Nicolas Cage does something crazy, and the Farrelly Brothers return with Owen Wilson in tow. Who gets your ticket money?
Director: Patrick Lussier
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner
A guy named Milton tools around in a black muscle car after bustin' outta Hell to stop a cult from sacrificing his murdered daughter's baby… in 3-D! If you guessed, "What is the nonsensical premise of this month's ridiculous Nicolas Cage movie?" then congratulations, Watson! You win! And if you're somehow running enough of a cheese deficiency in your film diet that Drive Angry 3D actually sounds like a viable option this week, then who am I to stop you? Considering the massive tax debt Cage owes to the IRS, you might even be able to write off the cost of your ticket as a charitable donation.
Director: Xavier Beauvois
Cast: Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale
Or, if you prefer your spiritual contemplation of morality and redemption without quite so much ass-whuppin', you have two other choices this week — although the first (The Grace Card) is one of those Christian productions (with stars like Louis Gossett, Jr.) that never quite seem to make it to a theater near me. Viewers who live closer to an art house than to a giant roadside cross might have better luck finding God in Xavier Beauvois' true-ish tale of Trappist monks trapped in the crossfire of the Algerian Civil War. And, while the premise may sound like a grim downer, it should be noted that Beauvois' film won the Gran Prix at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival and does not feature Nicolas Cage battling a Satanic minion called "The Accountant."
Director: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Cast: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate
Of Gods and Men is clearly the classy choice, yet I nevertheless feel a weird sense of loyalty to my New England homeboys Bobby and Peter Farrelly, co-directing their first big screen comedy since 2007's much-despised Ben Stiller vehicle, The Heartbreak Kid. Of course, even at their best, Farrelly films tend to be sophomoric hit-or-miss affairs — but given the likable cast (including SNL's Jason Sudeikis, Office sweetheart Jenna Fischer, Extras' Stephen Merchant, dopey-flick stalwart Owen Wilson, and our beloved Richard Jenkins), I'm willing to give this slapstick sex farce a chance (especially after hitting the jackpot on a similar gamble with Cedar Rapids, which — if you haven't caught it yet — is the real One Movie You Should See This Week)!
The One Movie You Should See: Hall Pass