John C. Reilly shines in this Judd Apatow spoof of musical biopics as the fictional Dewey Cox, a rock singer whose stubborn, relentless pursuit of his music turns him into a legend, sends him on a surreal journey through drugs, music, marriages, and an amazing menagerie of hilariously strange characters.

Grade: B+.

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Based on a novel by Evelyn Waugh, an aristocratic gentleman learns of his bored wife’s affair and heads off to South America. The slow pace of this film and the abrupt setting change near the end may lose some viewers, but this is a decent interpretation of a classic book.

Grade: B-.

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In this visually unique science fiction thriller set in Paris in 2054, a cop is sent to find a brilliant and beautiful young scientist, whose sister helps him. The trail of clues, identity theft, and old files leads to an interesting array of characters and some exciting action scenes.

Grade: A-.

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A private detective, played by Adrien Body, investigates the death of George Reeves, who played Superman on TV in the 50s. With solid supporting work by Diane Lane, Robin Tunney, and Bob Hoskins, this period piece digs into the mystery of whether the actor’s death was murder or a suicide.

Grade: B+.

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In this charming Belgian picture, young Ludovic believes that he’s a girl, or a girlboy as he calls himself, embarrassing his family and neighbors with his steadfast refusal to be anything but himself. His family wavers between support and shock, which teaches us all something about accepting others without judgement.

Grade: B.

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The legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim takes the stage to sing his songs and play the piano in this wonderful 1981 live recording. Interrupted occasionally by his introductions of his songs in Portuguese, the music here is warm and displays the songwriting talent of a truly original voice in music history.

Grade: A.

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When hitman Julian meets Danny in Mexico, he’s having a crisis of confidence, realizing that years of being an assassin have left him friendless, alone and seeking help and companionship. Pierce Brosnan hams it up perfectly as the hitman opposite Greg Kinnear’s wonderful everyman character in this hilarious dark comedy.

Grade: B+.

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Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman ride motorcycles overland from London to New York City, heading east through Europe and Asia and flying over the Bering Sea to ride across North America. Their riveting adventure is fraught with terrible weather, primitive roads, grueling work, mechanical failures, interesting people, and gorgeous landscapes.

Grade: A.

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Young Erik, abused at home by his step-father, is expelled from his school for fighting and forced to go to a boarding school far from home, full of sadistic upper class students who thoroughly brutalize younger students. This extraordinary Swedish film features a great cast and nuanced, believable performances.

Grade: A-.

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A down-on-his-luck former astronaut spends years trying to build a rocket in his barn, mostly out of spare parts, in this feel-good adventure, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Virginia Madsen. While the story is inspiring, there are believability gaps in parts and excessive silliness in others.

Grade: C+.

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