Ohhhh, Christopher Evans. Is Chris Evans 2011’s Crush of the Year? Edgar Wright has a crush on him. GQ has a crush on him. And you know I wave my Chris Evans Crush Flag every day, readers. I mean, I suffered through THE SECOND FANTASTIC FOUR MOVIE FOR HIM. That is how I show my love. I watched “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” in the theaters. Also, I saw “The Losers” in theaters and greatly enjoyed it. Yes, I know that this is The Playlist, but I will admit that here in that forum. I will also admit this: I had a dream last night that I was flying around in a space shuttle above LA with Chris Evans and January Jones. So yes, you could say I am looking forward to “Captain America” A LITTLE BIT. But this weekend brings us a Sophie’s Choice: everyone’s other universal crush Justin Timberlake has a new movie in theaters! And “Bad Teacher” is still playing! Timberlake in glasses! 2 much Timberlake 2 choose. And he possibly shows his bum in “Friends With Benefits.” Even the straight men want to see that! Guys, what are we going to do?! Blah blah there are also some other movies playing if you hate beautiful men.
So I think I’ve made it clear how I feel about “Captain America: The First Avenger,” right? Despite Joe Johnston‘s laughable (literally) job on “The Wolfman,” he does do that retro-nostalgic vibe well (see: “The Rocketeer.” No really see it, young Jennifer Connolly is super yummy). Our review of ‘Cap’ says, “it’s a crisp, honey-hued adventure that’s light on the subtext, heavy on the tons-of-shit-blowing-up and yet filled with grounded character motivations that keep the film form ever feeling ridiculous.” Co-starring Haley Atwell, Stanley Tucci, Dominic Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and Sebastian Stan. Rotten Tomatoes: 72% Metacritic: 67
“Friends With Benefits” hits theaters this weekend, hoping to be the better fuck buddy rom-com than “No Strings Attached.” Fuck buddies are so hot right now, says Hollywood. Really? Says everyone else. Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake hop between the sheets with Woody Harrelson and Richard Jenkins as supporting players and Will Gluck behind the camera. Our review says that even though the film tries to deconstruct the rom-com, it “ends up playing into the same clichés and stereotypes that the movies it’s trying to send up established.” RT: 67% MC: 61
Sundance sensation “Another Earth” opens this weekend, starring breakout actress Brit Marling, who also co-wrote the script of the sci-fi/grief drama hybrid. Our review says Marling “is a commanding presence on film and, behind the camera, she has a distinct storytelling style and the ability to help craft a story that challenges preconceived notions.” RT: 62% MC: 67
Rarely seen outside of German TV and MOMA, Rainer Werner Fassbinder‘s “World on a Wire” gets a proper theatrical release courtesy of Janus Films before its Criterion Collection DVD release. This two-part made-for-TV movie is finally available to American audiences, so check it out to see if it’s playing in a theater near you. Or… it’s available on Hulu Plus through the Criterion Collection. This stylish sci-fi anticipates “The Matrix” by a good 25 years, imagining a virtual reality projected by computers and inhabited by “identity units.” Our review says it’s “a ‘fascinating oddity,’ one in which you’ll no doubt be glad you experienced, but won’t want to rush out and watch again.” Be sure to keep an eye out on the Playlist for a Fassbinder retrospective running soon. RT: 100% MC: 75
David Robert Mitchell‘s debut feature “The Myth of the American Sleepover” follows a group of teenagers and their dramas over the course of a late summer night. Our review says the film, “feels like a labor of love and an honest one at that.” RT: 81% MC: 68
Also in theaters: Jenna Fischer stars in the indie dramedy “A Little Help” RT: 50% MC: 48; Kristin Scott Thomas in French drama “Sarah’s Key” RT: 68% MC: 56; Kevin MacDonald‘s Youtube compilation doc “Life in a Day” RT: 100%; Bollywood cop drama “Singham“; and “Fire in Babylon” documents the West Indies cricketers overcoming their colonial masters at their own game RT: 89% MC: 57. Mumblecore king Joe Swanberg co-directs “Autoerotic” with Adam Wingard. The film follows four Chicago couples’ sexual explorations. Not in 5 million years, is when I want to watch this. Opening earlier this week, doc “In the Company of Rohmer” by Marie Rivière, a collaborator of the late, great French director. Also opening on Wednesday was the doc “The Woman With the 5 Elephants” about the life of Dostoyevsky translator Svetlana Geier. RT: 88% MC: 73