New In Theaters: Dec 11

Wide Releases:
Invictus: The best looking Rugby movie ever, and as a bonus it finally brings Nelson Mandela to the big screen in what should be the feel good inspirational movie of the year.

Expanding into Wide Release:
The Princess and the Frog: After a 10 year drought, Disney finally returns to the formula that netted them a annual hit from 1989 to 1999, and I only wonder what took them so long.

Limited Releases:
The Lovely Bones: The director of the Lord of the Rings brings us a sharp looking thriller told from the unique point of view of a murder victim watching from the visually stunning afterlife.
Rocket Singh-Salesman of the Year: An everyman comedy coming to us from the exotic land of Bollywood, and unfortunately the trailer while charming, gives us nothing to go on.
A Single Man: A good wordless trailer, but one that leaves us wondering whether the final product can deliver in a meaningful way.
The Slammin' Salmon: Broken Lizards uninspired looking followup to the low brow but mildly funny Beerfest.

Pick of the Week: This is a tough one this week between Invictus and The Lovely Bones. If You asked me which film I thought would be better, the answer would be Invictus. It's a film from a proven director telling a familiar yet powerful story. But that's the problem; it plays it too safe. I know exactly what I'm getting myself into and ultimately that's less interesting than something like The Lovely Bones, which earns my pick of the week. This movie seems to be trying to approach the tired thriller genre from a new perspective. It's trying to tackle a depiction of the afterlife on film and all the metaphysical questions that go with it, and from the looks of its beautiful. But a film with this type of ambition has a much greater chance of falling flat on its face, or at least missing the mark on one or more goals creating an uneven experience. But I don't care because there's also a small chance it gets all right and we have something truly unique and special and magical. And that's why we go to the movies in the first place. Of course, The Lovely Bones has an extremely limited release for a while, so among the wide releases I say go ahead and see Invictus and I can just about guarantee a positive experience.

Invictus

I admit it. I'm a sucker for Hollywood's inspirational sports story. I don't care that it may be one of the most overused Hollywood story archetypes of all time. I don't care that Invictus will be released a mere 21 days after another inspirational sports story The Blind Side. And I'm not the only one either. Hollywood honored Rocky over the masterful Taxi Driver at the 1977 Oscars. The key to the genres success is the strong emotional resonance of the underdog. I don't think there's a person alive who hasn't at some point in their life felt like an underdog. There's a great emotional payoff to watching the underdog overcome his obstacles and not only succeed, but excel. It makes us feel like we can can overcome any puny obstacles in our life. It's like watching a version of ourselves succeed on screen. That's enough to get me to watch a film and enjoy it, but it's not enough to make the film truly worth recommending. Something needs to set it apart. It needs to raise the stakes.

Invictus tells the story of Nelson Mandella putting the unity of his country on the outcome of the World Cup. Uniting his country, black and white, behind rooting for this team. And the only way for that happen is for the team to win. That means every hit, pass, and scrum has the weight of a country's race relations behind it. Those are quite some stakes, and has the potential to create some truly exciting and powerful on and off field action. It truly matters; they're playing for more than just a trophy. It's more than just an underdog story; it's an underdog story that matters. This might just be the feel good movie of the awards season. That in combination with Eastwood at the helm should make it a contender for an Oscar. Expect an emotionally powerful crowd pleaser.

One more interesting note on the trailer. Where was Clint Eastwood's name? Doesn't his work over the past decade earn him the right to be featured in the film's marketing right alongside Damon and Freeman? His films have been perennial Oscar contenders since 2003, and the only mention of his name is at the end of the trailer during the credits screen. Does Hollywood think Eastwood has been too much of an art house director in recent years to sell a mainstream inspirational sports story? When this one opens to a smaller audience than the very similar The Blind Side, despite having 2 stars instead of one, and weaker competition, and a more interesting premise, I'll be the one saying I told you so.