Anonymous *

A preposterous idea, that Shakespeare wasn't the author of his works, and that he was a nobleman who started churning out sublime plays at the age of nine (if you do the math), is given the big movie, special-effects treatment by director Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow," "Godzilla"). The story jumps back and forth between the young Elizabeth (Joely Richardson) and the young Edward De Vere (Jamie Campbell Bower) and the later Elizabeth I (Vanessa Redgrave) and older De Vere, Earl of Oxford (Rhys Ifans) at the end of her reign.

Not content with upending Shakespeare, writer Larry J. Franco ("Batman Begins") throws in a lusty Queen, bastard pretenders to the throne, and even a little incest while he's at it, to de-mythologize the whole lot. I enjoyed Ifans's performance, Redgrave was a joy to watch, and the effects that create early 17th century London were terrific, but the whole project is ridiculous. On the other hand, it it prompts some viewers to revisit the plays and the real history, it might salvage some redeeming merit. Meanwhile, I am reminded of a worthy tradition at Yale, where every year English graduate students would visit the grave of another Shakespeare denier, and piss on it.

The Rum Diary **

Visually engaging with a lush '50s take on Puerto Rico, and graced with seasoned talent headlined by Johnny Depp, "The Rum Diary" suffers from a weak script and disjointed direction. The elements from Hunter Thompson's early novel are there: aspiring novelist working for a sorry excuse for a paper targeted to middle-aged overweight tourists, the irascible editor who may be a thief, the other alcoholic staffers, shady schemes involving government land and a handsome guy with a cleft chin, a gorgeous dangerous girlfriend of someone powerful, cock fighting in the afternoon. But the script, like our hero, seems to be wandering around in a drugged-out haze. Nothing gels, and the attempts at mad-cap humor fall flat. I have not read the book, but it's easy to detect Thompson's later gonzo style aborning. Too bad writer/director Bruce Robinson wasn't able to pull it all together.

Margin Call ****

A tense, ultra-high-stakes drama that takes place over 24 hours at a top Wall Street firm at the beginning of the financial crisis, "Margin Call" presents an inside look at the Street's corporate life, culture, perks, and cool brutality. On a day when the firm is already in trouble and massively downsizing, a hot-shot young risk management analyst finds a formula error that could bring down the company. The danger is apparent to everyone, and the firm, with it's characteristic customs and protocols, springs into action.

An outstanding example of an inside-look movie, of which we've had several this season - "Moneyball," "Contagion," "The Ides of March" - this film shows what it's like to live inside the glass tower on its worst day. Without getting mired in the details and the numbers on the screens, a talented and seasoned cast inhabits a superb script from first-time director/writer J.C. Chandor. How the producers got such a cast - Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci - with no budget could doubtless be its own story, but it was clearly key to the success of the movie.

You may not be mad as hell at the end of the movie, like I was with "Inside Job," but you'll certainly have a new appreciation for the house-of-cards confidence game that makes up our bloated financial sector, a game that can build skyscrapers when the music is playing, and reduce citizens to living in tents in parks when it stops.

The Ides of March ***

A political thriller without an overt platform, 'The Ides of March" focuses on the young rising star press secretary of the leading Democratic candidate in the final days leading up to the make-or-break Ohio primary in mid-March. Press secretary Stephen Meyers, expertly played by Ryan Gosling, faces a kind of grown-up test and a loss of innocence, which rather oddly and a little too neatly, parallels the path of his high-principled candidate, Gov. Mike Morris, too smoothly played by George Clooney. The movie is calm and polished on the surface, like its candidate, but underneath there are undercurrents of brinkmanship, betrayal, raw ambition, and sex scandal. Decisions lead to catastrophic consequences, although I was left wondering just how some got to their end game.

A provocative, not great, movie, with a theme that for me echoed Robert Redford's "The Candidate" (1972), "The Ides of March" breaks no new ground. The play on which it was based, "Farragut North" (2008) was written by Beau Willimon, who worked on Gov. Howard Dean's 2004 campaign, and so may show that each generation learns the old lessons anew. I was surprised to discover that the play was so recent, because the political world depicted is such a man's world, it seems like a throwback to an earlier time.

I saw the movie with a group of like-minded political junkies and party activists, and we had a lively discussion afterwards. Situations, decisions, strategies and tactics in the movie reminded us all of similar situations, and I think we all felt the experience was worthwhile for the conversation it provoked. The supporting cast is chock full of talent well-used by director/star/producer George Clooney, and is a nice lead-in to what promises to be a full-throated political year.

Footloose ***

A remake of the iconic 1984 original with Kevin Bacon, "Footloose" tells the story of a city boy who comes to a town where dancing has been banned. The reason for the ban has changed - this time it's a post-dance car crash that killed four teenagers, including the Reverend's son - but the ossified city council and small-town attitudes remain. The dancing is spirited and updated, and the acting, by Kenny Wormald as Ren, Julianne Hough as Ariel, and Dennis Quaid as Rev Moore, is outstanding. Miles Teller as Ren's dancing-challenged buddy Willard adds a skillful and much-needed lighter note to the movie. Wormald and Hough, trained professional dancers, have all the right moves, although I would have preferred more visible footwork and fewer fast cuts. The conflicts seem too heavy and cartoonish for the rest of the movie, and we're not used to seeing such respectful rebels. But maybe that's a throwback to the '80's.

Real Steel ***

A movie for, about, and made by emotional eleven-year-old boys, "Real Steel" brings a robot video fighting game to over-sized life. The special effects are spectacular, with giant robots seen in the round inhabiting a world with humans. And with the violence of boxing transferred to machines, the fans in this world of the near future are free to cheer the mayhem in the ring, as is the present-day theater audience, without the nagging thought that they are participating in something barbarous.

Hugh Jackman plays Charlie Kenton, an ex-boxer turned robot fight promoter, a man who was almost at the top when the game changed. Driving a huge rig with his mechanical fighter as cargo, he goes from one small venue to the next looking for that one win that will turn everything around. At this point his son Max (a feisty Dakota Goyo) appears when his ex-wife dies. Max is just another game piece for Charlie, but circumstances throw them together for a summer, and something starts to click.

The build-up is Rocky-esque, and the fighting is straight out of transformers. The story is thin and the emotions thinner. If you can take an eleven year old, or you want to revisit that time of your life, you'll enjoy this movie, which does manage to create a convincing video game life set in the trappings of American big time sports.

Dolphin Tale 3D ***

Very good for its type, this heart-tugging Disney rendition of the rehabilitation of a tail-less dolphin hits all the familiar notes without screeching or putting you to sleep. Based on a true story (that of the dolphin, who plays herself), the movie centers on a withdrawn boy who comes out of his shell when he gets involved with saving Winter, the dolphin. The boy, Sawyer (Nathan Gamble), who lives with his single mom (Ashley Judd) gets to know the dedicated head of the marine hospital (Harry Connick Jr) and his perky daughter (Cozi Zuehlsdorff), and assist the prosthetics specialist (Morgan Freeman) who works at the nearby VA hospital where the Sawyer's cousin, his hero, is recuperating from a war injury. See what I mean by familiar notes?

But don't worry, the movie is well-written, everybody does a fine job, and the story doesn't cloy. And there are some obvious tropes they passed on, for which I was grateful. I saw it in 3D, but I can't say it added much to the experience. Maybe it's subliminally more involving to see a movie in 3D, but I'd say see it in 2D, and save the $3. And don't forget the hankies!

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil ***

"Tucker & Dale vs Evil" is a hilarious send up of horror slasher movies. Picture two backwoods types on their way to their cabin in the West Virginia mountains. They look creepy to the carload of college girls and dudes who see them when they stop to buy beer, on their way to camp out near the cabin, it turns out. The college kids' worst suspicions seem to be confirmed when the pretty one goes missing, and the two backwoods boys, who are really sweet, normal guys, seem to be responsible. A slasher comedy of errors ensues, and the body count starts to rise. All the conventions of this horror genre are fair game for ridicule, along with popular culture, college stereotypes, and pop psychology. Whatever your opinion of the count-the-ways-they-die horror flick, this one will make you laugh.

What's Your Number? **

An enjoyable and funny bit of fluff, "What's Your Number" showcases the goofy and adorable Anna Faris and the charming hunk next door, Chris Evans. Alarmed by a magazine article that says any woman with as many sexual partners as she's had is doomed to remain single, Ally Darling (Faris) decides not to add to the tally and to look up her old flames in the hopes that the one could be lurking there. Colin (Evans), the womanizer next door, trades his sleuthing skills in exchange for using her apartment as a hideout from his many conquests, none of whom he ever calls back. No, wait! You're jumping ahead too quickly! You don't know what will happen! Really, you don't! OK, maybe you do, but it's still fun getting there, and there are worse things to look at than these two. This movie will appeal to young women a bit older than the mall-dwelling teens who usually go to romantic comedies, and they'll have some good conversation and a few laughs talking about it afterward. And there are some genuinely funny lines, and the boyfriends who get dragged along can enjoy watching Anna Faris even if they can't compete with the sculpted abs of Mr. Evans.

50/50 ****

Based on the real-life experience of screenwriter Will Reiser and producer/actor Seth Rogen, "50/50" stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a young man who learns he has an even chance of surviving the cancer he is diagnosed with, and co-stars Rogen as the supportive best friend. This may not sound like a premise for a comedy, but it's a genuinely funny and insightful look at twenty-something life in general, and young, stricken, play-by-the-rules Adam and his total hound buddy Kyle in particular. Adam is aided through the stages of his emotional journey by an impossibly young and inexperienced doctor in training, Katherine, whose walls of separation and professional defenses against involvement show signs of cracking, wonderfully played by Anna Kendrick. Add a needy girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) and a smothering mother (Anjelica Huston), and you have a potent, volatile mix. The dialogue is fresh and rings true, as you might expect from a writer who lived it. Good use is made of the Seattle setting, which comes across as a real place with real houses, neighborhoods, and weather.