Kam's Kapsules for movies opening June 23, 2017

 

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun  

by Kam Williams  

OPENING THIS WEEK

BIG BUDGET FILMS

The Beguiled (R for sexuality) Sofia Coppola won Best Director at Cannes for this sublime tale of seduction, a remake of Clint Eastwood's Civil War saga about Southern belles competing for the affections of a Union soldier (Colin Farrell) wounded and abandoned by his unit. Ensemble cast includes Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning and Kirsten Dunst.

Transformers: The Last Knight (PG-13 for action, violence, profanity and sexual innuendo) Fifth installment in the sci-fi series finds Cade (Mark Wahlberg) leading the defense of the planet in humanity's final showdown with an army of alien autobots. With Gemma Chan, Isabela Moner, Laura Haddock, Anthony Hopkins, Stanley Tucci and John Goodman.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

All the Rage (Unrated) Healthcare documentary chronicling Dr. John Sarno's half-century campaign against the over-prescription of pain medication. Featuring commentary by John Stossel, Howard Stern, Senator Bernie Sanders, Larry David and Dr. Andrew Weil.

The Bad Batch (R for violence, profanity, drug use and brief nudity) Post-apocalyptic drama revolving around a young woman's (Suki Waterhouse) struggle to survive after being dumped into a desert where she is soon surrounded by a horde of savage cannibals. With Jim Carrey, Jason Momoa, Giovanni Ribisi, Yolonda Ross and Keanu Reeves.

The Big Sick (R for profanity and sexual references) Romantic comedy recounting the real-life courting of fan (Zoe Kazan) by a Pakistani stand-up comedian (Kumail Nanjiani as himself). Supporting cast includes Ray Romano, Holly Hunter and SNL's Aidy Bryant.

Bwoy (Unrated) Homoerotic drama revolving around a closeted, former physician (Anthony Rapp) who starts cheating on his wife (De'Adre Aziza) with a hunky young Jamaican (Jimmy Brooks) in the wake of their son's untimely death. Featuring Jermaine Rowe, Drew Allen and Ashton Randle.

Can't Stop, Won't Stop: The Bad Boy Story (Unrated) Gangsta' raptrospective chronicling the career of Sean "Puffy" "Puff Daddy" "Diddy" Combs, as well as story of the hip-hop label he founded in 1993. With Lil Kim, Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Clive Davis and DMX.

Food Evolution (Unrated) Thought-provoking eco-documentary exploring the critical issues of sustainability and food security in a world marked by escalating competition for fewer and fewer natural resources. Featuring commentary by Bill Nye - The Science Guy, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Tamar Haspel.

Paulina (Unrated) Dolores Fonzi plays the title character of this crime thriller, set in Argentina, as a lawyer who abandons a promising career in Buenos Aires to teach high school in her hometown, only to end up brutally assaulted by a local gang. With Oscar Martinez, Esteban Lamothe and Cristian Salguero. (In Spanish and Guarani with subtitles)

In Pursuit of Silence (Unrated) Noise-reduction documentary extolling the virtues of a little peace and quiet.

Ripped (Unrated) Buddy comedy, set in 1986, about a couple of stoners (Faizon Love and Russell Peters) who find themselves magically teleported three decades into the future after smoking a powerful strain of genetically-modified marijuana manufactured by the CIA. With Alex Meneses, Bridger Zadina, Kyle Massey and Carlos Gomez.