This film takes place in the `60s and the story is intertwined with different Beatles songs and even some visual cues to their previous films. ("Help!", "A Hard Day's Night", "Magical Mystery Tour", "Yellow Submarine" and "Let it Be") In "Across the Universe," Jude (as in "Hey, Jude") falls in love with a sheltered American girl named Lucy (as in "In the Sky with Diamonds"). When her brother Max gets drafted into Vietnam, Jude and Lucy become anti-war activists and journey ... across the universe. Acid trip aside, this film is a long music video with a couple kids trying to make it in a mixed-up world. Fans of the Fab Four no doubt will want to pick up the DVD.

"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"

The title is indicative of how the flick is going to play out. Robert Ford idolizes Jesse James and his original goal was to join the outlaw's reforming gang in Missouri. Gradually, he becomes jealous of his hero. The film had a very small release, but has two Oscar nominations -- one for best achievement in cinematography, the other for the younger Affleck who plays the coward Robert Ford. Brad Pitt stars as the original outlaw -- no, not Merle Haggard -- Jesse James.

"The Brave One"

Jodie Foster plays "The Brave One" who is like Batman without any of the cool toys, no costume, and no charm. Foster has gone nutty in her recent movie picks. True, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for this role, but it didn't have the legs to give her a win. Terrence "It's hard out here for a pimp" Howard co-stars as the detective who is searching for the vigilante killer on the loose.

"Elizabeth: The Golden Age"

When Cate Blanchett isn't playing a blurry version of Bob Dylan ("I'm Not There"), or putting on elf ears, she's donning gold jewelry for her role as Elizabeth. "The Golden Age" is her follow-up to "Elizabeth," in which Elizabeth finds herself trying to balance romance and preparing for war.

"The Jane Austen Book Club"

A group of young Californians starts a club to talk about the works of Jane Austen only to find that their relationships have begun to resemble modern versions of her novels. The film was derived from novels written by Karen Joy Fowler. I can only hope that there will be a sequel called "The Stephen King Book Club."