Kam's Kapsules for Movies Opening on Thanksgiving, 2016

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

by Kam Williams

OPENING THIS WEEK

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Allied (R for sexuality,)nudity, profanity, violence and brief drug use) Real life romance drama, set in North Africa in 1942, about a Canadian spy (Brad Pitt) who falls in love with a French Resistance fighter (Marion Cotillard) while on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines only to learn that she might be a double agent in league with the Nazis. Cast includes Lizzy Caplan, Jared Harris and Vincent Latorre.

Bad Santa 2 (R for sexuality, crude humor, graphic nudity and pervasive profanity) Billy Bob Thornton is back as naughty St. Nick to hatch a plan with his evil elf sidekick (Tony Cox) to fleece a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. With Kathy Bates, Jeff Skowron and Christina Hendricks.

Moana (PG for peril, scary images and mature themes) Seafaring animated adventure revolving around a headstrong, Polynesian teenager (Auli'i Cravalho) who embarks on a dangerous mission across the Pacific Ocean to save her people with the help of a legendary demigod (Dwayne Johnson). Voice cast includes Rachel House, Temuera Morrison and former, NFL great Troy Polamalu.

Rules Don't Apply (PG-13 for sexuality, mature themes, drug use and brief profanity) Warren Beatty wrote and directed this romantic dramedy, set in Hollywood in 1958, about an aspiring actress (Lily Collins) and a limo driver (Alden Ehrenreich), both employed by Howard Hughes (Beatty) who break their billionaire boss' workplace edict against fraternizing between employees. With Paul Sorvino, Candice Bergen, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen and Matthew Broderick.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Always Shine (Unrated) Suspense thriller about a couple of actress BFFs (Mackenzie Davis and Caitlin FitzGerald) whose friendship is tested when they travel from L.A. to Big Sur for a weekend getaway in the woods. Cast includes Lawrence Michael Levine, Alexander Koch and Khan Baykal.

Baden Baden (Unrated) Character-driven dramedy about a fledgling, 26 year-old movie director (Salome Richard) who returns home to Strasbourg for the summer after her foreign film shoot falls through. Featuring Claude Gensac, Lazare Gousseau and Swann Arlaud. (In English, German and French with subtitles)

Behind the Cove (Unrated) Cruelty to animals documentary countering the negative publicity disseminated about the Japanese whaling industry by the Oscar-winning expose The Cove.

Lion (PG-13 for mature themes and some sensuality) Inspirational, real-life saga about a 30 year-old's (Dev Patel) search for his long-lost birth mother (Priyanka Bose) and big brother (Abhishek Bharate) back in India with the help of Google Earth, a quarter-century after being adopted by an Australian couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). With Rooney Mara, Divian Ladwa and Eamon Farren. (In English, Hindi and Bengali with subtitles)

Mifune: The Last Samurai (Unrated) Reverential biopic, narrated by Keanu Reeves, chronicling the life and career of Toshiro Mifune, the legendary star of The Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Yojimbo and numerous other Japanese film classics. Featuring commentary by Martin Scorcese and Steven Spielberg. (In English and Japanese with subtitles)

Miss Sloane (R for profanity and sexuality) Jessica Chastain plays the title character in this political thriller about a ruthless, D.C. lobbyist hired to match wits with a couple of former colleagues (Michael Stuhlbarg and Sam Waterston) representing gun manufacturers. With John Lithgow, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mark Strong and Alison Pill.

Seasons (PG for mature themes) Meteorological documentary observing assorted metamorphoses in nature during the changing of the seasons. (In French with subtitles)