In this current state of cinema where Superheroes, remakes and mind numbing romantic comedies plot to overtake the box office every weekend; it’s refreshing to see a film that has heart and honestly cuts to the core of friendship and humanity.

Goodbye Solo is director Ramin Barhini’s genuine look into the life of two men who bring new definition to the term “unlikely friendship”.  William played by Red West, is a cantankerous old timer from the south who has deeply hidden secrets and wants to be left alone. Newcomer Souleymane Sy Savane portrays Solo, a Senegalese cab driver who has transplanted to Winston Salem, North Carolina to try and make a better life for himself and his family. When William enters Solo’s cab with a no questions asked  high paying proposition of taking him to a remote location in two weeks time; the good natured cabbie’s curiosity gets the best of him. What follows, is a life altering  journey that neither man could have predicted.

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Think of watching Disney’s Race to Witch Mountain as an exercise in mental stability. Not that it’s overly complicated or hard to understand, in fact it’s quite the opposite. The difficulty here is that the film tries to get away with so many things you finally just have to break down and go along for a 98 minute mundane ride or leave the theater.

Dwayne Johnson plays Jack Bruno, an ex-felon turned Vegas cab driver whose trying to stay on the straight and narrow. Enter two young aliens, (Anna Sophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig) who crash land on earth and must recover a secret device that holds the key to the survival of their home planet. Throw in Gary Marshall as a know it all UFO expert, Carla Gugino as Johnson’s love interest, and Ciaran Hinds as the ubber baddy government agent and what we have is a Saturday morning cartoon gone awry.

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As we journey into this new year of film, lets take a retrospective moment to soak up all that was seen last year and even before then. (humming Jeopardy theme song)… all finished? Good, now lets all remember why we go to the movies.

What have we come to expect from all the different genres that make up this wonderful world of cinema? More importantly what types of dribble keeps getting remade? There is now over 100 years to look back on and help us decide what constitutes great film making. Unfortunately, Hollywood keeps dumping crap on us and like pigs to the slaughter we mindlessly shell out our dough. Enough is enough people! So to help you out, here’s a handy guide for determining  if you’re 2009 film is fresh and ready for market, or got spoiled during filming and needs to be dumped in the garbage.

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Albanian terrorist sex trafficking young girls through Paris, check. An incredibly capable and pissed off father, check. A fully rewarding movie with excitement and danger around every turn… not so much. TAKEN has almost everything you could want in a high suspense action flick. I say almost because as was confirmed by other critics in a special midnight screening, ” it was good, but it could have been better”.

Liam Neeson stars as Bryan Mills, a recently retired CIA agent who wants nothing more than to make up for lost time and build a relationship with his now teenage daughter Kim (Maggie Grace). With some guilt ridden coercing from his bitter ex wife played by Famke Janssen, he reluctantly agrees to let her travel to Paris for a fun summer adventure. And as you might have guessed if you’ve seen the trailer, that’s when things go terribly wrong.

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Didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas? Well not to worry, because Hollywood is dropping off  some fantastic last minute gifts which are sure to brighten you Holiday spirits. The best of which may also be the longest in run time. The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons clocks in at 159 minutes, but as you’ll come to find out, every moment is well worth it.

Brad Pitt plays the title role of a New Orleans man who was born old and appears to be aging backwards. Under these “unusual circumstances” the young orphan starts off life with losing most of his friends, falling in love and having a surrogate mother who is at least sixty years his junior. Starting in the early 1920’s, the film evenly progresses through seven decades of life. All of which are filled with fate, destiny, and many colorful characters who help Benjamin along his journey. When we come to the end we are left with a story that is thoroughly complete, engaging, and easily enjoyable.

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As we’re coming to the close of 2008 let us do what Hollywood does best, let’s give out some awards!

Without further delay, here are the winners (we didn’t bother with the whole nominee part) of the first ever ScreenCrave BS Awards. We have the categories you really care about like “Who greenlit this piece of shit“ and many more.

And the awards go to….

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It used to be that there was only one man who could get away with calling a person of Asian decent both a “pussy” and a “gook,” and still make you laugh about it and respect him; that being Don Rickles. With his new movie Gran Torino, in which he both stars and directs, we can now add Clint Eastwood to the list.

Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a recently widowed Korean War veteran who in his words “just wants to be left alone.” But when his Hmong teenage neighbor tries to steal his prized muscle car on a gang initiation dare, Walt takes action. Action that sets in motion a chain of events  which will  bring him both new friends, and unavoidable circumstances with consequences even his tough guy persona may not be able to handle.

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Do you ever find yourself asking, where are all the documentaries that feature string quartets? To be honest, I don’t either. However, the folks over at First Run Features were kind enough to send one over for my viewing pleasure and thus began a journey into High Fidelity.

The Guarneri String Quartet is by all accounts the worlds longest running quartet of it’s kind. Made up of musicians Michael Tree, John Dalley Arnold Steindhart and David Soyer, this mix of viola, violins, and cello has been performing classical music together ever since their humble beginnings in 1964.

Taking place in the late 1980’s, we follow the quartet from each individuals home setting, to life on the road as they travel and perform for worldwide audiences. Even after so many years together there is still no distinct leader of the pack, and with each member having very strong opinions about the pieces they choose to play, no one is guaranteed anything.

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Just when you think Disney couldn’t possible impress you with another PG animated film, they somehow manage to pull a rabbit out of their hat. While not as cosmically mesmerizing as this summer’s WALL.E, Bolt definitely has the goods to make for a fun outing at the movies for both kids and adults.

With the help of his owner Penny (Miley Cyrus), Bolt (John Travolta) is a super powered canine with amazing powers trying to stop the evil Dr Calico (Malcom McDowell). Trouble is, Bolt doesn’t know he’s part of a TV show and that none of his adventures or powers are quite real. Enter the plot twist. Through a mishap at the studio where he works, our wonderdog finds himself far from Hollywood and out in the real world, where he must fend for himself without his amazing abilities. Throw in a street smart alley cat named Mittens (Susie Essman), an over the top fanboy hamster Rhino (Mark Walton), and we have the perfect scenario to help our four legged friend find his way back home and realize that you don’t need to be super to save the day.

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