I've seen a few of this week's releases already. The one I was most interested in beforehand, Bullet to the Head at first seemed like a disappointment, but I came to enjoy it for one of Stallone's darker characters. I just wish he'd had better treatment. Similarly, Olympus Has Fallen seemed to promise much better Die Hard action than A Good Day To Die Hard actually did, but the plot just ruins it. Also, the movie is just dark and dour while its companion White House Down seems brighter and more upbeat. Robert Redford has a strong award pedigree, as do other actors in The Company You Keep. I wouldn't call the movie one of his strongest in that regard, but it is very watchable. If you're looking for award candidates, 42 seems like the best bet. I'm looking forward to that one to see Boseman's performance as Jackie Robinson, Harrison Ford's performance as a cranky old man who actually has a point, and for the history lesson. Emperor also looks to serve as a history lesson. I wouldn't expect to see any award consideration for this, but Tommy Lee Jones as General MacArthur seems like a good casting idea to me. If you're willing to go for darker drama, the emotional swings of What Maisie Knew look to be impressive. If that proves to be too much of a damper on the evening, maybe the lighter comedy of The Hot Flashes will serve as an antidote.

Amour, Rapture-palooza, Scary Movie 5, Shadow Dancer, Trance, Twixt, Vampire