Trance

James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson and Vincent Cassel team up in Danny Boyle's new film about a stolen Goya, a hypnotherapist, a gang that uses torture, and twisty turns and backflashes and hocus pocus "is it real or isn't it" stuff. Now, I didn't like Inception because of all the stuff that could not POSSIBLY have happened and the crappy scene in the middle with all the fighting. I didn't like Memento because there were real cracks in the logic. REAL cracks. But if you liked those two movies, you'll probably like this one. We spent about a half hour after seeing this debating what really  happened and the order it happened in. Yep- it's that sort of movie. What really helps is the cast is great. So if you get lost, you just watch them act for a while until you can catch back up. I thought it was pretty good- I wouldn't have been sad to have missed it entirely though. I like thought provoking movies but not movies where I have to actually figure out what is happening. There is a difference.Some critics called it "sleek"- I would say it is more like a box of hidden trinkets, and it is up to you to dump it out and see what is there.  So go see it if you like disjointed movies- don't go see it if you don't. There. Ta da.

The Place Beyond The Pines

There's good, there's great and there's some not so good. But overall, this movie really should have a wide audience. First, the not so good- it is too long. The first half of the film takes too long to establish something the audience all ready figures out- that Luke (Ryan Gosling) is a big screw up and it won't end well for him. The good is that the director really knows how to make the audience sit on the edge of their seats, and since the movie is new, no one really knows what to expect so the tension is palpable in the theater.  The great part is that once Bradley Cooper (looking rather plain as Avery, a feat in itself) steps in, the whole thing ramps up. It has a generational plot- the fathers- Luke and Avery- both have sons of the same age. And when the movie skips ahead 15 years, the depth of loss for everyone unfolds. It is a pretty good movie, and though it is in limited release, it should gain some traction and do well. I'd recommend it.