Terrence Malick brings what can only be described as the most epic yet intimate project of his career, a film that will not only visually stun you but provoke intense thought and debate.

Set in both present day as well as the 1950’s in small town rural Texas. Tree of Life tells the story of Jack(Sean Penn) as he contemplates his life and the complicated relationship he has with his father (Brad Pitt) through vivid imagery and multiple flash backs as a child.

To Say Tree of Life is a challenging film would be an understatement as grand as the scenes of the cosmos being formed in the opening scenes. This is a film with no direct narrative and the majority of the dialogue being delivered through voice over rather than traditional dialogue. This is a film that has some of the most beautiful images to grace the screen, images that are more fitting to an elegant coffee table book than a 138 minute feature. The majority of the film is set to classical music while we see the creation of our solar system as life begins to form. The visual history of creation is Intermixed with scenes of Jack as a small child and his contentious relationship with his father the disciplinarian, juxtaposed by scenes with his mother that show the nurturing side of life. This is the only film that one minute you will see a dinosaur by a river and the next have a scene focusing on something as small as letting a screen door slam shut.

Tree of life isn’t a film that you see to be entertained it’s an exhausting experience that will challenge you, anger you, surprise you and stir emotions that few films are able to. It’s a movie that will stick with you and make you think about life in ways that you typically don’t. Whether you like it or not this is a film that will provoke you and make you think which the ultimate compliment is when you are truly talking about art.

Grade- 82

A foul mouthed gold digging teacher gets dumped by her rich fiancé forcing her to continue her teaching career when a new rich substitute starts she is pitted against the most beloved teacher to snatch him up.

Cameron Diaz stars as Elizabeth Halsey a Jr high teacher who envisions teaching as a pit stop while trying to land a man with money who can take care of her. When she is dumped prior to her wedding she thinks the only thing holding her back from landing new teacher Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake) is a new set of boobs. Quickly Elizabeth is scamming money any way she can, upon finding out that a bonus is awarded for the best test scores she decides she will beat perennial winner and teaching nemesis Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch) by winning the contest as well as the wallet of Dellacorte, while being wooed by gym teacher Russell Gettis (Jason Segel).

Bad Teacher sells itself as a raunchy hard R adult film which couldn’t be further from the truth. Every ounce of funny this film has is on display in the trailer. Diaz once again proves that she can’t carry a film, quickly the shock factor of her I don’t give a F schtick and a permanent scowl becomes stagnant never one upping the previous gag. She is a Haggard mess skating by doing the bare minimum much like her character. It takes more than a scowl and a crappy attitude to make a film funny.

Justin Timberlake as Scott Delacorte brings a character to the screen that has less depth and humor than anything he has done so far. Outside of seeing him drive an Audi R8 you would have no idea that he brings anything to the table for Halsey. It’s disappointing given the talent level of Timberlake that they give him a character that is just an annoying and unfunny douche rather than awkwardly funny,

The highlights of the film are Lucy Punch and Jason Segal, Punch with her crazy eyes is able to deliver a borderline psychotic teacher that completely overshadows Diaz in every way. While Segal makes the most of his limited screen time by squeezing as much funny as possible out of his character.

It’s sad that in a movie called bad teacher the worst thing that she does is recreational drug use and puts poison ivy on an apple. With a marketing campaign geared strictly for adults, giving away every possible funny moment and a title guaranteed to remind people of Bad Santa. I am being generous in giving Diaz and crew a D+, Bad Teacher is unfunny and unmemorable.

Grade- 67

Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan a test pilot with a penchant for wisecracks or in other words he plays himself, Reynolds isn’t doing anything in Lantern that requires more effort than to look good and say some funny lines. Reynolds is turning into a modern day version of 1980’s Tom Cruise whose entire repertoire consisted of playing the cocky young guy. Reynolds turn as Jordan the test pilot who lives in the shadow of his deceased pilot father and compensates with extreme flying maneuvers is also how Cruise’s Maverick/Pete Mitchell could be described in Top Gun, this can’t just be an awful coincidence.

Opposite Reynolds is Blake Lively as Carol Ferris a test pilot herself as well as the number two in command of Ferris Air, while Blake is nice to look at this is the most ridiculous piece of casting since Denise Richards graced the screen as Dr Christmas Jones. Rounding out the Principals is Peter Sarsgaard as Dr Hector Hammond a Scientist who begins to mutate after being contaminated with liquid fear while performing the Autopsy on deceased Green Lantern Abin Sur (Temuera Morrison). Sarsgaard take on Hammond is to walk around looking like a creepy child molester with the requisite sleazy mustache while quickly mutating into what can only be described as Rocky Dennis with yellow eyes. While Sarsgaard looks as if just going out in public should set off a state wide Amber Alert, even worse is the giant computer animated monster named Parallax that is trying to destroy The Green Lanterns using the power of Fear, Parallax looks like Diarrhea suspended in water. A viscose ashy feces monster devoid of personality is not the way to start a franchise.

Sadly the powers that be don’t realize that the super hero villain plays just as much into a great franchise as the hero, Think of Batman Returns without Ledgers Joker, Superman 1 without Hackman as Luther or Superman 2 without Stamp as general Zod. There is a certain give and take between a Super Hero and a Super Villian, A wisecracking hero who is unsure of himself trying to save the earth from Fear Monsters represented by flying feces and a creepy looking doctor who looks to be suffering from Craniodiaphyseal dysplasia is not strong enough for the first film in a franchise.

Green Lantern has its good moments, the highlight of the entire film being when it makes fun of itself, the scene where Lively first realizes that Green Lantern is Hal Jordan is the best part of the entire film, if being self aware of its ridiculousness didn’t stop there Green Lantern Might have been more of a Success, as it stands we have a hero who’s power is from a ring yet constantly just has the ring in his pocket. A world in which a flying green man can save people and not have the world know about it, even though they show him being videotaped. Maybe on the cutting room floor is a cohesive film that had some substance or staying power.

Grade- 68

Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge fan of Zombie movies… When done right. If the trailer is any indication of the quality of Rammbock I wont be disappointed.

Release date is June 28th on DVD and VOD