Wednesday, December 1, 2010

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 December 10, 2010

BIG BUDGET FILMS

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (PG for frightening images and action fantasy sequences) Third installment in the film franchise based on the C.S. Lewis series of fantasy novels finds Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy Pensie (Georgie Henley), along with their cousin Eustace (Will Poulter), returning to the magical land of Narnia to embark on a dangerous, seafaring mission taking them to the edge of the world. Cast includes Simon Pegg and Oscar-winners Liam Neeson and Tilda Swinton.

The Tourist (PG-13 for violence and brief profanity) English-language remake of Anthony Zimmer, the French thriller about an American (Johnny Depp) vacationing in Italy who finds himself falling in love with a manipulative British temptress (Angelina Jolie) being tailed by the police because of her hidden criminal agenda. With Rufus Sewell, Timothy Dalton and Paul Bettany.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

And Everything Is Going Fine (Unrated) Steven Soderbergh directs this documentary chronicling the career of the late Spalding Gray (1941-2004), an actor/playwright and performance artist known for his minimalist monologues.

Beijing Taxi (Unrated) Neo-communist documentary offers an intimate peek at the social transformation of rapidly-modernizing China as witnessed by a trio of cabbies driving around the nation’s capital. (In Mandarin with subtitles)

The Company Men (R for profanity and brief nudity) Downsizing drama about the fallout visited upon a trio of fired corporate executives (Academy Award-winners Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones) and their families following a restructuring by a conglomerate as a cost-cutting measure. With Maria Bello, Craig T. Nelson and Oscar-winner Kevin Costner.

The Fighter (R for violence, sexuality, drug use and pervasive profanity) Overcoming the odds bio-pic chronicling light welterweight boxer “Irish” Mickey Ward’s (Mark Wahlberg) real-life journey on the road to redemption with the help of his half-brother trainer (Christian Bale) leading to a shot at the championship title. With Oscar-nominees Melissa Leo and Amy Adams.

The Garden of Eden (R for profanity, nudity and graphic sexuality) Screen adaptation of the posthumously-published Hemingway novel of the same name about an American couple (Jack Huston and Mena Suvari) honeymooning on the French Riviera whose relationship becomes strained when they both fall in love with a naughty, Italian nymphet (Caterina Murino).

Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie (Unrated) Flower Power bio-pic about the life and times of 74 year-old Hugh Romney, aka Wavy Gravy, clown and peace activist who came to fame in the summer of ’69 as the leader of the Hog Farm, the hippie collective hired to handle security at the historic Woodstock Music Festival. Featuring appearances by Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Buffy Saint Marie.

The Tempest (PG-13 for nudity, scary images and suggestive content) Academy Award-nominee Julie Taymor’s iconoclastic interpretation of the Shakespeare play features Oscar-winner Helen Mirren in the lead role of Prospero, thereby transforming the beloved classic into a gender-bending tale of female empowerment revolving around a woman caught up in a volcanic struggle for survival and a quest for vengeance. Ensemble cast includes Russell Brand, Alan Cumming, Alfred Molina, and Oscar-nominees Djimon Hounsou, Tom Conti and David Strathairn.

Vengeance (Unrated) High attrition-rate action flick about a French chef (Johnny Halliday) who hires a trio of Hong Kong hit men (Anthony Wong, Lam Kar Tung and Lam Suet) to even the score with the mobsters who massacred his daughter’s family (Sylvie Testud). (In English, French and Cantonese with subtitles)

You Won’t Miss Me (Unrated) Seriocomic character study about a 23 year-old misfit (Stella Schnabel) recently released from a mental hospital. With Greta Gerwig, Aaron Katz and Sarah Ball. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

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