Kam's Movie Kapsules for 12-7-12

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:      

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun         

by Kam Williams

For movies opening December 7, 2012

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Playing for Keeps (PG-13 for profanity, sexual situations and an intense image) Romantic comedy revolving around a retired pro athlete (Gerard Butler) with a checkered past who’s effort to woo back his ex-wife (Jessica Biel) by coaching their son’s (Noah Lomax) soccer team goes awry when some of his players’ moms start flirting with him. With Catherine Zeta-Jones, Uma Thurman, Dennis Quaid and Judy Greer.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

The Art of Flight (PG-13 for profanity) Snowboarding documentary showcasing the death-defying exploits of Travis Rice and other daredevils as they risk avalanches and accidents while exploring uncharted mountains all around the world.

Bad Kids Go to Hell (R for profanity, sexuality, violence and drug use) Dark comedy about a half-dozen students at an elite prep school who start falling victim to horrible accidents while serving detention. Starring Judd Nelson, Ben Browder, Ali Faulkner and Chanel Ryan.   

Buffalo Girls (Unrated) Child abuse documentary taking an intimate peek into the boxing careers of 8 year-old Stam Sor Con Lek and Pet Chor Chanachai, female prizefighters who support their families while pursuing Thailand’s Flyweight title. (In Thai with subtitles)

Cheerful Weather for the Wedding (Unrated) Cold feet comedy about a bride-to-be (Felicity Jones) worried that she’s about to marry the wrong man who keeps both her fiance (James Norton) and her ex (Luke Treadaway) in suspense on her wedding day. With Ellie Kendrick, Mackenzie Crook and Elizabeth McGovern.

Deadfall (R for profanity, sexuality and graphic violence) Crime caper about a brother (Eric Bana) and sister (Olivia Wilde) who decide to go their separate ways in the wake of a casino heist gone bad. Ensemble cast includes Sissy Spacek, Kate Mara, Kris Kristofferson and Treat Williams. 

Delhi Safari (PG for violence, menacing action, suggestive content, crude humor and mature themes) Bollywood-produced, animated adventure about a protective mother leopard (Vanessa Williams), her cub (Tara Strong), a monkey (Carlos Alazraqui), a parrot (Tom Kenny) and a bear (Brad Garrett) forced to flee the forest for help when real estate developers leave their natural habitat on the verge of destruction. Voice cast includes Jane Lynch, Jason Alexander and Cary Elwes. (In Hindi and English with subtitles)

The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (Unrated) Edward Burns wrote, directed and co-stars in this dysfunctional family drama about the emotional strain experienced by seven siblings when their long-lost father (Malachy McCourt) returns home for the holidays after having walked out on them and their mom (Anita Gillette) a couple of decades earlier. With Connie Britton, Heather Burns, Noah Emmerich and Kerry Bishe’.

Flying Lessons (R for profanity and sexuality) Prodigal Daughter drama about a young woman (Maggie Grace) who returns home for the first time in years to repair relationships with her alcoholic mother (Christine Lahti), an ex-boyfriend (Jonathan Tucker) and an Alzheimer’s patient (Hal Holbrook). With Cary Elwes, Joanna Cassidy and Rick Gonzalez.    

Happy New Year (Unrated) PTSD drama about a self-destructive Iraq War veteran (Michael Cuomo) who finds himself plagued by guilt and desperation upon return to the U.S. after a tour of duty overseas. Cast includes J.D. Williams, Will Rogers and Jose Yenque.

Heleno (R for profanity, sexuality and drug use) Bittersweet biopic about the tragic life of Heleno de Freitas (Rodrigo Santoro), one of Brazil’s all-time great soccer players. Cast includes Priscila Assum, Othon Bastos and Herson Capri. (In Portuguese with subtitles)

Honor Flight (Unrated) Greatest Generation documentary about a Midwest community that raised $250,000 to fly its surviving WWII veterans to Washington, DC to visit the war memorials erected in their honor.  

Hyde Park on Hudson (R for brief sexuality) Tale of illicit love, set over the course of a wild weekend in 1939, chronicling President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s (Bill Murray) incestuous affair with his cousin Margaret (Laura Linney) while he was simultaneously entertaining the King (Samuel West) and Queen (Olivia Colman) of England during a Royal visit to the States. With Olivia Williams, Elizabeth Marevel and Blake Ritson.

In Our Nature (Unrated) Close quarters drama about the tensions which surface when a guy (Zach Guilford) takes his girlfriend (Jenna Malone) to his family’s summer home for a quiet weekend getaway only to have his long-estranged father (John Slattery) show up unexpectedly with his trophy girlfriend (Gabrielle Union). With Lola Cook and David Ilku.  

Lay the Favorite (R for sexuality, nudity, drug use and pervasive profanity) Screen adaptation of Beth Raymer’ memoir of the same name about a small-town stripper (Rebecca Hall) who moves to Las Vegas where she becomes the protégé of a professional gambler (Bruce Willis), much to the chagrin of his jealous wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Support cast featuring Vince Vaughn, Corbin Bernsen and Joshua Jackson.

Only the Young (Unrated) “School of Hard Knocks” documentary about three teen runaways who survive in a small desert town in Southern California by taking shelter in foreclosed homes and beneath highway underpasses.

The Rabbi’s Cat (Unrated) Animated fantasy, set in Algeria in the Twenties, about a talking cat (Francois Morel) who expresses a desire to convert to Judaism after swallowing the rabbi’s (Maurice Benichou) parrot. With Hafsia Herzi, Mathieu Amalric and Francois Damiens. (In French with subtitles)

Saving America’s Horses (Unrated) Equine expose about the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s sanctioning the corporate slaughter for consumption of thousands of horses running free on government land. 

Tchoupitoulas (Unrated) Dusk to dawn documentary chronicling a day-in-the-life of three boys who join a rowdy parade of New Orleans revelers.    

Wagner and Me (Unrated) Stephen Fry directs this documentary exploring his conflicted feelings as a Jew about Richard Wagner (1813-1883) because the brilliant classical composer was a favorite of Adolf Hitler.

Waiting for Lightning (PG-13 for sports action, profanity and mature themes) Skateboarding documentary highlighting how Danny Way overcame a disadvantaged childhood to turn pro and eventually jump over the Great Wall of China.