RECOMMENDED: Set inside a tank during the First Lebanon War in 1982, Israeli writer/director Samuel Maoz‘s uncompromising Lebanon takes viewers into combat from the perspective of four young soldiers and their periscope; it took home the Leone d’Oro at the 2009 Venice Film Festival.

ALSO NEW IN THE THEATERS: Globetrotting, Italian-woman-dating George Clooney is eager to prove his Americanness by starring in a film called The American. Ha, that’s not true at all: Clooney plays an American assassin living in Europe who falls for a beautiful Italian woman played by Violante Placido. Elsewhere, Machete gets its over-the-top B-movie groove on, expanding upon a fake trailer that was distributed with Grindhouse; Danny Trejo, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Cheech Marin, Lindsay Lohan, Don Johnson, Jessica Alba, and Robert De Niro star. A critical favorite, The Tillman Story is a documentary of the military cover up of soldier Pat Tillman’s death via friendly fire. Not a critical favorite: Drew Barrymore and Mac guy Justin Long’s popcorn flick Going The Distance looks like it can expect a box office fate similar to that Jennifer Aniston-Jason Bateman vehicle from a few weeks ago we’ve already forgetten the name of. Hmm…what are the odds that Drew will “play” the slightly awkward, quirky girl in this one like she does in every other film she’s in?

For more recommendations on films currently in theaters, visit Philebrity’s Film Sweat archive. And click here for movie times.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 3rd, 2010 at 12:42 pm.