At The Movies: w/c 19 February 2010

Opening nationwide this weekend in UK cinemas, we have: a country musician, a dead girl and a Russian author...

"CRAZY HEART"

Music drama. A faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him.
Director: Scott Cooper Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tom Bower, Rick Dial & Paul Herman
Tomatometer: 92% (Fresh; based on 170 reviews) "Thanks to a captivating performance from Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart transcends its overly familiar origins and finds new meaning in an old story."

"THE LOVELY BONES"

Fantasy drama. Centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family, and her killer, from heaven. There she must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.
Director: Peter Jackson Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci & Michael Imperioli
Tomatometer: 33% (Rotten; based on 199 reviews) "It's stuffed full of Peter Jackson's typically dazzling imagery, but The Lovely Bones suffers from abrupt shifts between horrific violence and cloying sentimentality."

"THE LAST STATION"

Bio-drama. A historical drama that illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things.
Director: Michael Hoffman Starring: James McAvoy, Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, Paul Giamatti & Anne-Marie Duff
Tomatometer: 69% (Fresh; based on 96 reviews) "Michael Hoffman's script doesn't quite live up to its famous subject, but this Tolstoy biopic benefits from a spellbinding tour de force performance by Helen Mirren."