Trailer Park: “Couples Retreat,” “An Education,” And “Good Hair”

OK, it’s officially fall now, so it’s probably about time to look for new winter boyfriends, un-mothball the sweaters, and mourn the passing of the Indian summer. The best way to get over that fast is to consume lots of soup, participate in some cuddling, and spend more time at the movie theater. This week, if you’re dreaming of a vacation, go see “Couples Retreat.” If you’re feeling kinda mod and rebellious, catch “An Education.” And if you’ve been listening to us at all this week, go see “Good Hair.”

The Movie: “Couples Retreat”
The Trailer: When characters played by Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell realize their relationship is doomed for divorce, they loop three other couples into an island paradise retreat that turns out to be a week of couples therapy, much to the chagrin of several of them, including Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, Jon Favreau, and Kristin Davis.
The Hitch: The screenplay was written by Jon Favreau (who took a time-out from “Iron Man 2”), Vince Vaughn, and Dana Fox (“What Happens In Vegas”), and it’s directed by Peter Billingsley, who you know as Ralphie from “A Christmas Story.” He’s weirdly hot now but has only directed one other movie, so this might be a good test of his competence. Hopefully, they didn’t give away the good parts in the trailer because this has the potential to be really hilarious.

The Movie: “An Education”
The Trailer: Jenny (Carey Mulligan) is an intelligent 16-year-old girl from the postwar London suburbs with cool-girl dreams but strict parents who only care that she attends Oxford University. She meets David (Peter Sarsgaard) and begins her “education” into the world of bon vivant sophisticates. Though there’s some shadiness to him, David is charming and worldly and scoops up Jenny, turning her into an It Girl overnight, worrying her teachers and parents. Together, they enter “the youthquake center” of the 1960s.
The Hitch: Based on the memoirs of British journalist Lynn Barber, the screenplay was written by Nick Hornby (“High Fidelity”) who is almost always great. Critics have been eating this flick up, giving the film near-perfect scores. Apparently, the performances are perfect. And, of course, the fashion and style will be stunning.

The Movie: “Good Hair”
The Trailer: Chris Rock delves into the crazy world of African-American hair and divulges what goes into having “good hair,” which includes relaxing it with sodium hydroxide, a chemical that can eat a soda can in two hours. Rock hits on the “cultural insecurities” that brought on the texture manipulation and interviews experts, doctors, actors, and comedians on the subject.
The Hitch: Looks like a super fascinating and informative look at a topic that is rarely discussed. Since our fellow Frisky scribe has already seen it, you can take her word on how awesome it was. When I was 15, I straightened my hair with African-American marketed products and, let’s just say, I’m still recovering from the horrors of holding my broken-off hair in my hand.