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 February 26, 2010

 

 

BIG BUDGET FILMS

 

Cop Out (R for pervasive profanity, sexual references, violence and brief sexuality) Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan buddy-up in this madcap comedy directed by Kevin Smith about a couple of NYPD detectives who take the law into their own hands in order to retrieve a priceless baseball card from a merciless, memorabilia-obsessed mobster. Cast includes Seann William Scott, Ana de la Reguera, Fred Armisen, Adam Brody, Michelle Trachtenberg, Jason Lee and Kevin Pollak.

 

The Crazies (R for profanity and graphic violence) Remake of George Romero’s high body count horror flick about a tight-knit Iowa community suddenly plagued by insanity and death after a mysterious toxin contaminates their town’s water supply. Starring Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell. 

 

 

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

 

The Art of the Steal (Unrated) Courtroom documentary about the legal battle for control of the Barnes Foundation’s priceless collection of Modern and Post-Impressionistic paintings.

 

Defendor (R for violence, sexuality, and pervasive profanity and drug use) Sci-fi comedy about a self-appointed vigilante (Woody Harrelson) who confides in his court-appointed shrink (Sandra Oh) that his superhero alter ego was unfairly arrested by a crooked cop (Elias Koteas) for coming to the aid of an underage prostitute (Kat Dennings). 

 

Easier with Practice (Unrated) Romance drama about a lonely, aspiring writer (Brian Geraghty) with an unpublished novel who embarks on an erotic phone sex relationship with the mysterious temptress (Katie Aselton) that calls him out of the blue. With Kel O’Neill, Marguerite Moreau, Jeanette Brox and Jenna Gavigan.

 

Formosa Betrayed (R for violence) Fact-based espionage thriller, set in the early Eighties, about an FBI agent (James Van Der Beek), investigating the murder of a Taiwanese-American professor (Joseph Foronda), who follows a trail of clues to Asia where he uncovers an intricate web of intrigue implicating the Chinese government, the Mafia and the U.S. State Department. With John Heard, Leslie Hope, Tzi Ma, Will Tiao and Wendy Crewson. 

 

Kings of the Evening (PG for mature themes, violence, smoking and mild epithets) Depression Era drama about a recently-paroled ex-con’s (Tyson Beckford) attempt to earn a little cash and respect in the ‘hood after two years in a chain gang by competing in a weekly fashion show with a grand prize of five dollars. Cast includes Lynn Whitfield, Glynn Turman and Bruce McGill.

 

Prodigal Sons (Unrated) Gender-bending documentary revolving around a transsexual’s triumphant return to her Montana hometown as a woman to attend a high school reunion and to reconcile with an estranged, adopted brother who has recently learned that he might be the grandson of Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth.  

 

A Prophet (R for sexuality, graphic violence, nudity, profanity and drug use)

Crime drama, nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, about an illiterate, 19 year-old Arab (Tahar Rahim) who turns into a ruthless mobster while behind bars after a stint in a Paris prison for a petty crime. With Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif and Reda Kateb. (In French, Arabic and Corsican with subtitles) 

 

Toe to Toe (Unrated) Cross-cultural drama about the tensions which arise between lacrosse teammates at a suburban Washington, DC prep school, one, (Sonequa Martin), a promiscuous, spoiled-rotten, rich kid (Louis Krause), the other, an overachiever driven by a desire to make it out of the ghetto. Supporting cast includes Leslie Uggams, Gaius Charles, Silvestre Rasuk and Ally Walker.

 

The Yellow Handkerchief (PG-13 for violence, profanity, sexuality and mature themes) Post-Katrina road saga revolving around the drama which unfolds when a social zero (Eddie Redmayne) with a convertible and the flirtatious runaway (Kristen Stewart) he’s trying to impress decide to give a ride to a recently-released ex-con (William Hurt) hitchhiking home to see whether his wife (Maria Bello) still wants him.