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 May 16, 2008


BIG BUDGET FILMS

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG for violence and epic battle scenes) Based on the second installment of the C.S. Lewis series of kiddie fantasy novels, this sequel sends the four Pevensie siblings (William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley) on another time-traveling adventure to a magical land far, far away, on this occasion to help overthrow an evil king (Sergio Castellitto) so that the exiled, rightful heir (Ben Barnes) might ascend to the throne. Cast includes Liam Neeson, Tilda Swinton and Eddie Izzard.

The Midnight Meat Train (R for sexuality, nudity, profanity, eroticized graphic violence and grisly images) Gruesome horror flick about a struggling photographer (Bradley Cooper) who ends up putting his and his girlfriend’s (Leslie Bibb) lives in danger after being egged on by a prominent art gallery owner (Brooke Shields) to get grittier shots for his show by following the trail of the serial killer (Vinne Jones) who’s been butchering late-night commuters on the NYC subway.


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer (R for sexuality and profanity) Intergenerational comedy about a family matriarch (Lucy Gallardo) who, along with her daughter (Elizabeth Pena) and granddaughter (America “Ugly Betty” Ferrara), experience a sexual awakening over the course of a very eventful summer in a sun-bleached, Arizona border town. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

My Father, My Lord (Unrated) Modern morality tale, ostensibly inspired by the Biblical parable of Abraham, revolves around a respected rabbi (Assi Ayan) in an Orthodox community who is forced by circumstances to balance the competing demands of his faith and his family. (In Hebrew with subtitles)

Paraguayan Hammock (Unrated) Historical drama, set in Paraguay in 1935, revolving around about an anguished elderly couple’s (Ramón del Río and Georgina Genes) interminable wait for their son to return from their country’s bloody war with neighboring Bolivia. (In Guarani with subtitles)

Quantum Hoops (Unrated) David Duchovny narrates this against-the-odds documentary chronicling the effort of California Institute of Technology’s athletically-challenged basketball team of academic eggheads to win its first game in over 20 years.

Reprise (R for sexuality and profanity) Coming-of-age drama, set in Oslo, about the divergent fates of a couple of competitive, 20 year-old best friends (Anders Danielsen Lie and Espen Klouman-Heiner), both aspiring novelists, as they deal with love, depression and career issues with the unbridled passion of youth. (In Norwegian with subtitles)

Sangre de Mi Sangre (Unrated) Undocumented alien saga about a Mexican orphan (Jorge Adrian Espindola) who smuggles himself into the U.S. by tractor-trailer only to have his identity stolen by another illegal immigrant (Armando Hernandez) while en route to NYC to meet the man rumored to be his long-lost father (Jesus Ochoa). (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

Yella (Unrated) Psychological thriller about a battered wife (Nina Hoss) being stalked by her abusive husband (Hinnerk Schoenemann) who flees to West Berlin where she takes a new job with a crafty venture capitalist (Devid Striesow) and gets involved with her boss only to remain haunted by her checkered past. (In German with subtitles)