MONEYBALL

Brad Pitt   (Billy Beane)
Jonah Hill   (Peter Brand)
Philip Seymour Hoffman   (Art Howe)
Robin Wright   (Sharon)
Bob Costas as Himself

The true story about baseball's Oakland Athletics General Manager, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) who, depite a near broke club, he put together a bunch of guys who, in the end, made it.  I liked it, but you have to know about baseball or you will be lost. Another effort penned by Aaron Sorkin (West Wing, A Few Good Men, The Social Network) from a book by Michael Lewis. Jonah Hill was good as Peter Brand, a Yale educated economist who was Billy Beane's right-hand man. I liked "Major League" with Tom Berenger and Charlie Sheen better. Wait untill it come's out on video. The End. I would rate it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2011 - PG-13)

CONTAGION

Matt Damon   (Mitch Emhoff)
Gwyneth Paltrow   (Beth Emhoff)
Laurence Fishburn   (Dr. Ellis Cheever)
John Hawkes   (Roger)
Jude Law   (Alan Krumwiede)
Marion Cotillard   (Dr. Leonora Orantes)
Kate Winslet   (Dr. Erin Mears)
Elliott Gould  (Dr. Ian Sussman)
Demetri Martin   (Dr. David Eisenberg)
Bryan Cranston  (Lyle Haggerty)

A lot of stars! A killer flu (worse than H1N1) and how it spreads all over the world. In the last scene, we find out where it comes from. I sure am glad that I had a cup of coffee beforehand. A real snooze-fest. The movie "Outbreak" staring Dustin Hoffman and Donald Sutherland was more exciting. The End. I would give it a 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.  (2011 - PG-13)

OUR IDIOT BROTHER

Paul Rudd   (Ned)
Zooey Deschanel   (Natalie)
Emily Mortimer   (Liz)
Elizabeth Banks   (Miranda)
Rashida Jones   (Cindy)
Steve Coogan   (Dylan)
Adam Scott   (Jeremy)
Sterling Brown   (Omar)
Shirley Knight   (Ilene)
and Matthew Mindler as River

A "stoner" (Paul Rudd) gets arrested for selling pot and gets sent to prison. On his release, he visits his sisters (Deschanel, Mortimer, and Banks), spending time with each one of them. He has a knack for telling the truth no matter what. Each sister has a secret they want kept, but he always tells of truth. In the end, his sisters learn to deal with it. What was all right, but no great shakes. The End. I would rate it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.  (2011 - R)