this Swedish import starring Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist in the leading roles.  Originally titled Men Who Hate Women, the story revolves two tales of brutality towards women, one involving the heroine, Lisbeth Salander (Rapace), and one involving a missing woman whose loving uncle is convinced was murdered.  When Lisbeth goes against her code of going it solo, she teams with a reporter (Nyqvist) to uncover the secrets thought buried by this missing woman’s family.  It’s a terrific mystery, although the violence, and particularly the theme of sexual violence, is difficult to watch.  That being said, it is one of the best nail-biters so far this year.  Having already seen the sequel (review coming next week), I can assure you that this trilogy is worth seeing before it is remade by Hollywood.  A

Jason and the Argonauts
Rated G
Available on Blu-ray Disc
Very few folks in the movie business are actually known past the actors, directors, and maybe the composers, but in the world of special effects Ray Harryhausen is a legend, and Jason and the Argonauts, the mythological tale of the quest for the golden fleece, is one of his unique effects masterpieces.  In 1963, Harryhausen was the first to ever use stop motion animation for anything other than monsters, although there are a few of those in there also.  Sure your kids will make fun of it, but the influence of a film such as this was far reaching.  Proof of that is a special commentary on the disc by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson who practically gushes over the film while watching it.  The film also contains a commentary by Harryhausen himself with all sorts of interesting facts such as the legendary skeleton scene at the end almost took them from a G-rating to an X-rating due to what was allowed in films at the time.  B+

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief
Rated PG for action violence and peril, some scary images and suggestive material, and mild language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Completely unlike Jason and the Argonauts, Percy uses the latest in special effects to tell the story of a young demi-god in Manhattan that discovers who he is and also that he has a mission to recover a stolen lightening bolt before Zeus gets really mad and does a lot of nasty things.  The special effects are good enough here, but the film is much longer than it should be   at two hours, and with mediocre acting and directing, it just gets old quick.  It feels like Hollywood is desperate to fill the hole that is going to be left when Harry Potter goes away, but if they want it to be Percy (bad name by the way) they need a better cast and scribe.  C

A Single Man
Rated R for some disturbing images and nudity/sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Colin Firth turns in a great performance in this stylish piece written and directed by famed clothing designer Tom Ford about a college professor in the early 60’s whose partner’s (played by Matthew Goode) death sends him into a deep depression that he cannot shake.  It’s a very challenging film, and definitely not one for all audiences, but viewing the movie as a work of art, rather than entertainment, will help in its appreciation.  The commentary by Ford will help tremendously with that.  B-

Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition
Rated R
Available on Blu-ray
Just in time for its new film Predators, Twentieth Century Fox is releasing the original Schwarzenegger classic on Blu-ray with tons of special features including a look at the new film and a new making of featurette.  So if you already own it on Blu-ray is it worth buying?  Probably not, although if you can get a good  enough price on it, there is a $10 movie reward that you can use to buy tickets to the new Predator movie.  In that case – it might be worth the purchase.  B+

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Knight and Day

Knight and Day

Starring Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz and Peter Sarsgaard
Directed by James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma)
Rated PG-13 for sequences of action violence throughout, and brief strong language
Appropriate for ages 13+

    June Havens (Diaz) finds her normal life turned upside down when she gets mixed up with super spy Roy Miller (Cruise) on a seemingly innocent flight.  As soon as she crosses the line with him, there is no turning back, as she finds herself the target of not only the U.S. government, but terrorist arms dealers as well.  Roy, on the other hand, has a mission that he must complete, but feels the need to keep Havens alive, even though it could get in the way of his ultimate goal. 

    There have been a plethora of these types of spy movies of late, and while none can match up to True Lies in style or substance, this one manages to be a really good summer popcorn flick.  The action here is intense, but done with a great sense of humor.  Love him or hate him, you have to admit that Cruise is fun to watch in a movie like this.  Because he does most of his own stunt work, he manages to bring the action to life in a way that few actors can manage.  And the creativity with which the action sequences were dreamed up is most definitely worthy of praise.  There are only so many ways to do a car or motorcycle chase, but this felt original without going too over-the-top.

    The story, revolving around a small battery that could power a city, was not great and the twists felt a little forced, but because of the chemistry between Cruise and Diaz (and I’m going to put the blame mostly on Cruise’s great performance), you care more about their relationship than the story.  I kind of think that no matter what they did, I would have had fun watching them doing it. 

    I was surprised at either the poor makeup or continuity (or both) in regards to Diaz.  At many stages of the film Diaz looks normal.  Shocking, I know.  Of course it would have been fine if she just felt like going natural.  The problem is that there would be a close-up shot where she looks like a super model and then a three quarter shot where she suddenly ages ten years.  This was most noticeable during the beach sequence.  I would have typically not pointed this out, as it seems petty, but I have had three other critics tell me they saw the same thing, but were afraid to mention it as well.

    Bad makeup aside, you can’t discount a film for such a minor infraction and it hardly gets in the way of what is ultimately good escapist entertainment that most audiences will enjoy.  B+  

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New on DVD

New on DVD

The Crazies
Rated R for bloody violence and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In this remake of the George A. Romero classic, something is turning the citizens of a small Iowa town into crazy sociopaths, and it’s up to the town sheriff (Timothy Olyphant) to figure out how to end what seems to be an unstoppable epidemic.  What could have been a stupid, lazy horror film, turns into a smart, twisty thriller with this great cast, frightening script, and very effective directing.  When a scary movie is this good, it becomes fun to watch, and boy was I entertained.  Sure it went a little too far with the gore, but that’s forgivable considering its genre.  A-

The White Ribbon
Rated R for some disturbing content involving violence and sexuality
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
German with English subtitles
This 2009 Oscar Nominated Foreign Film and winner of the Canne Palm D’Or tells the story of a small German village on the eve of World War I, where a series of mysterious accidents occur and it seems that some of the children in the village might be at the very center of them.  While there is some disturbing content in the movie, the most troubling elements of all come after when you’ve had time to think about who these children will grow up to become.  While this is not an easy film to watch, it is very rewarding and will stick around to haunt you for a long time.  A-

Showgirls: 15th Anniversary Sinsational Edition
Rated NC-17  
Available on Blu-ray
It has already been 15 years since Paul Verhoeven’s stripper movie, starring then teen television star Elizabeth Berkley, became the first mainstream NC-17 film to stir up controversy.  While this new HD release gives us a more clear view of, well, everything, the movie is still better at shocking than entertaining.  I guess it just depends on your definition of “entertaining.”  C-

Don McKay
Rated R for language and some violence
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Twenty-five years after leaving his home town for what he thought was the last time, Don McKay (Thomas Haden Church) gets a call from a woman claiming to be his high school girlfriend (Elisabeth Shue) and thus decides to pay his old home a visit again.  One thing this film is not is exciting, but it has quirky down pat.  What appears at first to be a melodrama quickly turns into a dark comedy that hits you completely by surprise, but you have to be patient to get there.  I think the film would have worked better as a play than a movie, but even as a film it was fairly entertaining and had me in stitches towards the end.  B-

Stolen
Rated R for a scene of sexuality
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Jon Hamm is a cop whose son was kidnapped and presumed dead.  When he discovers the grave of a missing boy from a crime that took place 50 years ago, he decides to try to solve that crime to find catharsis for his own loss.  If that description didn’t drive you to call your doctor for a prescription for an antidepressant, than watching the film surely will.  I can’t recall such a downer of a movie, and while the production values were good, and you could tell a lot of love went into making it, it’s just not a story most people wish to see.  I, for one, wish I had never put the disc in.  C-

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Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3

Starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Michael Keaton, and Ned Beatty
Directed by Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 2)
Rated G
Appropriate for all ages

    As Andy prepares to head off to college, he decides to store his toys in the attic, but when they are accidentally donated to a local daycare instead, Woody wants to get back to Andy while the rest of the toys can’t wait to be played with by the new children.  When they discover that the daycare isn’t at all what they expected, they ban together to mount a daring escape. 

    It goes without saying that you can always count on Pixar to deliver a quality movie and they are most certainly still on roll.  With the first two Toy Stories, Pixar delivered not only two of the most wonderful animated films to date, but two of the most creative as well.  In fact, Toy Story 2 was a major factor in bringing about the Academy Award for Animated Feature.  That being said, Toy Story 3 brings it all up to another level of excellence. 

    First there is the story, which is creative, funny, heart-warming, sad, gut-wrenching, and awe-inspiring, all within in a hundred minute time frame.  And while I am far from the expert on the escape genre, I would have to put this one up against any film as possibly the best escape film ever made.

    Also, the emotional roller coaster this film takes its audience on is better than anything at Disneyland.  The first two films moved me, but this film grabbed me, pulled me in, and towards the end of the film I felt like I was actually on their journey with them and essentially having an experience like no other I’ve ever had at a movie before.  It was ethereal.  And all of this was done with brilliant writing. 

    Then there is the animation which has come so far since the first two films.  It is a big, bright beautiful film, filled with vivid colors and flawless execution of the computer animation.  I will admit that I saw the film twice, on both 3D and 2D, and due to the fact that the 3D strips away some of the color and doesn’t really add much more than a gimmick to the experience, I have to say that the 2D is the better version of the film to see.  I’ve had discussions with folks at Pixar who will admit the same, and would recommend you see their films in good old fashion two dimension.

    Where Toy Story could have used a change up is in the music department, as I think “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” is a little overplayed at this point (although I did like the Spanish version by the Gypsy Kings).  Also, Randy Newman’s new song “We Belong Together” doesn’t exactly say Oscar winner to me.

    Still, I’ll predict now that Toy Story 3 will be one of the films nominated for best picture this year (along with How to Train Your Dragon), and if the year were to end in June, it would have a pretty darn good chance of winning.  A+ 

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New on DVD

New on DVD

The Book of Eli
Rated R for some brutal violence and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Denzel Washington stars in this post-apocalyptic thriller about a man on a mission from God traveling west through America after civilization is destroyed, only to be hunted down by Gary Oldman for the book he is carrying with him.  I missed this one in theaters and wasn’t too keen on catching the Blu-ray release either, but figured there were far worse things to watch.  Little did I know that this critically-panned film is actually a pretty darn good movie that is hard to take your eyes off.  Washington is terrific in the butt-kicking journeyman role and once again Oldman pulls off a fabulous villain.  What really wins here though is the story and the message, and while I don’t want to spoil anything, I feel that if I don’t say that this movie is ultimately about the power of The Bible, the right audience might not give it a try.  That audience will probably have some difficulties with the extreme amounts of violence, but I’ve never seen a more convincing argument that the Good Book is the most critical weapon one can possess.  Just like many of the other Warner Brothers titles, the Maximum Movie Mode provides for the ultimate film school experience with picture-in-picture director and crew interviews and storyboard comparisons put right in during the film.  A-

The Last Station
Rated R for a scene of sexuality/nudity
Available on DVD/Blu-ray
The story of Leo Tolstoy and his wife (portrayed by 2009 Oscar nominees Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren) is played forth in this heartbreaking drama about the famous author and his desire to leave his fortunes to the Russian people while his wife tries to do everything possible to keep this from happening.  The cast is as solid as you can get with Paul Giamatti and James McAvoy along for the ride.  The surprise for me was that there was a bit more sense of humor, in the beginning at least, than I expected.  I’m not sure if this is a good thing or not, but I feel like I know the life of Leo Tolstoy a lot better now; what I’m not certain of is how interested I am in it.  It’s a very well-made film, but for me it just wasn’t a very engaging one.  C+

Hung: The Complete First Season
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In HBO’s breakout freshman comedy, Tom Jane is a down-on-his-luck high school coach who needs to find extra work in order to support his teenage son and daughter.  The only career he thinks he is suitable for, besides coaching, is becoming a male prostitute due to the fact that he is so, well, the title of the show kind of says it.  I’ve always thought that Tom Jane could have been an A-lister were it not for his unfortunate choice in name (he was actually born Thomas Elliott).  His comic abilities in this series are showing what he is capable of and this has quickly become one of my favorite guilty pleasures.  It’s funny, moving, weird, sexy, and very entertaining.  B+

She’s Out of My League
Rated R for language and sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Jay Baruchel (How to Train Your Dragon) is just your average lovable loser until he somehow impresses a beautiful woman at the airport to the point where she wants to date him.  From the trailers this looks like an unbelievable tale dreamed up by someone that looks like Jay Baruchel.  Once inside the movie, you find a sweet interior that helps you understand how something like this could and actually does happen.  The pic is really raunchy, just like you would expect in an r-rated comedy, and there are some gags that will have you in absolute stitches.  There are also a few two-dimensional characters that are as badly acted as they are written,  so the film is far from perfect.  But if you need a laugh, you’ll get your money’s worth.  B

Entourage: The Complete Sixth Season
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In this latest season of HBO’s hit show about celebrity and friendship, Vince  is finally on top again as he stars in the newest Martin Scorsese film while his crew are all trying to make it doing their own thing.  While the group are still friends, they are getting to be less and less of an “entourage.”  Still, their antics are fun to watch and if Johnny Drama making an idiot of himself doesn’t make you laugh, not much will.  One mistake they made this season was taking the Ari Gold/Andrew Klein relationship a lot too far as Ari tries desperately to both save his friend’s marriage and be as mean to his assistant Lloyd at the same time.  These story lines just didn’t take hold like they should have and made Ari seem like a bad business man rather than the shark he is.  The writers might have been trying to make him look human, but frankly, I like the shark.  C+

Green Zone
Rated R for violence and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy) re-team in this fictionalization of events that took place during the war in Iraq where Damon is a rogue U.S. Army officer who is trying to hunt down either WMDs or proof that they don’t exist.  There is some good food for thought and the action is pretty solid throughout, but for the first half Damon is just a little too redundant as he repeatedly asks about the WMDs over and over and over again like a broken record.  Once he gets it that there aren’t any, the film starts moving in the right direction and turns into a decent enough thriller.  Some might think it’s closer to fact than fiction.  I can’t say.  I can say it will start discussions no matter which side of the argument you may stand on, but if you lean too far right, you may want to skip it entirely.  If you check out the special features you’ll learn that the soldiers working with Damon in the film are actual veteran soldiers and not trained actors.  In order to get the realism they needed, they hired the real thing and they did an impressive job.  B