1.       Creation stars real-life couple Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly in the biopic of Charles Darwin. Based on a book written by Darwin’s great-granddaughter, the film portrays the true struggle in the couple’s life post-tragedy. The Darwins lost one of their children, after which each were driven in vastly different directions during the grieving process. Charles to science, his wife to faith. The book that the film is based on referenced letters, diaries, and other true life sources. So there will be truth to this drama as well as excellent acting.

 

2.       Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball is an R-rated action flick with some twists and turns. This sequel will be highly visual and stylized, as well as violent. When a horde of hitmen set their sights on a seemingly innocent desk worker at the FBI, the bureau has to pull out all the stops to keep him safe. But why? The mystery unfolds as the film does. If you didn’t like the first film, it may be a safe bet to stay away from this one.

 

 

3.       To Save a Life is a poignant film for anyone, but it’s an especially valuable film experience for tweens and teens. The film follows Jake, a young man forced to come to grips with difficult issues about peer pressure and relationships after a tragic incident at his school. I know that sounds like the plot of an after school special, but this film stepped it up in the script and production value department. If you’re an adult, you’ll find some predictability in the film. But you may be surprised at how much you don’t mind since the film is so well done. The subjects relevant to teens aren’t treated with kid gloves, so be prepared for the PG-13 rating. But the film is well-acted and you’ll leave the film talking, which is the best way to leave any movie as far as I’m concerned.

 

4.       The Paranoids is the quirky and highly praised debut film from first-time feature director, Gabriel Medina. The film follows Luciano, a fragile hypochondriac and struggling screenwriter. When Luciano gets a visit from an old friend who is a success in the film and television business, his world is thrown into disarray. He realizes that the main character in a series created by his friend, The Paranoids, is based on him. But his friend’s girlfriend begins to change the course of his life in a way that none of them could’ve anticipated. The film is highly stylized with a very unique sense of humor and dry wit, I would recommend that you give it a chance if you’re into Indies at all.

 

 

5.       Shrinking Charlotte is a romantic comedy with a surprisingly well-known cast considering it’s difficult to find any information on the film whatsoever. (The film’s website is strangely sparse.) Kathleen Turner, Elizabeth Pena, Mathew Lillard, Fred Willard and more star in this film that follows three men as they date the same woman in order to learn about love. There’s a psychiatrist, a married womanizer, and the quick-witted single father of a teen, all of whom (in a series of very screwball comedy events) end up pursuing the same woman, a patient of the psychiatrist, under false pretenses. Who will she end up with, will the men learn the error of their ways? It’s a movie with potential, but it always makes me nervous when it’s so hard to find info about a movie. That means it’s a diamond in the rough with bad marketing, or a stinker. If you want to take a risk at the box office this weekend, see this one. Sometimes it’s fun going into a movie knowing next to nothing about it. Hey, at least you won’t know how it ends.