Margot Annoys at the Wedding

New Yorker publishes piece early

(NEWSER) - The New Yorker has sparked the ire of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo producer Scott Rudin—with a positive review that calls the film "mesmerizing." Trouble is, the review came out early, a big no-no in an industry where timing is key. Filmmakers want their movies—especially big-ticket ones like Dragon Tattoo—reviewed at a moment that helps promote the film, notes ABC News . Critic David Denby saw the film early on the condition that he wouldn't release the review until December 13. More»

Squid and the Whale director does nice job with tough material

(NEWSER) - Ben Stiller takes a serious turn playing an angsty 40-something in Greenberg, the latest from The Squid and the Whale's Noah Baumbach, and the film gets mostly solid reviews:

• J. Hoberman, Village Voice : "The style is observational, the drama is understated, and, when the time comes, it knocks you out with the subtlest of badda-booms."
• Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.com : "A star is born: The main reason to see Greenberg is not Ben Stiller, who has played similar parts before, but a new, gorgeous actress named Greta Gerwig, who has so far made a mark in a number of small indies."

But if you like the style and the stars, then just eat the ice cream

(NEWSER) - Critics agree: Nine is no 8½. Some enjoy a star-studded song-and-dance, but most don't like the song part, and they find the stars misused at best. Some opinions:

• "Step right up, pay $10, and you can see eight superstars, six of whom have won Oscars, singing songs in sparkly costumes." If that sounds good, cautions Dana Stevens of Slate , know that "the songs range from mediocre to actively unlistenable and that few of these actors know how to put over a song."

Prehistoric comedy aims low and hits the target

(NEWSER) - The jokes in caveman comedy Year One with Jack Black and Michael Cera are prehistoric, say critics, but it's still passable fun for anybody not expecting a comic masterpiece.

• Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: "More or less indefensible, but I'll gladly defend parts of it." It won't rank up there with director Harold Ramis' funniest films, but it does have "some pretty funny circumcision jokes."

Epic misses its mark

(NEWSER) - Australia strives mightily to be a grand, old-school epic romance. “But what we get instead is an unwieldy mess” that’s overlong and drowning in clichés, writes Elizabeth Weitzman in the New York Daily News. Stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman “have no chemistry to speak of,” but luckily they’re “the only two beautiful people for miles around. In a movie like this, that’s really all you need to fall in love.” More»