New Releases

Two brothers trapped in different worlds struggle to unlock the secrets that will bring them back together in this feature-length entry into the Full Metal Alchemist saga. The year is 1923, and the burgeoning Nazi party is slowly gaining a foothold in German politics. It's been two long years since Edward Elric's bold sacrifice found him thrust into the unfamiliar Earth realm, and as he continues to research rocketry in Munich alongside fellow researcher Alphons Heiderich -- a scientist who strangely resembles Ed's long-lost brother Al -- the slow progress leaves the discouraged Ed wondering if he'll ever see his brother again. But you never know what the future holds, and when Ed saves a psychic Gypsy girl, he quickly finds himself immersed in a plot by the mysterious Thule Society and the rising Nazi Party that threatens to thrust both Earth and his home planet into a horrible war. Little does Ed know that back on his home planet, his brother Al has been conducting a series of experiments in alchemy and mastering incredible powers in hopes of locating his desperate sibling. Though the combined forces of alchemy and science may indeed yield enough power to bring the brothers back together, the chaos that could follow threatens to cause more bloodshed than either Ed or Al ever imagined. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A extended conversation between two old friends over dinner proves an unexpectedly fascinating subject for a film in the critically acclaimed My Dinner with André. The talkers in question are André Gregory, a renowned experimental theater director, and playwright and actor Wallace Shawn, both of whom play themselves. The film is not a documentary, but a condensation of several real discussions fashioned into a dramatic exchange by Shawn and director Louis Malle. The subtle conflict stems from the differences in the men's characters: Gregory is an inquisitive, uninhibited wanderer, willing to travel to remote lands to take part in unusual foreign rituals, while Shawn is the cynical, realistic New Yorker, more concerned with the challenges and rewards of day-to-day city life. Malle approaches their philosophical yet playful back-and-forth with a straightforward, minimal style that only rarely wanders outside its restaurant setting. The focus therefore falls on Shawn's and Gregory's contrasting verbal styles and facial expressions, highlighting conversational nuances normally lost on film. While the idea of watching any conversation for over 90 minutes, no matter how fascinating, may turn off some viewers, enough audiences have supported the film to make it an art-house classic. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Sandra Bullock stars in the romantic comedy The Proposal, as a Canadian immigrant who creates a demanding and difficult work environment for her subordinates at the office. When the news arrives that she's about to be deported to the Great White North, she rushes into a marriage of convenience with her young assistant (played by Ryan Reynolds) to prevent such a catastrophe from occurring. 27 Dresses' Anne Fletcher directs from a script by Peter Chiarelli for Touchstone Pictures. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Director Nick Cassavetes collaborates with screenwriter Jeremy Leven (The Notebook) for this drama about a pair of parents who resort to unorthodox methods in order to save their young daughter's life, only to find their decision coming back to haunt them in a manner neither could have ever foreseen. Sara (Cameron Diaz) and Brian (Jason Patric) were coasting through life with their young son and daughter when tragedy threatened to tear the family apart. Suddenly, their baby girl falls ill, and her only hope for survival rests in her parents' ability to find a compatible bone marrow donator. Desperate to save their daughter's life at any cost, Sara and Brian conceive another child in hopes that the baby will be a genetic match. But that decision raises a series of moral and ethical questions that rapidly begin to erode the foundation of the once-happy couple's relationship. Incensed upon learning that she was brought into this world for the singular purpose of prolonging the life of her ailing older sister, the young girl (Abigail Breslin) ultimately decides to sue her parents for the rights to her own body. Alec Baldwin, Sofia Vassilieva, and Joan Cusack co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide