We are almost out of the winter slump, with expanding limited releases the only worthwhile thing to view in theaters. February brings a few solid flicks, but things still aren’t back in full swing. If you are done playing Oscar catch-up, check out our Sundance 2011 coverage and get excited for the year ahead. After that, see if anything below piques your interest and I apologize in advance for omitting Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. I hope you can forgive me.
See:
10. Vanishing on 7th Street (Brad Anderson; Feb. 18th)
Synopsis: When a massive power blackout causes a city’s population to vanish, a handful of survivors band together inside a tavern in an effort to survive as darkness approaches.
Why You Should See It: While I wasn’t a huge fan of Anderson’s latest when I saw it at TIFF last fall, its worth watching for the set-up alone. Anthony Jaswinski‘s meandering second act is a drag, but like usual, Anderson’s directing is spot-on.
9. Drive Angry 3D (Patrick Lussier; Feb. 25th)
Synopsis: A felon (Cage) breaks out of hell for one last chance at redemption: to prevent the cult who murdered his daughter from sacrificing her baby in three days’ time. He’s aided by a young waitress (Heard) and her ex-boyfriend’s muscle car, and together the duo will have to face down the leader of the cult, the police, and a killer known as “The Accountant” (Fichtner) — who wants to return him to the Devil.
Why You Should See It: In the past few years, no one can do schlock like Lussier. His My Bloody Valentine 3D used the format to its full advantage, and early buzz for this Nicolas Cage grindhouse actioner is strong. And with William Fichtner as the antagonist, it is difficult to not get interested.
8. Carancho (Pablo Trapero; Feb. 11th)
Synopsis: Sosa is a lawyer who tours the A&E Departments of the public hospitals and the police stations in search of potential clients. Luján is a young doctor recently arrived from the provinces. Their love story kicks off one night when Luján and Sosa meet in the street. She’s trying to save a man’s life; he wants him on his client portfolio.
Why You Should See It: Argentina delivered one of the best films of last year, and with one of the stars of that masterpiece in this hospital thriller, it looks to be one of the more intriguing foreign films of 2011.
7. 2011 Oscar Shorts (Various; Feb. 11th)
Synopsis: A theatrical release of the five animated and five live-action shorts nominated for the 2011 Academy Awards.
Why You Should See It: Each year the batch of Oscar short nominees get released to theaters and they rarely get attention. Throughout the year, many complain that feature films were stretched out and could have easily just been a short film. Here is your chance to check the very best of these shorts. While Pixar’s Day & Night is most notable, you can check out the rest of the films here.
6. Unknown (Jaume Collet-Serra; Feb. 18th)
Synopsis: Dr. Martin Harris (Neeson) awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one — not even his wife (Jones) — believes him. With the help of a young woman (Kruger), he sets out to prove who he is.
Why You Should See It: The mainstream buzz for Taken 2….err, Unknown, seems to be rising with force. Liam Neeson kicking ass can get anyone into theaters and while Collet-Serra’s last film, Orphan, was initially declared a failure, it seems to have gained cult status of late. Can he match that status with success this time?
5. Cold Weather (Aaron Katz; Feb. 4th)
Synopsis: Doug (Lankenau) returns home to Portland, Oregon after dropping out of college in Chicago. When his ex-girlfriend, Rachel (Rikoon), materializes and subsequently disappears, Doug sets on an investigation with his co-worker, Carlos (Castillo), as the two men put their love of old detective novels to use.
Why You Should See It: The indie noir features gorgeous cinematography, naturalistic performances, and a unique retelling of a tired genre. If you enjoyed Brick, I recommend seeking it out.
4. Heartbeats (Xavier Dolan; Feb. 25th)
Synopsis: The story of three close friends who are involved in a love-triangle.
Why You Should See It: Gaining a large amount of film festival buzz since its Cannes premiere, Xavier Dolan‘s latest is finally getting a limited theatrical release. If you liked his latest, I Killed My Mother (J’ai tué ma mère), then be sure to seek this out.
3. The Eagle (Kevin Macdonald; Feb. 11th)
Synopsis: In 140 AD, Roman soldier Marcus Aquila (Tatum) embarks on a quest to restore the reputation of his father, the one-time commander of Rome’s Ninth Legion, who disappeared in the mountains of Scotland twenty years earlier.
Why You Should See It: Just last week, co-director Kevin Macdonald premiered his excellent crowd-sourced YouTube doc Life in a Day, and now we get his delayed Roman epic. With his underrated and under-performing State of Play, Macdonald needs a bigger audience, something that The Eagle may deliver.
2. Of Gods and Men (Xavier Beauvois; Feb. 25th)
Synopsis: Under threat by fundamentalist terrorists, a group of Trappist monks stationed with an impoverished Algerian community must decide whether to leave or stay.
Why You Should See It: February means most decent movies are succumbed to limited releases. One of the most-anticipated is this historical drama from France. Garnering strong buzz since its Cannes Premiere, you can finally see it in small release via Sony Pictures Classics.
1. Cedar Rapids (Miguel Arteta; Feb. 11th)
Synopsis: Naïve small-town guy Tim Lippe (Helms) has no idea what he’s in for when he’s sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at an annual insurance convention, where he soon finds himself under the “guidance” of three convention veterans.
Why You Should See It: After getting very little sleep, Cedar Rapids kicked off a 5-film day at Sundance Film Festival last week. I can’t thank Arteta enough for keeping me wide awake through this hilarious and touching comedy. Unlike his last film, Youth In Revolt, I hope this gets more attention, as he deserves it for both. Check out our Sundance review here.
Avoid:
The Roommate (Christian E. Christiansen; Feb. 4th)
Synopsis: College student Sara finds her safety jeopardized after she’s assigned to a dorm room with a new roommate, Rebecca.
Why You Should Avoid It: The early months of the year often brings generic teen slashers, and this looks like another one to add to the pile. Why not check out Drive Angry for your healthy dose of gore?
Hall Pass (Bobby & Peter Farrelly; Feb 25th)
Synopsis: Two married guys are given the freedom to engage in a week’s worth of extra-marital affairs, though they get a little bent out of shape when their respective wives start having fun on their own, too.
Why You Should Avoid It: After delivering the brilliant Dumb & Dumber and There’s Something About Mary, The Farrelly brothers have spent the last decade slowly deteriorating. The painfully unfunny trailer shows no signs of turning around.
Just Go With It (Dennis Dugan; Feb 11th)
Synopsis: A guy (Sandler) convinces a mother of two (Aniston) to pose as his soon-to-be-divorced wife in order to woo the woman of his dreams (Decker).
Why You Should Avoid It: After Grown Ups who the hell let Dugan release another comedy just half-a-year later? Oh wait, it will probably also make an exorbitant amount of money and become beloved by mainstream audiences across the world.
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (John Whitesell; Feb. 18th)
Synopsis: FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Lawrence) and his nephew Trent (Jackson) go undercover at an all-girls performing arts school after Trent witnesses a murder.
Why You Should Avoid It: The epic saga is finally getting its proper conclusion. I predict it will go down like Return of the Jedi.
Matinee:
Orgasm Inc. (Elizabeth Canner; Feb. 11th)
Synopsis: Extraordinary behind-the-scenes access reveals a drug company’s fevered race to develop the first FDA-approved Viagra for women – and offers a humorous but sobering look inside the cash-fueled pharmaceutical industry.
Why You Should See a Matinee: A documentary on the rarely spoken area of sex. Women know if men have one. Men aren’t sure if women have one. Women can pretend to have one. Canner’s documentary explores this area, and why pharmaceutical companies are so interested in getting a bite at it.
Sanctum (Alister Grierson; Feb. 4th)
Synopsis: A diving team experiences a life-threatening crisis during an expedition to an unexplored cave system.
Why You Should See a Matinee: This James Cameron-produced 3D effects reel doesn’t hold together as a film, but after the onslaught of terrible post-conversions, this may be your only savior.
I Am Number Four (D.J. Caruso; Feb. 18th)
Synopsis: Nine alien teens come to Earth after their planet is destroyed by an enemy species. But soon discover that their enemy is now after them on Earth.
Why You Should See a Matinee: After D.J. Caruso‘s mind-numbingly silly Eagle Eye, it will take a hell of a film to put us in his good graces. Or simply an entertaining one. With no screenings yet, it is hard to tell which side I Am Number Four will fall under.
I Am (Tom Shadyac; Feb. 18th)
Synopsis: Director Tom Shadyac speaks with intellectual and spiritual leaders about what’s wrong with our world and how we can improve both it and the way we live in it.
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: While the trailer makes it seem broad and generic, Shadyac’s story is an interesting one. After directing top Hollywood comedies (Ace Venture, Liar Liar), the man has fallen off the face of the earth and this is his story. Plus, I Am & I Am Number Four should make for a good double feature.
What are you seeing this month? What are you avoiding?