Kam's Movie Kapsules for 8-10-12

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:      

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun         

by Kam Williams

For movies opening August 10, 2012

BIG BUDGET FILMS

The Bourne Legacy (PG-13 for violence and intense action sequences) Fourth installment in the espionage series stars Jeremy Renner as a rogue spy who teams up with an attractive woman (Rachel Weisz) as he tries to clear his name while on the run from a team of assassins dispatched by the CIA. With Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Albert Finney.

The Campaign (R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and crude humor) Election year comedy chronicling a cutthroat political campaign pitting a disgraced, North Carolina Congressman (Will Ferrell) against a naïve contender (Zach Galifianakis) whose dirty tricks are being financed by a couple of wealthy businessmen (Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow). With Dylan McDermott, Jason Sudeikis and Karen Maruyama. 

Hope Springs (PG-13 for mature themes involving sexuality) Midlife crisis comedy about a couple (Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones) who try to save their 30-year marriage at a week-long counseling session led by a renowned relationship specialist (Steve Carell). Ensemble cast includes Jean Smart, Elisabeth Shue and Mimi Rogers.

Nitro Circus 3-D (PG-13 for profanity and depictions of dangerous stunts) Big screen version of the MTV series featuring a series of breathtaking, Jackass-level stunts executed by a team of adrenaline-addicted daredevils led by Travis Pastrana. With Jolene Van Vugt, Tommy Passemante and Gregg Godfrey.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

2 Days in New York (R for profanity, sexuality, drug use and brief nudity) Chris Rock and Julie Delpy co-star in this cross-cultural comedy as a couple cohabiting in Manhattan whose domestic bliss is destroyed when her father (Albert Delpy), sister (Alexia Landeau) and ex-boyfriend (Alexandre Nahon) arrive from France unexpectedly. With Kate Burton, Dylan Baker and Malinda Williams. (In English, French and Italian with subtitles)

Almayer’s Folly (Unrated) Bittersweet drama loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s debut novel about an ambitious Dutchman’s (Stanislas Merher) futile search for a buried treasure for his half-Malaysian daughter (Aurora Marion) who means the world to him. With Marc Barbe, Solida Chan and Sakhna Oum. (In English, French and Central Khmer)

Drought (Unrated) Climate change documentary examining the mass exodus in search of water now undertaken annually by the parched residents of the Cuates de Australia region of Northern Mexico. (In Spanish with subtitles)

Freelancers (R for nudity, violence, drug use, graphic sexuality and pervasive profanity) Crime saga starring 50 Cent as the revenge-minded son of a slain police officer who joins the NYPD and teams with his father’s former partner (Robert De Niro) in search of justice. Cast includes Forest Whitaker, Dana Delany and Beau Garrett.

Goats (R for profanity, nudity, sexuality, drug use and underage alcohol consumption) Culture shock comedy about a freshman’s (Graham Phillips) attempt to adjust to life at an exclusive, East Coast prep school after being raised by his flaky hippie mother (Vera Farmiga) in the foothills of Tucson, Arizona with the help of a sage goat whisperer (David Duchovny) who served as his surrogate father. With Keri Russell, Ty Burrell and Justin Kirk.

The Green Wave (Unrated) Democracy-deferred documentary revisiting Iran’s short-lived, student revolution of 2010 which was successfully suppressed by the Islamist regime via a combination of cracking heads and censoring the internet. (In Persian, English and German with subtitles)

It Is No Dream (Unrated) Sir Ben Kingsley narrates this reverential biopic highlighting the life and times of Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), the Hungarian Jewish attorney-turned-journalist considered the father of Zionism and the State of Israel. 

The Lion of Judah (Unrated) Holocaust documentary chronicling Lithuanian survivor Leo Zisman’s heartbreaking return to his roots accompanied by 36 young people on a historical tour of the concentration camps at Majdanek, Birkenau and Aushwitz. 

Meet the Fokkens (Unrated) Dominatrix documentary about identical twins Louise and Martine Fokkens, 70 year-old prostitutes who are ready to retire after plying their trade in Amsterdam’s Red Light District for the past 50 years. (In Dutch with subtitles) 

Red Hook Summer (Unrated) Spike Lee wrote and directed this coming-of-age drama about a 13 year-old boy (Jules Brown) from Atlanta who spends his summer vacation at a Brooklyn housing project with his Bible-thumping grandfather (Clarke Peters). Supporting cast includes Nate Parker, Heather Simms and Thomas Jefferson Byrd.

Supercapitalist (Unrated) Financial thriller about an ambitious, hedge fund trader from New York (Linus Roache) who ventures to Hong Kong where his attempt to orchestrate a billion-dollar deal ends-up spiraling out of control. Featuring Kenneth Tsang, Derek Ting and Richard Ng. (In English and Mandarin with subtitles)

We Women Warriors (Unrated) Pacifist documentary about the non-violent resistance movement spearheaded by a trio of aborigine females fed-up with the bloody, Colombian civil war which has left over a hundred native tribes on the brink of extinction. (In Spanish with subtitles)