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 in NYC

C.O.G. (mixed bag): This adaptation of a David Sedaris story about a man who goes to Oregon to work on an apple farm is unwelcoming and bland. Jonathan Groff stars as the lost title character whose life journey doesn’t take him anywhere interesting. Now playing at the Village East Cinema and Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center. Read my review from Thursday.

Enough Said (recommended): This charming comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late James Gandolfini is a wonderful follow-up to “Please Give” from director Nicole Holofcener, recounting the genuinely funny tale of a second-round romance. Now playing at AMC Lincoln Square and the Angelika. Read my review from Wednesday.

A Single Shot (mixed bag): This moody thriller starring Sam Rockwell is a lonely, unfulfilling film about a hunter who accidentally shoots a woman and then has to deal with the consequences when he covers it up. Its setting is bleak and its premise is even bleaker, and it’s not easy to get attached to this unsettling film. Now playing at AMC Empire. Read my review from yesterday.

New to DVD

The East (highly recommended): This thriller from director Zal Batmanglij is a competent and engaging story about an operative who goes undercover with an ecoterrorist group. It functions both as a great film and a compelling social argument. Alexander Skarsgaard and Ellen Page are particularly well-cast.

Now on Netflix Instant Streaming

The Kids Are All Right (recommended): This 2010 Best Picture nominee, which features Annette Bening and Julianne Moore as lesbian moms and Mark Ruffalo as their surrogate, is thoroughly entertaining and spectacularly uses all of its players. Its themes may not be for everyone, but it’s extremely competent and enjoyable.

Nine (recommended): Rob Marshall’s adaptation of the Broadway musical is an occasionally enthralling but ultimately disjointed extravaganza. Key scenes and numbers involving Marion Cotillard and Penelope Cruz populate an uneven but still somewhat worthwhile film.