IN THEATERS:
Skyfall* (PG-13)
Starring Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench
Screenplay by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan
Directed by Sam Mendes
No hyperbole here. This is simply the best Bond movie ever. It’s thrilling, gorgeous and often hilarious, without becoming cheesy or a slog. Unsurprisingly, Javier Bardem is the best villain the series has ever had. Look for a review soon.
A Late Quartet (R)
Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener
Written by Seth Grossman & Yaron Zilberman
Directed by Yaron Zilberman
Who’s the fourth guy? No one you’ve heard of, but it could be Pauly Shore and this movie would still be worth seeing because the three top-billed stars are that good. Expect another artistic movie about life and loss in the vein of A Prairie Home Companion.
PLAYING AT BOTH ANGELIKAS
This Must Be the Place (R)
Starring Sean Penn, Frances McDormand, Judd Hirsch
Story by Paolo Sorrentino
Screenplay by Paolo Sorrentino & Umberto Contarello
Directed by Paolo Sorrentino
A divisive festival hit, this dramedy follows a Robert Smith-like rock star (Penn), who tracks down the Nazi war criminal who tormented his dad during World War II.
PLAYING AT THE MAGNOLIA
Café de Flore (NR)
Starring Vanessa Paradis, Kevin Parent, Helene Florent
Written and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
A hit in its native Canada, Café de Flore tells two parallel stories. One in the modern day about a Montreal boy with Down syndrome and his family, the other about a DJ in 1960s Paris. This stylish film was nominated for 13 Genie Awards (the Canadian Oscars).
PLAYING AT THE ANGELIKA DALLAS
AT HOME:
Top Pick:
Sunset Boulevard
One of the classics in a career filled with them, Billy Wilder’s hilarious and disturbing take on a fading silent star is one of the all-time best film noirs and Hollywood satires. Gloria Swanson is absolutely harrowing as the obsessive Norma Desmond. If you’ve never seen this Oscar winner, it’s ready for its close-up on Blu-ray. Pick it up.
To rent:
• 360 (19%)
• The Amazing Spider-Man* (73%)
• Arthur Christmas (91%)
• Even the Rain (88%)
• The Pact (67%)
• [rec]3: Genesis (40%)
• Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed
• Your Sister’s Sister*(84%)
To buy:
TV: Law & Order (Season 11)*, Red vs. Blue (Season 10)
Blu-ray: Beaches; The Bonfire of the Vanities; The Client; Guys and Dolls; Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland; The Muppet Christmas Carol*; Patton; Planes, Trains and Automobiles*; Sweet Home Alabama; They Live
Criterion Blu-ray: Rashomon