1.       The Ghost Writer is a PG-13 political thriller starring Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan. Content to not just play one legendary English figurehead, this time Brosnan gets to portray the prime minister. Granted, it’s a fictional one, but still…the man is on a roll. When the prime minister’s aide assisting him in writing his memoirs drowns, McGregor’s character is sent out as a ghost writer to help with completion of the book. Danger, mystery, and intrigue ensue. My attention is piqued. How about you?


 

2.       Happy Tears is the R-rated drama (Though I noticed a suspicious amount of laughs in the trailer, “dramedy” may have been a better label, but it’s not an official genre. Yet.) that returns to one of the most explored issues of film, the idea that you can’t go home again. Actually, you can go home again. But things will never be the same. The real thing to notice here is the cast, Parker Posey, Demi Moore and Rip Torn playing aging father and nervous daughters. This is a character piece with a lot to offer and I for one may very well bet on this one.  


 

3.       Blood Into Wine is a documentary that follows the unlikely journey of Maynard James Keenan from rock star to successful vintner. Actually, he didn’t go from one to the other, he’s still doing both. The film has a quirky sense of humor that at times plays out almost like a scripted comedy, and visually it’s interesting and breaks often from the typical documentary lens. In fact, the preview plays almost like a music video. Fitting, no? Aside from the normal difficulties of nurturing a vineyard and burgeoning wine selection, Keenan also rises to the challenge of cultivating his grapes in Arizona. A state that doesn’t immediately come to mind when one thinks of wine, not that way that California or Washington does. This is a promising film and one I would encourage you to see.      


 

4.       The Good Guy is an R-rated comedy and romance that plays out plot-wise something like All About Eve for men, though I hesitate to draw that parallel to the film’s quality. When a young Wall Street banker chooses to take a young friend under his wing and teach him the ways of greed and seduction, his tutelage begins to backfire. How will he respond to the threat he has created and what will the mirror of imitation teach him, if anything?


 

5.       Celine: Through the Eyes of the World is a tour film, one that follows Celine Dion on one of her wildly successful world tours. A tour that left her only second to Madonna in ticket sales. It’s a combination of performance footage and behind-the-scenes moments, with the emphasis on the performances and the way she is received as an artist across borders.


 

6.       Blood Done Sign My Name is a drama based on real-life events. When a black Vietnam veteran was allegedly murdered by a white businessman, the case and its results brought massive civil unrest in the community where the crime took place. This film attempts to tell that story with flair and passion. If you love a good mystery or court-case film, you’ll probably enjoy this and find yourself researching the events that inspired it long after you’ve left the theater.