9:

For those who thought “WALL-E” was the last word in animated post apocalyptic entertainment for kids here’s a dark fable about a war ravaged world populated by brave burlap dolls (numbered 1 through 9) and terrifying machines. It’s cool sci fi for kids with imaginative characters and lots of action that doesn’t talk down to its audience.

PONTYPOOL:

In Bruce MacDonald’s Pontypool, the townsfolk of a small Ontario town are infected by a deadly virus on St. Valentine’s Day. At the center of the movie’s action is actor Stephen McHattie whose intense performance makes up for the movie’s lack of gory thrills. For once the old cliché that what you can’t see is more terrifying that what you can actually see rings true.

DUPLICITY:

Duplicity is a different kind of spy thriller. It’s a romantic comedy about espionage. Imagine if Rock Hudson and Doris Day had starred in Mission Impossible and you get the idea. Written and directed by Tony Gilroy, it stars Julia Roberts and Clive Owen—last seen on-screen together in 2004’s Closer—as romantically involved former secret agents who play a dangerous, sexy game with corporate secrets.

TWO LOVERS:

In Two Lovers, which Joaquin Phoenix claims will be his last film, he hands in a towering performance that is simultaneously quietly intense and tortured. Two Lovers is set in Brighton Beach, a small community on Coney Island, New York. Phoenix is Leonard, a man left devastated by a recent break-up. Two Lovers moves slowly but for those willing to stay with the film’s reflective pace there are rewards.

STATE OF PLAY:

State of Play is an all star two hour movie based on a popular six hour British miniseries. Starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams, it’s a fast-paced thriller that harkens back to the grand old days of investigative reporter movies like The China Syndrome which mixed complex, compelling stories with action and suspense.

IS ANYBODY THERE?:

Is Anybody There?, the coming-of-age and old age story of Edward, a death-obsessed youngster (Son of Rambow’s Bill Miner) and Clarence, a prickly vaudevillian (Michael Caine) who has grudgingly entered the old age home run by Edward’s parents is a quietly film about growing up and growing old, that is by turns gently humorous, melancholy and most of all, heartfelt.  

ONE WEEK:

One Week tells the story of Ben Tyler (Joshua Jackson), a frustrated writer turned elementary school teacher. He’s on autopilot until he learns that he has stage four cancer but rather than go straight to the hospital and the inevitable, he buys a motorcycle and heads west from Toronto on a road trip that takes him to the western most parts of our country.

MOON:

In Moon Sam Rockwell is astronaut Sam Bell, a Lunar Industries employee living and working on a space station on a three year contract. His only companion is a robot / cup holder named Gerty (voiced by the appropriately named Kevin Spacey. The loneliness of the job is broken, however, when he discovers that he may not be truly alone. Moon—which could easily have been retitled ***SPOILER ALERT*** The Clone Wars: This Time It’s Personal for commercial purposes—is a promising debut from a new director name Duncan Jones and a reminder of how good Sam Rockwell is.

50 DEAD MEN WALKING:

50 Dead Men Walking is a true story based on the life of Martin McGartland, a twenty-two-year-old recruited by the British police to infiltrate and spy on the IRA. It’s been described as a Belfast Donnie Brasco and is buoyed by good performances from Jim Sturgess and co-star Ben Kingsley (unfortunate wig excluded) coupled with a provocative, powerful story.    

PAPER HEART:

In Paper Heart comedian Charlene Yi sets out to discover the true meaning of love using a mix of real interviews—the man-on-the-street stuff is genuine—and improv from Yi and love interest Michael Cera. There are some very funny moments contained within—a little girl describing true love as “taking someone to Applebees for hot wings” is priceless in a Kids Say the Darndest Things kind of way—but the film really shines when it loses some of its schticky edge and shows real feelings.