What to see, what to see...

This weekend the big opener is Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze’s  (Being John Malkovich) adaptation of the classic children’s book.  Getting generally good to excellent reviews, although some critics think the storyline is overloaded with dysfunctional family psychology.  Universal acclaim for the special effects.  You can also catch Law Abiding Citizen, a thriller starring Gerard Butler (300, The Ugly Truth) as a vigilante seeking revenge when the man who murdered his wife and daughter gets a plea bargain and walks.   Jamie Foxx plays the District Attorney in Butler’s cross hairs.  Critics didn’t like this picture, but early screenings with regular folks went okay.  Rated R for some very troubling violence.  The Stepfather is a remake; the original came out in 1987 and was a surprisingly good little horror movie that did well on the festival circuit.  This version, starring Penn Badgley (Gossip Girl), didn’t prescreen and hasn’t been reviewed by anyone.  Not a good sign. 

Still in theaters: Couples Retreat, last week’s box office winner, is not a great film but it could be diverting if you are in the mood a mindless night out.  Zombieland is the most purely entertaining film in theaters.  It’s funny and charming and quirky and strange.  It does require a certain amount of tolerance for gross Zombie stuff, but in a fun way.  If you prefer to think when you go to the movies, and you live in a major metropolitan area, consider A Serious Man, the Coen Brothers’ latest, about a father suffering like Job in a Jewish community in 1960’s Minneapolis.  It’s quirky without much funny, but overall an interesting film.   The Informant features Matt Damon as a corporate whistle blower with questionable motivations. Damon is terrific, the film a little odd as it tries to tell the story as an absurdist comedy.  It’s not completely off the mark but it doesn’t quite work. You could also look for The Invention of Lying, the Ricky Gervais (The Office, Extras) comedy about a world where no one can lie – except, apparently, Gervais.  It has gotten middling reviews but the more admiring ones point out that it has a subversive message. If you see the film, look for that.