Kam's Movie Kapsules for 2-14-14

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:      

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun         

by Kam Williams

For movies opening February 14, 2014

BIG BUDGET FILMS   

About Last Night (R for profanity, nudity, sexuality and brief drug use) A modern reimagining of the 1986 romantic comedy based on “Sexual Perversity in Chicago,” the David Mamet play following two couples (Kevin Hart and Regina Hall, and Michael Ealy and Joy Bryant) whose relationships are put to the test as they venture from the bar to the bedroom. With Paula Patton, Christopher McDonald and Terrell Owens.

Endless Love (PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, partying and partial nudity) Remake of the romance drama about the star-crossed love affair between teens (Gabriella Wilde and Alex Pettyfer) from opposite sides of the tracks. With Bruce Greenwood, Joely Richardson, Robert Patrick, Emma Rigby and Dayo Okeniyi. 

RoboCop (PG-13 for sensuality, drug use, brief profanity and pervasive intense violence) Sci-fi remake, set in Detroit in 2028, about a police officer (Joel Kinnaman) who is turned into a bionic crime-fighting killing machine equipped with state-of-the-art gadgetry after being critically-injured by a car bomb. Talented cast includes Oscar-nominees Samuel L. Jackson (for Pulp Fiction), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (for Secrets & Lies), Gary Oldman (for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Jackie Earle Haley (for Little Children), along with Michael Keaton and Jay Baruchel.       

Winter’s Tale (PG-13 for sensuality and violence) Romantic fantasy, set in Manhattan in 1916, revolving around a cat burglar (Colin Farrell) who falls in love with a sickly heiress (Jessica Brown Findlay) he meets after breaking into her mansion. A-list ensemble includes Academy Award-winners Russell Crowe (for Gladiator). Jennifer Connelly (for A Beautiful Mind), Eva Marie Saint (for On the Waterfront) and William Hurt (for Kiss of the Spider Woman), and two-time Oscar-nominee Will Smith (for The Pursuit of Happyness and Ali).

    

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS 

Adult World (R for sexuality and drug use) Romantic comedy about a recent college grad and aspiring poet (Emma Roberts) who reluctantly takes a job at a porno shop until an English professor (John Cusack) she admires offers her a position as his assistant. With Armando Riesco, Shannon Woodward and Chris Riggi.

Beijing Love Story (Unrated) Screen version of the popular, Asian TV series of the same name exploring romance and relationships from a Chinese perspective. Starring Tony Leung Ka Fai, Carina Lau, Gaowa Siqin and Xuebing Wang. (In Mandarin with subtitles)

Date and Switch (R for graphic sexuality, crude humor, pervasive profanity and drug and alcohol abuse, all involving teens) Out-of-the-closet comedy about a straight teen (Nicholas Braun) who gets the surprise of his life after entering a pact with his secretly gay best friend (Hunter Cope) to lose their virginity before the senior prom. With Nick Offerman, Gary Cole, Megan Mullally, Dakota Johnson and Sarah Hyland.    

Easy Money: Hard to Kill (Unrated) Action-oriented sequel finds coke smuggling protagonist (Joel Kinnaman) leaving prison and returning to his old illicit ways upon rejoining his gang. Cast includes Matias Varela, Dragomir Mrsic and Fares Fares. (In Swedish, Spanish, English, Serbian, Croatian and Arabic)

Girl on a Bicycle (R for sexuality, nudity and profanity) Romantic romp revolving around the triangle which ensues after an Italian bus driver (Vincenzo Amato) falls in love with a French passerby (Louise Monot) right after proposing to his German stewardess sweetheart (Nora Tschirner). With Paddy Considine, Stephane Debac and Brice Fournier.

Jimmy P. (Unrated) Poignant portrait of a Native-American veteran (Benicio Del Toro) who consults a French shrink (Mathieu Almaric) for help sorting out his psychological issues. With Gina McKee, Larry Pine and Joseph Cross.

Lucky Bastard (NC-17 for explicit sexuality) Found footage horror flick about a fan (Jay Paulson) who comes to regret answering an adult website’s invitation to have sex with his favorite porn star (Betsy Rue). With Don McManus, Chris Wylde and Catherine Annette.  

The New Black (Unrated) Gay rights documentary examining how the African-American community deals with homophobia, the legalization of same-sex marriage, and other LGBT issues. 

  

The Returned (Unrated) Horror flick set in a post-apocalyptic world where infected zombies are able to live normal lives until the retroviral drug upon which they depend runs out. Co-starring Kris Holden-Ried, Emily Hampshire, Shawn Doyle and Claudia Bassols.