ALONE WITH HER [R]
For young Colin Hanks, it must be difficult trying to get out of the sizeable shadow of his father, Tom Hanks. Not only does he look more and more like his old man with each film he makes, but he is also burdened by the same everyman persona that makes him impossible to hate. In this tepid thriller, Hanks the junior tries to free himself of his inherent geniality by playing a pathetic stalker preying on a vulnerable young woman. The film is told mostly through the point of view of surveillance cameras placed throughout the victim’s house, and those expecting a novel approach to the stalker genre will be left bitterly disappointed. The gimmicky storytelling can’t hide the labored script and painfully obvious character exposition of this B-movie. There are some genuinely cringe-inducing moments and disturbing insights into the world of voyeurism, but its hapless young lead fails to convince and the movie falls flat. –Matt Hoenigsberg
STAND UP [NR]
While movies about the stand-up life like Lenny and Punch Line had big stars, they were not “inside” enough to give a viewer enough of a feel for the very serious business of comedy. Writer-director Michael Rainin’s first feature, however, does. He is fortunate in that his star, Israeli-born New York comic Modi Rosenfeld (”Last Comic Standing”) embodies the manic energy that drives so many stand-ups, and it doesn’t hurt that he is naturally funny, too. Rosenfeld plays Avi, a New York comic and bubbie’s boy who moves to L.A. to break into TV. Rainin nails the whole New York/L.A. dichotomy, the honest differences between predominantly black and white stages and the nature of “bombing.” Kathryn Fiore is adorable as Avi’s girfriend, Sarah, a fellow comic, and Derek Hughes captures the whole crunchy New Age vibe quite well as Avi’s childhood friend and L.A. roommate. The film’s flaws — most notably a predictable rise-to-fame arc — are not enough to cripple it, and while it may not sell a million copies, it is a nice blueprint to a business as mysterious to some as the C.I.A. –Robert Newton
NOBODY WANTS YOUR FILM [NR]
Despite the slightly muddled constructed narrative for this quasi-documentary — an e-mail correspondence detailing the demise of an independent film — it is worth the wade for the insight into the movie business it beams. Director Peter Judson shoots interviews with the likes of indie staples Steve Buscemi, Sam Rockwell and Peter Stormare behind-the-scenes of an actual low-budget L.A. production, and their conversations yield revelations both clichéd and profound. Funniest is an in-car interview with actor Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent), whose reaction to the inattentive interviewer is priceless and perfect. The low-light DV quality will irk some, but anyone in search of a 93-minute film school will learn lots from this insightful, no-budget lesson. Download the film for $3.99 at www.NobodyWantsYourFilm.com. –Robert Newton
FREE ZONE [NR]
Natalie Portman plays a young American in Jerusalem whose chance encounter with a cab driver takes her across the border to Jordan in this dramatic comedy.
HANNIBAL RISING [R/NR]
The origins of Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter are revealed in this lush but bungled revenge tale, based on the novel by Thomas Harris.
ILLUSION [PG-13]
Kirk Douglas plays a film director nearing the end of his life and reflecting on the long, strange trip in “Party Of Five” star Michael Goorjian’s drama.
MY BROTHER [NR]
Two impoverished orphans share a bond of love in Oscar-nominated filmmaker Anthony Lover’s moving urban drama starring Vanessa Williams.
RAIN [NR]
Faye Dunaway, Robert Loggia and Khandi Alexander star in this story of a musical prodigy who learns some surprising things about her own past. Based on the novel by V.C. Andrews.
[10] DREAMGIRLS [10]
[9] ALPHA DOG [9]
[8] THE FOUNTAIN [8]
[7] CATCH & RELEASE [7]
[6] DÉJÀ VU [6]
[5] MUSIC AND LYRICS [5]
[4] NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM [4]
[3] BECAUSE I SAID SO [3]
[2] STOMP THE YARD [2]
[1] PAN’S LABYRINTH [1]
Source: Video Business