The Soloist

Debut: 2009
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr.
Director: Joe Wright

I was extremely fortunate to fit screening into my crazy schedule this week, but what a beautiful film it was. If you are someone who has ever had any kind of love for music, then this is the movie for you.

I read the book after Christmas, and thought the movie did a bang-up job of capturing the characters and the story. Downey stars as Steve Lopez, an LA Times columnist who finds a story (and a friend) in Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, Jr., a homeless man who once attended Julliard.

The story is beautiful, the acting is beautiful, and the music is breathtaking.

Hamlet 2

Debut: 2008
Director: Andrew Fleming
Starring: Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener

In a word: amazing! So I went to see this with a few friends, and it was basically awesome.

I will say that it's slow-moving for a while, but the ending is a blowout. The "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" number is completely hysterical, and the movie has way too many funny moments to be overruled by the slow ones.

DEFINITELY worth your time and money, unless you're easily offended.

The Producers

Debut: 1968
Director: Mel Brooks
Starring: Gene Wilder, Zero Mostel

I'm gonna go ahead and say that I love anything and everything that involves Gene Wilder, but this is truly a classic if you've never seen it.

I'm not even going to say anything else, just check it out already.

Tropic Thunder

Debut: 2008
Director: Ben Stiller
Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black

So I'm going to go ahead and freely admit that I am currently feeling a little mixed about this one, but I will probably see it again just to get it all.

As we know, it's a movie making fun of movies, a huge challenge that has rarely been pulled off successfully. I will say it's a challenge in this film to remember that while you're watching, and that if you don't specifically remember that, it's pretty easy to think it's not that great.

But, if you are watching it and realizing that every last bit of action is exaggerated and every last actor takes themselves too seriously, you will find it hilarious.

I'm gonna go ahead and say my favorite part, which you catch a glimpse of during the previews, is when their director (played by Steve Coogan) actually gets blown up by stepping on a land mine. Stiller's character convinces the others that this is just a stunt to make them believe the director is seriously, and starts playing with the prop head that is supposed to be the real head. It's kind of disgusting, but it's also hysterical.

I do think a lot of work ( A LOT) went into this film, and it's important to recognize that everything is there for a reason. Including Tom Cruise dancing his ass off in the final scene, which, if not for anything else, this film is worth seeing.

The Graduate

Debut: 1967
Director: Mike Nichols
Starring: Dustin Hoffman

I'm working on the classics, and I finally got to this baby. It was pretty all right. The story, as everyone knows, is about a boy who sleeps with a neighbor's wife, and then ends up dating and falling in love with her daughter.

I'm going to go ahead and say Dustin Hoffman was basically adorable when he was younger. After watching this I totally understand why it's such a big deal.

Aside from that, I'm amazed at the quality considering how long ago it was made. The whole movie is some kind of wonderful, so I'm just going to tell you to watch it for yourself.

Pineapple Express

Debut: 2008
Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco

In a word: amazing! So people can agree to disagree but I thought it was as funny as Superbad and Knocked Up. But everyone has agreed that it is pretty hilarious, and worth your time.

Seth Rogen plays Dale Denton, a process server who spends all his time smoking weed and has a girlfriend in high school (he's 25....) and Franco plays his drug dealer. One night, when smoking, Dale witnesses a murder, committed by Franco's dealer's dealer. After that, they're on the run.

It's pretty much an awesome movie and you definitely need to see it. I would say, at the least, it is the best of the Apatow bunch since Superbad - since a bunch of the other ones didn't go so well. Needless to say, two thumbs up. P.S. Bill Hader in the beginning = hysterical.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Empire

Debut: 2008
Director: Rob Cohen
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, Luke Ford

So this was pretty entertaining, and I don't often use entertaining and "good" interchangeably, and I won't in this case either. The movie keeps you occupied, but if you're a thinker, as I often am, you're going to find a lot wrong with the film.

There happened to be numerous plot holes and impossibilities (so many white people in China in the 1940s? Doubtful...) but it was worth watching.

That being said, I have to comment on this Luke Ford fellow. He's like a younger Matt Damon (exactly) and it's too adorable. I love it.

I have to say, going off of that, it was ridiculously annoying that this kid (who is clearly in his mid-20's) is playing Brendan Fraser's son. This is an all-too-common occurrence on the CW, yeah, but I would have thought better of the Mummy creators. They could have toned it down and found someone who was in their teens to play the son (although, again, I didn't totally mind...) but nuff said.

This one is more worth your time to rent than to shell out $9 to see in the theaters. P.S. the abominable snowmen (called Yettis) are AWESOME.