He is immediately taken back by the beautiful Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams). As filming begins Colin finds that he is a busy bee on the set and things do not always go as planned. Even at the read through Marilyn has immediate difficulties getting in touch with her character. Her skills seem odd to the other cast members. The first day on set Marilyn is late and once filming begins the chemistry between Olivier and Monroe is very strained. He is in a rush to finish production, while Monroe is still trying to grasp her role and have a better understanding. There are many mistakes made and Marilyn has a hard time understanding what Olivier is looking for.

Distraught she looks for a way to dull the pain and release the anxiety through medication and alcohol. Immediately you can tell this young iconic legend has a problem. Her beauty is remarkable and her talent undeniable, but underneath the exterior she is a scared and lonely girl. Marilyn tries to fill a void by luring Colin with her charisma. Colin insists they are just friends but it does not take much for Marilyn’s magnetism to overwhelm Colin and have him falling head over heels. It is a learning experience for the young fellow that will come to realize life and love are not always as easy as they should be.

“My Week with Marilyn” is a beautiful tale that will have you more intrigued about film from the 1950’s and the beautiful starlets. The talented cast offered stellar performances, but the most surprising was Michelle Williams who took on the daunting task of playing the iconic Monroe. At first I was not sure Williams would be able to pull off the natural sex appeal that Monroe had, but she did it effortlessly. An eye opening experience and look into the lives and downfalls of entertainers during the height of their career. The experience starts off strong and leaves you wanting more. The ending comes too soon as the climax seems to just be reached when it abruptly ends. All fans of films from this era will enjoy the true representation of the time and Marilyn fans will be pleased. See how this magical showgirl came to be a showstopper in “My Week with Marilyn” in theatres now.

Kyle (Seth Rogen) is Adam’s lifelong buddy who after the initial shock does everything he can to get Adam’s mind off his sickness. As Adam begins treatment you feel for the young soul who is suffering just to survive. Needing an outlet for the pain he turns to a hospital counselor, Katherine (Anna Kendrick) a young inexperienced woman who uses her practice with patients for her doctrine. When Adam is dealt another blow in his battle most of his faith is gone. Soon after he discovers it is not only his fight against cancer, but also his family and friend’s fight too.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt had the performance of his career. You could feel his fear, angst and love. Every emotion he rolled into a remarkable performance that made the film. “50/50” is a poignant tale of how reality can bite you in the ass very quickly. No matter your age or health, at any moment your life can change. The chemistry between Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen was perfect, two friends who are standing side by side in a fight against time. As a parent and a person this film tugged at my heart strings. There were many moments of distraught and fear that had me an emotional mess. “50/50” is a tear jerker film that has me calling it one of the best films of 2011.

Beane makes every attempt to add to their financial woes but his wishes are denied. After a chance encounter with a Cleveland Indians advisor he may gain the winning ability. Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) is an Ivy League grad who is a genius when it comes to baseball stats. He tells Beane that when looking for players he is looking for the wrong strengths. He needs to start reaching out to the players who get on base and thus score. Using statistical data he analyzes and values the players picking his winning team.

As Beane begins to make some sketchy decisions for the team, his scouters begin to doubt and question him. When his computer-generated talent does not seem to be the amazing team it should he starts to look like a failure. With faith in the players, team and fans Billy Beane and Peter Brand are just what the Oakland A’s need to rescue them from the pitts and take them to the World Series.

Brad Pitt is amazing as Billy Beane. You could feel his passion for the game. The light comedy offered with Pitt and Jonah Hill was terrific. Not being a huge baseball fan I enjoyed every second of this film. “Moneyball” is based on a true story and focuses on what baseball trading comes down to. Your cash flow either buys the best players or you never win. One of the many reasons the Yankees are still tops in their league. Proving second chances can happen “Moneyball” takes you on a joyous journey that makes it one of the top family films of 2011. Get into the game and see what the American sport is all about through Beane’s eyes.

We have a limited number of admit-two passes for the screening Thursday, September 22 at 7:30 PM at the AMC Barrywoods. Winners will be chosen on Monday, September 19. The winners will receive an email with instructions on how to print out their pass. Make sure to bring the pass with you to the screening. Be sure to get there early. These screenings are overbooked to fill every seat. Only ONE entry per email address. Only eligible for Kansas/Missouri metro area residents. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.

Text the word WAVES (space) and your zip code to 43549 for a chance to win a complimentary mobile pass for two to see SOUL SURFER on Monday, April 5 at 7:00PM, AMC TOWN CENTER. Winners will be selected by a random drawing  Monday, April 4th. Winners will be sent a winning text message informing them that they have won.

Text the word RACE (space) and your zip code to 43549 for a chance to win a complimentary copy of the SECRETARIAT on DVD. Winner will be notified February 1.

Synopsis:

Disney presents a n astonishing true story bursting with hope, heart and courage.  Diane Lane & John Malkovich lead a celebrated cast in this inspirational motion picture from the producers of Miracle, Invincible and The Rookie.

Behind every legend, lies an impossible dream.  Witness the spectacular journey of an incredible horse name Secretariat and the moving story of his unlikely owner, a housewife who risked everything to make him a champion.  Out of the gate with never-before-seen bonus features, Secretariat is hours of pulse-pounding entertainment for the whole family!

Steven’s secret is out in the open as he becomes honest about his homosexuality and no longer wishes to live in shame and decides to live life to the fullest. Living life to the fullest can also become expensive as Steven learns when he begins living the lavish gay lifestyle with his partner Jimmy (Rodrigo Santoro). As the expenses mount Steven learns the only way to continue the life he wants is to con and fraud his way through it. That is until he is caught and begins serving time for his crime.

This is where Steven meets Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). As the two develop their relationship behind bars and once Steven is released for serving his term his devotion to freeing Phillip takes on another con as Steven impersonates an attorney to get him out. Once free Steven begins wheeling and dealing again and finds himself on the wrong side of the law.

His cons only become more lavish as he impersonates a judge, juror, doctor and even fakes his own death. Escaping prison multiple times and making the justice system look like a joke makes it hard to believe that “I Love You Phillip Morris” is based on a true story. Jim Carrey offers one of his best performances that have you wondering what took him so long to get here. A story about love that truly binds in an outrageous way and what one man would do to make sure he would not have a broken heart. It’s adorable and will have you laughing along the way.

After showing some promise in one of his matches a trainer from Vegas offers Micky free training and fights with some great contenders, only rule is that he has to cut his brother out of his training. Which should not be hard to do considering he gets sent to prison due to his illegal activities involving drugs and solicitation. Micky begins training and becomes a stronger confident fighter.

At his side is his girlfriend Charlene (Amy Adams), a no nonsense bar maid who is willing to fight for what she believes in. With Charlene by Micky’s side nothing can go wrong. The pair deal with the back lashing of his sisters and mother when Micky turns his back on his brother, but Charlene takes a stand against the girls and they learn to choose their battles wisely.

Once Dicky is to be released from prison it is time for Micky to decide what role he will play in his life. He has established himself in as a true contender and inviting his former addict brother back into his career could be a fatal mistake. With so many decisions to weigh will Micky crack under the pressure?

“The Fighter” is another true inspirational story. Mark Wahlberg offered a solid performance, but co-star Christian Bale proved he is more than a bad Batman. I was shocked by the variety he offered on screen and how in depth he took his role as a drug addict. Amy Adams stepped out of her cookie cutter roles and took on a badass role and stole the show. By far her best performance and Oscar worthy in my opinion. “The Fighter” is another must see film with some of the greatest performances this year.

After giving a tour to two girls Aron ventures out on his own and will begin the struggle of his life. While canyoning alone a boulder comes loose and traps Aron in the canyon. His arm is stuck. He tries to maneuver the boulder to free his arm but it is too heavy. Low on food and with minimal water left Aron begins to document his ordeal. Videotaping his every moment and eventually saying his goodbyes to family.

Aron knows time is running out as he did not tell anyone where he would be going this weekend and by the time anyone would realize Aron was missing it would be too late. With no other options Aron faces the struggle of dying alone or the unthinkable task of removing his arm and freeing himself to survival. It is an amazing true story of defying death against all odds.

“127 Hours” does an excellent job at putting you in the canyon and inside a dying man’s head. Directed by Danny Boyle (‘Slumdog Millionaire’), there is the same vivid feel to the film. However with this drama the direction Boyle leads the film in is not suited to all viewers. James Franco offers the performance of his career. He could not have been better suited for this role and once again has proven to be on his way to the Oscars. “127 Hours” is a film about facing death with bravery. It is a dark and disturbing film that I thought about days later. This film will not be appropriate for all as there have been many cases of audience members passing out while viewing certain scenes. If you can handle a few gruesome moments and want to see the performance of the year, then this film cannot be missed!

We have a limited number of admit-two passes for the screening Monday, November 22 at 7:30 PM at the AMC Mainstreet. Winners will be chosen on Friday, November 19. The winners will receive an email with instructions on how to print out their pass. Make sure to bring the pass with you to the screening. Be sure to get there early. These screenings are overbooked to fill every seat. Only ONE entry per email address. Only eligible for Kansas/Missouri metro area residents. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.