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Jamie Fitzpatrick (Maggie Gyllenhaal), is a poor working class mother, struggling to make ends meet, all the while trying to get her daughter the best education possible. Nona Alberts (Viola Davis) is a primary school teacher at Adams Elementary where Jamie’s daughter attends school. Both are entrenched in the bureaucratic disaster known as the public school system and looking for an alternative. When an option to transform Adams into a more effective institution comes about, doubts are cast aside and the heavy lifting begins, but will the women have the time, and energy to make a difference? Inspired by actual events, the film takes a hard core, slanted, anti-union and ill-informed view of the education system of America. Inspiring in one sense, and great acting from the ensemble, but so impossibly stilted in its story, it actually serves as an example of exactly what labor unions in America are striving to get away from– out of date groupthink thugishness. If in fact this is how the teachers union of Pittsburgh actually thinks and acts, shame on them, I would suspect this is not the case. Ironically the film was cast with SAG-AFTRA actors and I’m going out on a limb here, but, I’d fathom a guess the Teamsters, IBEW, IATSE, and a few other unions all had a part in making this mess. And, all of this in the face of the national coverage over the necessity of union sports referees…. Go figure…this one gets an A for acting, but an F for story. Won’t Back Down is rated PG.

Young L.A.P.D. Officers Brian and Mike (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena) are partners on patrol and best friends off beat. Whilst navigating and protecting the wilds of the city the two accidentally stumble into several operations of a Mexican cartel. Meanwhile, the two also happen to be going through major life changes at home with wives Gabby and Janet (Natalie Martinez and Anna Kendrick), marriage, kids, the list goes on. As pressure mounts on the job, the strength of family and community is pulling for Brian and Mike, but will it be strong enough to keep the two alive when the cartel marks them for death? Hands down some of the best writing and character development and seriously strong acting from all involved. Writer/Director David Ayer has successfully created real, believable, three dimensional characters that we as an audience can actually become invested in. The rub? The basis of the film is assembled in a found footage/documentary style, but the shots aren’t always consistent or even really from the perspective of the cameras we’re supposed to believe we’re seeing. So, it’s selective found footage which can pull you out of the narrative if you think about it too hard; a minor beef considering the strength of the rest of the parts. Mind you, this will get grizzly, but it’s worth it. End of Watch is rated R.

Old school baseball talent scout for Atlanta, Gus (Clint Eastwood), is tasked with taking the road one more time to watch an up and comer in the Carolina’s. But, with his eyes and overall health failing the job might be more than he can handle. To avert disaster family friend and coworker, Pete (John Goodman), contacts Gus’s daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) and begs her to accompany Gus on the journey. Mickey, feeling abandoned multiple times by her father is reluctant, but goes anyway. Now on the road, father and daughter hash out unsaid differences while the game of baseball plays through, but it’s newcomer Johnny Flash (Justin Timberlake) who really works to sort things out for the two. Will father and daughter resolve their differences, will Atlanta sign their new prospect, and what about Mickey and Johnny’s new found interest in each other? Serving as proof that even really good actors can’t always help a crummy script. Loaded with cheap lines, predictable setups, and zero suspense, the trouble with the curve here may be that the overall film is so manufactured, congenial, and convenient, you might feel a little sick after the fact. Better luck next time, maybe a rental when you’re looking for a mindless joyride. Trouble With The Curve is rated PG-13.