Death at a Funeral
By Frank Oz
I know what you’re thinking: a British comedy, sounds similar to Four Weddings and a Funeral, probably has the same subtle wit and typical dry humor that makes British comedies so good. Yeah, I was wrong too. This was awful on so many levels. The gags are silly, vulgar, and overdone (yes, we know that involuntary drug use can be funny … does it have to happen three times?). It’s like Mr. Bean taken far beyond charming and silly to grotesque and repugnant. The story is weak, the dialogue stale and the humor … well, anytime a screenwriter decides it’s funny for one of the characters to get splattered with feces, you know what you’re in for. Rent Four Wedding and a Funeral instead. Click on the image to buy now!
 

Trade
By Marco Kreuzpaintner
When a Mexican boy’s sister is kidnapped and sold into slavery, he begins a quest to find her, and is aided by a cop who is also seeking his missing child. Trade might not be the best production around; the shaky camera work, meant to highlight the gritty reality of the story, doesn’t work as effectively as it has in other movies; the plot tends to dissolve into a standard investigative hunt; and the movie could move a lot faster; but all that aside, there is still plenty to recommend this dark thriller about the sex slave trade. The young actors are believable, and Kevin Kline adds a great veteran presence (too bad he doesn’t appear until well into the movie) to the cast.
 

The Darjeeling Limited
By Wes Anderson
One thing about Wes Anderson: he’s consistent. The off-beat, funky environment that he creates permeates all of his movies, a kind of irreverent new take on reality and people. Sometimes this works (see Rushmore) and sometimes it doesn’t (see A Life Aquatic). In The Darjeeling Limited, it does. There’s a consistent and pleasant sense of whimsy mixed in with the subtler, sadder overtones in the movie. It’s especially poignant given the parallels between Owen Wilson’s character—who unites his two brothers on a spiritual quest by rail across India—and the real-life drama surrounding the actor. Click on the image to buy now!