A&E Editor
Chronicle (PG-13)
Director: Josh Trank
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan
Three high school friends accidentally obtain superpowers at a party. Their bond is tested when they must adapt to this new lifestyle. Almost all scenes are shot from the perspective of a character’s handheld camera, which adds to the strong sense of reality present throughout the film (without being distracting). Chronicle is entertaining from the beginning to the end, highlighting on exceptional visual effects and a good understanding of teenage psychology. (2012)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%
Primal Fear (R)
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Starring: Richard Gere, Edward Norton, and Laura Linney
When a less-than-privileged altar boy is accused of murdering an archbishop, a media-conscious lawyer takes on the case pro bono in order to promote his image. However, the archbishop was a much-loved religious figure and it seems to be an unwinnable case. Suspense builds as, layer by layer, the truth is uncovered. Interactions between the characters portrayed by Richard Gere and Edward Norton will have viewers on the edge of their seats. (1996)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 74%
12 Angry Men (PG)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, and Lee J. Cobb
Once the prosecution and defense have presented their cases, it’s up to 12 jurors to decide the fate of a young man who is on trial for the murder of his father. Although the jury as a whole believes he is responsible, one member helps the other understand that determining guilt isn’t always cut and dry. (1957)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (PG-13)
Director: Joel Coen
Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro, and Time Blake Nelson
This film is loosely based on Homer’s The Odyssey. However, unlike the original, this interpretation is set in Mississippi in the 1930s. Three escaped convicts come face to face with Sirens, a blind prophet, and everything in between on their journey to find a buried treasure. O Brother, Where Art Thou? may finally get freshmen interested in epic poems. (2000)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%
Edward Scissorhands (PG-13)
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, and Dianne Wiest
An old inventor begins the tedious process of constructing his greatest creation – a boy. Unfortunately, he dies before completing his goal, and the boy is left with scissors for hands. He lives in the inventor’s hilltop castle until a friendly Avon saleswoman discovers his presence and takes him in as her own. Tim Burton superbly clashes two extremes of society with the gothic-styled mansion looking down on the pastel-colored homes of 1950s suburbia and how the characters from each interact. (1990)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Memento (R)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Panoliano
A man wants to retaliate when he watched his wife’s murder. That sounds pretty simple, except for the fact that he’s been suffering from short-term memory loss since the accident. Now, he must use notes and tattoos to remind himself of details needed to track down the guilty party. One more twist – Christopher Nolan proves his brilliance by playing the whole movie backwards. You see the final scene first, and then each scene after that ends with the start of the one you saw before, leading to a great twist ending (or perhaps beginning). Mind-boggling, right? (2000)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Fantastic Mr. Fox (PG)
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson
In this animated film, Mr. Fox has decided to put his wild ways behind him and be a good, tame father. However, he does want to try one more raid on the three meanest farmers, named Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. Then, he must help his family and friends survive when the farmers try to get even. Based on Roald Dahl’s book by the same name, director Wes Anderson brings to life a tale of adventure and responsibility. (2009)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (PG-13)
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, and Juliette Lewis
Gilbert and his family are from a working-class town of Endora. Without a father figure, he finds it difficult to take care of his mentally handicapped brother and morbidly obese mother when he meets Becky and finds love. Director Lasse Hallstrom is commended for his raw and honest take on family life. (1993)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%
