Almost every major broadcaster in the U.S. has it’s own reality dance show. ABC airs “Dancing with the Stars,” MTV has “America’s Best Dance Crew,” FOX shows “So You Think You Can Dance” and Paula Abdul is the star of an upcoming CBS reality dance show.

But it’s not just a mere coincidence. The reason is simple: audiences are craving them. “So You Think You Can Dance Canada” is proof of this north of the boarder. Premiering in 2008, the Canadian reality show became an instant hit. The following year it ended season two with 11 per cent more viewers and an average audience of 1.43 million viewers.

“So You Think You Can Dance Canada has discovered some amazing talent over the past two seasons,” said CTV’s Susanne Boyce. “Show alumni are performing with Janet Jackson, Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, Ke$ha, and Adam Lambert, among others, making a statement about Canadian dance around the world.”

The third season kicked off Sunday at 9 p.m. EST. Performer and choreographer Blake McGrath — who’s a judge on the show — thinks this will be their biggest season yet. “I think it’s gonna be a stronger season for sure all around, from the choreography to the contestants,” he shared. “I’m really excited for it.”

For dancers hoping to make it onto the show, McGrath says the first step is training. Having confidence is a close second.

The reality show kicks off with Toronto auditions. Fans can catch weekly highlights and behind the scenes footage on demand at CTV.ca.

Keep track of the season three audition episodes with the list below:

·         Sunday, August 15 at 9 p.m. ET (two hour premiere) – Toronto Auditions
·         Monday, August 16 at 9 p.m. ET (two hours) – Calgary and Halifax Auditions
·         Tuesday, August 17 at 8 p.m. ET (one hour) – Vancouver Auditions
·         Wednesday, August 18 at 9 p.m. ET (two hours) – Montreal Auditions
·         Thursday, August 19 at 9 p.m. ET (two hours) – Finals Week
·         Sunday, August 22 at 9 p.m. ET (one hour) – Top 20 Reveal

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A few things were obvious to Jacob Tierney when he set out to write “The Trotsky”. He knew he wanted to make a high school movie and that he wanted to base the story in Montreal’s west end. He was also sure it had to involve socialist Leon Trotsky in one way or another.

However, when Tierney finished the first draft, something unfortunate became clear to him. “It sucked, yeah it was a bad drama,” he said of the original screenplay. “It was not anything that anyone would have wanted to see. And it was just bad.”

It then became obvious that “The Trotsky,” out in Canadian theatres, was meant to be a comedy instead of a drama. But the Trotsky element was left intact.

“He was the guy I knew the most about,” says Tierney of Trotsky. “He was somebody that captured my imagination, so it was easy to imagine him capturing somebody else’s imagination.”

“The Trotsky” tells the story of Leon Bronstein, an affluent Montreal teen played by Jay Baruchel, who believes he’s the reincarnation of Trotsky. While Tierney, 30, and his main character were both into Trotsky as teenagers, their similarities end there.

“When you write a movie, there’s a part of me in absolutely every one of those characters. They all kind of say things at different points that I would say. They all do things that I would do. But no, I was not like Leon in high school. I would of like to have been more like Leon in high school,” the Montreal native admits.

It was crucial for him to find an actor that could pull off Leon. Baruchel just fit the mold. “He’s a brilliant comic actor,” said Tierney of Baruchel. “He’s a physical comedian, which is very rare and very special, I think. But also beyond that, he’s a really really good actor and he’s vulnerable. He’s actually incapable of being false. Like there’s a truth that comes out of him that I really wanted for this guy, because I never wanted him to become a cartoon character.”

“The Trotsky” — which Tierney also directed — is his second feature film, but the Canadian filmmaker isn’t new to the screen. As a child actor, Tienrey, the son of writer and producer Kevin Tierney, appeared in popular TV shows including “Are You Afraid of the Dark.”

While the transition from child star to filmmaker wasn’t necessarily easy, he says it was a natural progression. ”The thing about movies, whether it’s a short or a feature or whatever, is that it’s a whole new project…you’re always starting from zero in one way,” said Tierney. “And when you’re a writer you’re literally starting from zero cause you’re looking at a blank page. So it’s not about being easy, but it was quite natural for me.”

As Tierney says, some scripts just “pour out,” but others take weeks or even months to perfect. “Writing is more alchemy than anything else,” he admits.

Tierney’s upcoming movie, “Notre Dame de Grace,” is in its editing stage. Starring Baruchel, Scott Speedman and Emily Hampshire, the film noir takes place during the winter leading up to the Quebec referendum in 1995. It focuses on three neighbours living in an apartment complex — one of whom is a serial killer.

Aside from that, he’ll be acting in his father’s directorial debut and is already working on adapting the book “A Good Terrorist” to the big screen.

But at the moment, he just hopes people enjoy “The Trotsky.”

“Honestly, this movie is a dessert,” says Tierney. “It’s a soufflé, you know, and people tend to leave the theatres smiling and that’s more than I could have ever hoped for”.

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The lists of high school comedies that deal with sex are endless. The list of high school movies that are concerned with socialism on the other hand, are not. That’s why “The Trotsky” is a rare gem.

The latest from Canadian filmmaker Jacob Tierney tells the story of Leon Bronstein, an affluent Montreal teen played by Jay Baruchel (“How to Your Dragon,” “”She’s Out of My League), who believes he’s the reincarnation of socialist Leon Trotsky.

Most to-do lists consist of taking the dog to the groomer or mowing the lawn – not Leon’s. His list features the most important happenings of Trotsky’s life (including marrying a woman named Alexandra and getting assassinated).

After organizing a hunger strike at his own father’s company (played by Saul Rubineck), Leon is sent to public school. He sees it as an opportunity to engage the students in some good old fashioned activism and of course, he ends up on the principal’s bad side.

Movie goers can ultimately go into the movie without knowing much about Trotsky and still enjoy the comedy. Tierney, who also wrote the flick, does a good job of summing up Trotsky’s ideals without making the film seem like a two-hour history lesson.

After seeing Baruchel play Leon, it becomes impossible to picture any other actor playing the lead character. Aside from having the hair and the glassed down packed, Baruchel convinces in the part. Leon is extremely awkward and stubborn, but he makes the character likable.

Baruchel’s scenes with Emily Hampshire, who plays his much older love interest Alexandra (another Trotsky parallel), are often funny and engaging. Equally funny are Leon’s scenes with his step mom, played by Anne-Marie Cadieux.

“The Trotsky” could have shaved off 15 to 20 minutes. However, that can easily be forgiven because the movie’s concept is so creative that it’ll still keep you hooked.

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They range in number of Myspace friends and music genres. Some are fans of Disney stars like Demi Lovato. Others are hooked on “The Jersey Shore” and head-banging.

Putting aside these major differences, the six finalists on “Disband” share one goal: to have their careers launched on the show.

If there’s one band who can understand where the contestants are coming from, it’s Stereos. Last season, they walked away from “Disband” with a record deal from Universal and thousands of fans.

“Living in Edmonton, trying to make it as a band and then coming out to Toronto to do the same thing and try and make it was a grind,” said Stereos bassist Dan Johnson at the season two finale. “So I definitely feel where they’re coming from, the nerves and everything backstage.”

Having just wrapped up a national headlining tour, Johnsnon still can’t believe the success Stereos has experienced in such a short amount of time. “I always told the guys that I would make this happen and that you know, we would do it no matter what. But I don’t think any of us knew to the extent of the amount of singles and albums sold,” he shared. “So it definitely surprises us when we see our album going gold,”

Next up for Stereos is another cross-Canada tour — this time with Hedley and Boys Like Girls. Johnson also revealed they’re working on a follow-up to the first album. He also dished on one of his favourite “Disband” groups this season.

“I’m a big fan of Abandon All Ships,” shared Johnson. “I think they’re definitely bringing something original to the table and I think they’re a great band.”

There’s no question Abandon All Ships is bringing something new to the table. After all, the show has never seen a band that describes their sound as Euro-hardcore. The self-proclaimed Guidos know they’re music is heavier than most bands who try their luck at “Disband.” But that didn’t stop them from competing.

“To move forward in life you have to kind of push the door, push the boundaries, push the lines and things can work out good for you,” said Abandon All Ships vocalist Angelo Aita at Toronto’s Tattoo Rock Parlour.

Out of the six finalists, Abandon All Ships is likely the band with the largest following. “We do a lot of shows like this in our own city,” said Aita referring to the finale performance. “It’s just cool to know it’s gonna be on TV, you know what I mean?”

While playing a show in Toronto isn’t as much of a big deal for Abandon All Ships, it’s a whole other story for Vancouver-based These Kids Wear Crowns.

“Without stepping on anyone’s toes or making anyone upset from where we’re from; for our sound anyways, the East is where we should be,” said vocalist Alex Johnson. “That’s not to say there isn’t good music out West.”

They describe themselves as a band who likes to have a good time. “We like to have fun,” said drummer Josh Mitchinson. “I know a lot of bands do that on Myspace. It goes: ‘Sounds like: fun.’ But honestly, it just sounds like a good time, you know? Like rock n’ roll, dance.”

The last band is the more pop-based of the three. “We’re a pop-rock style. A little bit like Paramore, but a little bit more poppy,” said vocalist Marissa Dattoli. “I like to think Paramore meets Avril Lavigne,” continued Jared Franklin, the other half of the duo that makes up Good and Broken.

The two were originally in separate bands. Dattoli’s old group played an opening gig for none other than Jared’s dad at a concert. He later introduced Dattoli to his son. “We ended up booking a show together and we started talking and jamming,” shared Dattoli. “The rest is history!”

Now, their history involves being on “Disband.” “It was a roller coaster of emotions,” said Dattoli about her “Disband” episode. “I think that’s for everyone though, but it was totally amazing and it was really good to meet all the industry people and to just get our name out there.”

Like Stereos, some of these bands will emerge with record deals and a following — in fact, some of them are already working on albums. Catch the finale to see their stories unveil and visit their Myspace pages to check out their music.

Abandon All Ships -www.myspace.com/abandonallships

These Kids Wear Crowns – www.myspace.com/thesekidswearcrowns

Good and Broken – www.myspace.com/goodandbrokenmusic

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There are two actors, their respective characters and subplots that keep “Death at a Funeral” alive: James Marsden on drugs and Tracy Morgan taking care of an elderly uncle.

A remake of the British comedy of the same title, the latest “Death at a Funeral” sticks to a similar plot. It focuses on a day in the life of a dysfunctional family that has come together for a funeral, this time in Los Angeles. This description may come across as a tear-jerker film, especially for those who haven’t seen the movie’s trailer. But make no mistake, “Death at a Funeral” is anything but a drama.

The movie stars some of the biggest names in American comedy, including Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan. Unfortunately, it miscasts Rock, the movie’s protagonist. The funnyman plays the film’s most serious role, an older brother living in the shadow of his younger sibling (Lawrence).

The deceased has a secret one man (played in both movies by Peter Dinklage) threatens to share with the family — if you’ve seen the original, you’ll know exactly what it is. While this secret definitely shakes things up for the characters, it’s ultimately a mislabeled bottle of Valium that carries this movie through.

“Avatar’s” Zoe Saldana plays Elaine, Rock’s cousin who’s responsible for accidentally drugging her boyfriend, Oscar (Marsden). It’s worth noting that Marsden steals nearly every seen he’s in. Half of them involve him being naked and/ or or talking to a leaf.

There’s definitely some shock value to “Death at a Funeral” and even some laugh out loud moments involving other characters aside from Marsden. But there aren’t enough of those moments.

At times, the movie relies too much on pop culture references for laughs, which is weird seeing the number of talented comedic actors that make up its cast.

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He may be out of her league in a movie, but Jay Baruchel is definitely in the league of young, successful actors. He’s worked with Clint Eastwood in the multi Oscar-winning “Million Dollar Baby” and shared scenes with fellow Canadian Funnymen Seth Rogen and Michael Cera — and those are only three of his nearly 30 acting credits.

Earlier this year, Baruchel proved that a 5 can date a 10 in the comedy vehicle “She’s Out of My League.” Now, he has the No. 1 movie at the box office with “How to Train Your Dragon,” an animated 3-D movie he co-stars with a CGI fire-blower.

While he’s already accomplished a lot this year, let alone throughout his acting career, Baruchel hasn’t reached his ultimate goal — one that doesn’t involve comedy. The 27 year old hopes to direct horror films.

Although “Dragons” is far from a gory horror flick, Baruchel still had a blast making the animated movie. In fact, his character Hiccup is one of the closest characters to himself that he’s ever played. Even his mother was blown away by their similarities.

“We’re both kind of outsiders who both march to the beat of our own drum… when I was a kid, Hiccup’s age, all the other kids would be outside, you know, playing some sport in the park or whatever. I was always the one to stay inside, writing stories,” said Baruchel on the phone from Montreal.

“Dragons,” is set in the world of Vikings and tells the story of Hiccup, a boy who tries to train a dragon in a time where dragons are slain by humans. It features Gerard Butler and Craig Ferguson in all their Scottish glory (including accents).

“They get to talk how they talk, I get to talk how I talk. I’m just psyched that I got the chance to do my Scottish accent. For one little line I got to do my impression of them,” he laughs. “Any time I can do any kind of accent is always fun, but I just find it hilarious that I found myself in a movie surrounded by Scottish people”

To help establish a bond with the dragon, Baruchel recalled on the bond with his pet. “What’s amazing, I find the dragon looks suspiciously like a cat, he behaves just like a cat…I’m an animal lover and I have a very very close bond with my cat so I’ve often said that this movie is a classic boy and his cat story,” he shared.

Baruchel got to meet some of his cast mates during shooting in Los Angeles and New York. However, he voiced most of his scenes in Montreal. Many actors make the move to L.A. as soon as they start making movies in Hollywood — Baruchel is an exception. He keeps coming back to Montreal, where he was raised.

“It’s just my home and my heart and I live with two guys that I’ve known since I’m 14 and I live about three or four blocks away from my mother in the house I grew up in and my little sister,” he said of Montreal. “But also, more than anything I’ve also pretty much my whole life, I’ve felt a strange connection to this city. I love everything about it. But the best way I can articulate this is whatever guys like Scorsese and Woody Allen feel for New York City, that’s what I feel for Montreal.”

This summer, Baruchel will make the move from comedy to action star with Disney’s live-action remake of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” He’ll be dealing with a new dragon and starring alongside Nicolas Cage, who unlike Baruchel, is no stranger to stunts.

“I definitely got my ass kicked a bunch,” admits Baruchel, who got to do some of his own stunts for the film. “I got thrown around, I got my butt kicked quite a bit…I mean, the dragon is computer animated but all the stuff blown up around me is real. Yeah, that was a pretty crazy movie to make.”

Ultimately, his goal is to pen and direct horror films. “Horror movies are my life,” Baruchel revealed. “That’s my life’s work. That’s what I want to do for the rest of my life, direct horror movies in Montreal.”

He’s working on writing a project he hopes to release within the next three years. But for now, Baruchel will have to settle on being a leading man.

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Ben Stiller has played nearly a hundred different characters throughout his career.

Anyone who’s seen one of his movies knows many of Stiller’s films are comedies featuring slapstick humour (just take a look at the first 10 minutes of “There’s Something About Mary”). There’s no such humour in “Greenberg.” In fact, it’s barely a comedy at all compared to Stiller’s previous projects.

The film tells the story of Roger Greenberg (played by Stiller), a 40-something musician-turned-carpenter who’s recovering from a serious breakdown. Roger has a talent few people possess: writing crafty letters of complaint about minor issues.

Some people go out of their way to do something. Roger goes out of his way to do nothing (or so he claims).

He returns to Los Angeles after spending 15 years in New York to take care of his brother’s lavish hillside house while he’s on vacation with his family. During his time in L.A., Roger starts working on a dog house for his brother’s pet, contacts some old friends and starts a romance with Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig), his brother’s personal assistant who’s almost 20 years his senior.

Their relationship is unconventional to say the least and just like their bond, it’s difficult to pinpoint this movie. It switches from comedy to drama in a matter of minutes, but this back and fourth only makes it interesting.

Oscar-nominee Noah Baumbach (“Margot at the Wedding,” “The Squid and the Whale”) knows how to tell a refreshing story. He definitely got Stiller out of his comfort zone. There’s no slapstick comedy or “blue steel” poses in “Greenberg.”

Few films capture friendship like this one. Roger’s friendship with old pal Ivan Schrank (Rhys Ifans) has depth. Their dynamic is completely different from bromances in films like “I love You, Man.”

The cinematography by Harris Savides is refreshing as well. He captures a more realistic, unglamorous version of L.A. – smog and all – and still manages to maker the city appealing to the eye.

Warts and all, Roger offers some great insights into the world. At a gathering with old childhood friends he says, “All the men out here dress like children.” It’s these little gems that make “Greenberg” worth while.

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There’s a reason why action movies are rarely paired up with romantic comedies. Could you imagine Jason Statham and Meg Ryan sharing the same silver screen? Probably not.

“The Bounty Hunter” tells the story of Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler), a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter who lands an ideal job that allows him to chase his bail-jumping ex-wife, Nicole (Jennifer Aniston). What Milo originally deems an easy way to make $5000 bucks ends up turning into one of his toughest hunts when Nicole, a daily news reporter, has something of her own to chase: a lead on a murder cover-up.

For those expecting a romantic comedy a la “The Ugly Truth,” you’re out of luck. While both films feature Bulter in all his rugged, spit-on-the-street glory, “The Bounty Hunter” fails to charm. It’s not exactly a romantic comedy (or a great action film for that matter).

On the positive side, the movie assembled quite a diverse cast. “Saturday Night Live’s” Jason Sudeikis plays a co-worker whose obsession with Nicole knows no bounds. Christine Baranski (“Mamma Mia!”) plays Aniston’s martini-gulping mother and Jeff Garlin plays Butler’s boss. Unfortunately, the film features way too many characters and way too little character development.

For lack of a better cliche, Aniston is like an ageless wine that only gets better with time. The former “Friends” star has undeniable screen presence and adds an abundance of feistiness to the role. However, that alone isn’t able to hold the film. Since we never find out what drew Nicole and Milo together and what caused them to drift apart, it’s hard to care if they’ll ever reunite.

The movie is being marketed as a comedy, but the first 15 minutes are joke-free. With the exception of a tumbling here, a quirky one liner there, it fails to bring in the laugh-out-loud moments featured in comedies like “The Proposal”.

That being said , the film does have some mildly interesting plot twists. But it seems like these twists arrive when the movie’s already an hour in.

Director Andy Tennant (“Hitch,” “Sweet Home Alabama”) has seen some highs and lows directing cute romantic comedies and some not so cute romantic movies (a.k.a. “Fool’s Gold”). Let’s just say “The Bounty Hunter” won’t be one of his high points.

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Most North American fans of Blur weren’t able to catch the British rockers during their 2009 summer tour. If that’s the case, you’ll probably have to settle for the next best thing: the small screen.

“No Distance Left to Run” is a feature length roockumentary that follows the band throughout their summer tour. It was the first time in years that Blur rejoined forces to play together — and you can bet enough happened in between that time to fill up notebooks worth of song lyrics.

However, the movie also focuses on their successful, yet rocky past as brothers; brothers in the sense of their bond as opposed to their blood. You see, the band members all have sisters but no biological brothers. The film starts off with Blur explaining how close they are. But they’re also distant to each other in a way only brothers can be.

Blur fans will be happy to know the movie doesn’t go more than five or 10 minutes without some music. This makes perfect sense judging by the number of hits Blur produced between the late ‘80s and early 2000’s.

The documentary also features exclusive interviews with all four band members along with unseen archival material. Directors Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace don’t shy away from asking lead singer Damon Albarn and the band about his highly publicized romance and brake-up with singer Justine Frischmann, the complicated dynamics between Albarn and Blur guitarist  Graham Coxon and of course, their chart battles with Oasis.

“No Distance Left to Run” isn’t necessarily a raw documentary. It’s clear the directors put some thought, both visually and narratively, into how they wanted to tell Blur’s story. In fact, the storytellers are the band members themselves. For this documentary, the lack of outside narration is a plus. Having band members interviewed individually allows the less outspoken Blur members to share the spotlight that belongs to them.

While the movie may be just a tad too long (aside from having multiple ending points), it will undoubtedly strike a chord with Blur fans. And who knows, maybe it’ll bring in a new generation of fans — ones who recognize other Blur songs aside from Song 2.

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Finally: a movie where Michael Cera doesn’t play Michael Cera. Well, sort of. In “Youth in Revolt,” he still plays his signature awkward-to-the-max character — only this time, a bad-ass is added to the mix. And that bad-ass just so happens to be played by Cera.

Based on the cult-classic novel by C.D. Payne, the film directed by Miguel Arteta (“The Good Girl,” “Chuck and Buck”) tells the story of Nick Twisp (a.k.a. Cera), a self-lamenting high schooler who sees everyone around him getting some action but fails to lose his virginity.

Nick isn’t your stereotypical teen. His playlist includes songs by Frank Sinatra and he enjoys classic prose. Nick meets the girl of his wet dreams, the beautiful Sheeni Saunders (played by Portia Doubleday), during a “family vacation” (it’s less glamorous than it sounds — you’ll understand once you see the movie).

However, Sheeni has a stuck-up poetry-writing prick of a boyfriend and in order to win her over, Nick has to get in touch with his dark side. You see, Sheeni likes her men bad and we’re not talking high school bully bad, we’re talking brash French playboy bad, and that’s exactly what Cera becomes. He adopts a mustache-baring, Euro-pant wearing, smoker alter-ego who goes by the name of François Dillinger.

Troublemaker would be an understatement when describing François. He convinces Nick to do the most unrealistic things involving cars (I won’t ruin the surprise). But more importantly, Cera himself is relatively convincing as François. He’s mastered the nebbish teen character in movies like “Juno,” “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playist,” and “Superbad,” but François may very well be his ticket to varying roles. The scenes involving Nick and François are by far the funniest ones. Still, the movie counts with a talented supporting cast who help keep the ball rolling.

Three-time Emmy-winner Jean Smart plays Nick’s promiscuous mother, “The Hangover’s” Zach Galifianakis plays her boyfriend, Justin Long plays a druggy, Steve Buscemi is Nick’s father, Ari Graynor appears in “Youth in Revolt” as well (she previously co-starred with Cera in “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” as Norah’s very funny drunk friend) — and the list goes on. Newcomer Portia Doubleday is charming as Sheeni and holds her own with Cera.

While entertaining, “Youth in Revolt” isn’t a movie that will renovate its genre. However, Cera fans will have plenty of awkward moments to rejoice and for those of you who aren’t Cera fans, well he may just win you over with François. One thing is for sure: we can definitely forgive him for starring in “Year One.”

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Emily Blunt rules literally and figuratively in “The Young Victoria.” After all, the main reason to see this biopic is due to the actress’ vibrant performance – a far stretch from the Victoria we’re used to reading about in text books.

Do a simple Google search and you’ll find tons of portraits of a frowning, stern-looking Queen Victoria dressed in a black lace widow’s outfit. “The Young Victoria” shows her in a completely different light. Instead, it opens with her growing up as an over-protected child, leading to her receiving the crown as a teenager.

This focus on her early years as queen is really refreshing but ultimately, it’s Blunt’s playful performance that makes this movie engaging. As a teen, Victoria doesn’t quite understand why she wants to be queen. But she knows from birth that she will carry this “royal burden.” When King William IV (Jim Broadbent) dies, Victoria suddenly realizes what she — or rather her family –have gotten her into.

Instead of the costume melodrama that 19th century biopics usually consist of, “The Young Victoria” features more of the political side of Victoria’s early reign. But of course, there had to be a love story in the midst of that and rest assured it’s front and centre (but only at certain points).

Rupert Friend plays Prince Albert, Victoria’s cousin whom she eventually falls in love with. The catch is that at first, Albert is what you could call an undercover agent for the king of Belgium, a man he calls uncle.

In the beginning, Victoria is trusting of nearly everyone, including the affable Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany) who becomes her advisor. However, after marrying Albert, Victoria loses most of that trust in those who surround her and as the film progresses, she tries to figure out a balance between independence and manipulation.

French-Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée (C.R.A.Z.Y.) offers an interesting idea of how even a castle can act as a prison — that’s how Victoria feels at certain points. However, the movie’s main downfall is its pace. When the pace is fast it moves at lightning speed. But when it’s slow, the film just drags on – there’s no happy medium. And unfortunately, even with the focus lying on her tumultuous early years, “The Young Victoria” manages to be somewhat relatable but not that memorable.

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Tom Ford brings style to his new movie and it’s not just in the wardrobe. The  former creative director for Gucci who now fronts his own fashion line makes his directorial debut with “A Single Man”.

Loosely based on the famed novel by Christopher Isherwood, the film follows a single day in the single life of a gay English professor who teaches in L.A. during the ‘60s. After losing his longtime partner Jim (played by Matthew Goode), George Falconer (Colin Firth) plans his suicide in order to end his suffering. However, George has a few things to settle before taking his own life.

The great thing about this film is that audiences can feel the suffering regardless of whether they’ve lost a loved one or not. That’s partly due to Ford’s directing and also to Firth’s impeccable performance.

Whenever George reminisces about his life with Jim, Ford uses black and white, a strong contrast from the vivid, colourful scenes that take place in the present. These colours come to life whenever George meets with his fellow British friend Charley (Julianne Moore) or with Kenny (“About a Boy’s” Nicholas Hoult), a student whose interest in George is more than academic. It’s clear that Ford — who also co-wrote and produced the film — knows how to use light and texture to his advantage.

And it should come to no surprise that he also has an unfailing eye for detail. Everything from the suits to Charley’s accessories (including a pink cigar) hint to his obsession with detail. Whether it be a conscious decision or not, Ford makes many of the scenes resemble advertisements, perhaps due to his fashion background. This could be a turn off to some while others will praise the cinematography.

The production team behind the set of “A Single Man” is that of the hit TV show “Mad Men,” so be sure to count on an equally authentic set. But at the end of the day, a film isn’t complete without a talented cast and this one has an abundance of talented actors.

Firth delivers one of his best performances yet. He’s already won an award related to the movie at the Venice Film Festival and he’ll undoubtedly continue to garner nominations for the role. Moore is radiant as Charley and provides some much needed comic relief. Audiences will be surprised to see “About a Boy’s” Hoult all grown up. And audiences will also be pleasantly surprised at what a fashion-designer-turned-director can bring to a movie.

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There’s one main reason to see Jim Sheridan’s latest drama “Brothers:” its talented cast. The adaptation of the award-winning Danish film about post-traumatic stress is gripping to say the least. However, its main fault is being predictable, but if audiences can get past that, they’re in for an emotional battle.

“Brothers” takes place in a small Minnesota military town and tells the story of Marine captain Sam Cahill (played by Tobey Maguire). Unlike many other war films, however, this one focuses on the family.

All is well in the Cahill household until Sam is called up for a return trip to Afghanistan, forcing him to leave behind his beautiful wife Grace (Natalie Portman) and two young daughters. Tension rises among the family when Sam’s younger brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is released from prison. The two brothers share a rapport, unlike the rest of his family (mainly their father), who doesn’t understand the ex-con and deems Sam as the “good” son.

It’s no surprise that the family dynamics start to change as soon as Sam is pronounced dead in Afghanistan. Following the absence of his brother, Tommy finds purpose in taking care of Grace and his nieces — giving him a newfound sense of responsibility. However, Sam’s survival is never in question for the audience, no spoilers here — in fact, it’s in the trailer.

And it’s also no surprise that the Sam that returns from war — one who endured Taliban-inflicted torture and guilt while under captivity — is a changed man. Unfortunately, his relationship with every single family member takes a volatile turn and the old Sam slowly vanishes. As expected, the film really stresses post-traumatic stress disorder, which is what the story hinges on.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say this movie hinges on its cast as well. But there’s no denying their role in making “Brothers” worthwhile. The film’s three stars, Portman, Gyllenhaal and Maguire deliver one of their best performances to-date. Grace could not be a more fitting name for Portman’s character who exudes grace and integrity.

It’s also interesting that each of the three actors was cast in a relatively new and unexpected role. Gyllenhaal who’s no stranger to the friendly “guy next door” type of role, was cast as an ex-con. Portamn, who to many is still labeled as a member of “young Hollywood,” was cast as a mother of two. And finally, Spider-Man himself (a.k.a Maguire) is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in the film.

They’re all out of their elements and yet they undoubtedly pull the characters off with memorable performances. Also worth mentioning are the two young actresses Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare, who play Portman and Maguire’s daughters. The way they connect with the cast is so authentic, it makes it effortless for the audience to in turn connect with the family’s hardships.

It’s clear that Sheridan knows how to tell a story through family dynamics and specific detail. You add a great cast to the mix and there’s little room for error.

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Sorry “New York, I Love You,” not everyone will fall head over heels for you. The film interlocks a series of shorts from 11 directors – all based in The Big Apple.

Of course, a vignette set in New York City has only one place to start off: a yellow taxicab. “Hangover” buddies Bradley Cooper and Justin Bartha kick off the movie by playing strangers who land the same cab. But aside from the yellow car, a few distinct restaurants and references to Central Park, “New York, I Love” seems like it could take place in any other metropolis. It fails to show what makes New York one of the most visited cities in the world.

To be fair, each director had only two days to shoot their short film and a week to edit each segment. But you would think that a diverse group of directors from around the world (including Yvan Attal from France, Jiang Wen from China, Shekhar Kapur and others) would paint a multicultural picture of New York –which is not the case. That being said, at least there’s an abundance of love in this movie, ranging from platonic love to parental.

There are definitely worthwhile moments as well as both acting and directing revelations in “New York, I Love You.” Natalie Portman, for example, takes both a behind the camera role and an on-screen one (playing a Hasidic diamond broker). The short she directs, featuring Taylor Geare (who plays Portman’s daughter in the upcoming movie “Brothers”), is a highlight of the movie. Also keep an eye out for Anton Yelchin who had a supporting role in this year’s revamped “Star Trek.” He proves in this movie that he could very well give both Michael Cera and Jesse Eisenberg a run for their money.

“New York, I Love You” brings together a mishmash of young Hollywood stars including Blake Lively, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson, Christina Ricci, Hayden Christensen, Olivia Thirlby and Shia LaBeouf in what seems to be an attempt at attracting a younger crowd to see the film. However, it fails to have that “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” vibe.

Produced by the same people who brought you “Paris, je t’aime,” this movie is the second film in the Cities of Love franchise. The next stop will be Shanghai, followed by Rio de Janeiro and Jerusalem.

While you may not love “New York, I Love You” there’s bound to be parts you’ll enjoy.

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“Pirate Radio” is entertaining, well written — but also forgettable. Directed and written by Richard Curtis (“Love Actually,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”), there’s no question this movie will appeal to rock lovers and rock dummies alike. However, that doesn’t make it a memorable film.

In theory, this comedy has everything going for it: actors who can actually act (like Philip Seymour Hoffman), a reasonably original plot and a witty, Oscar-nominated screenwriter. The movie is based on the true story of a seafaring group of rock-obsessed DJs who captivated 1960’s Britain with their “pirate radio.” This at a time where rock music was mostly banned from the airways so the group broadcast live-to-air in an old tanker from the middle of the North Sea.

Their radio station helped unify millions across the nation and their story is without a doubt hilarious as told by Curtis. So what’s the problem? It’s just clustered. “Pirate Radio” is an ensemble film, but one with too many characters. While the movie does a fantastic job of developing a handful of oddball DJs, the rest of them are merely props.

There are some fantastic scenes in “Pirate Radio,” but unfortunately they just flit from one to the next. The one thing (or character) who reoccurs throughout many of the scenes and sort of binds them is a teenager by the name of Carl (played by Tom Sturridge), the godson to Quentin (Bill Nighy, the station’s manager). He’s freshly expelled from school and sent by his mother to spend some time on board. Having Carl’s character in the movie is smart to say the least because it makes the film accessible to a much younger crowd (including those who think a record only refers to an achievement).

One thing that’s definitely phenomenal about this movie is its cast. From established actors including Hoffman, Nighy and Emma Thompson to younger actors like Sturridge and “007’s” Gemma Arterton, the movie exudes talent.

The plot is interesting as well. The thing that keeps this movie going is the government’s attempts at sinking the pirates through legislation, along with subplots from some of the DJs. When one subplot is unveiled, another one takes off. The problem is there’s too much filler to get cheep laughs from the audience.

However, with all it’s faults, “Pirate Radio” is still a worthwhile movie. The film may not be a masterpiece (and may be a half hour too long), but the songs it features are without a doubt classics. I mean, you can’t go wrong with a soundtrack that includes The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks can you?

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Breaking news: Adam Young, the artist behind the electronic/pop project Owl City reveals exclusively to andPOP that he he hates owls. In the Q&A, Young — whose single “Fireflies” continues to top charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 — dishes on a possible collaboration with Lights, insomnia, Canada and of course, his “intense dislike of owls” (sorry Owl Society).

“I really hate to pop your bubble, but I in fact have an intense dislike for owls,” admits Young. “I mean, honestly. Does anyone really like owls? They eat vermin and puke up nasty pellets. If I owned an owl I’d name it Toilet Face.”

While he may dislike owls, what he does love is music. Young, whose voice closely resembles that of Death Cab for Cutie frontman Benjamin Gibbard, describes his music like so: “It’s like a flock of sweaty sheep in gym clothes at Anytime Fitness relentlessly running on treadmills and eating powdered sugar donuts simultaneously while watching ‘Brady Bunch’ reruns on overhead TVs. It’s also like grass.”

The album “Ocean Eyes” may be his first major label release, but Owl City had already received millions of plays on MySpace before Young signed to Universal Republic. He says there are a few differences with this album compared to his previous work. “It’s bigger, wider, deeper. There’s more meat to it. I’m a vegetarian. Cool.”

Many of his songs reference the ocean but oddly enough, Young grew up in the ocean-less city of Owatonna, Minnesota. He says his obsession with the sea derived from seeing Lake Superior for the first time. “I’m from Minnesota and the Great Lakes are like the ocean in the Midwest. Totally inspiring to a bratty 8th grade babyface. I remember seeing Superior for the first time on a family vacation, my jaw literally unhinging and my mouth hanging open like a freshly opened can of tuna fish,” says Young. “Duluth, Minnesota, is a mighty nice place. I could live there and be happy.”

Aside from Owl City, Young has been working on another project, Port Blue. “Port Blue was the egg and Owl City was the chicken, or visa versa,” he explains. “Port Blue came first. That’s really my true love in art and music — experimental, instrumental, abstract music. Creating it makes me feel like a scientist and for a noob who got Ds in every science class he’s ever taken. It’s somewhat of a satisfying feeling. More Port Blue to come.”

It might come as a surprise (or it might not come as one at all) that many Owl City songs are products of sleepless nights and influenced by video games like “Race 64.” “Some of my tips for falling asleep revolve around the idea of peanut butter and ice cream meeting in my stomach and holding a wild seafood disco party,” Young tells andPOP.

Later this month, he’ll be heading to China and Japan. American fans can catch Owl City in December and then in January when Young goes on tour with Lights. When asked if he’s working on a collaboration with the Canadian synthpop singer, Young hinted to a possible one by responding to the question with “Hmmmmmmmm…”

After all the touring — which includes shows in the UK, France, Germany, and Australia (with Cobra Starship) — Young has a few things to do when he returns. “I plan on raking leaves after tour and smirking at the thought of throwing Baby Ruth chocolate bars into my neighbor’s uncovered outdoor hot tub”.

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“Inside Hana’s Suitcase” will move anyone and everyone. The film mixes documentary with narrative techniques to tell the true-life story of Hana Brady, a girl who was killed during the Holocaust.

The film was inspired by the 2002 bestselling book Hana’s Suitcase. It retraces a series of coincidences that lead Tokyo school teacher Fumiko Ishioka, to the suitcase that belonged to a Czech Jewish girl, Hana Brady.

Ishioka, who also happens to be the director of the Tokyo Holocaust Education Centre, receives the suitcase with only two bits of information on Hana: her date of birth and the fact that she was an orphan by the time of her wartime capture. It doesn’t take long for the teacher to become emotionally invested in discovering Hana’s story, an investment she shares with her students. After intense research, she discovers that Hana’s brother George, a Holocaust survivor and thriving grandfather who lives in Toronto, is still alive.

Don’t let the documentary aspect turn you away from seeing this movie because it’s anything but dry. Director Larry Weinstein does a fantastic job of combining interviews with George and surviving friends and family with stunning re-enactment footage of Hana and George as kids. The two types of storytelling mesh together so well that sometimes they literally blend (a scene involving Ishioka and a drawing by Hana is simply amazing and unique).

But perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this movie is its narration. Forget about the stereotypical monotone voice that narrates many documentaries, this one is told by children. And the interest these kids have in Hana definitely adds to the movie. It’s rare to find a kid-friendly documentary that a) captures children’s attention and b) informs them. This one does both.

For Ishioka, the purpose of teaching her students about the Holocaust was to show what can happen when prejudice and hatred are taken too far. The movie does a great job of capturing this. Take the advice of one of the schoolgirls in the documentary. She simply says, “we need to learn from this story” — advice worth taking.

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After reading this headline, you might want to get your mind out of the gutter. While Jayde Nicole may be a Playmate – in fact, she was named 2008’s Playmate of the year – the sexy Canadian model is also involved in a slew of other projects including charity work, poker tournaments and of course, “The Hills.”

If you watch the MTV show “The Hills,” then you know that its former star, Lauren Conrad, said her goodbyes last season and now, “Laguna Beach’s” Kristin Cavallari fronts the show. So how have things changed? Nicole — who first appeared on “The Hills” last season as Brody Jenner’s girlfriend — explains.

“It’s definitely 100 per cent different,” she says (with emphasis on the 100). “It’s been a lot more dramatic and a lot more crazy, and it’s just kind of totally different from what we’re all used to.”

Both Nicole and Cavallari make no point in hiding that they’re not friends — to say it nicely — but Nicole says that could very well change one day. “It hasn’t changed as of right now, but you never know. I mean, I try to never say never because you don’t ever know what’s going to happen. If you would’ve asked me eight months ago if I would of been able to handle being around Audrina [Patridge], I would of said ‘no I can’t stand her,’ ” she admits. “But now I don’t mind her and neither one of us really have problems with each other anymore, so I don’t see us being friends in the future, but you never know.”

For those of you who wonder what it’s like working with Jenner (who happens to be Nicole’s boyfriend), she explains. “A lot of the times it’s awesome and a lot of the times it’s not because being in a reality TV show, obviously our entire relationship is put out on TV for everybody to judge and for us to relive fights and arguments and situations and of course, they also take the worst of the worst and put it in an episode,” Nicole laughs.

Speaking of arguments, her lawsuit against “Girls Gone Wild” founder Joe Francis, alleging assault and battery, is still going on. “The legal process takes a lot longer than everybody thinks that it does — and a lot longer than I thought it did, and there’s a lot of steps and processes you have to go through to make sure it’s done right. So it’s still at the same stage it was before, we’re just kind of waiting,” says Nicole.

So what else does she do? It might come to a surprise that charity makes up a huge part of her life. In high school, she was in charge of many of the charity events, which transpired into her adult life. Today, Nicole does a ton of work with the SPCA and recently joined a PETA campaign called “Save the Seals.” She’s involved in walkathons (like the AIDS Walk) and started her own charity called “Lengths For Love,” which is similar to “Locks of Love.”

“I just do as much stuff with charities that I really believe in — and there’s a lot of them so I try and do as much as I can whenever I can,” she says. “I feel like everybody should and I think especially people that are in the public eye…now that people actually see me in the public eye, and some people listen to me…I feel like it’s even more important now for me to continue doing charity work.”

Aside from charity, poker has become a priority for her. Nicole is currently part of PokerStar’s “Million Dollar Challenge” airing on Fox. She’s also the guinea pig for the “All In Magazine Project” which will train her with pro players so that she can be entered into international poker competitions.

And in the long run, she dreams of opening up a spa. “I wanted to own my own spa for a very long time and I definitely want to come out with my own skin care line,” she reveals. “It’s not something that’s happening in the immediate future because I’m still busy with all the things that I have going on right now, but it is kind of my end goal in life,” she tells andPOP. “So once I’m done all the crazy reality shows and traveling and partying and modeling and working, it’s definitely what I wanna settle down doing, 100 per cent”.

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A superstar in his own right, Russell Peters is to comedy lovers what Robert Pattinson is to pre-pubescent girls. The Canadian humorist born to Anglo-Indian parents became the first comedian to sell out the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and is one in a handful of comedians to perform at the Madison Square Garden to a sold out audience. Peters’ new tour celebrating his 20th anniversary kicks off this January.

Anyone who’s seen him perform knows that one of the many things that distinguishes Peters from other acts is his dead-on accuracy when it comes to accents. What’s his secret?

“I listen,” he tells andPOP. “You’ve got to listen to get the inflections and the intent of what people are saying.  That means listening to people when they’re happy, sad, angry.  That’s how you learn how they speak. I still can’t do a Scottish accent though – doesn’t matter how much I listen and try it… those tricky Scots!”

Fans can hear him and his array of accents when Peters hits the road with “The Green Card Tour” in celebration of his 20th anniversary. But rest assured the jokes will focus on a variety of cultures as usual, not only on Americans. “The reason it’s called The Green Card Tour, is because I’ll be getting my Green Card in 2010,” he explains.

And if you’ve ever dreamed of opening for Peters during one of his shows, here’s your chance. He’s looking for a Canadian BFF (not a la Paris Hilton) through SIRIUS Satellite Radio and Russell Peters’ Search for Canada’s BFF. “In this contest we’re looking for anybody’s and I mean anybody’s ‘Best Funny Five Minutes,’ ” says Peters. “This is a chance for all those people who watch stand-up and say, ‘Hey!  I could do that’, to actually get up on stage and do it, with a chance to open for me somewhere in North America.”

Just like many fans out there wish they could be Peters’ “BFF” – and they can enter at www.russellpetersbff.com - he has an ideal celebrity BFF of his own. “Eddie Murphy because I grew up watching him and I want to know what goes on in his head now,” he admits.

His latesest DVD, “Red, White and Brown,” was a huge success but Peters is still not sure when he’ll release new material. “I’m trying to figure that out.  We taped a lot of the shows across Canada this past summer, but I’m still not sure what we’re going to do for the next DVD,” he says. “I want to make sure that I’m giving the fans the best possible show that I can when I release my next DVD.”

Aside from the tour – that stops in the U.S. and Australia in 2010 — Peters reveals to andPOP some exciting news. “I’ve got a few things on the go right now. We’re back into developing a sitcom and there are a number of different opportunities being presented to me these days,” he shares. “We haven’t cracked series television yet, but that’s okay because some of the stuff that’s come my way hasn’t necessarily been that good, so I’d rather wait until it’s right. It’s not a race.”

He’s also working on a few other things for Showtime and a book for Canada. “Canada is all about a variety of cultures – it’s one of the things that makes us great,” says Peters. “I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am if I’d have grown up in any other country, including the States.”

For Peters, the best and only way to celebrate his anniversary is to be out on the road doing what he does best: making people laugh. “Just doing what I’ve been doing for the past 20 years, getting on-stage and performing,” he says of how he’s celebrating. “Only now it’s arenas instead of biker bars for 50 bucks in London, Ontario.”

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If you can sit through corny lines such as “everyone has their destiny,” “Astro Boy” isn’t too shabby. While it doesn’t live up to Pixar standards, the movie is quite an engaging family-friendly action flick.

The animated film tells the story of a robotic boy who first emerged in the 1950’s as part of a Japanese manga series. Astro Boy then ventured into television in the ‘60s and today, he can be seen on the silver screen with upgraded CGI animation.

The film starts with Toby (voiced by Freddie Highmore), a brilliant, curious kid who’s the son of an even more brilliant scientist (Nicolas Cage). Unfortunately, he dies in a freak lab accident and his father, stricken with grief and guilt, creates a robot that looks exactly like Toby (memories included).

However, he realizes shortly after bringing the robot home that no one — or in this case nothing — can replace his son. He abandons the robot, who later takes on the name Astro and leaves the gleaming Metro City in order to find a place where he belongs (I apologize for the cheesiness, but that’s literally how he feels).

There’s one catch, Astro is powered by Blue Core energy, a crystalline nugget that’s extremely powerful and that the government, mainly the vicious president, wants to get its hands on.

While the plotline may not appear simple on paper, it’s easy to follow on screen. As a film, “Astro Boy” is quite simple and doesn’t offer much innovation to its animated-action genre. But, it isn’t a completely passive movie. The war-obsessed fictional President in the film (voiced by Donald Sutherland) is an obvious political allusion anyone who sees the movie will pick up on within seconds. Also, the treatment of robots is quite cynical.

As far as the animation goes, it isn’t necessarily realistic per say, but it’s well done — to the point that you really get into the action. One thing the film deserves kudos for is its cast. While Summit Entertainment is relying on big names — including Samuel L. Jackson, Charlize Theron, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy, among others — to draw in the audience, it pays off, because for the most part, their voices suit their respective characters — including Highmore who brings Astro to life.

Director David Bowers (“Flushed Away”), who penned the movie’s screenplay alongside Timothy Harris (“Space Jam”), clearly borrowed certain concepts from films like “WALL-E” and “Robots,” to create this movie. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make “Astro Boy” unique from them.

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