Kam's Movie Kapsules for 12-26-14
OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That
Make Choosing a Film Fun
by Kam Williams
For movies opening
December 26, 2014
BIG BUDGET FILMS
American Sniper (R for graphic violence, sexual references
and pervasive profanity) Clint Eastwood directed this adaptation of the
best-selling memoir by Navy Seal Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), the most
successful sniper in the history of the U.S. military. With Sienna Miller,
Luke Grimes and Jake McDorman.
Big Eyes (PG-13 for mature themes and brief profanity)
Revisionist history biopic correcting the record about Margaret Keane (Amy
Adams), the painter whose husband (Christoph Waltz) became one of the most
celebrated artists of the Fifties and Sixties by passing off her work as his
own. Co-starring Krysten Ritter, Danny Huston and Jason Schwartzman. (In
English, French and Italian with subtitles)
The Gambler (R for sexuality, nudity and pervasive
profanity) Mark Wahlberg stars in the title role of this remake of the 1974
thriller as a college professor whose gambling habit lands him in trouble with
loan sharks (John
Goodman and Michael Kenneth Williams) and the casino
owner (Alvin
Ing) who’d extended him a quarter-million dollar line of credit.
With Brie Larson, George
Kennedy and Jessica Lange.
Into the Woods (PG for action, peril, suggestive material
and mature themes) Disney family fantasy interweaving the plotlines of several
Grimm Brothers fairytales, including Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red
Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Rapunzel (Mackenzie Maury) and Jack (Daniel
Huttlestone) and the Beanstalk. Ensemble includes Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt,
James Corden, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine and Tracey Ullman.
Selma (PG-13 for violence, disturbing images, and brief
profanity) Civil Rights Era saga, directed by Ava DuVernay, chronicling the
historic march led by Dr. Martin Luther King (David Oyelowo) credited with
pressuring Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965. With Carmen Ejogo, Cuba
Gooding, Jr., Tom Wilkinson, Tim Roth, Martin Sheen, Giovanni Ribisi, Common
and Oprah.
Unbroken (PG-13 for brief profanity and intense brutality)
Angelina Jolie directs this adaptation of the Lauren Hillenbrand best-seller of
the same name recounting Olympic athlete-turned-WWII hero Louie Zamperini’s (Jack
O’Connell) harrowing internment in a Japanese POW camp after his plane was shot
down over the Pacific during a rescue mission. With Takamasa Ishihara, Garrett
Hedlund, Finn Wittrock and Jai Courtney.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Barbecue (Unrated) French farce revolving around a trim and
fit, diet-conscious health nut (Lambert Wilson) who decides to throw caution to
the wind after suffering a heart attack on his 50th birthday.
Supporting cast includes Franck Dubosc, Florence Foresti and Sophie Duez. (In
French with subtitles)
Beloved Sisters (Unrated) Incestuous romance drama about a
couple of aristocratic siblings (Hannah Herzsprung and Henriette Confurius) who
opt to share when they both fall in love with the poet, philosopher and
playwright Friedrich Schiller (Florian Stetter). With Claudia Messner, Ronald
Zehrfeld and Maja Maranow. (In German and French with subtitles)
Leviathan (R for profanity, sexuality and nudity) Legal
drama about a humble family man (Aleksey Serebryakov) who retains the services
of an attorney (Vladimir Vdovichenkov) to prevent his seaside home with a view
from being seized for a pittance by eminent domain by a corrupt mayor (Roman
Madyanov). Support cast includes Elena Lyadova, Anna Ukolova and Sergey
Pokhodaev. (In Russian with subtitles)
Tale of the Grim Sleeper (Unrated) Keystone Cops documentary
revisiting the badly-bungled investigation of the case of Lonnie Franklin, Jr.,
aka The Grim Sleeper, a serial killer whose reign of terror around South
Central L.A. claimed at least ten lives over a quarter-century.
Two Days, One Night (PG-13 with mature themes) Slice-of-life
drama about a woman (Marion Cotillard) recovering from a nervous breakdown who
has to spend a weekend trying to convince her factory co-workers to reverse
their vote to have her fired in return for a big bonus. With Fabrizio Rongione,
Catherine Salee and Pili Groyne. (In French and Arabic with subtitles)
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