Saturday, October 27, 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 November 2, 2007


BIG BUDGET FILMS

American Gangster (R for nudity, sexuality, profanity, violence and pervasive drug content) Oscar-winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe square off in this mob saga, set in the Seventies, about the efforts of a rogue cop to bring down a drug lord who’s been smuggling heroin to Harlem in the coffins of soldiers who died in Vietnam. Cast includes Cuba Gooding, Jr., Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ruby Dee, Josh Brolin, Carla Gugino, Roger Guenveur Smith and Joe Morton, with street cred coming courtesy of rappers T.I., Common and RZA.

Bee Movie (PG for suggestive humor and brief smoking) Animated family about a bumblebee (Jerry Seinfeld) in search of a new line of work who befriends a florist (Renee Zellweger) who helps him sue humanity for stealing his species’ honey for centuries. Voice cast includes Chris Rock, Matthew Broderick, Patrick Warburton, Kathy Bates, Ray Liotta, John Goodman and Sting, plus talk show hosts Larry King and Oprah Winfrey.

Martian Child (PG for mature themes and mild epithets) Otherworldly dramedy about a grieving science fiction writer (John Cusack), mourning the death of his fiancee’ who befriends a six year-old boy (Bobby Coleman) whose claims that he’s from Mars might be true. With Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Sophie Okonedo and Joan Cusack.


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

A Broken Sole (Unrated) Ensemble drama, set in Manhattan on 9/11, examines the fortunes of six souls that fateful day: a cabbie (Bob Dishy) with a passenger (Laila Robins), a shoemaker (Danny Aiello) whose customer (Judith Light) wants him to keep his shop open, and a woman (Margaret Colin) dating a dyslexic (John Shea).

Confessions of a Superhero (Unrated) this is your life documentary chronicles the fledgling careers of a quartet of struggling actors aspiring for fame and fortune who are presently employed to portray Batman (Maxwell Allen), Superman (Christopher Dennis), The Hulk (Joseph McQueen) and Wonder Woman (Jennifer Gerht) on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard.

Darfur Now (PG for mature subject-matter) Ethnic cleansing unfolding in The Sudan is examined by this documentary demonstrating how the efforts of a handful of individuals can make a difference in halting crimes against humanity. With Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Terminator-turned-Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger, and U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Sam Brownback.

Fat Girls (R for drug and alcohol use, profanity, and graphic sexual content) Coming-of-age comedy about a couple of ostracized Texas teenage friends, one, just chubby (Ashley Fink), the other, gay (Ash Christian), and dreaming of unleashing his inner diva on Broadway.

Joe Strummer, The Future Is Unwritten (Unwritten) Bio-pic celebrates the life and times of The Clash’s front man Joe Strummer (1952-2002), revisiting the colorful punk rocker via archival footage and the fond recollections of fans and friends. Includes commentary by Steve Buscemi, John Cusack, Johnny Depp, Matt Dillon and Jim Jarmusch.

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