Welcome to CraveOnline's weekly rundown of movie releases! Here we'll give you the rundown on all the good, the bad and the unwatchable films headed your way this week.
The Day the Earth Stood Still
The Day the Earth Stood Still is the Keanu makeover of the 1951 classic that everyone thought was a joke when rumors started swirling a couple years back. Mr. Neo plays the alien Klaatu, whose arrival on our planet triggers a global shitstorm. As world leaders race to figure out the reason for the visitor's appearance, a woman (Jennifer Connelly) and her stepson get caught up in his mission and are the first to grasp the real meaning of Kaatu's declaration that he is a "friend to the Earth."
CraveOnline's Call: Don't expect any miracles, but this one looks at least mildly entertaining. If you've seen The Wrestler already, it's worth a shot.
What Doesn't Kill You
Goodman, Donnie Wahlberg and Paul T. Murray penned this screenplay of of two hard-hewn South Boston guys, Brian and Paulie, who are eventually tracked down, arrested and sent to prison. After getting out of the clink, Brian tries to get his life back on track, but Paulie returns to drag him back into the life of crime. Mark Ruffalo's depth in You Can Count on Me makes him a good fit for Brian. Ethan Hawke for once acts like the dick you suspect he really is anyway as Paulie, and this time you really get to hate him. Amanda Peet and Donnie Wahlberg also appear. Cause that's gonna sell somebody on it, right?
Nothing Like the Holidays
Release Date: December 12
The Rodriguez family are making that annual pilgrimage to their parents' home in Chicago for Christmas, as well as to celebrate their youngest brother's safe return from combat overseas. Jesse (Freddy Rodriguez) uses the opportunity to try resparking an old flame, although she can't seem to forgive him for leaving so long ago. Sister Roxanna's an actress, whose Hollywood dreams have come up short, while brother Mauricio (John Leguizamo) brings home a corporate-shark wife (Debra Messing) who's got no interest in having kids. Despite their differences, the siblings come together after their mother announces that she's divorcing their father. New bonds are established as they all come to realize the true importance of family.
CraveOnline's Call: If you're looking for holiday movies without the bitchy ficklings of Witherspoon, here's a good alternative to Four Christmases.
John Patrick Shanley's play Doubt makes the leap to the big screen in this tale of the quest for truth, the tides of change and the consequences of blind justice in an age of moral discipline.
Official synopsis: It's 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A vibrant, charismatic priest, Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), is trying to upend the school's strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline. The winds of political change are sweeping through the country, and, indeed, the school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller. But when Sister James (Amy Adams), a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Donald, Sister Aloysius is galvanized to begin a crusade to both unearth the truth and expunge Flynn from the school. Now, without a shred of proof or evidence except her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn, a battle that threatens to tear apart the Church and school with devastating consequences.
CraveOnline's Call: Powerhouse performances are a surefire bet on this one, as Streep and Hoffman are some of the most potent players in action today. A definite departure from the standard holiday fare.
