El Crimen del Padre Amaro ( Crime of Padre Amaro)

A controversial movie that somehow talks about the reality in the lives of the priests.

El Crimen Del Padre Amaro, so brazenly criticizes the priesthood that it had bishops all over Mexico calling for a boycott. Instead, the film took in more at the box office than any other movie in the country's history.

Now showing to U.S. audiences, Padre Amaro tells the tale of a newly ordained priest who falls from grace with a little help from a rural Mexican community. The handsome Padre, played by Gael García Bernal of Amores Perros and Y Tu Mamá También, begins his stay in Los Reyes as the sort of kind spirit who gives his money to an old man after being robbed on a bus. By the end, though, he's no better -- and perhaps quite a bit worse -- than the corrupt elders who surround him.

Unfortunately, Carrera fails to show this transformation with any sort of consistency or depth. The film isn't sure whether it's a drama or a comedy. And it only takes a few days after Padre Amaro's arrival in town for him to go from being a pious idealist to the bishop's mercenary, demanding that a journalist (Andrés Montiel) be transferred for writing an incriminating article about another priest (Sancho Gracia) -- an article that he knows is completely factual. That he accepts this first task without any soul searching kicks the legs out from under the movie. If the Padre barely had any scruples to begin with, why does it matter that he has none in the end?

Much of the controversy surrounding the film centers on the Padre's decision to abandon his chastity for a pretty young thing (Ana Claudia Talancón). While the 16-year old Amelia supposedly seduces him -- another sign of the town's infectious corruption -- the Padre barely offers any resistance and is, in fact, the one who arranges for the shag shack where they spend their afternoons. He is also the one who suggests Amelia don nothing but the Virgin's satin cloak during one of their 'sessions.' Strangely, Bernal plays these scenes with little emotion at all, again leaving the viewer without any sign of inner turmoil. This makes it incredibly difficult to care for his character when he ends up having to take Amelia to get an abortion, and having to deal with the aftermath.

But Padre Amaro is not all bad. Gastón Melo plays a tender parishioner caring for a severely handicapped daughter. And the only likeable priest in the film is Padre Natalio (Damián Alcázar), who feels at home in the hills, among farmers and guerillas. But Carrera's response to these men is to drive them out of town. The former is banished and the latter is excommunicated, making for an interesting commentary on the fate of do-gooders. (Of course, this is not all the director's doing; Padre Amaro is an updated version of the 19th century novel by Eça de Queirós.)

Yet, for all the trouble it caused and all the pesos it brought in, Padre Amaro is a surprisingly lacking film. Perhaps if Carrera had dropped some of the comic relief and forced Bernal to adopt an expression (anything at all), it would have amounted to a serious statement about morality and Catholicism. As it is now, though, the Church shouldn't worry itself too much.

Slap Her She's French

When clawing your way up to the top of the pile in the dog eat dog worlds of cheerleading and competitive beauty, sparkly teeth in a brilliant smile, gleaming eyes, perfect hair and an equally perfect set of unstuffed -- one can only hope -- breasts just aren't enough anymore. Heck, everyone is on the fast track to their Ph.D in applied sciences; everyone can play a Mozart piano sonata one-handed while upside down and blindfolded. What can a viciously competitive girl do to ensure that she always comes out on top? She adopts. No not a baby. An exchange student from a far off land called . . . . . France.

...with trendsetting comes responsibility as Slap Her ... She's French takes dead on sarcastic aim at the cheerleader/beauty queen mentality and then proceeds down the two lane highway of Denial and Deception. That means denying that one contestant is manipulating the system. The deception angle is something else altogether. But we're getting ahead of our self.

Splendona, Texas is the town that is as amazed that someone from France would venture there as it is to have her as their guest. Starla Grady (Jane McGregor) is our cheerleader, working her way up the line of local beauty pageants towards the big enchilada, her goal of becoming the most popular morning talk show host in America. Her problems are many: she's flunking French class (blame teacher Michael McKean for that); she's been suspended from the cheerleading squad and she's losing hold on her usual lock on the top spot on the pageant circuit. "Good Morning America" hasn't called, either.

To reestablish her position, Starla imports Genevieve LePlouff (Piper Perabo), a French lass with thick glasses and thicker accent. Fellow contestants nod with admiration at Starla's stunt. The entire town melts as they learn how Genevieve bears the baggage of a truly sad origin story. Her parents are dead. Her boyfriend drowned in the Seine after a motorcycle accident -- he was on his way to see her at the time. Add to that the endearing touch that almost every word out of Genevieve's mouth mangles the English language in some form of double entendre and soon, rather than elevating Starla's stature in the community, Genevieve soon finds herself to top dog in school, replacing Starla on all fronts. Starla's gal pals are Genevieve's new best buds. Starla's boyfriend is quickly swayed by the soon-revealed foreign beauty. Even Starla's parents fall to the Frenchie.

Even worse, Genevieve's topping the cheerleading team, too.

Starla must take action to stop this foreign floozy before the damage is permanent. That means uncovering the deeply hidden secrets in Genevieve's past with the help of the younger brother she wishes didn't exist (Jesse James) and the school newspaper's photographer, Ed Mitchell (Trent Ford), who is the man responsible for stripping Genevieve of her beret and glasses. But with the entire town against her, what's a queen to do? All in all, she (and everyone else) is going to make you laugh.

Going the Distance

A Romantic Comedy about meeting each other half way.Erin (Drew Barrymore) is a 31 year old woman who is having trouble pacing her life, she is still in grad school and she has recently got a job as a summer intern in a newspaper in New York. While out with a friend at a bar she meets Garrett (Justin Long) over a game. The two then drink together and end up at his place and they have sex while Garrett's roommate Dan DJed their hook up. The next morning Erin is anxious to leave but Garrett asks her to have breakfast with him and she agrees. She then tells him that she is only in New York for 6 weeks and is not looking for a relationship and he agrees with her stating that he had just got out of one and wants this to be casual.

Erin and Garrett start having a 'casual' fling but it started to get deeper for them causing Erin to try to convince her boss to find her a more permanent position and even covers a story and writes an amazing article, this causes her boss to ask her to contact him in January and ask for a job. Meanwhile Garrett, who works at a label, is given an assignment to manage a band he does not like at all and is starting to dislike his job. They both continue with their fling, however when the six weeks are up they find it difficult to let go. After Garrett drives Erin to the airport they say goodbye, but just as Erin is about to leave Garrett runs after her and tells her that he is crazy about her and wants to have a long distance relationship with her. She agrees.

Over the next couple of months Erin and Garrett spend all their free time texting and calling one another trying to work out times when one of them can fly in. Garrett surprises Erin by showing up on Thanksgiving and they have a very emotional reunion. When they go to Erin's sister's house (where Erin is currently staying) they start to have passionate sex on the dining table while (unbeknownst to them Erin's sister's husband was having dinner) Erin's sister eventually walks in and there is an awkward moment. The next day when Erin and Garrett are out to seeThe Boxer Rebellion they both note how good the band is. Garret gets jealous when he see that Erin is friends with Damon, who is a handsome bartender that works with her. Garrett eventually has to leave and goes back to New York.

In January, Erin calls her summer internship boss and asks him about the job he mentioned. He, however, tells her they are not hiring, to which she gets very frustrated. Not finding comfort in a phone conversation with Garrett she goes and gets drunk with Damon and almost kisses him but ends up going home. Later, her professor mentions that he recommended her for a position at the Chronicle in San Francisco and she goes for an interview. Meanwhile, Garrett is going crazy because he misses Erin. Following the advice of his co-worker he has phone sex with Erin but it doesn't go well.

A month later as Erin is packing to go to New York she gets a call from the newspaper and is told that she is hired. She goes to New York and tells Garrett and the two have a fight. The next day however they make up and he asks her to make the decision whether or not she would accept the job. A week later he calls her and tells her he wants her to move to New York and he'll buy an apartment for them and start fresh. She agrees and he goes down to San Francisco to sort things out. However, after a conversation with Erin's sister Garrett realizes that he cannot be the reason that Erin turns down the job and the two part ways after an emotional conversation.

Six months later Erin is doing well with her career and Garrett has not been with any women since Erin. He quits his job and starts managingThe Boxer Rebellion (the first band he and Erin saw together). He sends Erin tickets to their show and she goes there (not knowing he was the manager). She runs into him there and the two exchange love vows and he tells her he moved to Los Angeles that is only an hour away from San Francisco and the film ends with the two of them making up.

Beauty and the Briefcase

ABC Family’s made for TV romantic comedy, Beauty and the Briefcase is sticky sweet, and completely unbelievable, but it’s exactly what you want from a rom-com: fluffy pink fun that wraps up in a neat little bow.

Debuting this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET,Beauty stars Hilary Duff as fashion journalist Lane Daniels, who dresses like Elle Woods but is not nearly as smart. Case in point: when we meet Lane, she’s one of those annoying single girls in New York who is in her early 20’s and complains that not one guy in her life meets the qualities that she’s laid out in her “checklist.” Of course, those checklist items don’t have anything to do with honestly or loyalty or family values or anything else a real girl actually cares about. Lane’s list includes items like “sexy accent” and “witty statements on the tip of his tongue.” And, Lane’s “magic man” must have all 10 ridiculous things on her list.

Lane is a struggling freelancer who worships Cosmopolitan magazine — and when she lands a “pitch meeting” at her dream publication, she’s giddy with excitement. But when her meeting with Cosmo editor Kate White (played by Jamie Pressly) starts to bomb, she starts (yet again) complaining about her lack of a boyfriend, only to stumble upon the idea to write about finding love in the business world. Kate puts Lane on the task: get a job in “business,” and date men in suits. One of them must be her magic man! But when Kate ominously says, “You must date no one else,” you know something is going to go wrong. (Fun fact: one her way to the Hearst building, Lane stops in the crosswalk and bumps into the real Kate White. Also, in real life, Kate White is happily married.)

Somehow, Lane manages to bungle her way into a job at investment company Thomson/Fullworth and scores tons of dates with guys in suits, even though her “flirting” technique just seems to be wearing brightly colored, tight skirts and tops and saying, “Hi.” Along the way she meets some eligible men, like her boss Tom (Michael McMillian) and cutie co-worker Seth (Matt Dallas), but when she meets British music producer Liam (Chris Carmack) at a bar (and he doesn’t wear suits!) a wrench gets thrown into her plan.

Like all good romantic comedies, though, Beauty concludes with a happy ending, and a carriage ride through Central Park. And Lane learns that sometimes your “magic man” can take you by surprise. Yes, ladies, it’s true. You can find love with a man who isn’t all those things you wanted your dream guy to be back when you were in college.

Love at First Hiccup

LOVE AT FIRST HICCUP is a charming, innocent, and intelligent romantic comedy about the freshman Victor who has contracted a case of Anya-itis (acute and incurable love-passion for high school senior Anya). And why shouldn't he? She is beautiful and popular. Rich but incredibly sweet with a rare innocence. In other words: Way out of Victor's league. Unfortunately Anya also dates a rich guy, Peter, who drives a fancy lotus and has a stuffed Gucci wallet. However chance meetings riddled with awkward hiccups soon makes sparks fly between Anya and Victor. Maybe Victor's shy and goofy charm can beat out Peters arrogance?

The Visitor

Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is a widowed Connecticut College economics professor who lives a fairly solitary existence. He fills his days by sometimes taking piano lessons in an effort to emulate his late wife, a classical concert pianist, and infrequently works on a new book. When he is asked to present a paper at an academic conference at New York University, he is not enthusiastic to make the trip, given he is only the nominal co-author and has never even read the complete work. Charles (Michael Cumpsty), his department head, insists and Walter is forced to attend.

When he arrives at the apartment he maintains in Manhattan, he is startled to discover a young unmarried couple living there, having rented it from a swindler who claimed it was his. They are Tarek (Haaz Sleiman), a Palestinian-Syrian^[5] djembe player, and Zainab (Danai Jekesai Gurira), a Senegalese designer of ethnic jewelry. He later discovers both are illegal immigrants. Although they have no place to go, they hastily pack and leave, but Walter follows them and persuades them to return. Over the next few days, a friendship slowly develops. Tarek teaches Walter to play the drum, and the two men join a group of others at a regular drum circle inCentral Park.

En route home, Tarek is mistakenly charged with subway turnstile jumping, arrested for failing to pay his fare, and taken to a detention center for illegal immigrants in Queens. In order to prevent Tarek's deportation from the United States, Walter hires an immigration lawyer. Feeling uncomfortable about remaining in the apartment with Walter, Zainab moves out to live with relatives in The Bronx.

Tarek's mother, Mouna (Hiam Abbass), unexpectedly arrives from her home in Michigan when she is unable to contact her son. Also in the States illegally, she accepts Walter's offer to stay in the apartment, and the two develop a friendship. Walter confesses his life is unfullfilling; he dislikes the single course he has taught for twenty years, and the book he allegedly is writing is nowhere near completion. It is revealed that Mouna's journalist husband died following a lengthy politically-motivated imprisonment in Syria, and she is concerned about her son's future prospects if he is deported. The two begin to share a simple domestic existence, with Mouna preparing meals and Walter treating her to The Phantom of the Opera when she mentions her love for the original cast recording Tarek sent her as a gift.

Without warning, Tarek is summarily deported to Syria, and Mouna decides to follow him. On their final night, Mouna joins Walter for a comforting embrace in bed, blaming herself for all that has gone wrong. Walter sees her off at the airport the next day. Alone once again, Walter plays his drum on a subway platform, as Tarek once told him he himself would like to do some time.