Kam's Kapsules for movies opening January 20, 2017

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

by Kam Williams

 OPENING THIS WEEK

BIG BUDGET FILMS

20th Century Women (R for sexuality, nudity, profanity and brief drug use) Tale of female empowerment, set in Santa Barbara during the summer of '79, revolving around the explorations of love and freedom on the part of a landlady (Annette Bening), one of her tenants (Greta Gerwig), and her teenage son's (Lucas Jade Zumann) BFF (Elle Fanning). With Billy Crudup, Alia Shawkat and Alison Elliott.

The Founder (PG-13 for brief profanity) Michael Keaton impersonates Ray Kroc in this biopic about the enterprising businessman who purchased an innovative burger joint from the McDonalds brothers (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch) and franchised it into a fast food empire. Support cast includes Laura Dern, Patrick Wilson and Linda Cardellini.

The Resurrection of Gavin Stone (PG for mature themes) Faith-based feature revolving around a washed-up, Hollywood child star (Brett Dalton) who pretends to be a Christian to land the role of Jesus in a mega-church's annual Passion Play production only to end up actually finding faith in God. With Neil Flynn, D.B. Sweeney and Anjelah Johnson-Reyes.

Split (PG-13 for violence, profanity, disturbing behavior and mature themes) Harrowing horror flick, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, about three teenage girls (Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula and Anya Taylor-Joy) kidnapped by a maniac (James McAvoy) with 24 personalities. Supporting cast includes Kim Director, Brad William Henke and Betty Buckley.

xXx: Return of Xander Cage (PG-13 for sexuality, profanity and pervasive violence) Third installment in the high-octane franchise finds the extreme sports athlete-turned-spy (Vin Diesel) coming out of exile to lead a team of fellow thrill-seekers on a mission to disarm a diabolical madman (Donnie Yen) wielding a devastating weapon of mass destruction. With Samuel L. Jackson, Toni Collette and Tony Jaa.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Detour (R for nudity, sexuality, graphic violence, drug use and pervasive profanity) Revenge thriller revolving around a naive law student (Tye Sheridan) who hires a hitman (Emory Cohen) to kill the scheming stepfather (Stephen Moyer) responsible for the car accident that left his mother in a coma. With Bel Powley, John Lynch and Gbenga Akinnagbe.

My Father Die (Unrated) Patricide saga about a deaf mute (Joe Anderson) who waits a couple of decades for his father's (Gary Stretch) parole in order to avenge his brother's murder. Cast includes John Schneider, Gabe White and Kevin Gage.

Paris 05:59: Theo & Hugo (Unrated) Homoerotic drama about two gay strangers (Geoffrey Couet and Francois Nambot) who have unprotected sex after meeting in a Paris night club, only to have one admit that he's HIV+. With Mario Fanfani, Bastien Gabriel and Miguel Ferreira. (In French with subtitles)

The Red Turtle (PG for peril and mature themes) Dialogue-free animated fantasy chronicling the life of a castaway stuck on a deserted tropical island populated with birds, turtles and crabs.

Starless Dreams (Unrated) Criminal justice documentary featuring interviews with teenage girls imprisoned in Iran for crimes ranging from drug dealing and addiction to burglary and murder. (In Persian with subtitles)

Strike a Pose (Unrated) Voguing documentary reuniting the surviving members of the all-male dance troupe who backed Madonna on her 1990 Truth or Dare tour.

They Call Us Monsters (Unrated) Rush to judgment documentary rethinking the convictions of three juveniles tried as adults and given long stretches behind bars for murder and other violent crimes.

Trespass against Us (R for pervasive profanity, disturbing behavior and brief graphic nudity) Crime thriller, set in Great Britain, chronicling the efforts of the son (Michael Fassbender) of a mob boss (Brendan Gleeson) to find a legitimate line of work. With Rory Kinnear, Lyndsey Marshal and Sean Harris.