The best of the new movies is End of Watch, a thrilling cop movie that rises above the genre. Although there isn’t an unpredictable moment in Trouble with the Curve, it charmed me with its fine acting and baseball nostalgia. The Master is a visual and acting masterpiece, but the story fizzles out.
We still have a couple of fine comedies in theaters, most recently Sleepwalk With Me. Frank Langella’s performance in Robot and Frank elevates the film from a pretty good comedy to a revealing study of getting older.
It’s worth seeking out the compelling documentary Searching for Sugar Man, about the hunt to uncover the secret fate of an artist that didn’t know that he was a rock star.
The stylishly violent crime drama Lawless is well-made and well-acted but predictable. The bike messenger thriller Premium Rush is nothing more than a chase scene, but it’s a cool chase. The Dark Night Rises is too corny and too long, but Anne Hathaway sparkles. The Words is a corny drama that insults the audience by over-explaining everything.
I haven’t yet seen the screen version of the coming of age best seller The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the sci fi hitman thriller Looper or the campus comedy Liberal Arts, which open widely this week. You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.
My DVD pick this week is Bernie, a very funny dark comedy by Richard Linklater, shows off Jack Black’s talents in a whole new light. Bernie makes my list of Best Movies of 2012 – So Far.