The Dilemma

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Release Date: January 14, 2011

Plot Summary: Ronny and Nick are longtime friends who are partners in their auto-design business in this bromantic comedy. It seems life can't get any better for the two of them until Ronny catches Nick's wife making out with another man. Ronny's life is turned upside down as he struggles with how (or if) to tell Nick.

Ron Howard will always have a place in my heart for his narrating role in two and a half seasons of Arrested Development (RIP). And for bringing us Richie Cunningham. He's a seasoned director (and actor) whose films have won both critical acclaim and hollywood awards. To be quite honest, a lot of his films recently just don't do it for me. Both Da Vinci Code movies... meh. There are still some gems hidden in there, but I'm more of a fan of his pre-2000 movies like Cocoon, Apollo 13, and Ransom. Oh, and Willow, too. Whenever I hear he's directing a movie, I'm always willing to check it out since he's fairly reliable.

Unfortunately, I don't think I can say that for The Dilemma. If this is supposed to be a comedy, I don't think I laughed once throughout the entire trailer - and that's where they usually put in the funniest parts! Even if it's not the "laugh-out-loud" (LOL...) kind of comedy, it still looks boring and not "laugh-on-the-inside" (LOTI?) funny. How to tell your friend his wife's cheating on him? The whole plot sounds too simple and boring for me. Not that there's anything wrong with simple - Empire Records is one of my go-to lazy Sunday movies. That, and Showgirls - the most unintentionally hilarious movie I've ever seen.

The two leads don't make me want to rush out and see this any time soon, either. I've never really been a fan of anything Kevin James has done. I just don't think he's that funny. King of Queens was overrated, and his resume of films is less than stellar... Paul Blart? Grown Ups? And then there's Vince Vaughn. Vince Vince Vince... I'm sorry buddy, but I think you and I need a break. You just need some time to recollect yourself and take on a couple challenging projects. Hey, that's what you used to do back in the 90's when we met. And then you really hit your high and found the perfect roles for you in Old School and Wedding Crashers. Since then though, you've kinda put out nothing but crap. I know I know... those are some harsh words. But maybe a little tough love is what you need. It's time to retire the 35-year-old loveable, sweet-talking frat boy persona and try something different for a change. Like you, it's not getting any younger. So please take some time off to challenge yourself, instead of accepting any stupid script that comes across your desk. I don't want to have to see a movie called Five Christmases coming out next year...

The only somewhat redeemable part of this movie would have to be the supporting cast. And even then, it's nothing to write home about. I'll admit I'm more favorable toward Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum, and Queen Latifah, but none of them I'd necessarily call a draw. And how exactly do you address Queen Latifah in a social setting? Do you call her Latifah or Queen? Do you have to bow when saying Queen Latifah? I just need to know in the off-chance I may actually meet her.

The Verdict: HELLS no is kinda harsh. So I'm going to reserve that for the crappiest of the crap. Instead, I'll give this my new verdict of Pass...

127 Hours

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Release Date: November 5

Plot Summary: Based on a true story, mountain biker Aron Ralston falls into a crevasse, getting his arm trapped between a wall and a boulder. He's trapped for (you guessed it) 127 hours and has two options: death or self-amputation. What would you do?

To be honest, this trailer doesn't really do it for me. Don't get me wrong - I do want to see this for a number of reasons, but as far as trailers go... it's not really that good. What immediately turned me off were the flashbacks to Boyle's previous film, Slumdog Millionaire. And while I did love Slumdog, it feels awfully gimmicky to use it as an incentive to get people to see this. Even the best directors are susceptible to shitty movies (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Jack? The Lovely Bones?). I'll admit it does a nice job of setting up the premise, but I still would've liked at least a glimpse of what happens after his arm gets trapped - I already knew that was going to happen before I even watched the trailer.

It does make me a little nervous about the movie itself, but I have a lot of faith in Danny Boyle as a director despite the fact he ruined my favorite book, The Beach. And even though The Beach was flat out awful, it's still got some great scenery shots of Phuket. Besides, it's hard to hate the man that gave us Trainspotting. The cinematography in 127 Hours looks stunning, and there's no shortage of great scenery in Moab, Utah. He's definitely got a vision and his own flair for directing, which makes his movies exciting for me. Boyle is also a very passionate director and it often shows in his movies.

James Franco stars as Aron, and there's certainly a lot of pressure on him to pull this off. After all, the main focus of the movie is his helplessness from being trapped. From what I gather, the scenes from the trailer are pulled from only the first half hour or so. The majority of the movie takes place in the crevasse in a very claustrophobic atmosphere. Supposedly, medics were called for two audience members at two separate screenings in Telluride. While my obvious reaction is a giant eye roll, I do know that watching small spaces for some can trigger panic attacks.

I'm a little on the fence with Mr. Franco - he was great in Milk and Pineapple Express, but I still feel like he needs to prove himself in order to get away from the whole teen heartthrob thing. I'm pulling for him though, and I really hope he'll nail this. There's been some Oscar buzz around it, but honestly, which fall film doesn't have Oscar buzz at this stage in the game? Franco and Boyle are enough to get my butt in the seat on this one, but then there's the addition of Lizzy Caplan of Mean Girls and True Blood fame. She's the icing on the cake - I just wish they showed more of her.

While I don't think I'm ruining anything that's not common knowledge, I'll slap a little spoiler warning on here just in case... did you skip to the verdict yet? I suggest you do because I'm not giving you any more chances to after this... Okay, here we go... I can't wait to see how they handle the amputation scene - I'm sure it's going to be pretty intense. I keep wondering if I were ever in that position, would I be able to cut off my own arm to save my life? I honestly don't know if my body could physically be capable of doing such a thing, but then again I'm sure we're all capable of anything in the face of death. Just thinking about it makes me want to see the movie even more!

The Verdict: In the theater