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Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn
Who: Armand Assante, William DeMeo, Cathy Moriarty, Ice-T, Vincent Pastore
What: A crime thriller starring William DeMeo as a convict recently released from prison. He's tempted to get right back into the criminal life, but also wants to do right by his family, and the decision he makes will have serious consequences.
When: June 18th - DVD and online on demand
Why: I'm not familiar with DeMeo, but I like Assante. I also noticed this as an infrequent movie appearance by Ice-T.

Quartet
Who: Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins, Michael Gambon, Sheridan Smith
What: Based on the play by Ronald Harwood, this is a light comedy about a retirement home for musicians. Courtenay, Connolly, and Collins play former opera singers preparing for an annual Verdi celebration. Maggie Smith plays the former wife of Courtenay and a diva soprano, who shows up and disturbs the trio but becomes part of their quartet. This is the directorial debut of Dustin Hoffman.
When: June 18th - DVD and online on demand
Why: There's a bunch of acting talent here, and the musical angle will appeal to some audiences as well. Smith was nominated for her performance by the Golden Globes. There's also the interest in seeing how Hoffman does behind the camera.

Side Effects
Who: Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Vinessa Shaw, Ann Dowd, director Steven Soderbergh
What: A psychological thriller about the effects of antidepressants. Mara's character tries to commit suicide and is treated for depression by Jude Law's psychiatrist. When the regular medications don't work, he prescribes a new experimental drug that solves the depression but results in sleep walking side effects and the murder of Mara's husband, played by Tatum. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Mara's former psychiatrist.
When: June 18th - DVD and online on demand
Why: Mara was great as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, so I'm interested in what she'll do with a more conventional character. I'm concerned, though, about Soderbergh directing - I loved Out of Sight and Ocean's Eleven, but his more recent movies like The Girlfriend Experience, The Informant!, Haywire, and even Contagion have been fairly boring.

Stoker
Who: Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Nicole Kidman, Dermot Mulroney, Jacki Weaver
What: A thriller starring Wasikowska as an 18-year-old named India Stoker who had been living with her father (Mulroney) until he dies suddenly, and she goes to live with her estranged mother (Kidman). Her traveling uncle (Goode) also shows up, and suddenly people start disappearing.
When: June 18th - DVD and online on demand
Why: I'm a big fan of Goode since I saw Imagine Me & You. I'm expecting him to be the highlight of the movie, playing a very twisted and charming character.

What I'm watching this week: This is why I enjoy doing these roundups: the movie I most want to see this week is one I've never heard of before. The Brass Teapot looks like fun both for the slapstick and for the cultural satire. The next movie I really want to see is Stoker because Matthew Goode looks like he could be a really twisted villain. Beautiful Creatures is one I want to see for the effects more than the plot, and even then I'm not sure it's going to be worth it. Similarly, Side Effects is one where I want to see it for Mara Rooney but I'm not sure I'll be impressed by the pacing of the movie overall. Quartet is a movie I feel compelled to watch for the acting talent, but I'm not sure it's be my style. In that same vein, I could imagine Open Road is decently acted but might be a little toothless for what I'm looking for. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Movie 43 looks like it's just too much, trying too hard to make a big deal about putting well-known actors in unusual circumstances. I have a rubbernecking interest in seeing it but I know it's going to be a car wreck. Once Upon a Time, Come Out and Play, and The Last Exorcism II are genre movies I won't have time to watch and won't really feel bad about missing them.

Coming next week:

The Call, The Kill Hole, No, Upside Down

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