2012

The African Queen

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

John Cusak, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt

Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn

Zachary Levi, Wendie Malick, chipmunks

Roland Emmerich

John Huston

Betty Thomas

Premise

Follows the Emmerich formula of action, spectacle, and silliness to good results.  Between this and The Day After Tomorrow, Emmerich is becoming the modern-day Irwin Allen, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.  Diverting, fun, and energetic with soid performances from the ensemble.

Adaptation of the C.S. Forester novel featuring Bogart and Hepburn as a World War One-era odd couple determined to take out a German warship in East Africa with nothing but his dilapidated steamboat, The African Queen.  One of the true classics of American cinema, and the film for which Bogart won his only Academy Award as Best Actor.  Put simply, this belongs in everyone's DVD collection.

In this mega-hit that grossed over $200 million at the box office, the Chipmunks are back and in school!  Alvin and the gang enter a competition to save their school music program, but can they win the contest and save the day or will the new, female chipmunks, The Chipettes, steal their thunder?

Release

Date

March 2 from Sony

March 23 from Paramount

March 30 from 20th Century Fox

The Blind Side

Capitalism: A Love Story

An Education

Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Kathy Bates

Michael Moore

Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Emma Thompson

John Lee Hancock

Michael Moore

Lone Scherfig

Based on the 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, Sandra Bullock gives her Oscar-winning performance portraying the true story of Leigh Anne Tuohy, the adoptive mother of Michael Oher, right tackle for the Baltimore Ravens.  Bullock stretches herself as an actress, going way beyond her comfort zone of romantic comedies, and proves once and for all that she is one of Hollywood's top talents.  Interestingly enough, both of Bullock's 2009 hits, The Proposal being the other, were originally offered to Julia Roberts, who turned them down.

He's ba-ack...  As is customary with a Michael Moore documentary – OK, op-ed piece disguised as a documentary – Moore relentlessly skewers his usual targets, the rich and powerful corporate honchos, who benefit way too much at the expense of the "little guy," and the politicians they have in their pockets.  Unfortunately, Moore always undercuts his often-valid concerns with campy showboating and grandstanding that allows both his supporters and detractors to dismiss him as a far-left crackpot.  Was it really necessary to drive an armored truck up to bank headquarters and demand "our" money back?  It's cute, but all it does is drag his film down to sitcom level.

2009 was a good year for breakout roles by new actresses.  That year's other breakout actress, Carey Mulligan (who was also nominated as Best Actress at the recent Oscars), stars as a naive British schoolgirl who falls for the charms of a small-time criminal played by Peter Sarsgaard in 1961 England.  Based on the autobiographical writings of British journalist Lynn Barber.

Release

Date

March 30 from Sony Pictures Classics

March 23 from Warner Home Video

March 9 from Anchor Bay

Title

Precious:

Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Sherlock Holmes

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique

Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Launter

Lee Daniels

Guy Ritchie

Chris Weitz

The breakout actress of the year, Gabourey Sidibe, stars as the title character in the adaptation of the novel, Push, by acclaimed author and poet, Sapphire.  Sidibe, effortlessly portraying Claireece "Precious" Jones as both closed off and hopeful, carries the entire movie on her shoulders, and delivers the performance of a lifetime earning this first-timer an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.  Precious did win 2 Oscars – Best Supporting Actress for comedienne Mo'Nique as Precious' abusive mother, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Guy Ritchie reimagines Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick, Watson, much to the dismay of ardent Conan Doyle fans, but to the delight of the mass moviegoing public who ordinarily wouldn't be bothered with the character.  Breakneck pacing, over-the-top set pieces, and humor are the order of the day here, which make for an entertaining, if unfaithful, take on this iconic character.  Holmes purists will be repulsed, but action fans will dig Downey's and Law's performances and just may end up thinking Sherlock Holmes is cool.

Hit franchise based on the Twilight novels of Stephanie Meyer, this middle installment continues the relationship of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, the vampire played by Robert Pattinson.  Taylor Lautner gets a beefed-up role as his Jacob Black becomes a second potential love interest for Stewart's Bella.  The must-have DVD for any teenager and for a not-inconsiderable amount of adult fans as well.

Release

Date

March 9 from Lionsgate

March 30 from Warner Home Video

March 20 from Summit Entertainment

Up in the Air

George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Amy Morton

Jason Reitman

George Clooney's Oscar-nominated performance anchors this movie about a man who travels around the country firing people on behalf of bosses too cowardly to do it themselves.  Clooney's Ryan Bingham is a committed loner who lives his life free of both relationships and attachments to material things.  Will a proposal by his company to conduct the firings via Internet videoconference, thereby obviating the need for the travel Bingham loves so much, and a casual fling with Vera Farmiga's Alex Goran upend the carefully constructed lifestyle that Ryan Bingham has cultivated?

Release

Date

March 9 from Paramount