FauxNixon

1.  Definitely, Maybe

Written and directed by Adam Brooks whose previous work is predominantly writing and includes such titles as Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Wimbledon, this movie stars Ryan Reynolds, An Nguyen, Sakina Jaffrey, and Dana Eskelson in a romantic comedy about a political consultant living in Manhattan in the midst of a divorce who looks to his past from his beginnings through his work with the Clinton presidential campaigns and becomes enveloped in a surprisingly complicated relationship with a woman named Maya in the process.

The movie has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA

2.  Step Up 2 The Streets

Virtually unknown director Jon Chu brings us this latest dance movie nightmare which features an essentially no-name casts.  He tries to tell us the story of two people studying at the Maryland School of Arts who develop a romance through their dancing.  It’s cliched and more than that, it’s virtually guaranteed to be terrible.

It’s been rated PG-13 by the MPAA.

3.  The Spiderwork Chronicles [Feb 14]

Director Mark Waters who previous works include Just Like Heaven, Mean Girls, and Freaky Friday, now brings to the audience a story about a mother, her twin sons and daughter who are pulled into a magical world of fairies and wonder, featuring Mary-Louise Parker, and Martin Short, among some others and a good deal of relatively unknown actors.  This should make for a charming family movie as long as it does not simply repeat on the recent magically-themed movies and adds something new to the mix.

It is rated PG by the MPAA.

4.  Jumper [Feb 14]

Jumper looks like a very intriguing addition to this week’s releases utilizing a skilled cast and director Doug Liman whose previous work includes Go, The Bourne Identity, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.   in Jumper a genetic power permits a young man to teleport himself anywhere and discovers that this gift has been known to some people for centuries, but whose existence is seen as a threat.  In discovering his ability he finds himself enmeshed in a war between those who can jump and those aiming to suppress them.  An interesting cast finishes out the picture including Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Diane Lane, Samuel L. Jackson, and Tom Hulce.  This movie sounds very intriguing, the director has a history of producing quality thrillers and it includes a cast that’s incredibly skilled.  I expect very good things of this picture.

5.  Diary of the Dead [limited]

George A. Romero returns to the big screen as the writer and director of this film having established himself as a legend and the pioneer of the zombie movie genre.  in Diary of the Dead he pits a group of film students making their own movie about zombies against real-life zombies intent of consuming them.  Pay attention for voice cameos from legends Stephen King, Simon Pegg, Quentin Tarantino, Guillermo del Toro and Wes Craven as news anchors in the picture.

This movie is rated R by the MPAA.

6.  The Year My Parents Went on Vacation

This foreign-release originally titled Ano em Que Meus Pais Saíram de Férias, O has received very positive ratings based on its previous release and promises to be a very strong picture.   It is directed by Cao Hamburger and features a cast which would be unknown to the US market, telling the story of a young boy in Brazil in the 1970s.  Just before the beginning of Brazil’s involvement in the World Cup, Mauro’s family packs their things and flees, leaving Mauro in the care of a Jewish family and promising to return before the first game in the World Cup in which Brazil will be involved.  During the course of his stay he develops many friends and is an unfortunate witness to the brutal military takeover of the government, seeing for himself in the streets the violence, repression and brutality.

It has been no rating as far as I can discern from the MPAA.