Playing For Keeps versus... well everything that's already out in John Gosling's weekend movie preview (12-07-12).

The first weekend in December is generally noted as being one of the quietest of the entire cinema-going year. Studios are loathe to see a major release lost to people opting to get their Christmas shopping started (or finished). In 2011, there wasn't a single wide release on this weekend, while 2010 saw The Warrior's Way, which vanished as quickly as it had appeared. This year is no different, with just one solitary release in the guise of romantic comedy, Playing For Keeps. The story follows George, an ex-soccer player who returns home and ends up coaching his son's team, while at the same time trying to get his life back in order. As the new, good-looking guy in town, he finds himself having to contend with the not so pure intentions of the gorgeous soccer mums while attempting to reconcile with his ex-wife, who is about to get re-married. There's also a potentially life-changing job at ESPN in the offing, if George is willing to leave his son behind once more. Director Gabriele Muccino got his start in Hollywood on the 2006 Will Smith drama, The Pursuit of Happyness, but had been directing in Europe a number of years prior that. 

Mega-spoilers aside, Carrie remake gets a potent teaser.

On one hand, this is a very very effective horror teaser.  The imagery is terrifying and the build-up is genuinely creepy.  On the other hand, it does blatantly give away the finale for the young kids who don't know their Stephen King and/or Brian De Palma history (to be fair, it's not like the original film's marketing hid the finale back in the day).  On one hand, you could argue that the Carrie story has an added timeliness in the wake of yet more bullying-related tragedies of late.  On the other hand, the original book/movie was as much about sexual repression and religious fundamentalism as it was about a shy and awkward girl being picked on.  Is there any chance that a mainstream film in 2013 will be as blunt about the story's sexual content as the 1976 film was?  Still, director Kimberly Peirce's claim to fame is the ever-so-slightly similar Boys Don't Cry which remains a one of the better films of its type.  I'm not sure the world needs another Carrie.  But I'm also willing to allow that a remake of Carrie will have more to offer than a remake of Robocop, so I'll try to keep my pessimism in check for now.  Plus, any movie that stars Chloe Grace Moretz and Judy Greer has my automatic interest.  Anyway, if you already know the ending, do check out this rather good teaser.  Carrie opens March 15th, 2013.  As always, we'll see.

Scott Mendelson

Review: Oscar hopes aside, The Descendants (2011) is one of the year's best films.

The Descendants
2011
115 minutes
rated R

by Scott Mendelson

The problem with the movies that are released this time of year is that they are examined in terms of their Oscar potential first and their quality as a film second.  Thus, upon viewing, we often have to remind ourselves to actually watch and critique the movie we are watching, rather than mentally dissecting whether or not it has the 'right stuff' to take home Oscar gold.  I don't know how well Alexander Payne's The Descendants is going to fare in the various year-end awards races.  It is currently among the front-runners, but as Heath Ledger and David Fincher could tell you, it's all about who is in the lead when the race stops.  But putting that aside, let me state that The Descendants actually deserves to be discussed as a front runner.  Not because of its pedigree, its release date, or its Oscar-friendly narrative, but because it is indeed one of the best films of 2011.