Revolutionary Road (Rated R)
Gavin Grade: C
Oscar Watch!  Awe!  It’s the re-teaming of a dream couple that everyone in the world loves…except for me.  Yes, it’s the first time that Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio did a movie together again since “Titanic.”  Don’t make me gag.  But my lack of compassion for something like that is not the reason why I didn’t like this movie.  I didn’t care for it because I didn’t know what the movie was trying to say.  It’s from director Sam Mendes, who did the great movie “American Beauty.”  Just like that movie, this is also about the not-so-perfect lives of suburban couples and the destruction of dreams by the toils of life, but this time it’s set in 1955.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those people that needs a movie spelled out for him.  I like it when movies leave you walking away with whatever message you wanted to get from it, but this left me with nothing.  I didn’t get what the story was trying to convey.  Was I suppose to feel bad for one of them, both of them or none of them?  I certainly did feel bad for the men in the movie, since they all suffer from Premature Ejaculation (both sex scenes begin and end in less than a minute.)  However both of them did the best they could with the script.  In fact both were really impressive to watch and Winslet got herself a Golden Globe win for it.  In supporting acting roles are Kathy Bates and the ever-impressive Michael Shannon, who plays her insane son.  He’s only in two scenes, but may steal the movie with them.  Mendes’ attention to detail - from the props, to costumes, to the sets, is impressive too.  The problem with this film lands square on the shoulders of a confused story that leaves the audience feeling the same way.  Maybe the book was better.

Doubt (Rated PG-13)
Gavin Grade: A
Oscar Watch!  I didn’t love this movie just because I love the play, but that was a HUGE reason why.  As a film, the movie stands up as quality cinema; shocking considered that it was directed by John Patrick Shanley.  He’s the guy who wrote the play but was more famous for directing the opus “Joe Versus The Volcano!”  Who knew that guy could be so deep!?  The movie stars Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams (who is WAY too cute to play a nun.)  These three deliver a 1-2-3 combination of amazing acting.  The story is a metaphore for Good vs. Evil set in a Catholic School in New York City when a nun, played by Streep, suspects the Priest, played by Hoffman, of molesting a young boy.  The question for you as an audience member is, which one is “Good” and which one is “Evil?”  Representing the audience is another nun, played by Adams, who gets caught up in the middle.  The Golden Globes passed on all three of these actors for awards, but I have a feeling that we’ll see The Oscars reward at least one of them.  They’re all SO good that they can’t be ignored.  Not only was the acting amazing, but the story is amazing!  I’m a big fan of stories that can be taken any way that you want them to go.  Just like how “Hamlet” is considered the greatest play of all time, just because the role of Hamlet can be portrayed in any way possible - it’s up to the actor.  “Doubt” is exactly like this.  Fascinating to watch play out and even better to try and figure out the truth.  Also watch for a 10-minute-long performance from Viola Davis, who plays the reserved, loving and tormented mother of the boy in question.  It may be the best 10 minutes of the movie!