Joyful Noise

Vi Rose Hill is ecstatic when she is appointed the new music director for the Divinity Church Choir in Pacashau, Ga. She believes her love of music will help the group lift the community's spirits during the recession, and she turns to her daughter for help. When G.G. Sparrow arrives in town, however, she tries to take over Vi's way of running the choir and wants to get the group singing more upbeat songs. The tension between the women becomes even stronger when G.G.'s grandson falls for Vi's daughter, so the women realize they must work together for the sake of everyone involved.

Director: Todd Graff. Stars: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Keke Palmer, Courtney B. Vance, Jesse L. Martin, Jeremy Jordan, David Dwyer, Chloe Bailey, Judd Lormand. 2012, 118 mins., drama.

New Year's Eve

The lives of several colleagues and friends intertwine as they wait to ring in the new year in New York. Ingrid quits her job after realizing she will never be appreciated, and she grabs a stranger to help her finish some of last year's resolutions before she runs out of time. A cancer patient refuses treatment and wants to celebrate the new year one last time, but his daughter is stuck at work and may not be able to join him at the hospital. A young couple welcomes their first child, and a rising star may miss her big chance when she's trapped in an elevator.

Director: Garry Marshall. Stars: Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Ludacris, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Sofía Vergara, Hilary Swank, Katherine Heigl, Sarah Jessica Parker, Seth Meyers. 2011, 100 mins., romance.

W.E.

Wally Winthrop is trapped in an unhappy and abusive marriage, so she distracts herself by studying the intricacies of an upcoming estate sale. The artifacts used to belong to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and theirs is a tale of forbidden love and following one's dreams.

Director: Madonna. Stars: Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, James D'Arcy, Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle, Natalie Dormer, Laurence Fox, David Harbour, James Fox, Judy Parfitt, Haluk Bilginer. 2012, 114 mins., drama.
 

Covert Affairs: Season 2

Annie Walker is at it again as she tries to apprehend fugitives and fulfull her CIA duties as well as she can. Her unprecedented instincts and tricky wit makes her an asset to the CIA, but when her personal life starts causing problems, even the best asset can become a liability.

Directors: Allen Kroeker, Feliz Enriquez Alcala, Kate Woods, Stephen Kay, Ken Girotti, Johnathan Glassner. Stars: Piper Perabo, Christopher Gorham, Kari Matchett, Anne Dudek, Sendhill Ramamurthy, Peter Gallagher, Adelaid Humphreys, Avigail Humphreys, Emmanuel Vaugier. 2011, 720 mins, television.