Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Kam's Movie Kapsules for 11-2-12



OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:      
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun         
by Kam Williams
For movies opening November 2, 2012


BIG BUDGET FILMS

Flight (R for drug and alcohol abuse, nudity, sexuality and an intense action sequence) Denzel Washington stars in this legal thriller about a hero pilot who tries to hide his alcohol addiction with the help of a defense attorney (Don Cheadle) after miraculously crash-landing a crippled commercial airliner by flying the plane upside-down. With John Goodman, Melissa Leo and Kelly Reilly.

The Man with the Iron Fists (R for profanity, drug use, graphic sexuality and gory violence) Gangsta’ rapper-turned-actor makes his scriptwriting and directorial debut while starring in this martial arts saga, set in 19th C. China, about a humble blacksmith who invents an assortment of elaborate weapons for the defense of his adopted hometown when the town is invaded by an army of assassins searching for a fabled treasure. With Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu, Pam Grier, Rick Yune and Jamie Chung.    

Wreck-It Ralph (PG for crude humor and mild violence) John C. Reilly plays the title role in this animated comedy about a computer game villain who makes the most of an opportunity to play a good guy after escaping to a neighboring video arcade game. Voice cast includes Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch, Dennis Haysbert, Mindy Kaling, Ed O’Neill and Adam Carolla.   


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

The Bay (R for profanity, bloody images and disturbing violence) Oscar-winner Barry Levinson (Rain Man) directed this gruesome horror flick about the chaos which erupts in a quaint Maryland town in the wake of an ecological disaster. Featuring Kristen Connelly, Jane McNeill, Christopher Denham and Michael Beasley.

Bones Brigade (Unrated) Skateboarding retrospective recounting the Eighties exploits of a half-dozen California teens who transformed the sport from a horizontal to an omni-directional endeavor. With Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva, Ben Harper and Tony Hawk. 

Café de Flore (Unrated) Double-stranded meditation on love, one, set in present-day Montreal, the other, in Paris in the Sixties. The former revolves around a DJ (Kevin Parent) torn between a girlfriend (Evelyne Brochu) and his ex-wife (Helene Florent), while the latter is about an overprotective single-mom’s (Vanessa Paradis) devotion to a son with Down Syndrome (Marin Gerrier). With Alice Dubois, Michel Dumont and Linda Smith. (In French with subtitles)

The Details (R for profanity, sexuality, drug use and brief violence) Macabre comedy about an estranged couple already in crisis (Elizabeth Banks and Tobey Maguire) whose troubles only escalate when a family of raccoons invades their backyard. Supporting cast includes Ray Liotta, Kerry Washington and Laura Linney. 

Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters (Unrated) Shutterbug biopic chronicling the career of a photographer famous for taking surreal snapshots of American suburban life.  

High Ground (Unrated) PTSD documentary about a team of Iraq and Afghan War veterans who were led by a blind guide on a perilous trek to the 20,000 foot-high peak of the Himalayas’ Mount Lobuche in order heal from the mental and emotional ravages of combat.   

Jack and Diane (Unrated) Homoerotic horror flick about two teenagers (Riley Keough and Juno Temple) whose passionate, summer-long affair in NYC has the surprising side-effect of turning one of them into a werewolf. Supporting cast includes Kylie Minogue, Dana DeHaan and Leo Fitzpatrick.

A Late Quartet (R for profanity and sexuality) Ensemble drama, set in NYC, about the fallout for a world-renowned string quartet after their leader (Christopher Walken) is diagnosed with a terrible illness, and two other members’ (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener) marriage falls apart when the husband has an affair. With Imogen Poots, Wallace Shawn, Madhur Jaffrey and Mark Ivanir.

A Man’s Story (Unrated) Reverential biopic about black Brit designer Ozwald Boateng, considered “The Coolest Man on Earth” in certain high fashion circles.

North Sea Texas (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama in which an introverted teenager (Ben Van den Heuvel) finds it increasingly hard to hide the crush he has on the seemingly-straight boy next-door (Nathan Naenen). With Eva van der Gucht, Thomas Coumans and Katelijne Damen. (In Dutch with subtitles)

This Must Be the Place (Unrated) Sean Penn stars in this revenge flick as a retired rock star living off his royalties in Ireland who crisscrosses the American heartland to track down the Nazi war criminal (Heinz Lieven) that had tortured his recently-deceased father at Auschwitz. With Frances McDormand, Judd Hirsch and David Byrne. (In English and Hebrew with subtitles)

Vamps (PG-13 for violence, sexuality, profanity and drug use) Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Ritter co-star in this horror comedy about a couple of club-addicted party girls who have to hide the fact that they’re vampires while dating up a storm around Manhattan. Cast includes Richard Lewis, Sigourney Weaver, Malcolm McDowell, Marilu Henner and Wallace Shawn.

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