Memoirs of a Geisha: Someone, I forget who, told me they saw this and absolutely loved it. The lead actress is pretty, the trailer looks pretty, the billboards are pretty, and all the movie-tie-in cosmetic products are pretty. But then controversy arose about how the Chinese and the Japanese are offended that the lead characters are played by Chinese actresses, yadda yadda. Rottentomatoes.com gave the movie a lousy 28%. And scathing reviews from notable reviewers earned it an “Eh, maybe not so much” as a Sunday pick. Perhaps after we watch all the other movies we wanted to see and there’s nothing to do?

Best review blurb:

A would-be cross between Showgirls and Raise the Red Lantern, too dumb to cause offense though falling short of the oblivious abandon that could have vaulted it into high camp.” — Dennis Lim, VILLAGE VOICE

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: I remember this story from when I was a kid but wasn’t sure I wanted to see it visualized for me on the big screen. But sure enough, it has gotten really great reviews saying that this movie is true to C.S. Lewis’ work and that the visuals are stunning. Judging just from the trailer, it seems like the sort of film that would thrust its viewers into a world of fantasy and hold them there until long after it is over. Talking lions, battling centaurs and a wicked witch to rival any storybook villain? I’m in. But I’d like to save this epic for a good theater, The Bridge versus AMC for this one.

Best review blurb:

What is lightly sketched in the novel, where much is left to the imagination, blossoms into full-blown, richly detailed life in the movie.” — Kirk Honeycutt, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Brokeback Mountain: Or as my brother and his boyfriend like to refer to it, “Bareback Mountain,”–hot, young cowboys in love. I haven’t really seen any trailers for this movie and was only made aware of it after a friend of mine forwarded a knockout review of it from The Onion’s serious side, the AVClub.com, to me. And I was consequently made hungrier for it after reading Annie Proulx’s compelling short story on which it was based, from the New Yorker. In any case, as it appears to be a heartbreaking, angsty love story, I’d reserve it for a weekday since I like to save my weekends for blockbusters or romantic comedies.

Best review blurb:

More importantly, it allows [director Ang] Lee to draw out a theme that’s been present in his films from the start: the notion that repressed passion does no one any good. In Brokeback Mountain, it turns vibrant men ghostly. They look backward as life pushes them in the opposite direction, and they fail those around them as they disappoint themselves. In the end, they might have been saved by something as simple as love.” –Keith Phipps, AVClub.com