New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

The Secret Life of Bees – Opens October 17th

Based on Sue Monk Kidd's 2002 debut novel of the same name, The Secret Life of Bees is a 1960s period piece set in South Carolina about a girl, Lily (the much grown-up Dakota Fanning), who flees with her stand-in mom, Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson), to a Southern town that may hold the key to her late mother's past. Taken in by a trio of beekeepers (Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo and R&B singer Alicia Keys), Lily also gets introduced into their secret world of bees and honey.

The trailer was a bit different from the everyday adaptation in that it is separated into two distinct sections. The first is the lighter of the two, where the giggling characters are introduced, accompanied by The Four Tops' "Baby I Need Your Loving." Then the main drama cuts into the fluff, filling audience members into the depths of where this one's headed. All in all a strong sneak peek to Fox Searchlight's latest. Paul Bettany also stars.

Grade: B-
Also expected to be released on this date: W., Sex Drive, Filth and Wisdom, Morning Light

Local Color – Opens November 7th

The trailer to Local Color is entirely too cliché for its own good. So much in fact that I became distracted while waiting to see what else the editors could pack in to such melodramatic storytelling. The film, set in 1974, is about an 18-year-old art student, John (Trevor Morgan), who befriends an old Russian man, Nicoli (Armin Mueller-Stahl), in hopes that he will teach him to paint. Unfortunately for the boy, the man already turned his back on art, and even life itself. But then, as the pair spends more and more time with one another, John slowly begins learning from the Nicoli, who in turn begins seeing life through innocent eyes again.

Sappy, right? Uh, yes. Where even to begin? It's the (hot) girlfriend of Nicoli, who just happens to be around the same age as John. It's the inspirational text that splices in between beautiful video and orchestrated soundtrack. It's the slow-motion kisses, slaps to the head and stares off into nothing in particular. When it comes right down do it, Local Color is something I'd downright never be interested in seeing.

Grade: D
Also expected to be released on this date: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Role Models, Repo! The Generic Opera, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Real Time – Opens TBA

If anything, Real Time certainly intrigues me. Starring Randy Quaid, Jay Baruchel and basically no one else, the drama is about a hit man, Reuben (Quaid), who gives a compulsive gambler, Andy (Baruchel), one hour to live for successfully coming up short on crucial debts. Set in real time (get it?), Andy sets out to perform his last actions on this planet, including nailing a hooker, seeking revenge on a former boss and getting reacquainted with his grandmother (all while searching for a childhood toy, of course).

It isn't the way many of us would want to spend our final hour on Earth, but who's to say we'd have it any other way? The preview ends with Reuben sticking a gun at Andy's head, presumably to kill him. Though something tells me Andy makes it out alive, since Reuben appears to have some skeletons in his own closet.

Grade: B+

Continued:       1       2