Saturday Night Movie Recommendations with Abe

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. Absent a wealth of new film reviews during the weekend, I’d like to start providing a handy guide to a few choice movies currently playing in NYC as well as several films newly released on DVD. I’ll also aim to comment on those films I have not yet had the chance to see, and I invite you to add in your thoughts on any films I haven’t seen in the comments below. Understandably, some weeks will have considerably fewer releases to address than others.

Now Playing in NYC

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (recommended): Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock follows up on “Super Size Me” with his latest film, an exploration of product placement composed using product placement. It’s an altogether entertaining and innovative that sheds light on an industry that we always see but don’t as often discuss. Read my review from yesterday and see it at the Angelika Film Center.

Incendies (recommended): This Canadian nominee for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film from this past year is an immense downer, and that’s even in comparison to “Biutiful” and “In a Better World,” two already depressing films nominated in the same category. For those who want to stomach the tough storyline, it’s a well-directed, strongly-acted story, playing at the Landmark Sunshine and Lincoln Plaza.

I’ve heard interesting about both Water for Elephants and The First Beautiful Thing, but even if I wasn’t so far behind on my current cinema, I don’t think I’d be rushing out to see either of them. I do have some interest in Tied to a Chair, and may get a chance to see that soon. Otherwise, count me out for African Cats and Stake Land, two very different films that have equal lack of appeal for me.

New to DVD

The King’s Speech (recommended): Even if it didn’t deserve to win Best Picture over a number of the other nominees, this is still a great film featuring some very good performances, from Oscar winner Colin Firth but also from Geoffrey Rush as his humorous and distinctive speech therapist. For anyone who hasn’t seen this and likes British dramas about royalty, this is a can’t-miss.

Rabbit Hole (recommended): Despite Nicole Kidman’s Oscar nomination, this film didn’t receive much traction at all, which is a shame. It’s an extraordinarily compelling, heartbreaking drama with rich, believable performances from both Aaron Eckhart and his more praised costar. Definitely worth a look if the subject matter isn’t too upsetting.

Somewhere (recommended): Sofia Coppola’s latest film is absolutely my kind of movie, an artsy adventure that doesn’t move too fast and sticks with you. Gorgeously shot and carefully edited, this portrait of a promiscuous actor reconnecting with his precocious daughter is just as intoxicating as “Lost in Translation” and ranks among my top twenty-five films of 2010.

The Way Back (anti-recommended): Walking thousand of miles to escape a Siberian gulag may be beyond impressive, but this film sure isn’t. Director Peter Weir has made epics before like “Master and Commander,” but this film is excessively dull almost from its first moments and gets even slower throughout its two hour-plus runtime. The charisma of Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, and Saoirse Ronan, all not performing at their best, can’t help to save this dud.