Bloglander

Good week for Oscar-nominated films (The Illusionist, Rabbit Hole, the animated and live-action Oscar-nominated shorts at Magic Lantern), and a bad weekend, as are all weekends, for Adam Sandler fans who remember that brief period — between Punch Drunk and Reign Over Me — when he decided to occasionally make good films. 

THE EAGLE
A young Roman warrior (Channing Tatum) arrives in second-century Scotland, where he’s to take over command of a military post. He’s the son of a previous commander who vanished, along with 5,000 of his men, and he’s determined to find out what happened as well as bring honor back to his family name. This includes heading into the wilds with one slave (Jamie Bell) and battling endless wild tribes. Violent but not bloody, lengthy but not very interesting and, in the end, rather inane. (ES) Rated PG-13 | SHOWTIMES

GNOMEO & JULIET
An animated version of guess which Shakespeare play, only this time, the star-crossed lovers are garden gnomes voiced by James McAvoy (Mr. Tumnus in Narnia, Atonement) and Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada, The Young Victoria). They live in a world of tulips, lawnmowers and pink flamingos. Off-screen actors in this Disney movie also include Michael Caine, Patrick Stewart — and Ozzy Osbourne. (MB) Rated G | SHOWTIMES

THE ILLUSIONIST
Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville) presents French animation, working from an unproduced script by Jacques Tati (who played Monsieur Hulot in the ‘50s). A magician travels to Scotland and meets a little girl (in, perhaps. a commentary on Tati’s relationship with his estranged daughter). (MB) Rated PG | SHOWTIMES

JUST GO WITH IT
Adam Sandler, incapable of bedding women through means other than open deceit, pretends to be unhappily married in order to get strings-free sex from hot women who feel sorry for him. But then, wouldn’t you know it, he starts having feeeeewings for one of the women. So he tries to be honest, but she finds his fake ring anyway and all comic hell breaks loose. (LB) Rated PG-13 | SHOWTIMES

OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORTS: ANIMATION
Win “Best-Informed Voter” in your office Oscar pool! Watch “Day & Night” (two blobs, one dark and one light, compete); “The Gruffalo” (mouse vs. fox, owl and snake in a forest); “Let’s Pollute” (Irony Alert! — this spoof of ‘50s filmstrips isn’t seriously suggesting that we should consume and trash more stuff); “The Lost Thing” (a boy provides a home for an alien creature); and “Madagascar, a Journey Diary” (a Euro tourist is comically unfamiliar with African customs). (MB) at Magic Lantern | SHOWTIMES

OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORTS: LIVE ACTION
That guy in Accounting who never watches movies will probably win your office pool anyway. Console yourself with “The Confession” (having no sins to confess, a Catholic kid decides to commit one); “The Crush” (an 8-year-old loves his teacher, but she’s getting married); “God of Love” (a love triangle involving magical darts); “Na Wewe” (civilians are threatened during the Rwandan genocide); and “Wish 143” (a dying teenage boy has a surprising request). (MB) at Magic Lantern | SHOWTIMES

RABBIT HOLE
How do people cope with senseless tragedy? In John Cameron Mitchell’s film, Nicole Kidman tries talking to others consumed by grief; her husband (Aaron Eckhart) plays squash; and the grandmother (Dianne Wiest) tries faith and stoicism. Rabbit Hole leavens an unbearably sad topic with sparks of humor. And anger. (ES) Rated PG-13 | SHOWTIMES