“Side Effects” (2013). Cast: Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum, Ann Dowd, Vinessa Shaw, Polly Draper, Sheila Tapia, Michael Nathanson, Andrea Bogart, Peter Friedman, Laila Robins, Mitchell Michaliszyn, David Costabile, Mamie Gummer, Victor Cruz, Haraldo Alvarez. Director: Steven Soderbergh. Screenplay: Scott Z. Burns. Web site. Trailer. Scottish poet Robert Burns is perhaps best known for having penned the lines, “The best laid schemes of mice and men oft go awry, and leave us nothing but grief and pain, for promised joy!” Such disappointments can indeed be devastating, but they can be that much worse for those who rely on insincere intentions and artificial means of assistance in seeking to achieve their goals, outcomes candidly depicted in the dramatic [...]

“Compliance” (2012). Cast: Dreama Walker, Ann Dowd, Pat Healy, Philip Ettinger, Ashlie Atkinson, Stephen Payne, Bill Camp, Nikiya Mathis, James McCaffrey, Raymond McAnally. Director: Craig Zobel. Screenplay: Craig Zobel. Web site. Trailer. Think you know how you’ll react when the reputations and well-being of others are threatened by the unproven accusations of those in positions of power? Will fairness and justice prevail? Or will self-serving interests and cowardice take precedence? Those are just a few of the thorny questions examined in the gripping independent film, “Compliance,” now available on DVD. With the weekend approaching, it promises to be yet another hectic Friday night at the South End branch of ChickWich, a fictitious fast food restaurant located in an unnamed Ohio [...]

“Quartet” (2012). Cast: Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins, Michael Gambon, Sheridan Smith, Andrew Sachs, Dame Gwyneth Jones, Michael Byrne, Trevor Peacock, David Ryall, Eline Powell, Luke Newberry, Shola Andewusi, Jumayn Hunter. Director: Dustin Hoffman. Screenplay: Ronald Harwood. Play: Ronald Harwood. Web site. Trailer. Many of us regrettably spend large parts of our lives chasing ever-elusive impressions of what was or what we hope might be. But, in doing so, we tend to neglect who and where we are in our lives, missing out on the joys of what they have to offer. Learning how to immerse ourselves in that often-ignored present moment is what the delightful new comedy, “Quartet,” is all about.Life’s aflutter at the Beecham House [...]

“Amour” (“Love”) (2012). Cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert, William Shimell, Alexandre Tharaud. Director: Michael Haneke. Screenplay: Michael Haneke. Web site. Trailer.Love is one of those sublime intangibles that artists of all callings, from Shakespeare to the Beatles, have sought to define, revere and embrace through their creations. Yet it encompasses such a vast array of embodiments that it’s difficult to encapsulate, or even grasp, all that it entails and makes possible. Nevertheless, the daunting nature of that task has not deterred those who would pay proper homage to the subject, as is amply evidenced in the latest offering from director Michael Haneke, “Amour” (“Love”).Former music teachers Georges and Anne Laurent (Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva) enjoy a comfortable retirement. [...]

"Les Misérables" (2012). Cast: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, Daniel Huttlestone, Isabelle Allen, Colm Wilkinson, Michael Jibson, Natalya Wallace, Stephen Tate. Director: Tom Hooper. Screenplay: William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer. Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg. Original Lyrics (French): Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel. Translated Lyrics (English): Herbert Kretzmer. Web site. Trailer.Daring to dream a world better than the one that we have takes foresight and vision. But, above all, it also takes courage, the fortitude to picture an existence that breaks the chains of limitation and embodies the notion that things don’t have to be as they are. Such is the message inherent [...]

The 85th Academy Award nominations were announced earlier this month, and most of those receiving Oscar nods followed projections, with a few surprises (and snubs) thrown in just to keep things interesting. But making predictions on this year’s winners is a bit trickier than in the past; with roughly a month to go until Oscar night, there are some genuine horse races in progress, unlike recent years, when most of the recipients were pretty much foregone conclusions. So, with that said, here’s what I expect out of the major categories in this year’s competition as of now.Best Picture The Field: “Amour,” “Argo,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” “Django Unchained,” “Les Misérables,” “Life of Pi,” “Lincoln,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Zero Dark [...]

“People v. The State of Illusion” (2012). Cast, Fictional Segment: J.B. Tuttle, Michael McCormick, Kevin McDonald, Melanie Lindahl, Tad Jones, Amy Baklini; Expert Commentators: Austin Vickers (narrator), Thomas Moore, Candace Pert, Debbie Ford, Joe Dispenza, Robert Jahn, Brenda Dunne, Peter Senge, Michael Vandermark. Director: Scott Cervine. Screenplay: Austin Vickers. Web site. Trailer.We all know how reality works, right? Or do we? Many of us like to think of our existence as an easily definable, quantifiable experience governed by readily identified laws that apply across the board. But is it really that simple, or is there something more subjective at work, especially when discrepancies make their presence felt? Those are just some of the considerations addressed in the enlightening documentary “People [...]

"The Impossible" (2012). Cast: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast, Marta Etura, Sönke Möhring, Geraldine Chaplin, Ploy Jindachote, Johan Sundberg, Jan Roland Sundberg, La-Orng Thongruang, Tor Klathaley, Douglas Johansson, Emilio Riccardi, Nicola Harrison. Director: Juan Antonio Bayona. Screenplay: Sergio G. Sánchez. Story: Maria Belon. Web site. Trailer.Under trying conditions, reconciling oneself to seemingly obvious inevitabilities might look like the only option available. But is it really? What if another choice were possible? And what would it take to materialize it? Those of just some of the questions addressed in the affecting new drama, "The Impossible."It’s December 2004, and the Bennett family is anxiously looking forward to a Christmas vacation in Thailand. Parents Henry (Ewan McGregor) and [...]

"Rust and Bone" ("De rouille et d’os") (2012). Cast: Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts, Armand Verdure, Corinne Masiero, Jean-Michel Correia, Yannick Choirat, Céline Sallette, Bouli Lanners, Mourad Frarema. Director: Jacques Audiard. Screenplay: Jacques Audiard and Thomas Bidegain. Story: Craig Davidson. Web site. Trailer.Starting over in life can be quite daunting, particularly when one is faced with exceptionally devastating conditions. Getting a foothold on a new way of living can be difficult, too, filling one’s head with images of the seeming futility of grasping at those proverbial straws. But, no matter how seemingly cruel such circumstances might appear, beginning anew is essential to our continued exploration of physical existence as two lost souls discover for themselves in the edgy new French romance, [...]

Check out my latest film review, Truth and deceit take center stage in 'Argo', an in-depth look at the new Ben Affleck thriller, "Argo," available at Master Heart Magazine (www.MasterHeartMagazine.com). To find out more about the movie, click here, and to see the film's trailer, click here.Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures