Sunday, October 21, 2007

Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by Kam Williams
For movies opening October 26, 2007


BIG BUDGET FILMS

Dan in Real Life (PG-13 for sexual innuendo) Steve Carrell assumes the titular role in this romantic sitcom about a widowed relationship advice columnist struggling to raise three daughters (Alison Pill, Brittany Robertson and Marlene Lawston) alone who suddenly finds himself in a quandary after unknowingly falling in love with his brother’s (Dane Cook) gorgeous girlfriend (Juliette Binoche).

Music Within (R for profanity, sexual reference and drug use) Docudrama chronicles the true story of Richard Pimentel (Ron Livingston) a severely hearing-impaired Vietnam vet who returns from the war to dedicate his life to speaking out on behalf of Americans with disabilities. Cast includes Melissa George, Michael Sheen Leslie Nielsen, Rebecca De Mornay and Hector Elizondo.

Saw IV (R for profanity and pervasive torture and gruesome violence) Despite the apparent demise of the infamous Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) and his apprentice (Shawnee Smith), we find the slasher franchise revived for a fourth installment of grisly fare when a couple of FBI profilers (Scott Patterson and Athena Karkanis) are assigned to the depleted police precinct only to find themselves and the surviving SWAT team members (Lyriq Bent and Costas Mandylor) suddenly facing a sinister series of deadly traps perhaps set by the serial killer’s ex-wife (Betsey Russell).


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (R for profanity, nudity, violence, drug use and graphic sexuality) Legendary director Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Network, The Verdict) assembles a talented ensemble for this suspenseful crime thriller about two brothers (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke) whose perfectly planned heist of their parents’ (Albert Finney and Rosemary Harris) jewelry store goes horribly wrong when their accomplice improvises with disastrous results during the botched robbery. Cast includes Marisa Tomei as one sibling’s spouse who’s secretly sleeping with the other, too.

Bella (PG-13 for mature themes and disturbing images) Serendipitous romantic romp, set in Manhattan, revolving around a pregnant waitress (Tammy Blanchard) who finds a ready shoulder to lean on in the former international soccer star (Eduardo Verastequi) who has just taken a job as a chef at his brother’s (Manny Perez) Mexican restaurant. With former Miss USA Ali Landry of the award-winning Doritos Super Bowl commercial fame.

DarkBlueAlmostBlack (Unrated) Dysfunctional family drama about a janitor (Quim Gutierrez) who has trouble finding a decent job after spending several years caring for his invalid father (Hector Colome) while working his way through college. The plot thickens when his recently-paroled, sterile sibling (Antonio de la Torre) requests that he impregnate his girlfriend (Marta Etura) for him. (In Spanish with subtitles)

The Island (Unrated) Psychological drama, set in the mid-Seventies at a monastery in Northern Russia, revolves around a disconsolate WWII veteran-turned-priest (Pyotr Mamonov) still haunted by Nazis’ atrocities who suddenly experiences a crisis in faith upon the arrival of an Admiral (Yuri Kuznetzov) and his possessed daughter (Viktoria Isakova) in dire need of an exorcism. (In Russian and German with subtitles)

Jimmy Carter, Man from Plains (PG for mature themes and disturbing images) Jonathan Demme directed documentary follows the globetrotting 39th President on a book tour promoting his controversial Middle East opus, “Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid.” Co-starring his ever-present Rock of Gibraltar, wife Rosalynn.

The Living and the Dead (Unrated) Harrowing horror flick about a mentally-unstable young man (Leo Bill), left in charge while his father (Roger Lloyd-Pack) is away on business, who barricades himself and his terminally-ill mother (Kate Fahy) inside their English manor, keeping her nurse (Sarah Ball), the cops and any visitors at bay.

Lynch (Unrated) Bio-pic presents an intimate portrait of David Lynch, iconoclastic director of such unorthodox adventures as Eraserhead, Mulholland Dr., Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet.

Mr. Untouchable (R for brief nudity, violent images, pervasive profanity and continuous drug content) Uncritical documentary revisits the rise and fall of Nicky Barnes, the notorious Harlem heroin dealer whose million-dollar empire collapsed soon after he was featured on the cover of Time Magazine for being above the law.

The Signal (R for brief nudity, pervasive profanity and brutal bloody violence) Experimental, sci-fi adventure flick shot in three parts by a trio of directors (David Bruckner, Dan Bush and Jacob Gentry) and set on New Year’s Eve in a mythical city where mysterious electronic transmissions being broadcast via TV, radio and cell phones are sending the citizens who receive them on a homicidal rampage. Cast includes Anessa Ramsey, Justin Welborn and A.J. Bowen.

Slipstream (R for profanity and some violent images) Sir Anthony Hopkins wrote, directed and stars in this sci-fi fantasy about an aging scriptwriter who’s having trouble keeping separate his real life and the characters he’s creating for his latest murder mystery. Cast includes Michael Clarke Duncan, Fionnula Flanagan, Camryn Manheim, Christian Slater, Jeffrey Tambor, John Turturro, Sharon Epatha Merkerson and Stella Arroyave, Hopkins’ wife.

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