It’s a tough time of year for the movie fan because, while Hollywood is patting itself on the back with numerous awards shows, this is the time of year movie studios tend to dump their bad movies.
That being said, there are still movies coming out and there are still films that the average movie goer might be interested in seeing. This is also the time when movies that were in a limited release suddenly go into wide release. Normally this happens when a movie generates Oscar buzz and the movie studios want to make sure the public gets a chance to see them.
The Grey - starring Liam Neeson, is probably one of the most-hyped and anticipated movies of this week. Neeson plays a man hired by an oil company digging for the fossil fuel on an oil rig in the arctic to shoot wolves who menace the workers. Then, Neeson and his co-workers get into a plane that promptly crashes, leaving them struggling to survive in the harsh elements. To top it all off, the survivors end up menaced by a pack of hungry wolves. For those who have been a fan of Neeson’s recent action, beat-’em-up films, this one is being called “Liam beats up wolves.” However, some buzz from major critics say it’s a decent, edge-of-your-seat thriller.
Man on a Ledge - starring Sam Worthington, Ed Harris and Elizabeth Banks. This movie involves an ex-cop who has been accused of murder (Worthington), who claims he is innocent. While attending his father’s funeral, he escapes custody and ends up standing on a ledge 52 stories in the air. It turns out to be a cover for some kind of theft of a valuable diamond in a building directly across the street from where he is standing. The trailer seems to promise tension and lots of dizzying aerial tricks. Early buzz is that the plot is ridiculous, but the action is intense.
One for the Money - starring Katherine Heigl. Heigl has become one of those steadily-employed actresses in Hollywood. Her films tend to be savaged by critics, but they make enough money to keep the film studios coming back to her for more. This one involves Heigl as an out-of-work Jersey girl who decides to earn some money by working for a relative’s bail bonds company. Hijinks ensue when Heigl’s character decides to tackle the biggest available case and track down murder suspect Joe Morelli. You can read a review of the movie from our own Paula Duffy right here.
A Separation - starring Peyman Moadi and Leila Hatami. This is one of the most critically-lauded foreign films of 2011. It has garnered a number of awards already and was on early every critic’s Top 10 of 2011 list. Now it had been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign film. It is a deeply moving and emotional story that takes place in modern-day Iran. It involves a couple attempting to live under the Islamic law of the land, while also trying to find a better life for their 11-year-old daughter. Through various events the couple is forced to live apart, and then to file for a divorce - not an easy thing in a Muslim country. The movie is now in wider release as of January 27.
Albert Nobbs - starring Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska and Janet McTeer. Another movie that is opening in wider release for January 27. It is the critically-lauded movie starring Glenn Close as a woman in 18th century England who has a job that she loves as a butler in a hotel, but only keeps the job by dressing and pretending to be a man. Close played the role, originally, on the stage and much has been said of her performance. It has now been noticed so much that Close has another Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
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