Reviewed by Russ Simmons

If the picture is shaky and disorienting, then either the projectionist is having problems or you’re watching a film by Paul Greengrass.

His signature “faux cinéma vérité” style is designed to give his movies a more realistic, documentary-like feel. It’s a method he’s used successfully in movies like “United 93,” “Bloody Sunday” and the last two “Bourne” films.

He applies this method to his latest effort, “Green Zone,” a fictitious Iraq war thriller “inspired by” the non-fiction book “Imperial Life in the Emerald City” by Washington Post journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran.

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

Robert Pattinson has taken a temporary break from his vampire role in the “Twilight” series to produce and star in a romantic drama called “Remember Me.”

It’s easy to see why he was attracted to the material. It’s generally well written, has some terrific dialogue and provided Pattinson with a meaty role.

But the film’s ostentatious and terribly ill conceived finale nearly undoes all of the good work that comes before it.

The story by newcomer Will Fetters is book-ended by tragedies.

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

Thomas Frank’s fascinating book “What’s the Matter With Kansas?” spent 18 weeks on the New York Times’ bestseller list.

The film version makes for an interesting, if not altogether successful film documentary.

So, why do Kansans vote against their own financial self-interest? According to Frank, most Kansans believe that family values (right to life, school prayer, no same sex marriage, etc.) are far more important than any economic concerns.

The Republican Party has successfully co-opted these core “moral” issues.

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

Director Antoine Fuqua’s biggest hit was the 2001 corrupt cop thriller, “Training Day.”

Fuqua returns to that genre (albeit on the opposite coast) for his latest opus, “Brooklyn’s Finest.” Guess what? The mean streets are still mean and the cops ain’t clean.

This gritty story, from first time screenwriter Michael C. Martin, involves three separate stories that only intertwine in the excessively violent finale.

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

It’s easy to see why “The White Ribbon” has been the recipient of so many accolades. It won the top prize, the Palme d’Or, at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, as well as this year’s Golden Globe. Plus, it’s been nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

It’s also easy to see why so many people hate it.

“The White Ribbon” is a chilling, unsettling and (some might say) sadistic drama that shows how evil can be passed from one generation to the next.

Indeed, director Michael Haneke has been quoted as saying that the movie concerns “the origins of every type of terrorism, be it of political or religious nature.”

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

Do you miss the 80s?

Director Kevin Smith (Zack and Miri Make a Porno”) apparently does and sets his sensibilities back a couple of decades for his latest effort, a buddy action comedy called “Cop Out.”

While the script by Robb and Mark Cullen (TV’s “Las Vegas”) may not have been setting in the drawer since the Reagan administration, it sure tries to capture the feel of “Beverly Hills Cop,” “48 Hours” or “Lethal Weapon.”

Too bad it doesn’t live up to any of those titles.

Russ Simmons

At a telling moment in the art house horror flick “Antichrist,” a mangy looking fox turns to one of the characters and says, “Chaos reigns.”

To some, this will seem odd. Others will find it unintentionally funny. If you think it’s profound, then you may be that rare bird that “Antichrist” was made for.

Frustrating, silly, brilliant and unnerving, “Antichrist” is the latest curiosity from Danish filmmaker Lars Von Trier, easily one of the most gifted directors working today.

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

Nicholas Sparks has discovered a literary path that leads directly to the tear duct.

Six of Sparks’ novels have been converted into hankie-wringing cinematic melodramas, including “The Notebook,” “Message in a Bottle,” “A Walk to Remember,” “Nights in Rodanthe” and the upcoming “The Last Song.”

The latest Sparks adaptation is “Dear John,” brought to the big screen by a director who knows a thing or two about the weeper genre, Lasse Halstrom (“My Life as a Dog,” “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” “Chocolat”).

Amanda Seyfried (“Mamma Mia!”) stars as Savannah, a pretty UNC-Chapel Hill student from an affluent Southern family. She and John (Channing Tatum from “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”) ‘meet cute’ when the Army Special Forces soldier risks his life by diving into the Atlantic to rescue Savannah’s fallen purse.

Can amour be far behind?

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

“When in Rome” is the best romantic fantasy of the year!

Don’t be too surprised to see that quote, or one very much like it, on the billboard ads for this whimsical Hollywood offering.

Here’s the kicker: “Leap Year” and “Youth in Revolt” are the only other romantic comedies to come out so far this year. The only fantasy has been “The Tooth Fairy.”

Yes, that first sentence is a case of damning with faint praise.

It really takes a deft touch to pull off this sort of thing and while it’s well meaning and has a very likable cast, “When in Rome” is a clichéd romantic fantasy.

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

Tim Burton’s films (“Beetlejuice,” “Big Fish”) are always whimsical. They’re also invariably dark.

In the case of his quirky 3-D adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland,” Burton’s vision is particularly dark…literally.

Although the production values, art direction and computer generated imagery are outstanding in this adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s book, when one dons the 3-D glasses, the images are dimmed considerably.

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

Director Roman Polanski has had his share of troubles.

From the horrors of the Manson murders that claimed the life of his wife to his own legal difficulties over sexual assault charges, Polanski at times seems to be the cinematic equivalent of Joe Btfsplk. (Apologies to those unfamiliar with “Li’l Abner.”)

But at age 76, Polanski (“Rosemary’s Baby,” “Chinatown,” “The Pianist”) remains a formidable filmmaker. He completed the post-production on his latest, “The Ghost Writer,” while under house arrest in Switzerland.

“The Ghost Writer” is an intriguing and polished paranoia thriller based upon the novel “The Ghost” by former BBC TV reporter Robert Harris (“Enigma”).

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

Author Leo Tolstoy was an earthy fellow, if the new period piece “The Last Station” can be believed.

While his high-minded, anti-materialistic philosophical outlook influenced the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Tolstoy, who lived to be 82, enjoyed pleasures of life right up to the end.

“The Last Station” is a beautifully produced adaptation of Jay Parini’s novel, a blend of fact and fiction that deals with the final months of the acclaimed writer’s life.

But Tolstoy, deftly played by Christopher Plummer (“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”), is not the focus of the plot. The main character is on a 23-year-old lad who becomes the author’s new personal secretary.

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

A common complaint among moviegoers every Oscar season revolves around the short subject nominees. Since theatres don’t show them, why should anyone care about these awards?

Well, for some, a couple of reasons are obvious. The filmmakers crave the recognition, many in hopes that the honor will lead to more projects. Plus, the Academy is keen to sharpen its image as a legitimate body of film professionals seeking to recognize excellence even for work that no one has seen.

But the only way for Joe Ticketbuyer to have a horse in the race is to see the films. Shorts International and Magnolia Pictures have complied the Oscar nominees and they’re now playing at your local arthouse theatre.

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

Actor George Lopez claims that director Garry Marshall doesn’t make a movie, he throws a party.

In the case of “Valentine’s Day,” maybe they should have partied a bit less.

Marshall, the creative mind behind hit TV series like “Happy Days” and movies like “Pretty Woman,” was undoubtedly having a ball while making his latest flick. He surrounded himself with an impressive ensemble of family and friends.

But apparently the cast was having a much better time on the set of this romantic comedy than the audience will have watching it.

“Valentine’s Day” is utterly superficial, clichéd and banal. Still, it has one thing going for it that prevents it from being a complete waste of time. Marshall has marshaled a very likable ensemble that nearly overcomes the frustratingly trite script.

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

With the exception of a couple of cameo appearances, the last time that Mel Gibson appeared onscreen was in the 2002 sci-fi curiosity, “Signs.”

Of course, he’s been preoccupied by directing (“The Passion of the Christ,” “Apocalypto”) and with some highly publicized personal matters.

Choosing to keep a relatively low profile for a box office superstar, Gibson hoped to find a suitably lighthearted comedy script for his Hollywood comeback. No such luck.

Gibson’s return to the big screen is a violent, hardboiled conspiratorial thriller with lots of gnashing teeth, beads of sweat and throbbing forehead veins.

“Edge of Darkness” is a big screen, Americanized adaptation of an acclaimed series that was named one of the twenty best in British TV history. Something, apparently, was lost in the translation.

Reviewed by Russ Simmons

Many filmmakers struggle for years to hone their skills and learn the nuances of their craft.

Undoubtedly, some of them are green with envy when an untrained outsider decides to make a movie…and does an outstanding job of it.

Tom Ford is a noted fashion designer and former creative director at Gucci. He has successfully adapted a Christopher Isherwood novel, “A Single Man,” into an effective and affecting drama.

But Ford had a little help. He collaborated with another newcomer, David Scearce, on the screenplay and assembled a first rate cast to bring it to life.