Which movies are fun for the whole family and which ones are treats just for you? Find out!
In theaters now:
I Don't Know How She Does It
Short Story:
Kate Ready (Sarah Jessica Parker) is a finance executive during the day and a wife and mother at night. Happily married to unemployed architech Richard (Greg Kinnear), Kate must juggle the responsiblies of a modern-day working mom. Although she usually manages to come out on top with the support of her best friend Allison (Christina Hendricks), things get complicated when she lands a lucrative deal with a flirtatious new client (Pierce Brosnan).
What They're Saying:
"Parker reminds you what a dizzy, all-in, high-risk comic actress she can be when she's not too busy showing off the couture." -- New York Magazine
"I don't know why she does it." -- Entertainment Weekly
Good for Kids?
This film is great for moms trying to do it all, especially those needing a trip to the theater! With a rating of PG-13 for sexual references, though, the movie is better for teens than the little ones. Common Sense Media says viewers may find the concept relatable as it centers around the story of an absentee partent. Click to read the full Common Sense review!
Drive
Short Story:
Driver (Ryan Gosling) leads a double life. During the day he is a stunt man for movie productions, but when the sun goes down he's the getaway driver for armed heists. But when he falls in love with the beautiful Irene (Carey Mulligan) and agrees to a job with Irene's ex-convict husband (Oscar Isaac), the heist goes sour and he finds himself fleeing for his life.
What They're Saying:
"Here is still another illustration of the old Hollywood noir principle that a movie lives its life not through its hero, but within its shadows." -- Chicago Sun-Times
"Drive revels in sensory detail; it's a visually and aurally edgy Euro-influenced American genre movie about the coolness of noir-influenced American genre movies about the coolness of driving -- especially in L.A." -- Entertainment Weekly
Good for Kids?
Though the film has been greeted with great reviews and already won an award for best director at the Cannes Film Festival, Common Sense recommends Drive for ages 17 and above only. Although this drama starts quietly it eventually "contains shocking amounts of violence." But that shouldn't stop women from checking out the film, which features Ryan Gosling at his smoldering best! Read the full Common Sense review!
Straw Dogs
Short Story:
In this remake of the 1971 Sam Peckinpah classic (which starred Dustin Hoffman), Hollywood screenwriter David Sumner (James Marsden) and his wife Amy (Kate Bosworth) return to Amy's small hometown in the South after her father passes away. But as they prepare the family house for sale, and old conflict with Amy's ex-boyfriend Charlie (Alexander Skarsgard) is reigniting, leading to a violent -- and deadly -- seige of Amy's family home.
What They're Saying:
"(Director Rod) Lurie wants us to see the moral wounds that come from losing control, a solid reason for a remake. Both takes on Straw Dogs hold up a dark mirror to humanity. Choose your own bad medicine." -- Rolling Stone
"The filmmaker's ham-fisted attempts to supply some socio-political relevance to such intractable material finally lands him in a deeper, murkier swamp..." -- MSN Movies
Good for Kids?
If you're looking for a scare and a hot young cast, this movie is a must-see. But don't even think about bringing the kids! Rated R for strong, brutal violence and sexual content, Straw Dogs is officially for adults only.
In case you missed:
Contagion
Short Story:
This thriller follows the story of multiple people -- including a Midwester dad (Matt Damon) and his not-so-lucky wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) -- affected by a lethal airborne virus that kills withins days. As the virus rapidly spreads, it becomes a worldwide pandemic, and ordinary citizens have to struggle to survive as their society falls apart. Their only hope is a team of international doctors (Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard) out to find a cure and help control the panic.
What They're Saying:
"Contagion deserves praise for taking the scientific method seriously when so much hogwash is floated about regarding vaccines." -- Chicago Sun-Times
"Though far from a likeable movie, Contagion is admirable as a highly controlled, verging-on-Kubrickian exercise in directorial vision and style." -- MSN Movies
Good for Kids?
With a PG-13 rating, Common Sense Media says parents need to know that this thriller has mature themes, including "losing loved ones to a deadly disease and living in a constant state of fear." With an all-star cast, t is perfect for thrill-seekers not not for kiddies. Click to read the full Common Sense review!
Warrior
Short Story:
Centered around the wrold of professional mixed martial arts, this story focuses on estranged brothers Tommy (Tom Hardy) and Brendan (Joel Edgerton). After 14 years as a soldier, Tommy returns home to enlist the help of his father (Nick Nolte) to train for SPARTA, an MMA tournament with the biggest prize purse in history. But when ex-fighter turned teacher Brendan is forced to return to the ring to save his family from financial ruin, he and Tommy must battle each other in the ring -- and contfront the issues that tore them apart outside of it.
What They're Saying:
"It is appropriately blunt, powerful and relentless, a study of male bodies in sweaty motion and masculine emotions in teary turmoil." -- New York Times
"Lovers of the sport and macho men in general be warned: Warrior is so beautifully constructed and emotionally engaging, the tears are almost certain to fall. Bring a hankie and/or a very discreet companion." -- Toronto Star
Good for Kids?
Rated PG-13 for intense fighting, this movie is good for teenagers and adults -- particularly ones interested in mixed martial arts and good acting.
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
Short Story:
Bucky Larson (Nick Swardson) seems to be going nowhere in life. He's a grocery bagger in a small town with no prospects, but he dreams of something more! When he finds out his seemingly conservative parents were once adult film stars, he travels to Los Angeles hoping to follow in their footsteps. Don Johnson and Christina Ricci costar, and Adam Sandler cowrote the script with Swardson.
What They're Saying:
"Through all this, one feels nothing more strongly than an acute sympathy for all involved -- in particular Ricci, who gives her role more than it deserves, and Herrmann, a classy character actor who once won a Tony." -- Variety
"This god-awful, unfunny, stinkingly putrid sketch-comic movie has exactly one snicker-worthy moment, involving Kevin Nealon and a stolen grape. But watching the rest of it will make you whine." -- New York Daily News
Good for Kids?
An raunchy comedy about pornstars that's rated R for pervasive sexual content and nudity? We're thinking no. But for adults and Sandler fans looking for something a bit lighter than MMA fights and viral epidemics, this one's the money shot!
Source: http://www.ivillage.com/i-dont-know-how-she-does-it-drive-straw-dogs-reviews/1-a-383007
