Ken Loach's Cannes-winner The Wind That Shakes The Barley (IFC) covers the early days of the IRA and its armed battles against brutal British occupying forces known as the Black And Tans. Loach alternates between long scenes of people arguing in meeting rooms and shootouts in the rolling green hills; typical for Loach, the bickering is more exciting than the bullets. The historical recreations are kind of dry and tasteful, even when Loach is staging rapes and executions. And yet he's still capable of creating startlingly natural moments, almost windows into the past…
Pop-cultural anthropologists may be interested in checking out Georgia Rule (Universal) for evidence of when a rising star named Lindsay Lohan dropped off the show-business table. All others are advised to keep their distance. Even those inclined to see a multi-generational weepie from the director of Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries should know going in that this uplifting little number is actually about the scarring effects of alcoholism and sexual abuse. It would be sobering if it weren't so laughable…
The third season of the stellar American version of The Office (Universal) ended with a lot of juicy developments, including B.J. Novak's temp getting the top job at Dunder-Mifflin Corporate, plus a long-delayed romantic union of Sam-and-Diane proportions. But getting there involved a lot of inspired zaniness, including such highlights as the "Lazy Scranton" video, "Prison Mike," the Diwali festival (a "Hindu Halloween"), and a number of hilarious pranks, including a running vampire gag in an episode directed by Buffy The Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon…
Delta Farce (Lions Gate) could have been much worse, given its emphasis on three redneck reservist dumbasses (Larry The Cable Guy, DJ Qualls, and Bill Engvall) accidentally dumped in Mexico, which they mistake for Iraq. But for the most part, their efforts to do their military duty among the "Turds and Shitites" isn't as aggressively, agonizingly dumb as the premise portends; it's even a little sweet. It's also ploddingly lazy and dull, at least for those who don't feel all their moviegoing needs have been met when Larry finally voices his "Git-R-Done!" catchphrase.