Kam's Movie Kapsules for 12-4-15
OPENING
THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a
Film Fun
by Kam Williams
For movies opening December 4, 2015
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Chi-Raq (R for nudity, profanity,
sexuality, violence and drug use) Nick Cannon plays the title
character in this Spike Lee "Joint" loosely based on
Aristophanes' play Lysistrata. Present-day variation on the theme is
set in Chicago where females from the 'hood decide to deny their men
sexual favors until there is a cessation of the gang violence
claiming so many young lives. Ensemble includes Teyonah Parris,
Wesley Snipes, Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Dave Chappelle,
Jennifer Hudson and John Cusack.
Krampus (PG-13 for violence, terror,
profanity and drug use) Holiday comedy about a frustrated kid (Emjay
Anthony) with no Christmas spirit who unwittingly unleashes a
demonic, Scrooge-like force (Luke Hawker). Cast includes Toni
Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman and Adam Scott.
The Letters (PG for mature themes)
Reverential retrospective dramatizing the life and times of Mother
Teresa (Juliet Stevenson) as reflected by correspondence she
exchanged over a half-century with her BFF/spiritual advisor, Father
Celeste van Exem (Max von Sydow). With Rutger Hauer, Priya Darshini
and Kranti Redkar.
Life (R for profanity, nudity and
sexuality) Brush with greatness biopic recounting journalist Dennis
Stock's (Robert Pattinson) photo shoot of rising star James Dean
(Dane deHaan) for a 1955 issue of Life magazine. Featuring Lauren
Gallagher as Natalie Wood, John Blackwood as Raymond Massey and Kelly
McCreary as Eartha Kitt.
Macbeth (Unrated) Michael Fassbender
assumes the title role in the latest adaptation of the Shakespeare
tragedy about an ambitious general with designs on the throne of the
King of Scotland (David Thewlis). Support cast includes Elizabeth
Debicki, Marion Cotillard, Sean Harris and Paddy Considine.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Amour Fou (Unrated) Costume drama,
set in Berlin in the Romantic Era, about a young poet (Christian
Friedel) who enters a suicide pact with a terminally-ill socialite
(Schnoeink) after failing to convince his kissing cousin (Sandra
Hueller) to do so. Supporting cast includes Stephan Crossmann,
Barbara Schnitzler and Marc Bischoff. (In German with subtitles)
Bikes vs. Cars (Unrated)
Eco-documentary advocating the adoption of bicycles over autos as the
primary form of urban transportation in order to reverse the global
warming trend. (In English, Spanish and Portuguese with subtitles)
Christmas Eve (PG for peril, mature
themes and mild epithets) Holiday comedy revolving around the plight
of New Yorkers simultaneously stuck in a half-dozen elevators in the
wake of a car accident. Ensemble cast includes Patrick Stewart, Jon
Heder, James Roday, Gary Cole and Max Casella.
Hitchcock/Truffaut (PG-13 for
suggestive material and violent images) Reverential documentary
deconstructing the genius of legendary director Alfred Hitchcock
through the eyes of protege Francois Truffaut and a number of other
admiring colleagues. Featuring commentary by Peter Bogdanovich, David
Fincher, Martin Scorcese, Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater and Paul
Schrader.
The Lady in the Van (PG-13 for a
disturbing image) Fact-based docudrama recounting the unlikely
friendship forged between a celebrated playwright (Alex Jennings) and
a homeless woman (Maggie Smith) living in a car parked in his
driveway. With Dominic Cooper, Jim Broadbent and James Corden.
MI-5 (R for profanity and violence)
Espionage thriller about a spy (Kit Harrington) who comes out of
retirement to track down an escaped terrorist (Elyes Gabel) on the
CIA's Most Wanted list as well as the British secret agent (Peter
Firth) who'd been escortng him to prison. Support cast includes
Tuppence Middleton, Lara Pulver and Jennifer Ehle.
My Friend Victoria (Unrated)
Baby-daddy drama, set in Paris, about a poor, black single-mom
(Guslagie Malanga) who waits seven years before finally introducing
her daughter (Maylina Diagne) to the middle-class white guy (Pierre
Andrau) she shared a summer romance back in high school. (In French
with subtitles)
A Royal Night Out (PG-13 for
sexuality and brief drug use) Post World War II dramedy, set in
England in 1945, finds Princess Margaret (Bel Powley) and Princess
Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) slipping out of Buckingham Palace, over the
objections of the Queen (Emily Watson), to join the street
celebrations on V.E. Day. With Rupert Everett, Mark Hadfield and Jack
Laskey.
Uncle Nick (Unrated) Brian Posehn
plays the titular character in this holiday comedy as the rude
relative from hell who ruins the family's Christmas gathering. Cast
includes Scott Adsit, Missi Pyle, Paget Brewster and Beau Ballinger.
The World of Kanako (Unrated) Crime
thriller, based on the best-seller Hateshinaki
Kawaki by Akio Fukamachi, about a retired detective (Koji Yakusho)
who only learns about his daughter's (Nana Komatsu) secret life
during the search conducted after she goes missing. Narrated by
Hiroya Shimizu and featuring Satoshi Tsumabuki, Fumi Nikaido and Ai
Hashimoto. (In Japanese with subtitles)
Youth (R for profanity, sexuality and
graphic nudity) Surrealistic meditation on mortality by a couple of
BFFs, one, a composer (Michael Caine), the other, a filmmaker (Harvey
Keitel), reflecting on the meaning of life while vacationing in the
Swiss Alps. With Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano and Jane Fonda. (In English,
Spanish and Swiss-German with subtitles)
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