Lisa Kudrow

It's a big time for Natalie Portman, personally and professionally; she just announced her pregnancy and engagement, and she's currently racking up acting nominations for her starring role in Black Swan. My fascination with her is at an all-time high, which makes watching her in her latest trailer all the more compelling. In The Other Woman, she plays Emilia, a woman who falls for her married boss. When he leaves his wife (Lisa Kudrow) for her, the couple is deliriously happy and have a baby together, and we get to see a uniquely sympathetic side to a common story.

Unfortunately, it's no modern happily-ever-after — tragedy strikes and the new stepmom must deal with her new life and the choices she's made. Portman is well-equipped to play a beautiful but flawed young woman (especially after she nailed the harrowing part in Black Swan), and The Other Woman makes good use of her ample talent. The film goes wide on Feb. 4 and will be available on demand on Jan. 1, but you can watch the preview when you read more

In Easy A, our heroine Olive Pendergast says she wants her life to be like a John Hughes movie. It's a lofty aspiration considering Hughes's reputation as the teen movie master, but it's one that the film unapologetically strives for with a playful wink. You have the alluring love interest à la Sixteen Candles (played here by Penn Badgley), Ferris Bueller-inspired shower karaoke, and a witty red-headed leading lady who is seemingly oblivious to her own coolness.

Emma Stone plays Olive, a teen homebody who's mistakenly branded as the school's own Hester Prynne after lying to her BFF (Aly Michalka) about losing her virginity. When the self-righteous religious club leader (Amanda Bynes) overhears, it's not long before everyone knows about Olive's supposed fling. Enter Brandon (Cougar Town's Dan Byrd), a bullied closeted gay student. Olive pretends to have sex with him to help his reputation, and she becomes the Mother Teresa of social outcasts, offering imaginary makeouts and boob fondling to help geeks up their popularity. When her charade spirals out of control, she's left without friends. To find out why I loved it, read more

John Mayer wraps up his Winter tour with a kiss and a promise to not overshare, Kristin Cavallari responds to Brody Jenner and Avril Lavigne's romance, and Ryan Reynolds wears a skintight superhero suit!

Dying for a glimpse of Ryan Reynolds in superhero mode before next year's Green Lantern? I have one . . . sort of. In Paper Man, he plays Captain Excellent, a caped crusader who only lives in the imagination of morose writer Richard, played by Jeff Daniels.

As Excellent, Reynolds is the bleach-blond manifestation of Richard's shortcomings. Frustrated with his presence, Richard hires Abby (Emma Stone) to "babysit" the captain, while Richard attempts to overcome his writer's block and prove to those around him (like his wife, Lisa Kudrow) that he's not a failure. Ultimately, a friendship emerges between the younger Abby and older Richard, in what's become a common cliche for indie dramas. But considering how much I like both Stone and Daniels, I think I'd enjoy watching them bond onscreen. As for Reynolds — frankly, he could chew gum and stare at the camera for 90 minutes and I'd still be enthralled.

To watch the trailer for Paper Man, just read more