Remember Me * * *

Starring Robert Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin, Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, Tate Ellington, Ruby Jerins

Rated PG-13

Directed by Allen Coulter

Written by Will Fetters

* * *

“Remember Me” opens on a New York City subway in 1991 and continues ten years later with two young 21-year-olds, Ally Craig and Tyler Hawkins. Both have suffered through the tragic death of family members and after meeting, it doesn’t take long for them to tumble headlong into a heated romance.

Robert Pattinson is dark and brooding (something new and different) as Tyler, struggling with the death of his brother and the disconnect that exists within his family. Ally (Emilie de Ravin) is a breath of fresh air in the stale and meaningless life that he seems headed for. Chemistry between the tiny de Ravin and scruffy Pattinson is sexy and sweet.

Even though disaster darkens the past for both Ally and Tyler, it also looms ahead, completely unbeknownst to them. But living in the moment and feeling the pain as well as the pleasure makes them feel more alive than ever before.

Pattinson easily slips into the roll of grungy Tyler; it’s questionable whether he washes his hair throughout the filming of the entire movie. Despite Tyler’s filthy college apartment, rumpled wardrobe and questionable hygiene, Pattinson still oozes an irrepressible charm.

Pierce Brosnan is perfectly horrible as Tyler’s dirty rich lawyer father. He’s a man who hides behind his grand office and job title and who seems to care little for his brilliant daughter and drowning son.

Besides his dim-witted roommate Aidan, Tyler’s 11-year-old sister is his one beacon of happiness before meeting Ally. Caroline (Ruby Jerins) is an outcast in her own upper east side school, a freak for her dreamy personality and advanced drawing skills.

The ending of “Remember Me” is staggering and shockingly unexpected. The smaller picture of two families coping through grief suddenly explodes, bringing the tragedy they endure to a larger scale than anyone could have imagined.

“Remember Me” isn’t just a story about falling in love or dealing with grief or hating your family. It sends the message that, although we may be one small person in a vast world, our imprint will still be left behind; albeit a small one, but an impossibly important one.

Valentine's Day * *

Starring Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, Taylor Swift, Taylor Lautner, Shirley MacLaine, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner, Patrick Dempsey, Jessica Alba, Queen Latifah, Bradley Cooper, Emma Roberts, Jamie Foxx

Rated PG-13

Directed By Gary Marshall

Written by Katherine Fugate

* *

For a film that will attract audiences solely with its A-list cast, “Valentine’s Day” delivers easy-to-follow plotlines and even a few twists at the end. The remainder is fairly predictable and sweet, but without much depth.

The cast includes everyone from Shirley MacLaine to McDreamy to Julia Roberts to Taylor Lautner, and that may be where “Valentine’s Day” hits the jackpot: with stars of all ages. Audiences young and old can find a plotline to relate to, as well as some silly and wacky ones to make them laugh.

The best storylines involve demure Julia Roberts and beguiling Bradley Cooper, plane passengers each heading for someone special. The younger actors, Emma Roberts, Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner, as well as Carter Jenkins, play two high school couples whose Valentine’s Day mishaps and banter provide for the funniest scenes. Ashton Kutcher is quite believable as an endearing, sometimes sickeningly romantic florist shop owner.

Director Gary Marshall is no rookie to the genre of feel-good romantic comedies. He also directed films such as “Pretty Woman,” “The Princess Diaries,” and “The Other Sister.” While the film has a happy ending,it doesn’t leave the audience with any great revelations or Valentine’s Day quandaries. Almost every character finds love, except for two. Neither seem incredibly happy. Where are the single girls and guys living it up and content with being alone on Valentine’s Day?

“Valentine’s Day” is like a box of chocolates, pretty to look at, delicious at first bite (and second and third), but what’s left behind is a belly-ache and an unsatisfied feeling that's hard to place.

* *

Avatar * * * * *

Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez, Joel Moore

Rated PG-13

Directed by James Cameron

Written by James Cameron

Escape to Pandora, where wondrous creatures and lush plant life exist, all lit from within by the web of energy that unites each organism. The Na‘vi people of planet Pandora have a profound connection to nature, worlds apart from the futuristic technology and weaponry of Earthlings. The Na‘vi way of life is simpler and yet more complex biologically than humans can imagine. James Cameron’s masterpiece is as captivating as it is immensely creative.

U.S. Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is sent to take on the job his dead twin brother was trained to fulfill: direct the body of an “avatar” modeled after the Na‘vi peoples. Unlike his brother though, Sully is confined to a wheelchair and he relishes the freedom of his avatar body immediately. At first his mission is to learn the secrets of the “savages,” and convince them to leave their land. The military corporation based in Pandora plans to tear apart that land, for directly beneath it lies a mineral worth millions of dollars. As Sully adjusts to his avatar body, he comes to understand the nature of the Na'vi way of life. He falls in love with their world, with their spirituality, with their connection to all living things…and with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the daughter of the tribe leader. Sully questions his own reality as his purpose in life takes on new meaning.

Stepping into the world of Avatar is equivocal to bathing in cool waters on a hot day. Experiencing the connection, love and strength within the Na‘vi people is a balm to the raw monotony of everyday life, where commercialism rules and spiritually and a deeper connection to nature often seem all but lost. A kind of virtual reality with the most engaging characters and an incandescent backdrop, “Avatar” is an astounding peek into the nature of our ways and the future of film.

The Blind Side***

Starring Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Ray McKinnon, Jae Head, Lily Collins and Kathy Bates.

Rated PG-13

Directed by John Lee Hancock

Screenplay by John Lee Hancock

Based on the book written by Michael Lewis

* * *

The Blind Side is a peek into the true story of NFL offensive linebacker Michael Oher and the woman who changed his life. Based in Mississippi, Oher, or "Big Mike," is a lost, homeless teenager who finds home sweet home in a rather unlikely place. Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), an elite southerner with a big heart takes Oher (Quinton Aaron) under her wing and pushes him to do his best in school and on the football field.

Bullock fills the shoes of Leigh Anne Tuohy flawlessly. Just as she shows viewers her serious side in 2004's Crash, The Blind Side is a soulful, deep story of a mother who reaches across the boundaries of race and class to rescue a forlorn child and love him as one of her own. Bullock actually shadowed the real-life Leigh Anne Tuohy and her family, so she could portray her perfectly polished, blonde-coifed, pearl-sporting, uppercrust character as closely as possible.

Tim McGraw plays Mr. Tuohy, the supportive husband who seems content to let his wife wear the pants, and who supports all of her decisions, no matter how crazy they seem. Both McGraw and Bullock come from the south, so playing southern-bred characters isn't such a stretch.

The relatively unknown Quinton Aaron, who stars as Michael Oher, has a quiet role. Oher is portrayed as a gentle bear of a boy who, despite learning disabilities is intelligent and incredibly protective of his family. Kathy Bates is Miss Sue, Oher's tutor, who not only helps him in high school, but also follows him to college!

The film is sweet, endearing and inspiring. It focuses not just on football, but on the unique relationship between Mrs. Tuohy and Oher.

New Moon***

Starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Michael Sheen, Dakota Fanning.

Rated PG-13

Directed by Chris Weitz

Screenplay written by Melissa Rosenberg (based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer)

* * *

Bravo to the film crew of New Moon for once again sticking very close to the storyline of Stephenie Meyer's novel New Moon, the second installment in the Twilight series.

Despite having fewer lines than in the first film, Robert Pattinson still pulls ahead of the pack as the premiere acting talent. There is a sort of beautiful, old-school aura that surrounds him. He has palpable talent and fits seamlessly into his role as Edward Cullen.

Kristen Stewart earns some kudos for a slight development in her acting skills since the first film, although she still comes aross as stiff and unfeeling while running most of her lines. Even though Bella Swan is meant to be emotionless and empty, there doesn't seem to be a huge amount of depth to Stewart as an actor at any point in the film. Somehow though it works, since arguably, there isn't a whole lot of depth to the character Bella anyway. It would be a challenge for any actor to wail away laboriously, portraying the misery Bella experiences in the film. Stewart's moans and screams are akin to fingernails scratching across a blackboard: unnecessary, strained, and uncomfortable. Billy Burke,who plays Charlie Swan, Bella's dad, provides the only real comic relief in the film.

Taylor Lautner is the brightest star of New Moon (or maybe it's just his rock-hard abs!) His sweet, unassuming character and honest, straight-forward acting are incredibly endearing. Lautner had to fight to keep his role as Jacob Black in New Moon, packing on 30 pounds of pure muscle. He flawlessly steps up to the plate and slams the ball out of the park. Twilight fans won't be disappointed in his portrayal of Jacob Black. He is equal competition for vampire Edward Cullen, brown and warm to Edward's pale and cold.

The CGI wolves in the film are impressibly life-like and the Volturi are delightfully terrifying with the help of Michael Sheen as the cunning Aro and Dakota Fanning as tiny but deadly Jane. The cast and crew came together with great respect for Meyer's storyline and work to make the best adaption of the book they can. It's a movie that is pleasing to the eye, the mind and the heart all together. The wrath and all-consuming power of the Twilight series is only just beginning.

2012***

Starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetal Ejiofor, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton and Thomas McCarthy.

Rated PG-13.

Directed by Roland Emmerich.

Written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser

* * *

2012 is a blank canvas which German director Roland Emmerich has splattered with a thick, brilliant assortment of colors, exploding like fireworks in great disarray. He has thrown everything onto the canvas but the kitchen sink. For his viewers, he holds nothing back. Disasters of every kind burst onto the screen, from crushing tidal waves that swallow cities whole, to volcanic eruptions the size of mushroom clouds and earthquakes that split highways in two and bring sky scrapers crashing to the ground. There’s no real order or finesse to the art of the film, but it’s great fun to watch the plot of 2012 unfold.

The lives of a smattering of characters, including author Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), the president of the United States, Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover), top geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), White House Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt), and the president’s daughter, Laura Wilson (Thandie Newton), are irrevocably changed when they learn the end of the world is within arm’s reach. All characters battle the elements, but only a few reach China, where their sole chance for survival exists in the form of massive arks, constructed to sustain the wrath of Mother Nature. But seats on the arks have been pre-sold to the highest bidders, leaving thousands upon thousands of people to perish around the earth.

The characters and acting skills aren’t very intriguing throughout the film, but fantastic special effects and dramatic events pop up around every corner. The actors aren’t the stars of the film; it’s the great tidal waves and earthquakes that bring that brilliant color to the canvas. The power of Mother Nature is terrifying because it can’t be stopped. As far-fetched as the basis of 2012 may seem, the truth of the matter is, the story is not impossible. That’s where Emmerich grabs the audience, taunts their fears and delights their senses with the sounds and images of unstoppable disaster.

The film is rather lengthy, and some of the characters can be a bit grating, but it’s a dazzling escape from reality for 158 minutes. 2012 is a (really long) roller coaster ride that leaves you dizzy, but ultimately riding high on the pulsating thrill of “What if?”

Whip It ****

Starring Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Alia Shawkat, Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, Landon Pigg, Jimmy Fallon and Andrew Wilson.

Rated PG-13.

Directed by Drew Barrymore.

Screenplay and novel written by Shauna Cross (a former roller derby girl herself!)

* * * *

Whip It is a completely brilliant, exciting ride not to miss. The characters are fresh and totally loveable and the story is hip and chock full of understated girl power.

Bliss (Ellen Page) lives in the tiny Texas town of Bodeen. She’s alternative by nature, waitresses at the local burger diner, the Oink Joint, and her best friend, Pash (Alia Shawkat), is her partner in crime: all attitude and major curves to Bliss’s willowy, awkward frame. The film is set in modern time but has a retro charm to it that one only experiences when stepping far away from the major metropolises of America. There are two style themes within the film: a free and bohemian, groovy 70s vibe found at the concerts and roller derbies the two girls attend. The other is reflected in the beauty pageants Bliss’s mother (Marcia Gay Harden) forces her to partake in. They are reminiscent of the prim and proper women’s world of the 50s. Bliss goes along with her mother’s $600 dresses and pageant primping, but her grungy 80s rocker style speaks for the rebel in her.

She finds her true calling in a roller skating team full of confident, vivacious chicks who unleash the tough, hardcore feminine side of Bliss.

She also finds love with a musician, Oliver, whose style mirrors her own, played by singer/songwriter Landon Pigg. Their sweet romance is palpable and lovely to watch. The love scene they share beneath the clear blue waters of the community pool is one of the coolest, plainly sexy ever.

The roller skating chicks are made up of stars like Eve, Kristin Wiig, Juliette Lewis, and the director herself, Drew Barrymore. Jimmy Fallon, Andrew Wilson and Daniel Stern add some Y chromosome to the mix as the roller derby announcer, head coach, and Bliss’s father, respectively.

Amusing to the nth degree, laugh-out-loud funny, edgy and charming, Whip It could be one of the most satisfying films of the fall.

This is the kind of film you walk out of with a smile on your face and a rush of empowerment flowing through your veins.