3. Take Me Home Tonight
Underachieving genius(Topher Grace) tries to weasel his way into his dreamgirl's life by lying about his job prospects. As if working at Goldman Sachs is more honorable than shelf jockey at Suncoast Video!? A retro 80s comedy from the writers of That 70s Show
, this is a film that gets the tone and the style of the decade absolutely perfect. Dan Fogler does his best Belushi sidekick character as Grace's troublemaking best friend, and Teresa Palmer continues her scene stealing trend begun in last year's The Sorcerer's Apprentice
. 2. Rango
Get this: a lonely pet chameleon finds himself freed from his confines starts on an existential journey to find himself. Along the way he runs into Don Quixote-like armadillo, The Man with No Name, and ends up in a dust bowl town that's ripped straight out of the Old West, where our hero transforms himself into a gunslingin' outlaw. Oh, and Johnny Depp provides the lead voice. Sounds like some crazy shared fever dream of Sam Peckinpah and Tim Burton, but it actually springs from the mind of director Gore Verbinski, Depp's Pirates of the Caribbean partner. Along with amazing visuals from the special effects masters over at ILM, Rango features a quirky script, fun villains, and enough film references to keep adults entertained the whole way. Kids might not be as enthusiastic at the realistic presentation and mature dialogue.
1. The Adjustment Bureau
How much control do we really have over our lives? Do we forge our own destinies, or are we just slaves to fate? The Adjustment Bureau asks these heavy philosophical questions while engrossing you in a love story like no other. Matt Damon is aspiring politician David Norris, who meets Elise(Emily Blunt), the girl of his dreams on election night. The spark is undeniable, but then David comes to realize that some men in very high places want to make sure he and Elise are never to be together. As the veil is lifted over an unseen curtain, David and Elise's love is put to the most ultimate of tests. Written and directed by George Nolfi(The Bourne Ultimatum
) and based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, The Adjustment Bureau is the first truly great film of 2011. DVD Pick of the Week: 127 Hours
If there's still any doubt left about James Franco's ability to captivate, then it should all be silenced by his performance in 127 Hours. As adventurous free spirit Aron Ralston, who found himself trapped in a canyon by a collapsing boulder, Franco's charisma is undeniable. Essentially a story told from one location with only a handful of characters, Franco carries all of the emotional weight. Danny Boyle, still fresh off his Best Picture win for Slumdog Millionaire
, controls what could've been a very static film with his typical camera flourish. This is a remarkably personal, inspirational film well deserving of all the accolades it received.
