Monthly Movie Preview – December 2010 December is the time of year when winter is settling in and you've just gotten away from family after Thanksgiving, but there's still that cruel reminder that Christmas is just around the corner and Hanukkah comes even earlier this year. In other words, December is the ideal month for escapism. What better way to spend time with family than in a dark, crowded and mostly silent movie theater?

The real question is, what does December have to offer that's worth braving the cold? Usually December is a pretty even split between the family friendly favorites that capitalize on the time off from school and the awards favorites that try to cash in on the buzz of the fast approaching awards season. Let's see what else (if anything) December has to offer this time around.

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December 3

Movie of the Week

The Warrior's Way

The Stars: Dong-gun Jang, Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush The Plot: A rogue assassin is forced to hide out from a group of killers in the old West. Trouble comes when the assassins find him and cause trouble for the hero and those he loves. The Buzz: Ya know how people say you can't look away from a train wreck or a bad car accident even if you know you should? Well, somebody decided to commit that "car wreck" to film. The Warrior's way looks like a cheesy exploitation flick that views itself as cutting edge by throwing two opposing genres together. Still, it's got plenty of action to distract from the bad special effects and minimal storytelling. Absolute worst case scenario I'm expecting some solid action and a laugh or two.

The Others:

The Nutcracker in 3D - Elle Fanning, Nathan Lane, John Turturro Black Swan - Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel

December 10

Movie of the Week

I Love You Phillip Morris

The Stars: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann The Plot: A con man finds an unlikely love when he's sent away to prison and he's willing to try just about anything to keep them together. The Buzz: This is where my job always gets a little difficult. I know there are going to be people that read this list that resent the fact that I didn't pick The Tourist for my movie of the week, but here's the deal, I've been smitten with I Love You Phillip Morris for a while now. I first saw the trailer about a year and a half ago as it got some festival attention and now it's finally getting a wide release! It looks the right combination of sweet and delightfully absurd for my taste. Since it's taken so long to get released, I'm pretty sure the Oscar buzz has died down, but it still looks like commendable performances from the film's leads and that alone is worth the price of admission.

The Others:

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Liam Neeson, Ben Barnes, Simon Pegg The Tourist - Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany

December 17

Movie of the Week

Tron: Legacy

The Stars: Garrett Hedlund, Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner The Plot: Flynn's son finds himself thrown into the world of TRON as the search for his father continues. The Buzz: Where to begin? The internet loves this movie so far and it hasn't even come out yet. For me, the Daft Punk soundtrack sold it, but visually, it looks like one of Disney's more impressive feats. Plus, this as the power to get a new generation into the original movie, while giving fans of the original more of something they love. All in all, a great marketing move for Disney, but this looks like it could actually live up to the hype.

The Others:

How Do You Know - Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson Yogi Bear - Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake, Christine Taylor The Fighter - Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams

December 24

Movie of the Week

Rabbit Hole

The Stars: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest The Plot: The film follows the lives of a married couple after they lose their young son as they struggle to return to their lives before the accident. The Buzz: There's already Oscar buzz surrounding Kidman for her performance, but even without that, this movie looks like a strong contender for me. The subject matter is heartbreaking, but after having read the play, I feel that the film will be able to do it justice with this cast. Even more exciting is the chance to see director John Cameron Mitchell do something different than his enjoyable, but over the top explorations of the taboo like Hedwig and the Angry Inch or Shortbus.

The Others: (opening December 22)

Gulliver's Travels - Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Jason Segel Little Fockers - Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo True Grit - Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin

December 31

Movie of the Week

Blue Valentine (Dec. 31)

The Stars: Ryan Gosling, Michelle WIlliams, Mike Vogel The Plot: This already controversial film chronicles the beginning and the death of a marriage as the two leads desperately try to re-capture the sexual magnetism that led them to fall in love in the first place. The Buzz: This week was one of the toughest to choose the top movie of the week because both are supposed to be great films, but Blue Valentine was pushed to the top with its rating controversy. Like the say, there's no such thing as bad publicity. Still, the two leads didn't hurt either with some incredible performances in the past. Now all that's left to do is sit back and hope it lives up to the controversy.

The Others: opening December 29

Another Year - Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen, Lesley Manville