Summer 2009: The Best of the Rest
By Carita Rizzo, Special to Hollywood.com
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Sunday, April 12, 2009
The summer isn't all action-packed. Get the other 15 must-see flicks of the summer — comedies, dramedies and more! Plus, which five movies to stay far, far away from …
1. Bruno
Who's in It? Sacha Baron Cohen
What's the Deal? The mock title of the movie was "Bruno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt." Need we say more?
Why It's a Must: If you were a fan of the Ali G Show you already know Bruno, the flamboyant fashionista. Add to that the success of Borat, and you've got a sure hit on your hands. (July 10)
2. Funny People
Who's in It? Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann
What's the Deal? Sandler plays a dying comedian who, in search for true friendship, takes a green performer (Rogen) under his wing.
Why It's a Must: Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler joining forces? It sounds so funny — in spite of the death angle — that it's almost too good to be true. (July 31)
3. Inglorious Basterds
Who's in It? Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, BJ Novak
What's the Deal? In this spaghetti western set in Nazi-occupied France, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are sent to brutally kill Nazis in targeted acts of retribution. They eventually cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who has witnessed the execution of her family by Nazis and is working on a revenge plan of her own.
Why It's a Must: After eight or so years, Quentin Tarantino has finally completed his Dirty Dozen-meets-The Guns of Navarone — and cast Mike Myers as a military mastermind. Unmissable. (Aug. 21)
4. Up
Who's in It? Ed Asner (voice), Christopher Plummer (voice), John Ratzenberger (voice)
What's the Deal? Grumpy former balloon salesman, Carl (Asner), sets out to abandon his dreary world by tying thousands of balloons to his home. But right after lift-off, he realizes he unknowingly took a chubby eight-year-old "wilderness explorer" with him. Together, they embark on an adventure to South America, forming an unlikely friendship in the process.
Why It's a Must: Pixar should probably build more shelves for the awards they'll pick up next year. After 22 Academy Awards, 4 Golden Globes, and 3 Grammys, the bar is set high, and it looks like this movie will live "up" to those standards. (May 29)
5. The Brothers Bloom
Who's in It? Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody
What's the Deal? The best con men in the world, the Bloom brothers (Ruffalo and Brody), decide to take on one last job — swindling a beautiful and eccentric heiress, and in the process ending up on a romantic adventure around the world.
Why It's a Must: The whimsical movie that was supposed to open in January has already received rave reviews. This is the one to see. (May 29)
KEEP READING: Michael Cera + Oscar-winning foreign film!