Saturday Night Movie Recommendations with Abe

Welcome back to a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I'm going to be providing a handy guide to a few choice movies currently playing in theatres 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

The Spectacular Now (recommended): This dramedy features terrific performances from young stars Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. It’s not a typical high school movie but at times proves to be very effective. Now playing at Landmark Sunshine and AMC Lincoln Square. Read my review from Sundance.

New to DVD

Between Us (mixed bag): This drama from Slamdance Film Festival co-founder Dan Mirvish, who generously sent me a copy of his film after I wrote about it in a Tuesday’s Top Trailer feature, feels very much like the format that its source material is based on: a play. Julia Stiles, Taye Diggs, Melissa George, and David Harbour turn in strong performances in an intriguing if ultimately unfulfilling look at the ups and downs of marriage.

Now on Netflix Instant Streaming

Do the Right Thing (highly recommended): This 1989 classic from director Spike Lee is a complex, furiously interesting look at race relations on the hottest day of the summer in Brooklyn. It’s definitely a must-see.

I Am (anti-recommended): This documentary about director Tom Shadyac, whose works include “Ace Ventura” and “Bruce Almighty,” is a glaringly unintelligent and completely uninvolving film that did not need to made in the first place and surely shouldn’t be seen by anyone else.

Lore (recommended): This past year’s Australian Oscar submission for Best Foreign Film is a Holocaust movie from a different perspective, following the children of an arrested Nazi officer trying to safely pass through post-war Germany. It’s a miserable but generally effective and worthwhile film.

Zodiac (mixed bag): I’m not a fan of this moody, dark thriller from director David Fincher, usually just the man for this kind of thing, about a journalist writing about the Zodiac killer in the 70s. It has its strong points, and might deserve to be seen if the subject matter appeals.