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It's getting to be general knowledge that The Pursuit of Happiness is one of Will Smith's best performances, if not his best of all. Walking into the theatre, I was skeptical. I knew he was up for that Golden Globe nomination, but still I was skeptical. I knew he had some skills, but I didn't know he could bring the emotion out like that! Sometimes the dialogue, especially between Will Smith and Thandie Newton, who plays his wife, Linda, was strained and slightly unbelievable, I have to admit. In fact, I hate to admit it because I liked this movie so much..but just thought I'd warn you.

The Pursuit of Happiness is a cute little movie centering on Chris Gardner, a salesman in the early 80's selling bone scanners. As his sales slow down significantly, he finds himself in huge financial trouble, struggling to live day by day. Trying to take care of his son, also named Chris (played adorably by Smith's real-life son, Jaden) by himself is tough, especially while being an intern for a potential high-paying job he may or may not get. The movie is one of those tearjerker-yet-heartwarming movies that I tend to hate, yet this one was so well acted by both Smiths, I couldn't give it a bad review! All in all, this was a cute little film that I enjoyed very much. If you want to laugh a little, maybe cry a little, or just see Will Smith stretch from his usual groove, then The Pursuit of Happiness (yes, with a y!) is a must-see!

The Nine is a potentially stellar new show that, while still working out a few kinks, is proving itself to be the best new show of the season! With all the junk that is on the television these days, this show is quite refreshing. The show is a critical hit, though not one with the viewers. This is likely because of the misleading previews which made the show look like a new Big City version of Lost. The Nine is not like Lost, and as a fan of both shows, I believe that The Nine definitely brings new things to the table.

The Nine deals, simply put, with a bank robbery. When 2 brothers decide to rob a bank, they are sure that it "will all be over in 5 minutes." However, when things go wrong, the brothers decide to change the plan. 52 hours later, the 9 survivors finally emerge from the bank, changed from their traumatizing hostage ordeal. The show focuses mostly on The Nine's lives after the robbery.

The Nine is definitely character-driven, unlike its comparison show, Lost, which, although character plays a vital role, is driven primarily by some crazy plot line. The Nine leaves the events of the bank robbery a mystery, making the viewer wonder what happened in there, what caused the characters to change situations the way they have, and who was really innocent or guilty. Bonds have been made and broken, but no matter what, The Nine are all connected after what they went through.

The acting is believable and genuine. The actors bring their emotions out fully, and there is not one stand-out performance in comparison to another. They are all fantastic. They make the viewer really feel attached to the characters.

The script is realistic, if not a little cheesy at times, but is heartfelt nonetheless. With time, I know this show could turn out to be something big, if given the chance.

All in all, The Nine is intriguing, and heartbreaking. Unfortunately, so few people are realizing this, so the show is in danger of cancellation. I'm just going to enjoy this rare gem while I can!

I had high expectations for this film, I must say. Marc Forster also directed one of my favourites, Finding Neverland, so I was excited to see how he would direct a comedy. I was wrong, however, about the film being a comedy. There are funny scenes, just a few, but if you are expecting the old "Anchorman" Will Ferrell, that's not what you're getting. Will Ferrell shows a new, more mature side in Stranger than Fiction.

I'm not normally a big Will Ferrell fan. And this film does not make me want to go watch "Talladega Nights", or any of his other zany films, because after seeing how versatile an actor he actually can be, Talladega would just disappoint me. I've heard it said that Stranger than Fiction is Will Ferrell's "Eternal Sunshine." This is almost true. I don't know if Will was allowed to show the emotion that would qualify this as his "Eternal Sunshine", but Stranger than Fiction proves to me that Will Ferrell can do drama, and eventually he will be able to star in a film of that caliber.

Stranger than Fiction concerns Harold Crick (Will Ferrell), an IRS agent, who hears a woman's (Emma Thompson) voice narrating almost everything he does. Just as things start to get interesting for Harold (he falls in love), the narrator declares that Harold's death is imminent. The acting in this film was convincing and intriguing. Dustin Hoffman played the distant literaryprofessor to a tee, and Queen Latifah held her own as the author's assistant. I must say, that Maggie Gyllenhaal and Emma Thompson's performances were the best of them all. Maggie brought a great depth to her performance as the not-so-typical love interest, and Emma Thompson was fantastic as usual as the author struggling with writer's block, as well as thoughts of suicide. The film was sweet, funny, and at times heartbreaking. One particular quote spoken by Emma Thompson near the end of the film made the film all the more worthwhile. All in all, with a great script, a great plot, great acting, including a surprising performance by Will Ferrell, Marc Forster's Stranger than Fiction does not disappoint!