Gus (Clint Eastwood) is a typically grizzled old coot whose eyes are going bad, which, for a scout, is the kiss of death. So, when his best friend and boss Pete Klein (John Goodman) gives him the one last chance that the plot has to grant him, Pete hedges by calling in Gus’s somewhat estranged daughter Mickey (Amy Adams).  

Our first few moments in the presence of Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) capture the extraordinary power and the isolation of the character. What Paul Thomas Anderson, the director of The Master, and the mercurial Phoenix have created here is a portrait of an old god, maybe the last of his kind to walk the Earth.  

Louis C.K.’s dark comedy offers serious commentary on show business, parenting and life’s unexplainable quirks, making Louie more than just a sitcom about the fictionalized life of a foul-mouthed comedian.  

The screenwriting and directing team of Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal pile on with the story of Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper), a writer at the top of his game who must face the consequences of stealing — not just ideas or a few phrases, but an entire story.  

The latest installment in the movie slash videogame world generated by Paul W.S. Anderson and featuring his wife Milla Jovovich finds the wonder warrior Alice (Jovovich) battling the Umbrella Corporation and its ever-expanding and perpetually mutating army of undead creatures.  

This wartime family drama from writer Darrel Campbell (who co-directed with Kevin McAfee) traces the redemptive path of a young man who lost his father and struggles to make peace with his grieving grandfather upset over the loss of his son.  

Richard Gere takes center stage as Robert Miller, a hedge fund giant on the verge of a huge professional and personal crash that will most certainly take down his devoted wife (Susan Sarandon) and loyal daughter (Brit Marling).   

This feature documentary debut from Peter Navarro explores China’s elevation into the World Trade Organization and the resulting flood of questionable exports into U.S. markets, seemingly with the full support of the presidency and Congress thanks to a just-signed free trade agreement.  

A domestic thriller from director & co-writer Andrey Zvyagintsev about a housewife (Nadezhda Markina) who hatches a plan to protect her inheritance when unexpected incidents threaten to unravel the steadfast woman’s means of security.  

This year marks my fourth sojourn to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and I have been able to add a few extra days to my usual long weekend mad dash through an impossibly overbooked itinerary that leaves me feeling like a camera-toting tourist snapping pictures of all the officially sanctioned hotspots.  

The 1920s is an era romanticized and glorified, often by individuals who weren’t even alive at the time. Boardwalk Empire takes what we love about the ’20s, backed with historically based events and characters, and serves it up with whole a lot of darkness.  

Now in its third year, the Cincinnati Film Festival is committed to helping filmmakers project their visions, as more than 80 works of various lengths and styles will grace venues in Clifton, Downtown and Over-the-Rhine Sept. 6-14.  

Despite being marketed as a violent testosterone fest, Sons of Anarchy (10 p.m. Tuesdays, FX) features a cast of strong characters and a storyline that is oddly relatable, making it far more than just a gritty dude show.  

Best friends forever is a clichéd phrase that gets bandied about between people closely linked for a time, through a particular patch of life, but few of these relationships truly last. Only a precious few bond on the deepest levels and fewer still cross the gender divide.   

Let’s face it: The majority of shows on TV can be considered “guilty pleasures” at best. Just based on the sheer ratio of churned-out, crappy television to quality programming, the Kardashians and gypsies far outnumber the Drapers and Game of Thrones. But there’s nothing wrong with a little indulgence, right?