Of course his quirkiest role was as poor Edward Scissorhands… or was that Willie Wonka…or Captain Jack Sparrow… you get the idea. Even when his characters are based firmly in reality he finds the kinks, as he did in “Ed Wood,” and in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” You could say there is also a fair amount of quirk in the determined drug dealer in “Blow,” and something truly was eating Gilbert Grape.

The point is Depp develops the quirks to the point of parody. His take as Dr. Hunter S. Thompson was close to camp, but then Thompson was a caricature of himself. Depp reached full campiness as the feckless moviemaker Ed Wood, a man who took comfort in cross-dressing and enthusiastically made some of the worst movies ever filmed. In the hands of Depp, Wood is not just a kooky director; he is a sympathetic character who believes in his own dreams. And that may be a fair description of Johnny Depp’s particular genius.

In her first outing Steinfeld showed that she can carry a scene, as when she bargains for her murdered father’ s string of ponies. Her screen time with Jeff Bridges shows a confidence and understanding of film-making that goes beyond her teen years. She seemed not at all intimidated by the Oscar winner.

Good film acting requires a performer to display many emotions, not only by actions, but by thoughts. Her character is a smart cookie, always looking for the angle, trying to stay ahead of the game. Much of what happens with her takes place beneath the surface. Steinfeld gets it. Her performance is totally convincing.

It’s too soon to tell if Haliee Steinfled will move into the glamour ranks of Sharon Stone and Julia Roberts, but with “True Grit” she has proved she belongs as an actor.

• The Secret in Their Eyes is an Argentine mystery by director Juan Jos Campanella. While set in 1999, it flashes back to 1974 when a federal agent begins to investigate the murder of a young woman. Campanella had previously directed episodes of House and Law & Order, but this film shows him at his best, and has already won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Don’t let this one pass you by.
• City Island is a limited-release American comedy film set in the Bronx location of the same name. Stars include such big names as Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, and Alan Arkin. The plot follows an Italian family named the Rizzos hiding some big secrets, like an illegitimate son and what the daughter is doing when she’s supposed to be in college. Overall, this film focuses on the importance of family, and could provide a smart and touching alternative to the standard family fare.
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the adaptation of the first book in the international best-selling series. An English-language adaptation is currently in production, but it is still interesting to see this film in its original Swedish. The dark story brings together an investigative journalist (similar to the books’ author Stieg Larsson) and a young female hacker named Lisabeth. With the release of the third book, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest, earlier this year, and the other two films coming later in 2010, there has never been a better time to catch up on the series.

• The Karate Kid is a remake of the 1984 film by Rocky director John G. Avildsen. The new film comes from the director of Agent Cody Banks, Harald Zwart, and stars Jackie Chan and Will Smith’s son, Jaden Smith. The film looks like a classic tale of overcoming adversity and standing up for yourselfwith a healthy dose of kung-fu added in.
• The A-Team is another 80′s remake, this time of the popular television show which ran from 1983-1986 and launched the career of Mr. T. The military thriller follows a unique Army Special Forces unit attempting to recover their good name, and features cameos by some stars from the original show like Dwight Schultz and Dirk Benedict. For a slice of summer action, it will definitely fit the bill.
• Jonah Hex is the first film adaptation of the long-running comic book character. It’s a blend of horror and Westerns starring Josh Brolin as the disfigured gunslinger, who first appeared in All-Star Western 10 back in 1972. Megan Fox, a proclaimed comics fan and star of Transformers 1 & 2, appears as a brothel worker who falls for the main character.
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a video-game adaptation starring Jake Gyllenhaal as the eponymous Prince, who becomes the bearer of a magical dagger capable of reversing time. The video-game series has been around since 1989, but this film is based off a series that debuted in 2003. Also starring Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina, this film has an impressive pedigree for what was once considered the domain of geeks and nerds.

Considering the attachment of director James Mangold (best known for hits Walk the Line and 3:10 to Yuma), this turn of events is equally surprising.  However, Mangold was not the first choice for the filmand neither were Cruise or Diaz.  The disparate list of considerations for Cruise’s role included comedians Adam Sandler and Chris Tucker, as well as more versatile star Gerard Butler.  In a similar turn, Diaz took over for Eva Mendes.  Tom Dey, the director of Shanghai Noon and Failure to Launch, was originally signed on for the project.  What did he choose instead?  Family comedy Marmaduke, which has been gaining even more scathing reviews.

Things aren’t all bad, however.  Cruise’s and Diaz’s on-screen chemistry has been praised, as well as Cruise’s strong solo performance.  The film is not catching on with younger viewers, though, perhaps because of the age of the two stars.  In that respect, maybe the similar romantic-action-comedy Killers will perform better, despite its even lower reviews.  That film stars Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl, both of whom have a strong teen fanbase thanks to shows like That ’70s Show and Grey’s Anatomy, respectively.  If you’re looking for a fluffy summer film, you could just take your pick, but you may feel more adult if you go with Knight & Day.