Plot: Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house fixer for a law firm. He takes care of the dirty work for Kenner, Bach & Ledeen, one of the largest corporate firms in New York. He’s unhappy with his job, his divorce and a failed business venture with his brother. But now, he has to focus on dealing with the brilliant Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) who goes off the deep end with a case that could jeopardize more than Michael’s job. Who's it for? This is an adult drama that has confusing storylines, unanswered questions, but most of all, quality suspense.

Expectations: I saw this movie back in August and when I sat down, I couldn’t remember the name of it. In fact, I

Plot: In a coffee shop in Portland, Harry (Morgan Freeman) witnesses relationships coming and going. Extreme romantic Bradley (Greg Kinnear) keeps falling, no matter how hard. And young love blossoms between another couple, Chloe and Oscar. Who’s it for: If you need to cling to some sort of faith that things will work out with your relationship, this film could help I suppose.

Expectations: I’m a sucker for Morgan Freeman, the city of Portland and films that dissect relationships, so it seems like I’d be a fan.

SCORECARD

Actors: Morgan Freeman as Harry Stevenson: Harry has me for a second when he explains to his wife that he just saw two women fall in love, but after that it’s just Harry observing others and barely dealing

Plot: Right after graduating college, 22-year-old Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) walks away from his privileged life and toward a search for adventure. Eventually, his travels take him to Alaska where he attempts to brave the elements. Based on Jon Krakauer’s acclaimed bestseller. Who’s it for: Well, I’ll tell you who it’s not for … parents. I just don’t think most parents will be able to get over Chris’ abandonment of his family.

Expectations: I really liked the book, and with names like Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch and Vince Vaughn attached to it, I was hoping for something good. Also, it’s over two hours long. This shouldn’t detract from seeing it, just get comfortable.

SCORECARD

Actors: Emile Hirsch as Christopher McCandless: Whenever I have the chance, I

Plot: After a horrific attack on a Western housing compound in Saudi Arabia, an international incident is ignited. Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) takes his team into uncharted territory and attempts to work with the Saudi police to try to locate the terrorist behind the crimes, bring him to justice, and make it out alive. Who’s it for: If you like action films, this is a must. Not only that, “The Kingdom” should appeal to people who like the “C.S.I.” shows, and these actors are hard to beat.

Expectations: Peter Berg started off slow as a director with “Very Bad Things,” but since then he keeps getting better with “The Rundown, “Friday Night Lights” and now “The Kingdom.” As far as the cast goes

Plot: A cameraman named Duck (Terrence Howard) has followed TV reporter Simon Hunt (Richard Gere) into some of the most dangerous war zones around the world. After an on-air break down, Simon goes off on his own. Five years later, he crosses Duck’s path again in Sarajevo. This time, Simon wants to go after Bosnia’s “most wanted,” a man known as “The Fox.” So he tries to convince Duck and a rookie reporter (Jesse Eisenberg) to go along for the ride. Who’s it for: There is a lot of male bonding in this one, with the story mainly focusing on the back and forth between Gere and Howard. Plus, this film gives a glimpse into trying to report the chaos of war.

Expectations: Gere has been hit or miss with me

Plot: Tomboy Sydney White (Amanda Bynes) heads off to college to join her deceased mother’s sorority. After she goes through rush, Sydney is kicked out of the sorority by the stuck-up house president Rachel (Sara Paxton). Once banished, she’s taken in by seven outcasts and attempts to reclaim the campus for all the outsiders. Who’s it for: Even though it’s a film about a college girl and should normally appeal to the college/high school crowd, I think this film is actually for middle school girls.

Expectations: I’ve enjoyed “She’s All That,” “Can’t Hardly Wait,” “Bring it On” and many others in the genre, so I was hopeful.

SCORECARD

Actors:

Amanda Bynes as Sydney White: She’s a vaudevillian actress … and this isn’t a compliment. She comes from the product of the Nickelodeon/Disney school of

Plot: Charles (Dane Cook) seems to be the lucky charm for women. Whenever he sleeps with a woman, the next man she meets, she marries. This means women flock to him, so when Charles finally meets someone he truly cares about in Cam (Jessica Alba), she’s nervous about his track record, and he’s nervous if the curse is really true. Who’s it for: But the bottom line is this: If you want to see boobs and Jessica Alba, you’ll see this movie. This will be the perfect late-night Cinemax film. Oh, and if you make your living working with penguins, I’d be curious if you love all the penguin jokes or they drive you nuts.

Expectations: Based on the preview, it just looked like Alba was going to fall down over

Plot: John Farley (Seann William Scott) is a self-help author who comes back home to discover his mom (Susan Sarandon) is dating his old nemesis, the gym teacher Mr. Woodcock (Billy Bob Thornton). John sets out to make sure his mom knows what an awful man he is, even if he has to go against the words of his best-selling book. Who’s it for: If you like the dark comedies of Billy Bob Thornton (“Bad Santa,” “School for Scoundrels,” “Bad News Bears,” “Bad Santa”), you might as well see this one also.

Expectations: This has been completed for years, just not released by the studio. This ALWAYS spells trouble for a film, so I didn’t get my hopes up.

SCORECARD

Actors:

Billy Bob Thornton as Mr. Woodcock: It’s a great name, and Thornton has

Plot: A veteran (Tommy Lee Jones) searches for his son who mysteriously disappeared, going AWOL after returning from Iraq. A police detective (Charlize Theron) reluctantly helps the veteran search, and they continue to run into road blocks from the military. Who’s it for: This film doesn’t talk politics; it talks about our soldiers. Everybody seems to agree that whatever our feelings on the war, we need compassion for the men and women serving.

Expectations: It’s an amazing cast, with Jason Patric, Josh Brolin and James Franco even getting smaller roles. Plus, Paul Haggis is still considered gold with directing “Crash,” and writing “Million Dollar Baby” and “Flags of Our Fathers.”

SCORECARD

Actors:

Tommy Lee Jones as Hank Deerfield: It’s always a great performance when you can’t imagine anyone else playing the role. Jones does

Plot: A radio host (Jodie Foster) loves her life, but when her fiancé is brutally attacked, she decides to go on a rampage in the streets of New York. Her pursuit of evildoers catches the attention of the media and the NYPD, with a police detective (Terrence Howard) hot on her trail. Who’s it for: There aren’t many films that have a woman in the starring role, and Foster typically is a good box office draw. More than anything, if you’ve ever mused about a bit of violent revenge, this is your movie.

Expectations: An individual scorned and out for revenge has been done to death, so I needed something more to get me excited. Neil Jordan is the director, and he’s responsible for “Interview with a Vampire” so that’s a

Plot: A young woman dies and her baby survives during pregnancy. This leads a nurse (Naomi Watts) to track down her family, using a diary left behind. But the young woman has ties to one of London’s most powerful Russian mobs. The family’s driver (Viggo Mortensen) is called upon to take care of the nurse’s inquires. Who’s it for: If you want a mafia-type movie with the appropriate amount of violence, in a slow and steady paced drama, then “Eastern Promises” is for you. Keep in mind, there isn’t a huge body count, but you squirm when a knife is pulled.

Expectations: I wasn’t enamored with “A History of Violence” like most critics. Because this was the same team of David Cronenberg directing and Mortensen acting, I wasn’t that excited.

SCORECARD

Actors:

Naomi Watts

Plot: Mr. Smith (Clive Owen) ends up at the wrong place at the wrong time. He ends up trying to protect a newborn baby from a determined criminal (Paul Giamatti). Luckily, Smith is the best of the best, and he has some help from a prostitute (Monica Belluci). Who’s it for: Fans of over-the-top, insane, mindless violence which never really delivers many laughs.

Expectations: I had very high hopes for this film. I love a good shoot ’em up type movie, and it seems that “Shoot’em Up” should fit that genre. And on top of that, there was finally some top-notch actors attached to a project like this. I was pumped.

SCORECARD

Actors:

Clive Owen as Mr. Smith: I really thought he would be perfect as a no-nonsense killer, protecting a baby. I was

Plot: Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is the most notorious outlaw in the late 1800s. When he is captured, Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is thrust in the position to try and take him into custody, transporting him to the 3:10 train out of Yuma. With Ben’s gang hot on the trail, Dan’s safety will be challenged, especially when his son tags along. Who’s it for: This is a western that gives you a little more shades of grey. The good and the bad have layers; nobody here is wearing all white.

Expectations: I watched “Young Guns II” in the theater, which simply proves that I am a fan of westerns. Plus, Bale and Crowe going at it isn’t bad either.

SCORECARD

Actors:

Russell Crowe as Ben Wade: There is really nothing new here, bad guys

Plot: Director Rob Zombie takes a stab (pun intended) at reviving the “Halloween” franchise by showing where Michael Myers got his start as a serial killer. Who’s it for: If you see all the other horror flicks, you might as well see this ultra-violent offering.

Expectations: If a horror film can actually be scary, I am happily to be terrified. The problem, of course, is that most rely on gore.

SCORECARD

Actors:

Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Loomis: Make-up isn’t used to show the aging of Dr. Loomis. Instead, it’s bad wigs. When McDowell spouts lines such as, “In a weird way, you’ve become my best friend,” to Michael … let’s just say I laughed at not with … which is kind of fun. Grade: 5

Daeg Faerch/Tyler Mane as Michael Myers: The young Michael is

Plot: A ping-pong protégé (say it 10 times real fast) falls on his face at the Olympics. Years later, he must join forces with the FBI to take down Feng (Christopher Walken), a notorious criminal, and win an underground ping-pong tournament. Who’s it for: I was hoping it would be for die-hard ping-pong fans, but I would say it’s for people that are just dying for another summer comedy and would settle for anything.

Expectations: It’s not really a proud thing to admit, but ping-pong is one of my best sports. Throw Christopher Walken into the mix and I was looking forward to the film.

SCORECARD

Actors:

Dan Fogler as Randy Daytona: Nothing was played up enough in this film. The perfect example is Randy’s love affair with Def Leppard. This is his first

Plot: Erik (Josh Harnett) is an up-and-coming sports writer in Denver. He’s dealing with being in his father’s shadow, working at the paper with his separated wife, and being a hero to his son. He encounters a homeless man who calls himself Champ (Samuel L. Jackson), and may have stumbled on the story that will take his career to the next level. Who’s it for: The main appeal of this film is the journalism and talk of what boxing used to be. Plus, you have to be comfortable with the homeless since Jackson gives a good performance as someone who lives on the street.

Expectations: Since I am a journalist and enjoy sports, this film is right up my alley. Unfortunately, Josh Harnett isn’t really dependable for delivering great films.

SCORECARD

Actors:

Josh Hartnett

Plot: Marion (Julie Delpy) is a French photographer who lives in New York with her boyfriend Jack (Adam Goldberg). Together they go to Paris and stay with her parents. While there, a cultural divide begins to develop and the couple’s relationship is consistently tested while Jack encounters Marion’s old boyfriends. Who’s it for: Anyone who is a fan of dysfunctional relationships and thinks arguing with their mate is a fun pastime.

Expectations: I really had none. I’ve liked Delpy’s performances in “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset,” and Goldberg has always balanced the line between funny and annoying.

SCORECARD

Actors:

Julie Delpy as Marion: She’s a natural. Her beauty and charisma always seem to easily shine through. Marion is a woman who does have problems, mainly with flittering, and it’s good to see Delpy

Plot: Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) are friends who are never apart. As high school comes to an end they have to deal with going to different colleges. Suddenly, they are given the task of providing alcohol to a party, and they look at it as their last chance to be in the cool crowd. They get Fogel (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) to use his fake I.D., but that only complicates things when he runs into two cops (Bill Hader and screenwriter Seth Rogen). Who's it for: This is tailor made for college kids but should appeal to a wider audience as long as they can get past the language.

Expectations: With Seth Rogen (“Knocked Up”) writing the script and Michael Cera from “Arrested Development” involved, I was excited. Plus, there

Plot: When a space shuttle crashes, something from outer space comes with it. Psychiatrist Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman) and her friend Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig) learn that when you sleep, this extraterrestrial epidemic attacks, leaving people physically unchanged but strangely unfeeling and inhuman. They need to find an antidote before the human race, as we know it, is destroyed. Who's it for: This is the second remake of “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Nicole Kidman is in almost every scene, so if you don’t care for her, stay away. Plus, there isn’t as much thrilling scares as I was hoping for.

Expectations: The 1978 remake starting Donald Sutherland is a fantastic film for its time. Plus, it was the first film I remember watching as a child (on cable) that

Plot: LAPD’s finest, James Carter (Chris Tucker) and Chinese Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) discover trouble in Paris. I could tell you more about potential brothers, a French finger and a bald woman, but you’re not going to see this film based on plot, are you? Who's it for: If you want to sit down and watch this movie, it’s either 98 degrees outside and you just need air conditioning or you are a die-hard Chris Tucker fan. Otherwise, there’s better action and comedy out there right now.

Expectations: I had very low expectations. I have only seen the first two films in bits and pieces on cable. Now, I had no choice but to see it in the theater. Rough life I have, huh?

SCORECARD

Actors:

Chris Tucker as James Carter: I laughed