KEEP YOUR HANDS OF THE HAIR
Genre: Documentary movie with a Comedy written all over
Studio: Roadside Attractions and Kinosmith

Tagline: Daddy, how come I don’t have a good hair?

Director: Jeff Stilson (winner of Primetime Emmys for The Osbournes and The Chris Rock Show).He was a writer, producer, director and even actor in critically acclaimed shows like: Da Ali G Show, MTV VMA’s, Academy Awards Show, and Late Show with David Letterman. Stilson is a true legend among writers and directors of live award shows, and especially reality TV programmes which he has been doing for over a decade. This documentary – Good Hair – gained excellent reviews and established Jeff Stilson as a remarkable documentary director.

Co-writers: Chris Rock is the main idea developer and the person who gathered the whole creative team on this documentary. Co-writers are Jeff Stilson (also a director of this film), Lance Crouther, Paul Marchand, and Chuck Sklar – they are all Rock’s friends and were working with him on Everybody Hates Chris (his super successful TV series).

Cast: This documentary is edited and presented as a series of interviews with famous African American people, who talk about their obsession with hair.

Chris Rock is critically acclaimed actor and he has a wide range of fans among celebrities, so it comes as no surprise that more than 20 famous African Americans agreed to be a part of Good Hair.

Here is a list of those who talk about their “good hair” in this documentary:
Sandra Denton a.k.a Pepa (singer, from a band called Salt’N’Pepa)
Maya Angelou (actress – Down in the Delta, How to make an American Quilt)
Eve (famous rap, r’n’b musician)
Meagan Good (actress – The love Guru, Kevin Hill)
Ice-T (legendary rap musician, and actor – Law&Order: SVU)
KRS-One (famous r’n’b artist)
Raven Symone (actress – Cheetah Girls, Kim Possible, Tinker Bell: The Winter Story)
Kerry Washington (actress – Boston legal, I think I love My Wife, Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

Plot summary: What would you do if your 5-year old daughter would ask you this question: “Daddy, how come I don’t have a good hair?” Well, if you were Chris Rock, you’d make a movie about the “good hair” and investigate the $9 billion dollars industry revolving around black hair.

Rock found a perfect balance between a serious aspect of this topic and funny approach we are all used to, when it comes to this stand-up comedy king. Many famous artists talk about their hair “insecurity” and passion and discuss their experiences (some are hilarious, others are seriously shocking).

Recommendation: Good Hair received excellent critics and won a Special Jury Prize on Sundance Film festival. It is an excellent documentary about the world we live in, beauty and aesthetic norms we are exposed to, and eventually about our need to change our natural look, for no good reason, most of the times. Touchy and hilarious – a definite must see!

Animated fun for the whole family
Genre: Animated family movie, Comedy, Action

Studio: Sony Pictures Animation

Book: This animated movie is based on a popular book for children “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett, with original illustrations by Ron Barrett

Directors and screenplay writers: Phil Lord and Chris Miller stand behind this entertaining movie as both co-directors and co-writers

Cast/voiceover: This animated feature gathered some extremely popular movie stars and few Hollywood legends as well. Anna Faris (Scary Movie 4, My Super Ex Girlfriend, The House Bunny, Mamma’s Boy…) is the voice of Sam Sparks. Legendary actor James Caan (The Godfather, Dogville, and City of Ghosts) is playing Tim Lockwood and you may also recognize voices of Benjamin Bratt (Catwoman, Traffic, Law & Order) as Manny and Neil Patrick Harris (Law & Order, Family Guy, Numb3rs) as Steve.

Plot summary: This entertaining animated comedy is a hilarious and heart warming tale about serious things (like poverty and the lack of food in the world) but told in a very light manner. “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is showing us the world we live in but with a very important twist. In this cartoon, food is falling from the sky and no one has a good explanation. Clearly, everyone sees this phenomenon as the salvation of many problems, but still – the mystery remains.

Flint Lockwood (our little hero) is a young and smart inventor – dreaming about inventing or finding something that will bring an improvement to every person’s life. Sam Sparks is a charming weather girl, and she is covering the story about this phenomenon – food falling from the sky. She is smart and witty but often misjudged because people usually get fooled by her exterior. Flint’s father – Tim is a technophobe and he is doing his best to help his son and his friends. We can’t say the same for Brent, local bully whose only joy is to give Flint a hard time. You will also meet a whole variety of characters trying to help our little action heroes and find the reason behind this never before seen situation.

As scientists try to figure out what is happening, new problem occurs – cities become overloaded because the food is constantly falling from above, fulfilling them and now causing huge trouble (instead of solving it). Our little animated friends have a tough task to save the planet and find the reason why this “food attack” is happening, and it won’t be easy at all.

Recommendation: Animated movies have become quite famous in the last few years. The reason is simple – many studios have developed their technique and gathered excellent teams to work on the story, animation and all other important movie elements (from original score and cast, to brilliant advertising campaigns). That is why whole families gladly visit theatres looking for entertainment while watching movies like “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”. And that is exactly what this movie will offer: fun, joy, laughter and entertainment for you and the ones you love.

Explore, Learn, Live and love
Genre: Drama with a hint of Romance, Period Piece set in the 1960s

Studio: Koch Entertainment (for United Kingdom) and Sony Pictures Classics (for USA)

Tagline: Sometimes an education isn’t by the book

Director: Lone Scherfig, famous female director from Denmark. She is also a writer and has won (so far) more than 20 awards on various international festivals: Berlin International Film Festival, British Independent Film Award etc. Her most successful works up to date are: Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself, Italiensk for Begyndere and Hjemve.

Cast: Director Lone Scherfig is known for her excellent casting sense, and in this movie she hired fabulous actors, both newcomers and recognizable legends.

Carey Mulligan (24 years old British actress) is portraying a main character – lovely Jenny. This extremely talented young actress already starred in few wonderful movies and TV series like: Pride & Prejudice, Doctor Who, Brighton Rock, Never Let Me Go, and Public Enemies etc.

Alfred Molina, legendary British actor (and Toni nominated artist) is playing Jenny’s father – Jack. You certainly recognize him from Art, Law & Order, Spider-man 2, Frida, Raiders of the Lost Ark…

Golden Globe nominee Peter Sarsgaard is playing the role of David; a mysterious, charming and loveable older man Jenny meets and falls in love with. He is best known for his roles in Shattered Glass, Kinsey, Orphan, Garden State, Boys Don’t Cry…

David has a partner and a best friend Denny, and he is played by young actor Dominic Cooper. You may know Mr. Cooper from Sense & Sensibility, Starter for 10, Mamma Mia, The Duchess.

Gorgeous Rosamund Pike is playing Denny’s mistress, charming and experienced Helen. Rosamund Pake rose to fame playing various characters (and winning many international awards) in movies: Die another Day, Surrogates, Fracture, Doom, and Devil You Know.

Finally, biggest acting legend on this list is Emma Thompson, who won 2 Academy Awards (for Sense and Sensibility and Howards End) is playing a role of Jenny’s Headmistress. She is (as always) brilliant and proves why she truly is the true icon of British acting.

Plot summary: Jenny is a young, gifted and very intelligent young girl. She is almost 17 years old, and her life changes drastically once she meets and older man David, and falls in love with him. Before she fell in love, her biggest dream was to get a scholarship and go to Oxford University.

But, after meeting David, and learning how care free and happy life can be, she starts forgetting what she originally wanted to achieve. David is wealthy and provides her with things she never thought she would have. But, one day, the truth hits her and she finds out a bit more about her charming older boyfriend and his friends.

Recommendation: An Education won 2 awards at Sundance in 2009 – Audience Choice and Cinematography prize. It is an absolute must see this year!