افلام

Wanted Wanted Director: Timur Bekmambetov Stars: Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman (Full Cast) Studio: Universal Pictures The Plot: When Wesley Gibson (McAvoy) discovers his recently murdered father was an elite assassin, the young man is recruited into his father's old organization and trained by a man named Sloan (Freeman) to follow in his dad's footsteps. THE BUZZ: Timur Bekmambetov's English-language debut is similar in theme to his criminally mismarketed Night Watch, except Wanted is spun off from a pottymouthed comic serial darker in nature than V for Vendetta and Sin City combined.

WALL·E WALL·E Director: Andrew Stanton Stars: Ben Burtt, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard (Full Cast) Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures The Plot: A trash-compacting robot sets off on an adventure to discover the meaning of life. THE BUZZ: Number Five is alive and animated. According to legend, this film is the last of the leftover projects the Incredibles crew chewed over during an infamous lunch date back in 1994 that spawned several Oscars for Pixar and Disney. Now the 'toon twosome are poised for another box office return that's out of this world (and hopefully still doing lunch together).

Brick Lane Brick Lane [limited] Director: Sarah Gavron Stars: Tannishtha Chatterjee, Satish Kaushik, Christopher Simpson (Full Cast) Studio: Sony Pictures Classics The Plot: 18-year-old Nazneen (Chatterjee) is brought from Bangladesh to London for an arranged marriage with the middle-aged Chanu (Kaushik). As the years press on, Nazneen finds herself a mother of two installed in a loveless relationship, though the arrival of a Muslim radical (Simpson) might be just the circumstance to help her find the strength to live life on her own terms. THE BUZZ: Back in 2003, Monica Ali's wildly successful debut novel was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize, the same award for which the novel versions of Notes on a Scandal and Atonement both competed. Both something happened in the translation from page to screen, since the hotly anticipated immigrant drama has failed to generate much heat from the festival circuit (an essential ingredient in getting U.S. art-house types to pay attention). Read a couple reviews from both sides of the pond.

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Kit Kittredge: An American Girl [limited] Director: Patricia Rozema Stars: Abigail Breslin, Stanley Tucci, Joan Cusack (Full Cast) Studio: New Line Cinema The Plot: Young Kit Kittredge (Breslin) looks to weigh in on the Great Depression by having the story she's written about the era published in Cincinnati's major newspaper. THE BUZZ: Ugh, a drama based on a popular line of dolls, set in the Great Depression?! Grapes of Bratz?

The Love Guru The Love Guru Director: Marco Schnabel Stars: Mike Myers, Jessica Alba, Romany Malco (Full Cast) Studio: Paramount Pictures The Plot: Pitka (Meyers) an American raised outside of his country by gurus, returns to the States in order to break into the self-help business. His first challenge: To settle the romantic troubles and subsequent professional skid of a star hockey player (Malco) whose wife left him for a rival lover (Timberlake) before the NHL Stanley Cup. THE BUZZ: This level of character-based humor might expose Meyers as a player whose time has come and gone. And don't get us started on Guru's convoluted premise and the fact that the trailer doesn't take the time to let you know how Jessica Alba fits into the story. The only things that excite us here: (1) The presence of Weeds standout Romany Malco (even if he's styled like a Delirious-era Eddie Murphy) and (2) Justin Timberlake looking ready to steal scenes.

Get Smart Get Smart Director: Peter Segal Stars: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Alan Arkin (Full Cast) Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures The Plot: Maxwell Smart (Carrell), Agent 86 for CONTROL, battles the forces of KAOS with the more-competent Agent 99 (Hathaway) at his side. THE BUZZ: Hmmm... Mel Brooks and Buck Henry as reinterpreted by the guys who wrote Failure to Launch.... Where's KAOS when you really need them? Still, we give courageous snaps to the nice casting, but weren't Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 supposed to be romantic foils? Carell, handsome as he is, seems more suited to playing Hathaway's father than her boyfriend. We'll be watching Office reruns and the Devil Wears Prada DVD instead, thanks.

Quid Pro Quo Quid Pro Quo [limited] Director: Carlos Brooks Stars: Nick Stahl, Vera Farmiga (Full Cast) Studio: Magnolia Pictures The Plot: A semi-paralyzed reporter (Sthal) is sent out to investigate a story that first leads him into an odd subculture, and then lured on a journey of disturbing self-realization by a beautiful, mysterious woman (Farmiga). THE BUZZ: Cronenberg fans, pay attention: Carlos Brooks's directorial debut generated hotel-lobby buzz at Sundance this year for its provocative weirdness that sends Nick Stahl on a body-altering journey. And who could blame him, since we'd follow Vera Farmiga just about anywhere -- even to the point of paralysis. "What?" I heard you say. Watch the trailer, read a thumbs-up review, and hope this one plays near you.

The Happening Director: M. Night Shyamalan Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo (Full Cast) Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation The Plot: A family is on the run after natural disaster threatens the entire planet. THE BUZZ: If tinfoil hats shield people from the effects of electromagnetic fields, alien mind control and watching Lady in the Water, then Shyamalan fans have nothing to worry about here. 'Cause aside from the alleged troubles he faced trying to get this script off the ground, M. Night's bigger obstacle may be getting audiences to forget about those silly scants and snarfs. But the second trailer definitely has my attention (and the redband trailer nearly made me cover my eyes), and we can agree that Mark Wahlberg can turn the weakest sauce into something tasty. Plus, indie queen Zooey Deschanel will attract hip boys and girls alike. Then there's John Leguizamo, who deserves a fat paycheck. Will Shyamalan earn street cred with a gritty, hard-won success? And though we know Wahlberg is an Academy Award-trademarked nominee and a Serious Actor these days, we can't help but find this our favorite moment in the new trailer:

The Incredible Hulk The Incredible Hulk Director: Louis Leterrier Stars: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth (Full Cast) Studio: Universal Pictures The Plot: Geneticist Bruce Banner (Norton) takes flight in order to understand -- and hopefully cure -- that the condition that turns him into a monster. Complicating his situation is the military initiative that wants him captured and controlled, as well as the arrival of a more-deadly nemesis: The Abomination. THE BUZZ: One of the reasons the Marvel Universe is the hottest Hollywood territory is because of their note-perfect casting. With Edward Norton ascending to the role he almost nabbed the first time around, we can finally let Ang Lee's Hulk rest and consider this movie the first in a sure-shot franchise. Transporter director Louis Leterrier is working off a screenplay by Zak Penn (who is now working on the Captain America and Avengers scripts), so we knew from day one that the action will be ratcheted way up (uhh, check!), without sacrificing too much characterization. But because this is an Internet-supported movie, there's very little we don't know about it sight unseen. So, what can we ask? Well, did you hear that the film's third act will include a 26-minute Hulk vs. Abomination fight sequence? (Leterrier let's it rip here.) Ummm, did you also read that CHUD article that let it be known there's a handful of easter-egg characters to be found throughout the film? P.S. If you were following the whole screenplay drama, Norton's no longer getting credit for it, just Penn is.

When Did You Last See Your Father? When Did You Last See Your Father? [limited] Director: Anand Tucker Stars: Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth, Juliet Stevenson (Full Cast) Studio: Sony Pictures Classics The Plot: Writer Blake Morrison (Firth) meditates on his relationship with his father, Arthur (Broadbent), during his dad's final weeks battling terminal cancer. THE BUZZ: Aside from the on-screen pairing of Firth and Broadbent, more reasons to see WDYLSYF? are: director Anand Tucker, who took 7 years to follow up Hilary and Jackie with the sublime Shopgirl, and screenwriter David Nicholls, who adapted Morrison's novel and also adapted his own novel for the little-seen and totally-worth-watching Starter for Ten. Read some hometown reviews if you'd like.