Kam's Movie Kapsules for 5-16-14

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:      

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun         

by Kam Williams

For movies opening May 16, 2014

BIG BUDGET FILMS   

Godzilla (PG-13 for intense violence and scenes off destruction) Epic eco-adventure finds the legendary monster reborn and rising to restore balance in the titanic force of nature while humanity stands defenseless. Ensemble includes Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche and Ken Watanabe.

Million Dollar Arm (PG for mild epithets and suggestive content) Fact-based drama recounting how sports agent J.B. Bernstein (Jon Hamm) traveled all the way to India to recruit some of the Subcontinent’s top cricket pitchers to play major league baseball back in the U.S. Featuring Bill Paxton, Alan Arkin, Aasif Mandvi, Lake Bell and Suraj Sharma. (In English and Hindi with subtitles)

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS 

50 to 1 (PG-13 for suggestive material and a bar fight) Fact-based drama chronicling the road trip from New Mexico to Kentucky undertaken by a posse of cowboys when their crooked-footed horse miraculously qualifies for the Derby. Starring Skeet Ulrich, William Devane and Christian Kane.

Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case (Unrated) Reverential biopic about Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist and political dissident imprisoned and placed under house arrest for his uncompromising commitment to human rights. (In Mandarin and English with subtitles)

The American Nurse (Unrated) Healthcare documentary following five dedicated nurses working in fields ranging from nursing homes to hospice care to prisons to home visitation to obstetrics.    

Cyber-Seniors (Unrated) Heartwarming documentary about reluctant retirees who learn to surf the ‘net with the help of computer-savvy teen mentors.

Don Peyote (Unrated) Stoner comedy about an unemployed slacker (Dan Fogler) who embarks on a mind-bending drug binge after convincing himself that the end of the world is imminent. Ensemble cast includes Anne Hathaway, Annabella Sciorra, Josh Duhamel, Wallace Shawn, Jay Baruchel and Topher Grace.  

Half of a Yellow Sun (R for violence and sexuality) Screen adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie‘s best-selling novel, set in the Sixties, about a pair of Western-educated twins’ (Anika Noni Rose and Thandie Newton) readjustment to their native Nigeria during a turbulent, post-colonial period marked by tribal civil war. With Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dominic Cooper and John Boyega. 

Horses of God (Unrated) Islamic fundamentalism is the subject of this docudrama chronicling events in the lives of the terrorist responsible for the 2003 suicide bombings in Casablanca. Co-starring Abdelhakim Rachi, Abdelilah Rachid and Hamza Souidek. (In Arabic and French with subtitles)

The Immigrant (R for nudity, sexuality and some profanity) American Dream deferred drama, set in Manhattan in 1921, about a young Polish immigrant (Marion Cotillard) pressed into prostitution by a charming pimp (Joaquin Phoenix) soon after passing through customs at Ellis Island. Cast includes Jeremy Renner, Angela Sarafyan and Jicky Schnee. (In English and Polish with subtitles)

Next Year in Jerusalem (Unrated) Right of return documentary about eight nursing home residents who embark on a transformational trip of a lifetime to Israel.

A Night in Old Mexico (Unrated) South of the Border saga about a cranky, cash-strapped curmudgeon (Robert Duvall) who embarks a final wild adventure with his grandson (Jeremy Irvine) rather than quietly retire from his ranch to a trailer park. With Angie Cepeda, Luis Tosar and Joaquin Cosio.

A Short History of Decay (R for profanity and sexual references) Romantic comedy about a just-dumped writer (Bryan Greenberg) from Brooklyn who finds love again when he relocates to Florida to care for his ailing parents (Harris Yulin and Linda Lavin) suffering from a stroke and Alzheimer’s. Support cast features Emmanuelle Chriqui, Kathleen Rose Perkins and Rebecca Dayan.

A Touch of Sin (Unrated) Four discrete crime sagas, set in present day China, each revolving around random acts of violence. Cast includes Wu Jiang, Lanshan Luo, Li Meng, Baoqiang Wang, Jia-yi Zhang and Tao Zhao. (In Mandarin, Cantonese and English with subtitles)

Wolf Creek 2 (Unrated) Slasher sequel, set in the Australian Outback, where a British tourist’s (Ryan Corr) plans for an idyllic vacation go terribly awry when he’s abducted by a sadistic serial killer (John Jarratt) who drags him to a dungeon. With Shannon Ashlyn, Philippe Klaus and Gerard Kennedy.