"3 Generations"

If there was an Elle Fanning fan club, I'd be a charter member. I've been a fan of hers since I saw the remarkable 10-year olds performance in "Phoebe in Wonderland." In "3 Generations", she plays Ray, a young woman who wants to transition into a boy. In order to do this, her mother, played by Naomi Watts, must get permission from her estranged, biological father. Ray lives with her mother and lesbian grandmother (Susan Sarandon) in a New York apartment. The story is touching and poignant, and while the storyline is a bit thin, the acting was quite remarkable. It's all about finding out not only what, but who you truly are.
4 out of 5 stars.

"Our Idiot Brother"

Based on the title of this movie, I had pretty low expectations. I figured it would be something along the lines of "Dumb and Dumber." But was I pleasantly surprised. The film stars Paul Rudd who plays, you guessed it, the idiot brother. He plays Ned, an organic farmer who lives with his hippy wife and Willie Nelson, his beloved dog. When he unwittingly sells a joint to a cop, he ends up in jail. When he gets out he lives with his three sisters. Ned's problem is he just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut, which gets him in trouble with each of his sisters. Ultimately, he means well, and without being too much of a spoiler, everything works out well in the end. If you're up for some good laughs, don't miss this one.
4 out of 5 stars.

"Mother and Child"

Another movie that I like to define as, "a multi-storied story." It follows the lives of a 50-year old woman (Annette Bening), her adult daughter (Naomi Watts), who she gave up at birth, and a young couple trying to adopt a child. It's a powerful and sad movie, that I found difficult to watch at times. Both Bening and Watts are so cold and detached, I almost stopped watching a third of the way through. But I hung in there and I'm glad I did. The stories intersect at the end of the film, and you're left with the question/feeling: "What if..."
4.5 out of 5 stars

"Rock the Kasbah"

The perfect movie when your in the mood for some dumb Bill Murray fare. Not sure why this one got such bad reviews--I though it was very entertaining. Sure, it could have been better, but a mediocre Bill Murray movie is better than a lot of other so-called comedies. Murray plays a down on his luck talent agent, who decides to take his talented secretary, Zooey Deschanel, on a USO tour of Afghanistan, What could go wrong? It turns out, everything. She bails on him the first night and he ends up promoting a local girl on the country's version of "America's Got Talent". It's loosely based on a true story and I found myself laughing out loud at several skits. The scene where he performs "Smoke on the Water" to a bunch of stone-faced tribal elders is worth the price of admission/rental. Kate Hudson and Bruce Willis also star.
3.5 out of 5 stars

"Certain Women"

A wonderfully slow-moving, and subtly beautiful movie. It's based on short stories by Maile Maloy, which are very loosely connected. The movie stars Laura Darn, Michelle Williams, and Kristen Stewart, each featured in one movement of a zen-like poem of a film. The stories are about an attorney, (Dern), representing a crazy old man, a woman, (Williams), looking to build a home out in the country, and a young woman, (Stewart), teaching a constitutional rights class to a group of small-town teachers. The film features excellent acting,  gorgeous scenery, and superb photography.
4 out of 5 stars

"Bachelorette"

You could describe this one as a raunchy girls' night out. A bunch of old college pals get together the night before their friend's big wedding day. And as you'd expect, just about everything that could go wrong, does. The situations get a bit slapsticky and over the top at times. But overall, it's a lot of fun. Definitely not for the squeamish or for those who are easily offended. It looks like they had an absolute blast making this film!
3 out of 5 stars

"To the Bone"

I was expecting a dark, depressing take on eating disorders, but this movie really wasn't. Lilly Collins did a great job as a 20-year old girl in treatment for anorexia nervosa. She's been in and out of various programs all her teen years and finally gets into one of the most effective clinics in the country. She comes from a dysfunctional family, which largely explains her illness.  I found it interesting the way eating disorders are treated much like alcohol and substance abuse cases. Very well done and worth watching.
3.5 out of 5 stars