The Coen brothers are back with a new movie that’s not meant to scare the living crap out of you. There’s probably not much I need to say to convince you to go SEE IT, so here’s just a few key elements for you to consider:

• Coen brothers
• Frances McDormand
• Comedy-Drama
• Brad Pitt
• Crime caper
• George Clooney

Convinced yet? OK, John Malkovich is in it, too. I’ll see you at the theater.

Burn After Reading is rated R and opens September 12. (Official site)

It’s such a strange world that we’re living in right now. There are wars going on in the middle east, and genocide in Africa, and yet, I feel so removed from all of it. I mean, I watch the news, and I know the issues, but none of it seems to hit me on a deeper level.

And here’s the saddest part: the only way that I feel like I can connect to it all is by watching movies about it.

I’m not saying this to make a point or to bring everyone down. I’m just stating a fact. The only reason most people are conscious about Global Warming now is because of An Inconvenient Truth. And the only reason most people are conscious about genocide in Africa now is because of Hotel Rwanda.

It’s a shame that people need movies to get them outraged about the things that they should just inherently be outraged about, but I guess that’s the world we’re living in now. And with that in mind, I say we should start making a whole lot more movies about the shitty things that are happening around the globe. If that’s the only thing that can move people anymore, then filmmakers have a responsibility to move as many people as possible about as many important causes as possible.

Darfur Now is probably the biggest movie to date about the genocide going on in Darfur, and hopefully it will have the same effect on people that An Inconvenient Truth had. And if nothing else, hopefully it will at least give people like me a way to connect to something that I should already be deeply connected to, but for some reason am not.

That’s why Darfur Now is a SEE IT for me. I need to care more than I do, and $11 is a small price for a much needed kick in the ass.

Darfur Now is rated PG and opens November 2. (MySpace Page)

I’ve watched the trailer for Michael Clayton twice, and both times my reaction has been, “meh.” Usually a movie starring George Clooney is a guarantee that I will be $11 poorer, but this time I’m not so sure. Clooney is tangled up in some sort of web of lies, possibly involving a shady law firm. Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, and Sydney Pollack are along for the ride, lending their Oscar-bait cred.

If Michael Clayton turns out to be a serious award contender, I’ll SEE IT. Otherwise, I’ll probably RENT IT. But that’s just me. What do you think?

Michael Clayton is rated R and opens on October 5. (official site)

When I first saw the teaser for Ocean’s Thirteen, I could only think back to how disappointed I was in Ocean’s Twelve. From the teaser, it looked like Thirteen was going to be another lackluster movie from Clooney and the gang. But then, I saw the new trailer, and that good old feeling came back.

Guys, you’re forgiven for Ocean’s Twelve! Really! I’m sorry I doubted you, and I now can’t wait to see Ocean’s Thirteen!

Sheesh, what a difference a new trailer can make. Maybe the teaser just wasn’t long enough, but it didn’t show enough of the crackly dialogue, enough of the heist, enough of the comedy that I’ve come to expect from the Ocean’s franchise. Now that I know what Danny Ocean and his (yummy, delicious) gang are actually trying to pull off, I’m intrigued. Really, could I ever go wrong with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Elliott Gould, Scott Caan and Al Pacino? Maybe I just love the idea of Matt Damon playing the comedic role with his giant prosthetic nose.

Whatever the difference is, I am now counting the days until June 8. SEE IT!

Ocean’s Thirteen is rated PG-13 and opens on June 8. (Official site)

I’m having a really hard time being open minded about Ocean’s Thirteen. Steven Soderbergh’s remake of Ocean’s Eleven is one of my top ten favorite movies (and no, I haven’t seen the original with Frank Sinatra). The movie was such a slick, clever heist, and it owed much of its success to Ted Griffin’s taut script.

My expectations were high for Ocean’s Twelve, but the movie couldn’t live up to its predecessor. Even though it was only ten minutes longer, Twelve seemed to drag. Ted Griffin didn’t return to write the sequel and the difference was notable. There was none of the “aha!” element that made the first movie so great. I left the theatre wishing I could get those two hours back.

I am still bitter about Ocean’s Twelve, and that bitterness is carrying over to Ocean’s Thirteen. Sometimes, sequels are not a good idea. Could you imagine a sequel to Pulp Fiction or When Harry Met Sally? Those movies are not going to be improved upon, and their producers were wise to leave well enough alone. Ocean’s Twelve and Thirteen were made simply because they are part of a successful franchise.

There is nothing compelling about the Ocean’s Thirteen trailer, with the possible exception of Al Pacino. Then again, this is still a movie that stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and the rest of the gang. Steven Soderbergh is back, though Ted Griffin is not. My expectations are low, but I will eventually see Ocean’s Thirteen. This time I’ll save my money and RENT IT.

Ocean’s Thirteen is not yet rated and opens on June 8. (Official site)