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When an eccentric documentarian and clothier named Thierry Guetta gets the idea to start documenting the secret society of street/graffiti artists it appears he’s stumbled onto some interesting subject material. After several years of video taping literally every move of some of the worlds most notorious artists it’s time to assemble his footage into some semblance of a film, the only problem is, Thierry doesn’t know the first thing about filmmaking. Upon this discovery the elusive artist known as Banksy takes over the project and instead turns the focus of the film on the more interesting subject– Thierry and his aspiration of becoming a street artist himself. Shedding light and insight into the philosophy and inspiration for a handful of these artists the film offers a fascinating look at what many might just dismiss as vandalism, and gives pause for reflection as to what art is? Digging deeper the film also raises questions about the artists’s ambitions and what, if any, is their message. Worth at least a matinee, the film makes for a smart choice this weekend and promises to help audiences learn to discern what’s good art. Exit Through the Gift Shop is rated R.

Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is an ordinary awkward high school kid; likes his comic books, hanging out with friends, and girl watching. After getting roughed up by some neighborhood thugs one too many times inspiration strikes– the world needs a real life super hero and Dave can fill that order.  The catch is, Dave doesn’t know the first thing about crime fighting; despite this his actions as a super hero named Kick-Ass catch the attention of a local crime lord (Mark Strong) as well as several other vigilante crime stoppers, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz). Now, as good and evil square off who will survive to fight another day, and will Dave ever get the girl of his dreams before he’s killed trying to be a super hero? Well shot and thought out action, in addition to sharp relevant dialogue keeps this film moving forward and adds just the right amount of zing. Decent comic book acting from all of the players rounds out the rest of the film. In fact, I dare say this may be the best we’ve seen Cage in quite a while, albeit, his character is quirky, he carries it nicely. The film does begin to feel a little long in the last 20 minutes but this is almost forgivable because of the initial setup. Worth seeing if you’re into comic action heros. Kick-Ass is rated R.

When the Jones family moves into a new upscale neighborhood the neighbors begin to take note. On the surface they appear to be the perfect family, they’ve got all the latest technologies, fashions, toys, etc. Unbeknownst to their neighbors, Steve and Kate Jones (David Duchovny and Demi Moore) and their kids Jenn and Mick (Amber Heard and Ben Hollingsworth) are actually employees of a stealth marketing group designed to generate word of mouth advertising and stimulate consumer buying trends. But like any “regular” family the Joneses have problems of their own, but just how deep do these problems reach, and to what extent is their impact on the rest of the neighborhood? Certainly an interesting satirical look at consumerism this film manages to raise plenty of “what if’s?” and does give the viewer pause for thought about just how materialistic our culture is truly becoming. Mixed with a nice balance of humor and good performances from all of the actors the film seems to be on point, perhaps not as poignant and biting as it could be but none the less still gets its message across. Maybe worthy of a matinee or a rental. The Joneses is rated R.