ABCs at the Movies: The Doubles Round!

[oilgun]

A limo driver's blind date sparks a tale of love, betrayal, friendship, and grace centered around two working-class New York City couples.

Director: Phillip Seymor Hoffman




PS:  Every time I open this page I see Zac Efron's giant head.  It's very disturbing.

[memento]

From IMDB: I can't say enough about this wonderful little film! It is so human and so real and filled with rich dialog. It's like "Terms of Endearment," or "As Good as it Gets" with a gay angle. I mention these James L. Brooks gems because it reminded me of those films in that it had the same type of natural, humanistic and humorous touches in dealing with serious issues. Believe me this not easy to pull off these days and the cast has a lot to do with it including the kids. But also the script is great it's so full of honesty and humor. But here we are in 2010 and we finally get a film that portrays a gay couple as 'human beings' warts and all Wow what a concept.

I realize that this film is preaching to the converted in a lot of ways but I bet if a lot of more conservative people were to check out this film it would make them think twice about judging others….well some of them anyway. It really is that good.
Some people here on IMDb are annoyed or angry about the bisexual subplot in the film. I personally thought it was hilarious and kind of hot! I was however a bit perplexed at how it goes somewhat unresolved in the end but ultimately didn't ruin the film for me because as Julianne Moore's character states earlier in the film "human sexuality is complicated." No one is perfect but everybody seems to learn something about their lives including Mark Ruffalo's character and as far as movies go these days that may be as good as it gets!

[southendmd]

Maggie (Ann Hathaway) is an alluring free spirit who won't let anyone - or anything - tie her down. But she meets her match in Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal), whose relentless and nearly infallible charm serve him well with the ladies and in the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and Jamie's evolving relationship takes them both by surprise, as they find themselves under the influence of the ultimate drug: love. Based on Jamie Reidy's memoir "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman."

[oilgun]

A reformed ex-convict and lowrider car aficionado kicks his beloved son out of the house after discovering that the boy has been living a secret life. In this Sundance Film Festival veteran Peter Bratt's heartfelt family drama, Che (Benjamin Bratt) is out of prison and on the straight and narrow. Still, every day is a struggle as he battles alcoholism and drives a bus in order to support his family. When the workday is done, Che and his friends, the "Mission Boyz," pass the time by restoring junked cars to mint condition. Feared by his peers yet deeply respected as the toughest Chicano on the block, Che is the kind of guy whose entire existence is defined by his macho reputation. There's no one in the world that Che loves more than his adolescent son, Jesse (Jeremy Ray Valdez), but both father and son are about to discover that love isn't exactly unconditional. Upon discovering that Jesse has been living a secret life, Che flies into a violent rage, assaulting the boy and kicking him out onto the street. Meanwhile, Che's attractive and headstrong neighbor Lena (Erika Alexander) challenges the ultra-macho gearhead to step back for a minute and take stock of the life he thought he had. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide


Note: Wikipedia says 2009 but IMDb says 2010.

[memento]

As children, Ruth, Kathy and Tommy, spend their childhood at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As they grow into young adults, they find that they have to come to terms with the strength of the love they feel for each other, while preparing themselves for the haunting reality that awaits them.

[southendmd]

A tale of two gangsters from the eras of past and present, whose lives enter parallel paths as they struggle to survive within Bombay's criminal underworld.

[oilgun]

A criminal on the run cons his way into the wrong dinner party where the host is anything but ordinary.

Career criminal John [Clayne Crawford] discovers the LAPD is in hot pursuit after robbing a bank. Even though he believes he has been careful not to link the crime back to him they know his name. They even know what kind of car he is driving. Desperate to get off the streets he cons his way into Warwick's [David Hyde Pierce] home. He pretends to be a friend of Warwick's, Julia, after reading a postcard in his mail she sent from Australia. Warwick seems friendly enough, if not a bit on the gentle and soft side. He offers a glass of wine, use of his phone to call John's 'Cousin' or the airline to locate his 'lost luggage', eventually inviting him to stay for a dinner party Warwick is hosting that evening.

But early into the evening John's lies are exposed he's forced to escalate the encounter into a full-scale home invasion, holding Warwick hostage with a kitchen carving knife. John orders Warwick to cancel his dinner party. He just needs to lay low for a while and collect his thoughts; he'll be gone by the morning. But John will discover very quickly that he is not the most dangerous person in the house. The night is still young and the party is just about to get started.
Continues:  http://twitchfilm.net/reviews/2010/07/the-perfect-host.php

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6W8e2tdZ3k[/youtube]
"You can't kill me!  I'm having a dinner party!"

[Fran]

Plot:  A comedy about a veteran NYPD cop whose rare baseball card is stolen. Since it's his only hope to pay for his daughter's upcoming wedding, he recruits his partner to track down the thief, a memorabilia-obsessed gangster.

[memento]

IMB: Film follows the cool, emotionless Erica, who dives into bed with any man she meets. When she is offered a job in a DIY store in Austin, she discovers the kindness of strangers, but also the gruesome shadowy side of it.

[oilgun]

From IMDb:
On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history... but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.