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 January 18, 2008


BIG BUDGET FILMS

27 Dresses (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality and innuendo) Katherine Heigl stars in this romantic comedy about the frustrations of a perennial bridesmaid who has to bite her tongue when the boss (Edward Burns) she has had a secret crush on falls in love at first sight with her younger sister (Malin Akerman). Cast includes James Marsden, Judy Greer and Brigitte Bourdeau.

Cloverfield (PG-13 for violence, terror and disturbing images) Sci-fi action thriller chronicles the harrowing ordeal of five young New Yorkers who throw a friend a going-away party the same night a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Ensemble includes Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller and Odette Yustman.


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Beaufort (Unrated) Middle East drama, adapted from Ron Lesham’s debut novel about the final months spent by a squad of Israeli soldiers defending a mountaintop lookout in an occupied area of Southern Lebanon, seized from the PLO in 1982, before abandoning the militarily insignificant fort in 2000. (In Hebrew with subtitles)

Cassandra’s Dream (PG-13 for sexuality, violence and mature themes) Woody Allen directs this crime saga, set in London, about two brothers (Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell) with money woes who hatch a sinister scheme after becoming embroiled with a femme fatale (Hayley Atwell). All-Brit cast includes Tom Wilkinson, John Benfield and Sally Hawkins.

Day Zero (R for profanity, sexuality, violence and drug use) Patriotic duty is the theme of this drama about the fate of three friends from NYC, a lawyer (Chris Klein), a writer (Elijah Wood), and a cabbie (Jon Bernthal), who have each received a draft notice from the military ordering them to report in 30 days. Supporting cast includes Ally Sheedy, Ginnifer Goodwin and Elisabeth Moss.

Mad Money (PG-13 for sexuality, profanity and drug references) Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes co-star in this remake of Hot Money, a British thriller based on a real-life crime caper, now overhauled as a crime comedy about three employees of the Federal Reserve Bank who conspire to steal millions of dollars in currency about to be destroyed.

Still Life (Unrated) Postdiluvian romance drama chronicles the fates of several citizens’ who return to the Yangtze River village of Fengjie years after a disastrous flood there during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Narratives include a coalminer (Han Sanming) and a nurse (Tao Shao) searching for their spouses. (In Mandarin with subtitles)

Summer Palace (Unrated) Romance drama, about a country girl (Lei Hao) who moves to Beijing to attend college where she falls madly in love with a fellow student (Xiaodong Guo) with whom she proceeds to explores a forbidden world of pleasure and passion. (In Mandarin and German with subtitles)

Taxi to the Dark Side (R for torture, disturbing images and graphic nudity) War on Terror documentary explores of the evolution of the American position on torture and the Geneva Conventions by telescoping in on the case of an innocent cabbie beaten to death while being interrogated at Bagram Air Force base in Afghanistan.

Teeth (R for profanity, drug use and disturbing images involving sex and violence) Horror comedy about a chaste, high school coed (Jess Weixler) who discovers that her private parts have teeth during a sexual assault.