“Casino Royale”: Remember that guy James Bond? No? His last few movies have kind of sucked? Apparently, the overseers of the 007 franchise recognized the character had lapsed into a lazy self-parody and decided to reboot the series ?† la “Batman Begins.” The faithful rendering of Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel has the spy hunting down a terror financier, culminating in the famous card game between Bond and his villain. Daniel Craig (“Layer Cake” and “Munich”) seems to have brushed off the reaction from online haters: early reviews hail his performance as the key to interpreting Bond in an action movie where character is king.
Verdict: See it now

“Fast Food Nation”: Eric Schlosser’s sociology best seller gets the big-screen treatment, complete with fictionalized narrative and Hollywood stars like Greg Kinnear and Bruce Willis. Ever the chameleon, indie director Richard Linklater takes his cues from Robert Altman as much as from Upton Sinclair, following a diverse tapestry of characters from a restaurant’s corporate office to the illegal immigrants in the slaughterhouse to the kids behind the counter. The only flaw: this fascinating material is structured more poorly than hamburger meat.
Verdict: See it

“For Your Consideration”: Christopher Guest masterfully played dumb in the seminal mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap,” and since then, he has directed more hilarious yet poignant documentary spoofs (“Best in Show” and “A Mighty Wind”). His latest film, about an independent film that garners Oscar buzz, drops the cinema-v?©rit?© act but keeps intact the improvisational charm of his favored troupe (Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Fred Willard and Parker Posey). The addition of sleazy British superstar Ricky Gervais may hook those unfamiliar with Guest, but the essential humanity of his characters should make this another of his classics.
Verdict: See it