Moviecrazed

Star Turns--What You Should Know About The Current And Upcoming Projects Of Your Favorite Players

By Guy Flatley

ANTHONY MACKIE

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU

Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Michael Kelly, Terence Stamp (Written and directed by George Nolfi; Universal)

For young, charismatic, squeaky-clean David Norris, played by Matt Damon, it was a strictly Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah time. Plenty of sunshine was coming his way every day. Not only did this charmed native of Brooklyn enjoy the lead in the New York race for Senate, but he had also glided into a relationship with a sizzling soulmate, a lovely and loving dancer named Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt).

That was then, but David’s now-time is definitely a downer. Who could have predicted that a secret from the wunderkind’s dark past would explode in the form of a disgusting photograph, dynamiting all White House daydreams, or that his twirling sweetie would inadvertently tango him into a trap that might well result in a double assassination?

George Nolfi, who wrote the screenplays for “Ocean’s Twelve” and “The Bourne Ultimatum,” makes his directorial bow with his own adaptation of “Adjustment Team,” an uncompromisingly sour sci-fi thriller by Philip K. Dick. But don’t bet on villainy triumphing over love in the last reel, despite the efforts of a slimy trio, played by Anthony Mackie, John Slattery and Terence Stamp, who insist that by hooking up with Elise, David has managed to jeopardize their precious, maniacal scheme to alter life as we know it on this planet. David and Elise may simply have to honeymoon in some other time and (outer) space. Now Playing

SHIRLEY MacLAINE

BERNIE

Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey (Written and directed by Richard Linklater; Castle Rock and Mandalay Pictures)

“Midnight in the Garden of East Texas” is what Skip Hollandsworth called his true-crime story published in Texas Monthly in 1998. And now Richard Linklater, the constantly surprising director of “Slacker,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Before Sunset,” “School of Rock,” “Fast Food Nation,” “A Scanner Darkly” and “Me and Orson Welles,” will bring his boldly sensitive touch to the off-center tale of Bernie Tiede, the playful Carthage, Texas undertaker who courted and, many say, murdered Marjorie Nugent, the town’s leading, drippingly wealthy citizen.

Bernie and Marjorie will undoubtedly make a smashing screen twosome, seeing as how they are being played by Jack Black and Shirley MacLaine. Black, of course, rolled into the positively big time with his mercurial, crazed performance as a musical guru to disadvantaged yet gifted kids in Linklater’s “School of Rock” (2003). As for MacLaine, she has been spotlighted as a flirty but soul-deep superstar under the direction of such Hollywood masters as Billy Wilder, Vincente Minnelli, Alfred Hitchcock, William Wyler, Hal Ashby, Bob Fosse, Mike Nichols, James L. Brooks, Don Siegel, Robert Wise and George Marshall. So how could "Bernie" possibly bomb, even if Matthew McConaughey, playing a character known as Danny Buck Davidson, proves as muggingly narcissistic as usual? Opening date to be announced. Click here for Guy Flatley’s 2003 interview with Jack Black; click here for Guy’s 1977 interview with Shirley MacLaine.

TOBEY MAGUIRE

BROTHERS

Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire, Bailee Madison, Mare Winningham, Sam Shepard, Clifton Collins Jr. (Directed by Jim Sheridan; Written by David Benioff; Lionsgate)

There was a time when some moviegoers had difficulty telling the difference between Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire. Finally, we got the picture: Tobey was a climber of skyscrapers; Jake was a herder of sheep. More than ever, it will be important to tell the stars of “Spider-Man” and “Brokeback Mountain” apart in “Brothers,” a drama in which a dutiful young man goes off to combat in Afghanistan, leaving his wife and child in the care of a younger brother not known for his dependability.

The four-square sibling is played by Maguire, and Gyllenhaal plays the rebel without a conspicuous cause. The role of the woman responsible for expanding their fraternal relationship into a love triangle has gone to Natalie Portman. “Brothers” is a remake, so if you’re eager for more details, check out Susanne Bier’s 2004 Danish-language film starring Ulrich Thomsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Connie Nielsen. Now Playing

JOHN MALKOVICH

BURN AFTER READING

Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton (Written and directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen; Focus Features)

How do you top a fiendishly scary heart-stopper like "No Country for Old Men"? That was the challenge facing Joel and Ethan Coen, who may or may not have found a sensible solution to their problem in this screwball comedy-thriller about a bunch of Washington weirdoes. Acting very, very strange are John Malkovich as a zealous CIA agent who gets the boot for being too efficient and then drives his wife crazy by devoting all of his waking hours to penning an intimate, spooky tell-all book; Tilda Swinton as his enraged spouse who seeks solace in the arms of a married--but not too married--federal marshal played by George Clooney; Frances McDormand as an out-of-shape fitness center employee who schemes against her bosses when they refuse to finance the abundant plastic surgery she feels she deserves; and Brad Pitt as a champion gymnast and bed-hopper who comes to the needy lady's aid. Sort of. Now Playing

LESLIE MANN

I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS

Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Michael Mandel (Written and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa; Freestyle Releasing)

How’s this for Meeting Cute? Steven Russell, a severely flawed husband and father who’s rarely encountered a law he didn't try to break, finally lands in the slammer, where his cellmate, a hot blond bachelor named Phillip Morris, turns out to be the love of his life.

And how’s this for Casting Cute? Sex maniac Steven is played by Jim Carrey, and dippy but seductive Phillip is played by Ewan McGregor. If you’re curious about how the decidedly odd couple manages to make whoopee behind bars (and eventually outside prison walls), go ahead and put this carnal comedy on your must-see list.

Here's something else to think about: if you were a big fan of “Bad Santa,” the outrageous, politcally incorrect 2003 laughathon starring Billy Bob Thornton and Bernie Mac, you may want to run, not walk, to the front of the multiplex line. That’s because Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the screenwriters of “Bad Santa,” wrote and directed “I Love You Phillip Morris.” Another reason to catch this flick: Steven's out-of-luck wife is played by the irresistibly zany Leslie Mann (aka Mrs. Judd Apatow).

As you may already know, the bizarre saga of Steven Russell is based on a true-life story which served as the basis for Steve McVicker’s 2003 novel, "I Love You Phillip Morris." Now Playing

ROONEY MARA

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara, Max Minghella, Armie Hammer, Joseph Mazzello, Bryan Barter, David Selby (Directed by David Fincher; Written by Aaron Sorkin; Columbia)

It was 2003, and they didn’t have Facebook then. But before the year was out, they were well on their way with a revolutionary internet forum for making mostly unseen, occasionally unworthy friends out of total strangers. The person generally credited with bringing this miracle to global life was a nerdy Harvard undergraduate student and computer programmer named Mark Zuckerberg, played here by the scarily persuasive Jesse Eisenberg. And, as we all know, this chilly, self-centered, socially gauche, morally cloudy entrepreneur became the youngest billionaire the world has ever known. He also became a mega-celebrity looked up to by millions and put down by millions more. As the poster for the film so eloquently points out, "You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies."

In Rashomon fashion, the meteoric rise of this Citizen Kane-like character is viewed by director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin from the perspective of various associates and friends of Zuckerberg, many of whom were discarded along the way and some of whom had their bitter days in court with him, battling for a slice of the astronomical Facebook profits.

Top critics have heaped praise on Fincher and Sorkin and on their fresh, largely unfamiliar cast. You’d probably be smart to bet on “The Social Network” in numerous Oscar categories. If you don't feel sure about your selections, why not check with some of your friends on Facebook? But only the ones you can trust. Click here for a Critics Roundup on "The Social Network. Now Playing

STEVE MARTIN

ONE BIG HAPPY

Steve Martin, Diane Keaton (Paramount)
What we have here is a comedy about a family that is far from happy and has been that way for a long while. But you can bet that Ma and Pa, played by Keaton and Martin, will patch everything up in time for a big happy ending--just as they did in “Father of the Bride” and "Father of the Bride Part II." Opening date to be announced

RACHEL McADAMS

MORNING GLORY

Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, 50 Cent (Directed by Roger Michell; Written by Aline Brosh McKenna; Paramount)

Imagine this: Still half asleep, you click your remote to “Daybreak” one morning, expecting the predictably bland patter of the news show’s co-anchors to usher you calmly into the stress and turbulence of another day in urban America. Instead you are subjected to the shattering sight and sound of the normally polite Mike Pomeroy and Colleen Peck (Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton) as the veteran tube stars engage in a shockingly venomous, intensely personal war of words.

Riveting as the total loss of cool might be for thrill-starved viewers, it is not a scene destined to warm the hearts of the “Daybreak” people who gambled on the possibility that macho, hard-news Mike and girly-soft former beauty queen Colleen could combine forces and help raise the show’s sagging ratings. Who knew that they’d turn out to hate one another? Certainly not Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams), the panic-prone wannabe producer who pitched the idea of this dream team in the first place. Oh, well, if Becky is fired, it won't be the first time. Maybe she's lucky in love? Nope. Her dashing beau, played by Patrick Wilson, seems ready to dash off in a whole new direction. Now Playing

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Michael Sheen, Carla Bruni (Written and directed by Woody Allen)

In the oddball 1996 musical comedy “Everyone Says I Love You,” Woody Allen was a notably uncomfortable American in Paris. Indeed, none of his American fellow-travelers—including Goldie Hawn, Edward Norton, Drew Barrymore and Natalie Portman—seemed to be having much fun in the City of Light. Now, in “Midnight in Paris,” Woody won’t have to worry about looking out of place. That’s because, as usual these days, the writer-director will not be performing in his own film. Now Playing

JAMES McAVOY

THE LAST STATION

Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti, James McAvoy, Anne-Marie Duff (Directed by Michael Hoffman; Written by Jay Parini; Notro Films)

Anthony Hopkins was set to play Count Leo Tolstoy, the author of "War and Peace" who was strugglig to live out his final days with dignity and grace. But somewhere along the line Hopkins dropped out and Christopher Plummer dropped in.

Getting back to Leo--who on earth was making it difficult for him to travel a peaceful path into the hereafter? It was none other than Sofya Andreyevna, his luxury-loving, more warring than peaceful, wife. And--like Anthony Hopkins--Meryl Streep, cast as Sofya, made an exit, leaving her role to Helen Mirren. Paul Giamatti plays a loyal friend of Tolstoy's who does his best to rein in Sofya, James McAvoy plays Tolstoy's secretary, and Anne-Marie Duff--McAvoy's real-life wife--plays the tormented literary lion's daughter.

Jay Parini's screenplay for "The Last Station" is based on his 1990 novel, which in turn was based on the actual diaries of the contentious Tolstoys and their piles of relatives and friends. The director here is Michael Hoffman, whose eclectic oeuvre includes “Soapdish” (Robert Downey Jr. & Sally Field), “Restoration” (Hugh Grant & Meg Ryan), and “One Fine Day" (George Clooney & Michelle Pfeiffer). Now Playing

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY

BERNIE

Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey (Written and directed by Richard Linklater; Castle Rock and Mandalay Pictures)

“Midnight in the Garden of East Texas” is what Skip Hollandsworth called his true-crime story published in Texas Monthly in 1998. And now Richard Linklater, the constantly surprising director of “Slacker,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Before Sunset,” “School of Rock,” “Fast Food Nation,” “A Scanner Darkly” and “Me and Orson Welles,” will bring his boldly sensitive touch to the off-center tale of Bernie Tiede, the happy-go-deadly Carthage, Texas undertaker who courted and, many say, murdered Marjorie Nugent, the town’s leading, drippingly wealthy citizen.

Bernie and Marjorie will undoubtedly make a smashing screen twosome, seeing as how they are being played by Jack Black and Shirley MacLaine. Black, of course, rolled into the positively big time with his mercurial, crazed performance as a musical guru to disadvantaged yet gifted kids in Linklater’s “School of Rock” (2003). As for MacLaine, she has been spotlighted as a flirty but soul-deep superstar under the direction of such Hollywood masters as Billy Wilder, Vincente Minnelli, Alfred Hitchcock, William Wyler, Hal Ashby, Bob Fosse, Mike Nichols, James L. Brooks, Don Siegel, Robert Wise and George Marshall. So how could "Bernie" possibly bomb, even if Matthew McConaughey, playing a character known as Danny Buck Davidson, proves as muggingly narcissistic as usual? Opening date to be announced. Click here for Guy Flatley’s 2003 interview with Jack Black; click here for Guy’s 1977 interview with Shirley MacLaine.

FRANCES McDORMAND

BURN AFTER READING

Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton (Written and directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen; Focus Features)

How do you top a fiendishly scary heart-stopper like "No Country for Old Men"? That was the challenge facing Joel and Ethan Coen, who may or may not have found a sensible solution to their problem in this screwball comedy-thriller about a bunch of Washington weirdoes.

Acting very, very strange are John Malkovich as a zealous CIA agent who gets the boot for being too efficient and then drives his wife crazy by devoting all of his waking hours to penning an intimate, spooky tell-all book; Tilda Swinton as his enragedspouse who seeks solace in the arms of a married--but not too married--federal marshal played by George Clooney; Frances McDormand as an out-of-shape fitness center employee who schemes against her bosses when they refuse to finance the abundant plastic surgery she feels she deserves; and Brad Pitt as a champion gymnast and bed-hopper who comes to the needy lady's aid. Sort of. Now Playing

TIM McGRAW

COUNTRY STRONG

Gwyneth Paltrow, Garrett Hedlund, Tim McGraw, Leighton Meester (Written and directed by Shana Feste; Screen Gems)

In the mood for a musical quartet? Then “Country Strong” may be the movie for you, even though not every member of the film’s foursome is a musician, and the music involved is far from classical. In truth, it’s purely, proudly country music, the homespun, sexy, heartbreaking stuff that would be completely at home in Nashville.

Here’s the cast of characters: Kelly Canter (Gwyneth Paltrow), a been-there-done-that-too-many-times singer-guitarist who’s definitely on the skids; Beau Williams (Garrett Hedlund), a rising singer-composer star who wants to help Kelly get back on track—and into bed with him; Kelly’s loyal hubby Ed (Tim McGraw), who manages what’s left of his wife’s career; and Chiles Stanton (Leighton Meester, of “Gossip Girl” fame), a beauty pageant champ who’s determined to become a country western superstar, preferably one who sings with the ever-charismatic Beau Williams.

The writer-director of this film, Shana Feste, performed the same double-duty service on “The Greatest,” her 2009 feature debut starring Carey Mulligan, Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan. It should also be noted that the original title for Feste’s second directorial effort was “Love Don’t Let Me Down.” Can’t help wondering who the genius was that thought “Country Strong” was a more marketable title. Opens 12/22/10

EWAN McGREGOR

I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS

Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Michael Mandel (Written and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa; Freestyle Releasing)

As you may already know, the bizarre saga of Steven Russell is based on a true-life story which served as the basis for Steve McVicker’s 2003 novel, "I Love You Phillip Morris." Now Playing

KNOCKOUT

Gina Carano, Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Angarano, Mathieu Kassovitz (Directed by Steven Soderbergh; Written by Lem Dobbs; Lionsgate)

Can a stunner celebrated for her Martial Arts achievements make the tricky jump to major movie stardom? We’ll find out when this globe-hopping thriller from ever-innovative Steven Soderbergh descends on our local cineplex. At the center of the intrigue and action is agile Gina Carano, playing secret agent Mallory Kane, a woman who thinks nothing at all about breaking local laws, sometimes lethally, as she flits from tight spot to tight spot, including dark alleys in Spain, Ireland and, yes, the USA.

But, wouldn’t you just know that Our Gal Mal is headed for a heap of deep trouble? It comes in the form of a nasty double-cross, one that is probably engineered by some villainous male. Among the suspects are the gents played by Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas. Opening date to be announced

LEIGHTON MEESTER

COUNTRY STRONG

Gwyneth Paltrow, Garrett Hedlund, Tim McGraw, Leighton Meester (Written and directed by Shana Feste; Screen Gems)

GIOVANNA MEZZOGIORNO

VINCERE

Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Filippo Timi, Fausto Russo Alesi, Michela Cescon, Piergiorgio Bellocchio, Corrado Invernizzi, Paolo Pierobon, Bruno Cariello, Francesca Picozza (Directed by Marco Bellocchio; Written by Marco Bellocchio and Daniela Ceselli; IFC Films)

Until now, the closest that popular cinema has come to portraying Benito Mussolini, Italy’s most vile and egomaniacal living fascist until his countrymen hung him out to die at the end of World War II, was an Oscar-nominated performance by Jack Oakie in “The Great Dictator,” Charlie Chaplin’s 1940 classic tragicomedy.

At long last, you can give your treasured memory of the buffoonish Oakie a rest. We now have a vivid, strictly not-for-laughs, rechanneling of Il Duce by the scarily mesmerizing Filippo Timi under the direction of Marco Bellocchio, doing his finest work since such sixties and seventies triumphs as “Fists in His Pocket,” “China Is Near” and “In the Name of the Father.” Sharing camera time with Timi—including a prolonged, throbbing session of naked lovemaking that steams just this side of porn—is the stunning Giovanna Mezzogiorno, cast as Ida Dalser, the first wife of Mussolini and the mother of little Benito, the dictator’s son, who was born in 1915, before the outbreak of World War I.

Bellochio’s pen and camera are as fluent and mighty as ever, as are his grasp of 20th-century history and his quest for universal justice. And, in Giovanna Mezzogiorno, as his ravishing, courageous, if slightly mad, heroine, and Filippo Mimi, as his macho, magnetic, subtly insecure villain, the veteran director has given us a pair of inspired performers sure to reign as superstars of the 21st century. Now Playing

The above is an excerpt from Guy Flatley's Moviecrazed review of "Vincere." Click here for the full review.

BETTE MIDLER

THE WOMEN

Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen, Carrie Fisher, Cloris Leachman, Debi Mazar (Written and directed by Diane English; Picturehouse)

Women--when they bond with one another and struggle to make the world a better place in which to live and love and wage peace--are adorable creatures. But at least one of the women in Clare Boothe Luce’s 1936 Broadway hit shrugged her shoulder at sisterhood and coolly sized up every available--and unavailable--male who crossed her path. Her name was Crystal, she was a gold-digging shopgirl, and she was played with predatory precision by Joan Crawford in George Cukor’s 1939 film adaptation.

Nearly seven decades later, in an update by writer-director Diane English, the blissfully cruel Crystal is being played by Eva Mendes, a Cuban-American seductress who may finally have landed her breakout role. Meg Ryan, an actress in urgent need of a comeback role, plays the achingly noble Mary Haines, a lady whose wealthy husband is the besotted victim of Crystal’s wiles. Now Playing

HELEN MIRREN

LOVE RANCH

Helen Mirren, Joe Pesci, Gina Gershon, Rio Hackford (Directed by Taylor Hackford; Written by Mark Jacobson; Capitol Films)

Not so long ago we were calling Helen Mirren queen; soon we’ll be calling her madam. That’s because the Oscar winner is playing an earthy, enterprising woman based on the character of Sally Conforte, who--along with hubby Joe--made her naughtiest dream come true by opening the Mustang Ranch, Nevada’s first legal brothel. Life became one big love-in for Sally and Joe--until that memorable moment in 1976 when Oscar Bonavena, an Argentinian prizefighter rumored to have gotten raunchy with the Mustang boss-lady, was shot dead by a ranch bodyguard.

Director Taylor Hackford, Mirren’s real-life husband, will be putting his wife through her “Love Ranch” paces. And her real-life stepson, actor Rio Hackford, will also be on hand in a supporting role. Now Playing

DEMI MOORE

FLAWLESS

Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Joss Ackland, Lambert Wilson (Directed by Michael Radford; Written by Edward Anderson; Magnolia Films)

In “Blame It on Rio,” Stanley Donen’s dismal 1984 comedy, starlet Demi Moore played a teen who’s irked to discover her father is having a hot affair with her bosom buddy (Michelle Johnson). So who played Demi’s dirty rotten scoundrel of a dad? The always professional but not always sufficiently selective Michael Caine.

We wish the two of them better luck in this thriller set in the swinging London of the 60s and based on real-life events. Caine plays a loyal janitor whose employers at a London diamond company reject an insurance claim for his seriously ailing wife, and Moore plays an American executive whose male-chauvinist-pig bosses at the same firm fail to pay her the proper respect, not to mention the proper salary. So, naturally, the abused underlings come up with a splendid plan to relieve the good old diamond boys of a few of their shiniest baubles.
Before you step up to the ticket window, perhaps you should consider the fact that director Michael Radford is the chap responsible for 1994’s “Il Postino” and the 2004 film of “The Merchant of Venice,” with Al Pacino as Shylock. Now Playing

JULIANNE MOORE

THE KIDS ARE ARE ALL RIGHT

Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson, Kunal Sharma, Eddie Hassell, Zosia Mamet, Yaya Dacosta, Joaquin Garrido (Directed by Lisa Cholodenko; Written by Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg; Focus Features)

Jules (Julianne Moore) is a lovably flaky landscaper; Nic (Annette Bening), a distinguished doctor, is nice, too, but arguably more of a straight arrow. In many ways, they are a perfect pair. You could even say this affluent L.A. lesbian couple truly has it all, thanks, in large part, to Paul, a generous bachelor whose anonymous sperm donations, over the years, have made it possible for them to be the proud parents of a daughter and son, one of whom is about to become a college freshman.

So what could possibly go wrong? Simple. The kids have somehow managed to track down their biological pop and have decided to bring him home to finally meet his co-procreators. What follows is a wacky wave of shock, embarrassment, anger, frustration and fraternization, capped off with a totally unexpected burst of romance. Who could ask for anything more sitcomic? Now Playing

VIGGO MORTENSEN

A DANGEROUS METHOD

Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, Vincent Cassel, Sarah Gadon, Andre Hennicke, Arndt Schwerinng-Sohnrey (Directed by David Cronenberg; Written by Christopher Hampton)

Keira Knightley, a visual knockout blessed with genuine talent, has yet to be hailed as a cinematic heavyweight. Maybe her failure to get the respect she deserves can be blamed on her frivolous participation in the slapstick drivel whipped up by the “Pirates of the Caribbean” mercenaries.

But advance reports suggest Keira may finally make the leap to celluloid aristocracy in director David Cronenberg and screenwriter Christopher Hampton’s adaptation of John Kerr’s “A Most Dangerous Method,” the solemn but provocative 1993 non-fiction book about Sabina Spielrein, a mentally disturbed 18-year-old Russian beauty who journeyed to Vienna in search of healing from Carl Jung, a popular disciple of trailblazing shrink Sigmund Freud.

Chief among Sabina’s problems in need of tending by Jung was her seemingly unbreakable habit of mentally coupling her food—be it breakfast, lunch, dinner or merely a snack—with repulsive images of her own feces and her own shamelessly hankering, hands-on father. Jung, played by swiftly rising star Michael Fassbender (“Inglourious Basterds,” "Fish Tank,” "Jane Eyre"), works some manly psychological miracles on Sabina and before long her sexual hang-ups have (mostly) flown away, as evidenced by the fact that she responds favorably to the notion of a full-throttle relationship with the romantic rogue—an arrangement that doesn’t sit too well with Carl’s wife and three kids.

Perhaps the biggest roadblock to a full carnal breakthrough for Sabina is erected by Dr. Freud (played by Viggo Mortensen, who triumphed as a walking, talking, slashing, shooting lethal weapon in helmer Cronenberg’s “A History of Violence” and “Eastern Promises”). Spoilsport Sigmund, having soured on his former protégé for a variety of reasons, engaged in an obsessive campaign to destroy his reputation as an honorable man of science. And, yes, Freud even enlisted the support of poor jilted Sabina—a woman he himself fancied—in his crazed scheming.

So, was Sig a prig or was Sig a pig? See “A Dangerous Method” and decide for yourself. Opening date to be announced

SAMANTHA MORTON

ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE

Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush, Samantha Morton, Hugh Dancy, Tom Hollander, Abbie Cornish (Directed by Shekhar Kapur; Written by Michael Hirst)

Could it be that Elizabeth I, England’s icy Virgin Queen, had something hot going with occasional adversary Sir Walter Raleigh? Advance word suggests that director Shekhar Kapur, helmer of 1998’s fiery “Elizabeth,” will bring the intriguing subject out into the open in this sequel. Best news of all: Cate Blanchett returns, making a royal effort to nab the Best Actress Oscar she almost got in 1998 (she lost to Gwyneth Paltrow for “Shakespeare in Love”). More good news: Raleigh will be played by the unfailingly masterful Clive Owen. Now Playing

CAREY MULLIGAN

WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS

Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan, Susan Sarandon, Eli Wallach, Frank Langella, Charlie Sheen, Banessa Ferlito, Donald Trump (Directed by Oliver Stone; Written by Allan Loeb and Stephen Schiff)

The fact that greedy Gordon Gekko—played here again by Michael Douglas--is finally out from behind bars doesn’t mean he’s a reformed man. Nor do his new pals, played by Shia LaBeouf and Josh Brolin, walk a straight and narrow line in their rabid quest for big bucks. Ditto for Gekko’s former colleague Bud Fox, acted once more by Charlie Sheen. Any similarity between the scheming depicted here and the recent real-life theft and deceit practiced on Wall Street is strictly intentional on the part of director Oliver Stone, the man responsible for the 1989 original. Click here for a Critics Roudup on "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps." Now Playing

CILLIAN MURPHY

INCEPTION

Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, Tom Berenger, Lukas Haas (Written and directed by Christopher Nolan; Warner Bros. Pictures)

Christopher Nolan, the writer-director who intrigued and mystified us in thrillers ranging from “Memento” to “Dark Knight,” gives us plenty to be baffled about in his latest puzzler. The hero, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is a man troubled by dreams and by memories of a past dominated by an enigmatic wife (Marion Cotillard) who is evidently no longer among the living. Leo's job in an unethical new world is to break into people's dreams, steal them and turn them over to his boss, who will then use them in his maniacal quest for power.

But that's just for starters. Leo's latest--and most challenging--assignment is to creep into an unsuspecting target's snore-time and plant a whole new dream, one crafted to turn the sleeper into a total loser and to transform his scheming boss into the biggest winner ever.

Sounds tricky, doesn't it? That may be the reason so many critics are saying that to truly grasp the profound meaning of "Inception," viewers must see it at least twice. On the other hand, is that really how you want to spend your down time? Click here for A. O. Scott's review in The New York Times. Now playing

PEACOCK

Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Susan Sarandon, Josh Lucas, Bill Pullman, Jaimi Paige, Virginia Newcomb, Paul Cram (Directed by Michael Lander; Written by Michael Lander and Ryan Roy; Mandate Pictures)

Nothing much ever happened in the tiny town of Peacock, Nebraska--unless you count the day a train ran into the back yard of a humble bank clerk mamed John Skillpa (Cillian Murphy). That was the same day folks became aware that John had a housemate, a woman they took to be his wife. Peacockians being Peacockians, no one made much of the fact that John and his spouse never appeared in the same place at the same time. Finally, somebody took notice--a perky single mom, played by "Juno's" Ellen Page--began to suspect that something strange, maybe even sick, was going on in John's house.

How could this well-intentioned snoop bring John's story to a happy ending? Persuade John to put his wife up for adoption? Or, discovering that the guy had been getting off on slipping into something silky and masquerading as his own wife, try convincing him that she herself would make the best of all possible Mrs. Skillpas?

Or maybe she should simply get the hell out of Peacock. Opening date to be announced

EDDIE MURPHY

DREAMGIRLS

Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Keith Robinson, Hinton Battle, Sharon Leal, Anika Noni Rose, Danny Glover, Loretta Devine, John Lithgow (Written and directed by Bill Condon; DreamWorks/Paramount)

A trio of R&B singers from Chicago enter a competition at Harlem’s Apollo Theater and eventually achieve fame as mainstream pop artists--but at a high emotional price. Though he does not play a member of the trio, Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx is top-billed as the girls’ fast-talking, not-totally-trustworthy manager. Written and directed by Bill Condon, who last gave us “Kinsey,” this adaptation of the 1981 Broadway blockbuster will also treat us to the sight and sound of Eddie Murphy as James “Thunder” Jones, a red-hot king of pop. Now Playing

BILL MURRAY

GET LOW

Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray, Lucas Black, Gerald McRaney, Bill Cobbs, Scott Cooper, Lorie Beth Edgeman (Directed by Aaron Schneider; Written by Chris Provenzano and C. Gaby Mitchell; Sony Pictures Classics)

Some people love a parade; others love a carnival or maybe a wedding. And then there’s the rare bird who loves a funeral, such as Felix Bush, the elderly, irascible—some said menacing--loner who emerged from his backwoods Tennessee home one day during the Great Depression with the wacky goal of finding somebody to give him a festive, folksy funeral, replete with music, booze, and cash prizes. All this while Felix was still among the living.

Sound a bit far-fetched? Well, according to the makers of “Get Low,” it’s all true, based on events in the life of an eccentric whose proper name was Felix Breazeale and who did manage to celebrate his own fun-filled send-off from our prosaic planet with mischievous, surprisingly raunchy panache.

Critics who voted thumbs up on this sleeper did so largely because of the solid, in-depth performances by veterans Robert Duvall as the cantankerous but vulnerable Felix, Bill Murray as the crafty, highly unorthodox director of the local funeral parlor, and Sissy Spacek as a sweet yet sassy widow who once made the mistake of letting Felix fly off on his own. Now Playing