4th & Short: 11/08/09

I'm still a little worn out from my hike up at Shenandoah national park yesterday, so rather than ramble on too much here I'll just encourage you all to follow the Punch Drunk Critics on Twitter. You can follow yours truly at twitter.com/punchycritic, John at twitter.com/punchdrunkjohn, and anime expert Shevonne at twitter.com/dcfemella.

3. The Box
Richard Kelly's latest thriller will leave you scratching your head and laughing at the plot's absurd twists. But what you won't be is bored, and there are some legitimately intriguing concepts to be explored, not to mention two understated performances by James Marsden and the great Frank Langella. Is it for everybody? Hell no. Is it worth figuring out for yourself whether it's your cup of tea? Absolutely.

2. Michael Jackson's This Is It

Kenny Ortega's deceptively insightful concert film chronicling the King of Pop's preparation for his final tour will steal your breath away. We get a never before seen look at MJ's legendary focus and attention to detail, but also at how he interacts with the people who idolize him. The best concert movie I've seen in years, and now that it's been extended an extra week or two there's no excuse for everyone not to see it.

1. An Education
A classic, timeless story of a young, brilliant girl who falls into a whirlwind romance with an older, mysterious gentleman. Newcomer Carey Mulligan takes the first real step into the Oscar race, bringing a grace and maturity to Nick Hornby's beautiful script. If you're like me and love Hornby's other work centered around male obsessive compulsiveness, you'll have an equally good time with how he handles the fairer sex. The best movie out today, and one of my faves of the year.

DVD Pick: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Joseph Gordon-Leavitt as Cobra Commander? Marlon Wayans? Channing Tatum? Doesn't sound like anything I'd want to ever be a party to, and yet this year's surprise hit based on the 1980's toyline is exactly what fans wanted. Big guns, big action, a touch of patriotism and a splash of B-movie theatrics. Michael Bay needs to take a hint. GI Joe kicks Transformers' metal ass.