3. In the Land of Blood and Honey
The Bosnian War is the backdrop for this sordid romance tale between a Muslim woman and a conflicted Serbian soldier. Marking the directorial debut by Angelina Jolie, she shows a veteran hand behind the camera in crafting such a complex tale with real world significance.
2. The Grey
If every action flick that came out in January was as well made as The Grey, we'd never again complain about this being the worst movie month of the year. The Grey is a macho, thrilling man vs. nature horror story, with Liam Neeson once again putting on his butt kicking boots. But more than that, the film delves into some existential territory, dealing with issues of faith, grief, and fear of the unknown.
1. Haywire
Back for a second week, if you haven't gone to see Haywire yet then just picture this: Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, and Michael Fassbender all thrown into the octagon with some of the world's greatest MMA grapplers. How do you think that would turn out for them? Probably not so good. Well, they've only got one MMA fighter to deal with in the sexy Gina Carano as part of Steven Soderbergh's skillful action flick, and none of them fair too well.
DVD Pick of the Week: 50/50
Based on the life of writer Will Reiser, 50/50 is that rare film not afraid to show the ugliness of possibly terminal disease, but does it in an honest way that allows for real moments of levity. Directed by Jonathan Levine(The Wackness, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane), who seems to revel in tonally awkward films, 50/50 stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Adam, a healthy, normal 27 year old man who discovers on a routine doctor visit that he has a very rare form of cancer. Given a 50% chance to live, all he wants is for things to remain as much the same as possible while he deals with the disease. An impossible request, as the news effects those in his life in many different ways. Seth Rogen tones down his fratboy routine just a notch as Adam's best friend, while Angelica Huston shines as Adam's overprotective mother who is freaking out. Reiser doesn't stretch to find moments of emotional relevance, and everything feels genuine, even the budding romance between Adam and his compassionate counselor, played beautifully by Anna Kendrick.
