Despicable Me (2010)

Want a fun, cute little movie you won't have to think about too much? This is a good one. Want a movie you can watch with kids of all ages and not worry about what may or may not happen or be said? This comes as close as movies come these days.

The animation is first rate and over-the-top outrageous. In this case, that is a great thing.

The voices come from some very surprising big names. Don't bother trying to match them up by ear. You need a list to believe you ears in this one. Happily, the animated characters look nothing like their voice counterparts as is the case with so many CG toons lately.

Here is a short list:
Steve Carrell
Jason Segel
Russell Brand
Julie Andrews (no kidding)
Will Arnett

The voices of the 3 little girls who change the bad guy's world are fantastic. I hope they can act as well as they read. Oh wait, they can, and already have.

Watch this movie with someone who was a fan of Mad Magazine's Spy vs Spy.

Inhale (2010)

What would you do if you had to make a choice on the epic scale of Meryl Streep's Sophie, or Dermot Mulroney's Paul in this movie? We think that would be an easy answer, but watch the movie and think again.

Diane Kruger plays the wife of Mulroney's District Attorney on the quest of lungs for his diseased daughter. When the normal channels fail them this distraught couple goes for an "dirty secret" alternative.

The makers of this film clearly have an agenda and the story does help tell it well. If you don't mind the message, the film is actually very well made. On the other hand, there are parts of this movie that are hard to watch, especially if you are a parent.

There are plenty of other strong performances by familiar faces, but Kristian Ferrer, as young Miguel (aka Jefe), steals the show for the most part.

Watch this movie with someone who appreciate the multiple ironies.

The A-Team (2010)

This is a very worthy adaptation of the old TV series of the same name. Didn't see the TV series, no worries. You can still enjoy the movie - character set up is excellent. I love it when a movie starts telling the story before they run the opening credits.

While the story shows scenes from all over the planet, scenes with actors were shot almost exclusively in Canada. Liam Neeson, plays the leader of an Alpha-team of misfits. Despite being a non-smoker, he appears to love the Colonel's signature cigar. Bradley Cooper plays the charming schemer and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (yes, of UFC, MMF, and WWF fame) reprises the role made famous by Mr. T.. Jessica Beal is delightful as the Capt. Sosa trying to catch them all.

The biggest surprise is the performance by Sharlto Copley. His "functional lunatic" character is comic glue that keeps this movie from taking itself too seriously. I enjoyed his role here much more than his District 9 character.

Although this is another in a long line of movies where you may have trouble figuring out who the bad guys really are, rest assured, you will know in the end. No spoilers here.

Watch this fun action comedy with someone who won't get hung up on the differences or similarities between this movie and the TV series.

L'arnacoeur (2010) Heartbreaker

A little bit Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and a little bit The Valet (also French), but enough of it's own strength to stand alone. If this movie had been made in the US the perfect stars might have been Colin Farrell and Scarlett Johansson with Johnny Knoxville and Rachel McAdams as partners in crime.

But fortunately the is a French film will all that goes with that. Instead Romain Duris and Vanessa Paradis got the roles and the story is better for it. François Damiens and Julie Ferrier play the heart breaker's gang. Funny stuff.

Shot is some very exotic locations, including Paris (of course) and Monte Carlo, this is a good movie to see as well as hear. If you don't mind English subtitles, the French is actually quite easy to follow.

This story really does leave you wondering the boy will get the girl right up until the end. I like when that happens. And in a French movie you never know which boys and girls will end up with each other. That makes for fun storytelling.

Watch this with someone who enjoys a good romantic comedy with twists.

Knight and Day (2010)

If the USA had a James Bond, I would like to think the Roy Miller character here would come pretty close to fitting the bill. I enjoyed this movie more than I expected to. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz had wonderful chemistry. The action is almost non-stop and the dialogue is smart and snappy. They do not over the funny bits and good guys are not always perfect. Cruise and Diaz do most their own stunts too.

Peter Sarsgaard is almost understated as the FBI agent chasing the two of them. No spoilers here, but there are times when it's okay to wonder who the good guys and bad guys really are. It all clears up in the end.

The PG-13 rating is okay which helped it receive a Teen Choice award nomination. The would actually be a fun family movie to watch. Something for everyone.

Watch this with someone who knows something about restoring or American cars.

The Town (2010)

This may be the best thing Ben Affleck has done since Good Will Hunting. Once again he is acting his own material, but this time he directs too. This is also one of the smarter bank heist movies in a while, but not as smart as Inside Man.

Rebecca Hall definately adds a touch of class to what would otherwise be a pretty grim, gritty, tale. Jeremy Renner is once again great as the guy who skates the fine line between sanity and psyho-killer. Jon Hamm is very smart the FBI agent going after all of them.

No spoilers here, but I love the bittersweet ending.

This was Pete Postlethwaite's next to last move, and while his role was small, it WAS pivotal. I have been a fan of Pete's work in the Sharpe series on BBC. Pete will be missed.

Watch this movie with someone who has a strong tolerance of Boston accents, rough language, and car chase scenes.

Eat Pray Love (2010)

Most of us don't need to travel to three exotic locations to learn how to eat, pray, or love. This movie is the story of a real person who did however. And, as odd as it seems, all the characters in this story are very easy to relate to.

While it is not a cinematic masterpiece, it is also like a little mini-vacation. And isn't that really what we want from a movie?

Julia Roberts plays a travel writer from New York who questions her identity. After a painful divorce she goes to Italy to learn to enjoy doing nothing, to India to learn to pray and forgive, and to Bali to love.

Along the way, she meets some wonderful people played by Richard Jenkins and Javier Bardem. Viola Davis plays the long-suffering best friend and Billy Crudup the husband.

The music and scenery alone are worth the watch in this movie. Then you get the subtle lessons, little gems really, punctuating the entire story. All combined it is a good movie to watch with people you are close to.

Watch this with someone who needs to learn at least one of these lessons.

Soul Kitchen (2009)

Murphy's Law appears to apply in Germany as well, at least it does for owner of bad cafe in a bad location. Could any of us rebound from the loss of our significant other, a visit from the tax collector, a conspiring childhood friend, the health inspector, a deadbeat brother who is supposed to be in prison, and a back injury, all within a few days of each other?

Adam Bousdoukos is fantastic as the luckless restaurant owner. Moritz Bleibtreu is the convict brother. Funny stuff. Birol Unel is a Turkish version of Chef Ramsey. Pheline Roggan is delicious as the waitress who binds them all together.

While this movie is in German with English subtitles, it is a very fun watch. The dialogue is not too fast. The music is fun and very danceable - which is the point. The situations both are comic and dramatic. This is billed as a romantic comedy, and I totally agree, on many levels.

Watch this movie with someone who has worked in the food service industry.

Kings of the Evening (2008)

What can you say about a movie that was made in 2008 but not released until 2010, and then grossed less than $100K before being pulled? I know what some might say, but I say this is a decent Christmas movie. What, you say? A Christmas movie?

This is a story of forgiveness, self-respect, honor, and redemption. No, it's not a bible story.

Tyson Beckford, yeah, the super model, plays a down-and-out young ex-con, estranged from his family and his identity. The lovely Lynn Whitfield plays the owner of a boarding house who takes in the Beckford's Homer. Glynn Turman is brilliant as a much older, hapless version of Homer. Rounding out the main characters is Linara Washington who fills the pivotal role here. These 4 working together is movie magic.

Kudos to Director Andrew P. Jones for letting these 4 take the scenes and spin a story worth watching. Yes, white guys can direct. While this is a story taken from South African culture, it is a worthy lesson in self-respect under horrible circumstances.

Watch this movie with someone who will not cringe at the realities of racial tensions during the Great Depression.