Kam's Kapsules for Movies Opening 8-19-16

by Kam Williams

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

OPENING THIS WEEK

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Ben-Hur (PG-13 for violence and disturbing images) Remake of 11 Oscar-winning classic, a faith-based tale of revenge revolving around a prince (Jack Huston) forced into slavery after being falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. With Morgan Freeman, Rodrigo Santoro and Nazanin Boniadi.

Collide (PG-13 for violence, profanity, sexuality and drug use) Action thriller about a couple of American tourists (Nicholas Hoult and Felicity Jones) backpacking across Europe who end up on the run from drug smugglers in Germany. With Anthony Hopkins, Ben Kingsley and Nadia Hilker.

Hell or High Water (R for graphic violence, pervasive profanity and brief sexuality) Modern Western chronicling the cat-and-mouse pursuit of a couple of siblings (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) on a bank-robbing spree by an aging Texas Ranger (Jeff Bridges) and his half-breed partner (Gil Birmingham). Featuring Kevin Rankin, Katy Mixon and Dale Dickey.

Kubo and the Two Strings (PG for action, mature themes, scary images and peril) Animated fantasy, set in ancient Japan, about a young boy (Art Parkinson) who must locate a magical suit of armor worn by his fallen samurai father to defeat an inadvertently-revived, evil spirit with a vengeful agenda. Voice cast includes Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara and George Takei.

War Dogs (R for drug use, sexual references and pervasive profanity) Fact-based tale about a couple of young businessmen (Miles Teller and Jonah Hill) who get more than they bargained for after landing a $300 million contract to arm America's allies in Afghanistan. With Ana de Armas, Barry Livingston and Bradley Cooper.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Billionaire Ransom (Unrated) Survival saga set on a remote island where a boot camp for spoiled-rotten rich kids is taken hostage by a gang of kidnappers. With Jeremy Sumpter, Phoebe Tonkin, Sebastian Koch and Ashley Walters.

Imperium (R for pervasive profanity) Crime thriller about an idealistic FBI agent (Daniel Radcliffe) who goes undercover to infiltrate a radical, white supremacist group. Cast includes Toni Collette, Tracy Letts and Sam Trammell.

Kampai: For the Love of Sake (Unrated) Foodie documentary exploring the critical contribution of rice wine to Japanese cuisine. With commentary by sake experts John Gauntner, Philip Harper and Kosuke Kuji. (In English and Japanese with subtitles)

Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World (PG-13 for mature themes and brief profanity) Cyber documentary examining the impact of the internet on humanity. Featuring commentary by Elon Musk, Lawrence Krauss, Kevin Mitnick and Lucianne Walkowicz.

Making a Killing: Guns, Greed and the NRA (Unrated) Constitutional law documentary asserting that the National Rifle Association lobbies to prevent the passage of sensible gun legislation more for the sake of profit than to protect citizens' Second Amendment.rights.

Mia Madre (R for profanity) Bittersweet dramedy, set in Rome, revolving around a film director's (Margherita Buy) attempt to care for her terminally-ill mother (Giulia Lazzarini) while shooting a movie with a disappointing leading man (John Turturro). With writer/director Nanni Moretti, Beatrice Mancini and Stefano Abbati. (In English, Italian and French with subtitles)

Morris from America (R for sexuality, brief nudity, teen drug use and partying, and pervasive profanity) Markees Christmas plays the title character in this coming-of-age comedy about a 13 year-old, African-American's adjustment to life in Germany after his father (Craig Robinson) takes a job in Heidelberg as a pro soccer coach. With Carla Juri, Lina Keller and Jakub Gierszal. (In English and German with subtitles)

The People vs. Fritz Bauer (R for sexuality) Historical drama, set in 1957, revolving around the German Attorney General (Burghart Klauszner) who brought Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann (Michael Schenk) to justice. With Rudiger Klink, Andrej Kamnsky and Jorg Schuttauf. (In English, German, Yiddish and Spanish with subtitles)

Spaceman (R for drug use and pervasive profanity) Josh Duhamel handles the title role in this biopic chronicling the life after baseball of eccentric Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee. Cast includes Ernie Hudson, W. Earl Brown and Sterling K. Brown.

A Tale of Love and Darkness (PG-13 for mature themes and disturbing, violent images) Natalie Portman wrote, directed and stars in this adaptation of Amos Oz's (Amir Tessler) memoir about growing up Jewish in Jerusalem prior to Israeli statehood. With Shira Haas, Ohad Knoller and Makram Khoury). (In Hebrew with subtitles)