Wednesday, March 25, 2009

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 April 3, 2009


BIG BUDGET FILMS

Adventureland (R for profanity, sexuality and drug use) Retro romantic comedy, set in Pittsburgh in 1987, revolving around the plight of a grad school-bound virgin (Jesse Eisenberg) forced by his family’s financial woes to take a minimum-wage job at an amusement park the summer before he’s supposed to start at Columbia. Ensemble includes Kristen Stewart, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig and Kelsey Ford.

Fast & Furious (PG-13 for violence, sexuality, profanity, drug references and intense action sequences) Fourth installment of the popular muscle car series, featuring a reunion of the original’s principal cast, revolves around a couple of unlikely buddies, a cop (Paul Walker) and a fugitive ex-con (Vin Diesel), who team up to infiltrate and bring down an L.A. heroin cartel. With Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster and Laz Alonso.


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Alien Trespass (PG for smoking and action) Sci-fi adventure, set in California in 1957, revolving around an astronomer (Eric McCormack) and a waitress (Jenni Baird) who join forces to save the planet after a spaceship with a man-eating alien (Jovan Nenadic) lands in the Mojave Desert.

Bart Got a Room (PG-13 for sexuality, mature themes and brief profanity) Coming-of-age comedy about a nerdy high school senior (Steven Kaplan) whose search for a prom date becomes increasingly desperate as the big night draws nearer. With William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines and Chad Jamian Williams.

The Escapist (Unrated) Brian Cox stars in this Celtic tale of regret and redemption about an anguished convict serving a life sentence in an Irish prison who plans an audacious jailbreak with the help of a few fellow inmates after learning that his drug-addicted daughter (Eleanor McLynn) is terminally ill. Cast includes Joseph Fiennes, Damian Lewis, Liam Cunningham, Steven Mackintosh and Dominic Cooper.

Forbidden Lie$ (Unrated) Investigative documentary examines the curious case of literary fraud perpetrated on the public by Norma Khouri, the slippery character eventually exposed as having totally fabricated her best-selling book “Forbidden Love” which she claimed was based on the honor killing of her Muslim best friend for dating a Christian.

Gigantic (R for profanity, sexuality and violence) Offbeat romantic comedy about a mattress salesman (Paul Dano) who falls in love with a foul-mouthed customer (Zooey Deschanel) while awaiting word whether his application to adopt a Chinese baby has been approved. Ensemble supporting cast includes Ed Asner, John Goodman and Jane Alexander.

Lifelines (Unrated) Slice of life dramedy about the fallout visited upon a dysfunctional suburban New Jersey family when its patriarch (Josh Pais) comes out of the closet only to have others start sharing their own explosive emotional secrets. Supporting cast features Joe Morton, Jane Adams, Jacob Kogan, Robbie Sublett and Dreama Walker.

Paris 36 (PG-13 for violence, sexuality, nudity and brief profanity) Historical drama, set in Paris in 1936, about a stage manager (Gerard Jugnot), a union organizer (Clovis Cornillac) and an impressionist (Kad Merad) who enlist the help of recently-unemployed friends in staging a show at a boarded-up theatre where they had all worked just a few months earlier. (In French with subtitles)

The Song of Sparrows (PG for brief adult language) Loss of innocence drama, set in Iran, about a recently-fired ostrich farmer (Mohammad Amir Naji) whose family becomes upset about how the naïve country bumpkin has begun to compromise his values in order to make it as a taxi driver in the city of Teheran.

Sugar (R for profanity, sexuality and drug use) Overcoming-the-odds sports saga, about a promising baseball player (Algenis Perez Soto) from the Dominican Republic’s struggle to make it to the major leagues. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

Tulpan (Unrated) Fractured fairytale, set in the barren steppe region of Kazakhstan, about a shepherd (Askhat Kuchinchirekov) who finds his quest for a wife frustrated by his Borat-like big ears. (In Kazakh and Russian with subtitles)

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