Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - This is one perverse and extremely violent film and it's a musical no less. Director Tim Burton brings his usually cool panache to the screen. Good but bizarre. Rated R.
The Grade: B

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem - Awful!! Not even worth a full sentence. Rated R.
The Grade: D (for special effects and a couple cool kills)

I Am Legend - This Will Smith Vampire flick is good creepy fun. Based on Richard Matheson's classic horror novel (which has already had two movies made from it) it imagines a future world where very few humans have survived. Smith is very good in the role and the visuals are superb. Rated PG-13.
The Grade: B

Juno - This independent comedy about a pregnant high school girl considering giving her baby up for adoption is quirky and charming. The cast is superb, especially Ellen Page in the lead role. Relaxingly directed by Jason Reitman. Rated PG-13.
The Grade: B-

Starting Out In The Evening - Frank Langella plays an aging writer with a daughter (played by Lily Taylor) and a fan (Lauren Ambrose) writing a thesis on him. The story is bookish in both a good and bad sort of a way and very little happens. The performances (including Adrian Lester as the daughter's idealist boyfriend) are what make it worth checking out if you're into cerebral, mature films. Rated PG-13.
The Grade: B-

Atonement - This WW2 era romance is British beyond belief which is of course, good and bad. The cinematography is stunning and the point of view of the plot is very interesting. The problem is that it is a very slow story and the significant event that the whole film hinges on is so preposterous, as well the events that lead up to it, that all integrity for the picture is completely lost in the process. Starring Keira Knightly and James McAvoy. Rated R.
The Grade: B-