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Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova. Romantic musical drama. Written & directed by John Carney.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Struggling with life’s obstructions, an Irish vacuum repairman who yearns to sell his music and an Eastern immigrant meet and find their love of music draws them into a romantic relationship.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I have a great deal of positive to assert concerning this film, but allow me to get the negative stated first. The film has a limited budget feel, with an unsteady camera movement throughout that drives this reviewer crazy. This particular camera gimmick started out in the action/adventure genre then spread throughout the industry as if filmmakers had found the Utopian way of shooting pictures. It’s supposed to give a scene movement, energy. It should however, be used sparingly. Like the abundant use of obscenity in a screenwriter’s pallet, this use of moving camera has lost its originality and only serves to say the artist is limited in his abilities. As for obscenity, the f-word is used throughout this film. Evidently, the Irish poor use it even more than Americans. It’s excessive, though I’ll grant it does reveal the characters’ inner frustrations in this film. The other dialogue is crisp, involving and helps give full dimension to the people on screen.

Okay, here’s what I liked about this film. It is a musical, but both the main characters are musicians and the music doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s part of their lives as they find themselves creating music together. As for the music itself, it’s not hummable like the score of My Fair Lady or The Sound of Music, but it is extremely soulful. The male lead sings from his gut, not his throat. And what are they singing about? Not politics – yea! (Used to love Nora Jones until she decided to set us all straight concerning how we are governed.) Both sing about life and how the loves of their lives have affected them. It’s still the most powerful emotion that can be set to music - unrequited love. Anybody remember Sinatra’s One For My Baby? Or his Angel Eyes? That’s what they’re singing about here.

Here’s another positive about this film. It’s not about going to bed together. They don’t do that here. Like Bill Murray’s Lost in Translation, Once is about two people connecting. Lonely, the man does make the suggestion after only one day with the girl, but she makes it clear that’s not going to happen. She’s already made that mistake, leading to childbirth. Though she adores her little girl and is a responsible mother, she has no intention of having another out of wedlock. And she is concerned about the little one having a father.

The man is sensitive to others. When he catches himself using some raunchy language in front of a lady, he apologizes. Both have positive relationships with their parents. Indeed, these are good people.

Lastly, there’s the film’s ending. It is exceptional. A bit melancholy, but very moving. This is a film that will draw attention come Oscar time.

Distributor: Fox Searchlight

George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Ellen Barkin, Al Pacino, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner, Elliot Gould. Action adventure. Written by Brian Koppelman & David Levien. Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

FILM SYNOPSIS: In the fanciful sequel to Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s Twelve, Danny Ocean and his gang reunite for their biggest heist yet. Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin join the cast in this elaborate caper.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Though the script is non-linear, sometimes challenging to follow, director Steven Soderbergh maintains a lively pace incorporating a gleeful sense of humor with funny gags and several edgy twists. Sadly, while the film avoids most crudity, there are three profanities (the misuse of God’s name, or Christ’s). And lest you think I’m condoning a movie about thievery, let me assure you that the scenario is so far-fetched, it can’t be taken seriously. That said, these are characters who live outside the law, and in the last two outings, they pulled off an elaborate crime, as well as other felonies, without paying a price. And they're all really cool while doing it. If you find a movie that glorifies crooked behavior objectionable, even if it is done so tongue-in-cheek, you might want to pass on this one.

Video Alternative: To Catch A Thief. A reformed burglar (Cary Grant) must capture a copycat or go to prison. Beautiful Grace Kelly aids him. I use this film as an alternative to a lot of caper films of today due to the fact that although the lead character had been a thief, he now sees the error of those ways. But even more than that, my suggestion comes from the fact that it is one of the most elegant movies ever made. Not only are Mr. Grant and Ms. Kelly about as good-looking as humans can get, but the film itself is quite stunning. The look, the sound, and the use of Monaco’s location are elements each superior to just about any film I can think of. Add to that Hitchcock’s tight, sophisticated direction and the audience finds itself totally immersed in the story. While Hitchcock presents some rather sexy encounters between his stars, he’s suggestive but never vulgar. It proves more alluring than today’s graphic handling of screen sexuality. There’s something more captivating here, more mesmerizing than any other of Hitchcock’s films. I’m not saying it’s a better film than Vertigo or North By Northwest, but it is certainly one of his most hypnotic efforts. A few minutes and you’re hooked, unable to click the remote. This hasn’t come from just the fine performances. Nor from the camera work. It is that indefinable something that makes an auteur superior to a mere director.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Animated comedy from Columbia Pictures. Voices of Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, Jeff Bridges, Jon Hedder, James Woods, Mario Cantone, Jane Krakowski. Directed by Ash Brannon, Chris Buck.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Surf’s Up profiles teenage penguin Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf), an up-and-coming surfer, as he enters his first pro competition. Followed by a camera crew to document his experiences, Cody leaves his family and home in Shiverpool, Antarctica to travel to Pen Gu Island for the Big Z Memorial Surf Off. Along the way, Cody meets surf nut Chicken Joe (Jon Heder), famous surf promoter Reggie Belafonte (James Woods), surf talent scout Mikey Abromowitz (Mario Cantone), and spirited lifeguard Lani Aliikai (Zooey Deschanel), all of whom recognize Cody’s passion for surfing. Cody believes that winning will bring him the admiration and respect he desires, but when he unexpectedly comes face to face with a washed-up old surfer named Geek (Jeff Bridges), Cody begins to find his own way, and discovers that a true winner isn’t always the one who comes in first.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Remember Chicken Run? You know, the claymation comedy set at a chicken farm where a flock of hens are determined to fly the coop before meeting a fowl fate. With enough visually going on to keep little ones enthralled, it also contained sly, pun-riddled humor to keep the most anti-animation adult amused. And let’s not forget the sight gags. Picture a rooster in solitary, ala Steve McQueen’s Cooler Joe in The Great Escape. The expressive faces (chickens with teeth – is that great?), the pacing, adventure and witty dialogue make for a fun family movie outing. Well, Surf’s Up is no Chicken Run.

Now, I admit, I’ve seen enough animated animal movies – especially ones about penguins. What’s up with all the penguin movies? You want to see a penguin movie – see March of the Penguins, which is an insightful and humorous look at life for these creatures in the Antarctic. It’s fascinating for kids and adults, alike. But enough with movies about penguins surfing or dancing. Surf’s Up is not clever or witty enough to be an inspirational parable. And with the distinct lack of laughter among the youngest crowd members at the screening, I have to say it’s not much of a kid’s comedy, either.

The animation is top drawer, there are a few funny moments and the lesson of putting others first is clear and poignant, but considering how the studio has been putting its trailer in front of our captive eyes in theaters for the past year, I expected it to be at least as funny as Happy Feet. It isn’t.

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Carly Schroeder, Elisabeth Shue, Dermot Mulroney. Sports drama. Written by Lisa Marie Petersen, Karen Janszen. Directed by Davis Guggenheim.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Set in 1978, Gracie is an inspirational film about a teenage girl who overcomes the loss of her brother and fights the odds to achieve her dream of playing competitive soccer at a time when girls’ soccer did not exist. Based on true events from the lives of the Shue family (producer and co-star Andrew Shue, Academy Award-nominated actress Elisabeth Shue, the film is directed by Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), who happens to be part of the family, being married to Elisabeth Shue.

Fifteen-year-old Gracie Bowen (Carly Schroeder) is the only girl in the family of three brothers. Their family life revolves almost entirely around soccer: her father (Dermot Mulroney) and brothers are obsessed with the sport, practicing in the backyard’s makeshift field every day from morning ‘til night. Tragedy unexpectedly strikes when Gracie’s older brother Johnny (Jesse Lee Soffer), star of the high school varsity soccer team and Gracie’s only protector, is killed in a car accident. Struggling with grief over her family’s loss, Gracie decides to fill the void left on her brother’s team by petitioning the school board to allow her to play on the boys’ team in his place. Her father, a former soccer star himself, tries to prove to Gracie that she is not tough enough or talented enough to play with boys. Her mother, Lindsey Bowen (Elisabeth Shue), already an outsider in the sports-obsessed family, is no help either. Undeterred, Gracie proves herself and manages to bring her family together in the face of their tragedy.

PREVIEW REVIEW: There have been several female celebrities of late in trouble with the law and seemingly lost emotionally. My theory, for what it’s worth, is that if a young girl has a supportive, healthy relationship with her dad, she won’t be looking for love and acknowledgement in all the wrong places. This movie points that out. The lead’s father, more comfortable with his sons, doesn’t know how to talk to or show affection for his daughter. And when her beloved older brother dies, she feels adrift. So, the movie is about more than a girl wanting to play a man’s sport. It’s about fathers and daughters. The film has a lot to say and it handles the subject not with much subtlety, but certainly with sincerity.

The only trouble for me is that I don’t get soccer, period. Let alone why a girl would want to play it. I guess I’d have a difficult time sending my little girl out to play a sport I knew would injure her. I’m afraid I’d have been one of the bad guys, I’d have said no. But, as I said, the film isn’t really about this sport, but about communicating your love for your child.

Carly Schroeder (Firewall, Prey) shows spunk and determination and though I’m not an expert, her ability with a soccer ball seems genuine. The pacing is good, but the filming of the actual “big” game is less than convincing. It’s not a great sports film, but the filmmakers have made a solid goal with its message.

Distributor: Picturehouse

Kevin Costner, William Hurt, Demi Moore, Danielle Paabaker, Marg Helgenberger, Dane Cook. Written by Bruce Evans, Raynold Gideon. Directed by Bruce Evans.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Earl Brooks is a loving family man and local business icon, a hero to all. But Mr. Brooks has one small character flaw. You see, he enjoys murdering complete strangers. And while committing one of his clandestine killings, spurred on by his devilish alter ego (William Hurt), the crime is witnessed by a voyeuristic neighbor. And this is where Mr. Brooks’ life becomes a bit more complicated. It turns out the spying neighbor has an unusual blackmail demand – he wants to go along for the ride.

Also dogged by tenacious detective Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore), who’s battling her own demons and a vengeful ex-con bent on killing her, Mr. Brooks soon discovers that his college dropout, pregnant daughter has her own sick secret – she too enjoys the thrill of the kill.

PREVIEW REVIEW: This may be Mr. Costner’s best performance. It’s intense, controlled, and mesmerizing. The story, though over the top (three serial killers for the price of one), is nonetheless suspenseful, even terrifying. And the premise is unnerving – an upper crust, praying, pro-lifer breaks into locked houses with the mastery of a Mission Impossible regular and shoots people in their beds. Doesn’t get any creepier than that.

Although it is well made, I have a couple of problems with Mr. Brooks. Along with having to sit through the usual R-rated explicit content, which is neither creative nor soul satisfying, the movie stirs up a paranoiac fear that each new person met may harbor a dangerous secret side. And of course, the maniac is a hypocrite who prays and believes in the rights of the unborn.

From years of studying movies and their makers, I get the feeling that some in that industry relish the exploitation of a religious person who is discovered to be a wrongdoer. Now, to be fair, perhaps this film’s intent is not so covert. Maybe the character is written as a man of prayer and a pro-lifer merely to give him dimension, and not meant as a swipe at religious folk. But have you noticed, these found-out hypocrites are never followers of Buddha or Gandhi? In the movies, it’s always a conservative Christian who turns out to be the real threat. Why is that?

Video Alternative: HARVEY. Here’s a story about another guy with a secret. James Stewart stars as a gentle soul by the name of Elwood P. Dowd who likes everybody–including his invisible six-foot rabbit, Harvey. Funny and heart-warming.

Distributor: MGM