With the Oscar nominations announced, the studios will be spending this weekend resituating their big contenders, leaving a handful of new releases to spackle the empty slots in the megaplex that were previously occupied by “Nine” …
“Dear John”: Having endured “Message in a Bottle”, “The Notebook”, “A Walk to Remember” and “Nights in Rodanthe”, I am contractually exempted from any further Nicholas Sparks movies. Susan took the bullet, bless her.
“From Paris with Love“: John Travolta, entertaining? Perish the thought! And yet, somehow, his go-for-broke Samuel L. Jackson impression fits perfectly into Luc Besson’s latest European shoot-em-up. Hell, he even makes Jonathan Rhys Meyers look like a credible action hero, rather than a hollow-boned prat.
“Frozen“: Adam Green’s merciless thriller strands three young people on a chair lift — and us along with them — in a tense, occasionally excruciating study in survival horror. If you’ve ever had frostbite, well, prepare to feel a lot of sympathy pain.
“I Killed My Mother“: After spending nine months on the festival circuit — Cannes! Toronto! Palm Springs! — Xavier Dolan’s festival smash finally opens in Toronto. I can’t say I’m one of its biggest boosters, but it’s certainly worth a look if you’re curious as to what the fuss was all about.
“St. John of Las Vegas“: Who is Hue Rhodes, and how did he talk Steve Buscemi, Sarah Silverman, Romany Malco, Peter Dinklage, Tim Blake Nelson into appearing in his terrible, terrible movie? You know what? Don’t answer that. Just tell me he’ll never work again, and we can all go home.