How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)

Jun 26, 2010 by Mr. Nau Simon Pegg stars in this fish-out-of-water comedy about an ascerbic culture writer who takes a job in a high-profile New York celebrity gossip magazine and pursues a famous starlet. Pegg’s character, Sidney Young, hilariously finds every conceivable way to annoy everybody, from colleagues to A-Listers. Grade: B+. IMDB: How […]

A Good Woman (2004)

Jun 16, 2010 by Mr. Nau Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Wilkinson star in this adaptation of an Oscar Wilde play about a New York socialite who spends the summer trying to attract the attentions of an English aristocrat on the Amalfi Coast during the 1930s. The high society drama make this period peace […]

Up in the Air (2009)

Jun 14, 2010 by Mr. Nau Ryan Bingham is a middle-aged consultant hired by companies to travel around the country and lay off employees. He is tasked with showing young Natalie the rules of the road. George Clooney and Anna Kendrick lead a beautiful cast, bringing this wonderful story of loneliness and redemption to life. […]

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

Jun 10, 2010 by Mr. Nau Kevin Smith wrote and directed this hilariously raunchy comedy, filled with a cast recognizable from Judd Apatow’s movies. Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are best friends who live together in abject poverty. They decide to solve their money problems by directing a porn film, with side-splitting mishaps. […]

Dandelion (2004)

Jun 07, 2010 by Mr. Nau In this melancholy film set on the Palouse region of Northern Idaho, a depressed teenager at odds with his dysfunctional family meets a troubled girl, who is almost as morose as he is. While the acting was solid enough, given the moping script, the pessimism and hopelessness here is […]

Towelhead (2007)

Jun 05, 2010 by Mr. Nau In this controversial comedy, a young teenaged Arab-American girl discovers her awakening sexuality and contends with racist neighbors, her very strict and demanding father, and the sexual advances of an adult neighbor. The script, based on a novel, is well-written, the acting believable, and the story frequently shocking. Grade: […]

Everything is Illuminated (2005)

Jun 05, 2010 by Mr. Nau Elijah Wood stars as a Jewish American, who travels to the Ukraine on a quest to find out what happened to the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II. He’s aided by a cranky old man and a chattery pop culture enthusiast who uses hilariously stilted broken […]

Fear of a Black Hat (1994)

Jun 05, 2010 by Mr. Nau This hip-hop mockumentary chronicles the rise and fame of a fictional rap group, NWH, and their sexual, political, and legal exploits. For fans of rap and hip-hop, many of the parody characters here will be very obvious. For others, this scathing lampoon of rap culture may seem silly. Grade: […]

Extract (2009)

Jun 03, 2010 by Mr. Nau Justin Bateman anchors a talented cast in this quirky romantic comedy about a guy who runs a food extract factory, who contends with an unfaithful wife and an industrial accident that attracts a beautiful con artist, played by Mila Kunis. While the picture is entertaining, the plot sometimes seems […]

Palo Alto, CA (2007)

Jun 03, 2010 by Mr. Nau Four college students return home to Palo Alto during Thanksgiving break after their first semester away from home. They revisit their old high school, struggle with relationship issues, and go on various adventures. Endearingly quirky characters, good acting, and a sweet script bring a picturesque set of stories to […]