Thursday, May 21, 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 May 29, 2009


BIG BUDGET FILMS

Drag Me to Hell (PG-13 for terror, violence, disturbing images and profanity) Recession era horror flick about an ambitious loan officer (Alison Lohman) looking for a promotion who instead finds herself plagued by a supernatural curse after she forecloses on an old woman (Lorna Raver) begging for another extension on her mortgage payment. With Justin Long, David Paymer and Dileep Rao.

Up (PG for peril and action) Family-oriented, animated comedy about an adventurous 78 year-old (Edward Asner) who finally pursues his lifelong dream of traveling to the wilds of South America by attaching thousands of balloons to his home, unaware that he’s being accompanied by an 8 year-old stowaway (Jordan Nagai). Voice cast includes Christopher Plummer, Delroy Lindo and John Ratzenberger.


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Departures (PG-13 for mature themes) Foreign Film Oscar-winner revolving around the plight of an unemployed cellist (Masahiro Motoki) who moves back to his hometown where he discovers the true meaning of life when he takes a job as an undertaker over the objection of his wife (Ryoko Hirosue) and friends. (In Japanese with subtitles)

The Lonely Maiden (PG-13 for profanity, nudity and brief fantasy violence) Crime comedy, set in Massachusetts, about three museum security guards (Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken and William H. Macy) who hatch an inside job to steal several masterpieces in order to prevent a new curator (Todd Weeks) from transferring their favorite works of art to another institution.

Munyurangabo (Unrated) Ethnic cleansing drama about a war orphan (Jeff Rutagengwa) who travels from Kingali to the countryside in search of justice, 15 years after the gruesome genocide which consumed close to a million lives in just 100 days. (In Kinyarwanda with subtitles)

Offshore (Unrated) Globalization comedy about a couple of telemarketers (Emily Rose Merrell and Deb Tunis) who decide to take revenge when their jobs are outsourced and they are asked by their company’s CEO (Marty Bufalini) to train their East Indian replacements. (In English and Hindi with subtitles)

Owl and the Sparrow (PG for smoking and mature themes) Bittersweet drama, about a ten year-old orphan (Pham Thi Han), living on the streets of Saigon, who plays the role of matchmaker for a lonely zookeeper (Le The Lu) and a cosmopolitan flight attendant (Cat Ly). (In Vietnamese with subtitles)

Pontypool (Unrated) Psychological thriller, unfolding from the perspective of the staff of an Ontario radio station who barricade themselves in a basement broadcast booth when they realize that the violence is sweeping the region is being spread by a virus triggered by the use of the English language. Ensemble cast includes Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly, Hrant Alianak and Rick Roberts.

Pressure Cooker (Unrated) Uplifting documentary chronicles the efforts of Wilma Stephenson, a demanding Culinary Arts teacher at an inner city, Philadelphia public high school, as she inspires underprivileged students to apply themselves in her class in order to earn college scholarships to some of the most prestigious cooking institutes around the country.

What Goes Up (R for teen sexuality, profanity and drug use) Slice-of-life drama, set in 1986, about a reporter (Steve Coogan) sent from New York to New Hampshire to write a story about the hometown of ill-fated, teacher-turned-astronaut Christa McAuliffe who finds himself unexpectedly in charge of a classroom of dysfunctional students, including a shameless flirt (Hilary Duff), a repressed Peeping Tom (Josh Peck) and a scheming baby mama-to-be (Olivia Thirlby).


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