There's no doubt that I have my issues with Ed Zwick's romantic comedy set in the pharmaceutical boom of the 1990s, but Anne Hathaway's performance as a commitment phobic woman with early onset Parkinson's Disease is a must see. Expect Oscar nominations to follow.
2. 127 Hours
There's still time to check out Danny Boyle's uplifting, inspirational tale featuring one heroic performance by James Franco, the best of his career.
1. Faster
Did I give Faster a higher rating than either of two movies below it on the chart? Absolutely not. But ask me which movie I'd rather watch right this second and the answer is clear. Faster is a chiseled, muscular action action flick that puts Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson back at the top of his game. Unforgivably bloody and violent, you won't have a better time at the movies this week.
DVD Pick of the Week: The Expendables
What'd you think I was going to pick? Santa Paws? Sylvester Stallone's gathering of action hero icons is like a busted up trip through the 1980s, with ridiculous dialogue and grizzled, muscled up 'roid heads reliving their glory years. Take one look at the scene featuring Sly, Bruce Willis, and the Governator himself and you'll know what I mean. There's nary an explosion in sight or a punch thrown, but the testosterone in that room could fuel a fleet of jets. The Expendables might not pack quite the punch as we expected, but it builds up nicely to the most amazing symphony of over-the-top violence that you'll see all year.
