No Strings Attached – This film stars Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher and it is a romantic comedy that asks the question “Can two people have sex without falling in love?” I think most people can figure out how the film ends, but based on how the film did at the box office this winter; people were interested in the premise and wanted to check out the film. It’s arguably the highest profile film of the week.
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never – The film traces the rise of Bieber from a small-town boy in Stratford, Ontario, who got discovered on YouTube to the pop music phenomenon he is. The film follows Bieber as he leads up to his big show at Madison Square Gardens that sold out in 22 minutes. The film features performances from his “My World” tour and some insight into his life before stardom.
Blue Valentine – This film stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams and chronicles the course of a couples’ relationship over the years from the joy of finding love at the beginning of the relationship, to a painful end when they realize that their dreams have been crushed by their marriage. Both Gosling and Williams deliver great performances and Williams received an Academy Award nomination for her work. The film is not for everyone, but is definitely worth seeing.
Black Death – This film stars Sean Bean as a knight who is put in charge of finding a place that is said to be able to protect people from the plague that killed much of Europe. On his journey, he discovers horrors that test his faith in God and himself. The film got a minor release in theatres, but it does have a decent cast in Bean, Eddie Redmayne and Carice von Houten and got good critical reviews so it might be worth checking out.
The Illusionist – This animated film is about an illusionist who is seeing his popularity decrease as rock concerts become more popular in the 1950’s. He meets a young girl named Alice, and impresses her by conjuring up gifts. She thinks he is making them out of thin air, but to keep her impressed he is actually buying them first and then making them appear. The more he wants to impress her, the more elaborate the gift is, which puts him into more and more debt. The film is from the people who made The Triplets of Belleville and The Illusionist received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Film at this year’s Academy Awards.
Until Next Tuesday!
