Kam's Movie Kapsules for 8-1-14

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:      

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun         

by Kam Williams

For movies opening August 1, 2014

BIG BUDGET FILMS   

Calvary (R for profanity, sexual references, drug use and brief violence) Psychological drama, set in a tiny seaside town in Ireland, about a Catholic cleric (Brendan Gleeson) who finds his life threatened during confession by an anonymous parishioner who was raped as a child by a pedophile priest.  With M. Emmet Walsh, Chris O’Dowd, Kelly Reilly and Domnhall Gleeson (Brendan’s son).

Get on Up (PG-13 for sexuality, drug use, profanity and violence) Chad Boseman portrays James Brown in the biopic chronicling the Godfather of Soul’s rise from abject poverty to the heights of superstardom. Supporting cast includes Keith Robinson, Jill Scott, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer.

Guardians of the Galaxy (PG-13 for profanity, action and intense violence) 10^th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series about an American pilot (Chriss Pratt) who grudgingly teams with a ragtag outfit of extraterrestrial misfits in order to defend the universe against a diabolical villain (Lee Pace) with a twisted religious agenda. Ensemble cast includes Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana, Djimon Hounsou, Glenn Close, John C. Reilly and Benicio Del Toro.

What If (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality and partial nudity) Romantic dramedy revolving around a med school dropout (Daniel Radcliffe) who develops feelings for his BFF (Zoe Kazan) despite the fact that she lives with her longtime boyfriend (Rafe Spall). With Megan Park, Adam Driver and Mackenzie Davis.    

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS 

4 Minute Mile (PG-13 for mature themes, violence, drinking, drugs, smoking and profanity) Overcoming-the-odds drama about the unlikely friendship forged between an at-risk teen (Kelly Blatz) and the reclusive, retired track coach (Richard Jenkins) who agrees to train him. With Analeigh Tipton, Kim Basinger, Cam Gigandet and Rhys Coiro.

The Almost Man (Unrated) Changed circumstances satire about a sophomoric, 35 year-old slacker (Henrik Rafaelsen) suddenly forced to mature when he gets his girlfriend (Solvei Grimen Fosse) pregnant. Supporting cast includes Egil Birkeland, Kim Eidhagen and Erik Haugstad. (In Norwegian with subtitles)

Around the Block (Unrated) Aussie drama, set in Sydney, about an aborigine kid (Hunter Page-Lochard) from a broken home who develops a love of acting with the help of his American drama teacher (Christina Ricci). Featuring Matt Nable, Jack Thompson and Daniel Henshall.

Behaving Badly (R for crude sexuality, graphic nudity, drug use and pervasive profanity) Romantic comedy about an awkward teen (Nat Wolff) with a crush on the cutest girl (Selena Gomez) at school. With Elisabeth Shue, Mary-Louise Parker, Dylan McDermott, Gary Busey, Justin Bieber and Heather Graham.

Cabin Fever: Patient Zero (Unrated) Third installment in the horror franchise revolves around a bachelor party aboard a Caribbean cruise which is ruined when revelers start becoming infected with a flesh-eating virus right after docking their boat at a remote island. Ensemble includes Sean Astin, Currie Graham, Ryan Donowho, Brando Eaton and Jillian Murray.  

Child of God (R for nudity, profanity, violence and disturbing sexual behavior) James Franco adapted, directed and stars in this crime thriller based on the Cormac McCarthy best seller of the same name about a cave-dwelling serial killer (Scott Haze) terrorizing a Tennessee mountain community. Narrated by Wade Williams and featuring Tim Blake Nelson, Jim Parrack and Fallon Goodson.

Finding Fela! (Unrated) Oscar-winner Alex Gibney (for Taxi to the Dark Side) directed this reverential retrospective recounting the career of Fela Kuti (1938-1997), the Nigerian pop music icon who passed away prematurely after contracting the AIDS virus.    

Louder than Words (PG-13 for mature themes, smoking and brief profanity) Fact-based drama about a grieving couple (David Duchovny and Hope Davis) who decide to build a state-of-the-art children’s hospital after the untimely death of their young daughter (Olivia Steele-Falconer). Cast includes Timothy Hutton, Adelaide Kane and Xander Berkeley.   

War Story (Unrated) PTSD drama about a former Libyan hostage (Catherine Keener) decompressing in Sicily where she divides her time between an ex-lover/mentor (Ben Kingsley) and a young Tunisian (Hafsia Herzi) trying to migrate to France. With Donatella Finocchiaro, Vincenzo Amato and Guido Caprino. (In English and Italian with subtitles)