Gwinnett Daily Post

Recently reviewed films now playing in theaters.

· Inglourious Basterds (R) Quentin Tarantino's fictional World War II flick plays out more like a spaghetti Western and would have benefited from some judicious editing, but on the whole it is riveting, rollicking and thought-provoking near-masterpiece. 3 stars - Michael Clark

· Post Grad (PG-13) Starting out with the promise of examining the highly topical subject of college graduate unemployment, "Post Grad" quickly nose-dives into something that's equal parts silly family comedy and uninvolving romantic drama. 1 star - MC

· Shorts (PG) "Shorts" is jack-of-all-trades filmmaker Robert Rodriguez's fourth and by far his weakest foray into family-themed adventure. When working within the context of R-rated adult fare, Rodriguez's short-attention span style works well. Here it's just plain annoying. 2 stars - MC

· (500) Days of Summer (PG-13) Rookie director Marc Webb totally subverts the romantic comedy blueprint with this art-house pleaser starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel as a couple with widely differing perspectives on what is the ideal relationship. 3 stars - Michael Clark

· $9.99 (R) This incoherent and shapeless stop-motion animation fiasco tries to mix the connecting story line structure of "Short Cuts" with the stream-of-consciousness, naval-gazing, meaning-of-life drivel of "Waking Life." It's a total waste of anyone's time. 1 star - MC

· Adam (PG-13) A well-meaning but ultimately disjointed romantic drama reminiscent of "Forrest Gump" and "Rain Man" about a mentally challenged New Yorker (Hugh Dancy) trying to find himself and romance while dealing with a milder form of autism. 21/2 stars - MC

· District 9 (R) This sneakily subversive sci-fi adventure surprised everyone by leading the pack at the box-office on opening weekend. Starting as a fake documentary, it morphs into something far more substantial along the lines of "The Fly" by way of "Terminator" or "Iron Man." 31/2 stars. - MC