Kam's Kapsules for movies opening September 8, 2017

 

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun  

by Kam Williams

OPENING THIS WEEK

BIG BUDGET FILMS

9/11 (R for profanity) Fact-based drama recounting the harrowing ordeal of five strangers trapped inside an elevator in the World Trade Center's North Tower after the building was struck by a hijacked airliner on the morning of September 11, 2001. Co-starring Charlie Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, Gina Gershon, Luis Guzman, Jacqueline Bisset and Wood Harris.

Home Again (PG-13 for sexuality and mature themes) Romantic dramedy revolving around a recently-separated mother of two (Reese Witherspoon) who relocates to L.A. where she rents her carriage house to three aspiring filmmakers (Nat Wolff, Pico Alexander and Jon Rudnitsky), only to have her husband (Michael Sheen) show up unannounced. With Lake Bell, Candice Bergen and P.J. Byrne.

It (R for violence, profanity and bloody images) Adaptation of the Stephen King best-seller set in Maine in the summer of '89 where we find seven ostracized 'tweens joining forces to exact revenge on the shape-shifting monster (Bill Skarsgard) terrorizing their hometown. Ensemble cast includes Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard and Wyatt Oleff.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Boris without Beatrice (Unrated) Marital crisis drama about a wealthy businessman (James Hyndman) who embarks on an extramarital affair while caring for his depressed, terminally-ill wife (Simone-Elise Girard). Cast includes Denis Lavant, Isolda Dychauk and Dounia Sichov. (In English, French and Russian with subtitles)

Company Town (Unrated) Eco-documentary chronicling one man's mission to save his hometown of Crossett, Arkansas plagued by cancer clusters ostensibly caused by Georgia-Pacific, a corporate polluter owned by the Koch brothers.

Free in Deed (Unrated) Christian-oriented fare, inspired by real-life events, recounting a Pentecostal storefront minister's (David Harewood) use of faith-healing to cure a church member's (Edwina Findley Dickerson) autistic son (RaJay Chandler). Featuring Kathy Smith, Helen Bowman and Alex Coker.

The Good Catholic (PG-13 for profanity and a sexual reference) Romantic comedy about an idealistic, young priest (Zachary Spicer) whose vow of celibacy is tested when he develops a fondness for a parishioner (Wrenn Schmidt) while taking her confession. With Danny Glover, John C. McGinley and Alex Miro.

Man in Red Bandana (PG-13 for mature themes and disaster images) Gwyneth Paltrow narrates this documentary about Welles Remy Crowther, a heroic stockbroker posthumously credited with saving over a dozen lives in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack before perishing in the collapse of the the World Trade Center's South Tower.

Poster Boys (Unrated) Buddy comedy about three guys (Bobby Deol, Shreyas Talpade and Sunny Deol) whose lives come apart at the seams when their faces appear in a pro-vasectomy poster. With Sonali Kulkarni, Tasha Bhambra and Randheer Rai. (In Hindi with subtitles)

School Life (PG-13 for smoking and brief profanity) Poignant character portrait chronicling a year in the lives of John and Amanda Leyden, a married couple who both teach at Ireland's only primary education boarding school. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

Trophy (Unrated) Endangered species documentary highlighting the impending extinction of a variety of African wild animals as a result of big game hunting.

True to the Game (Unrated) Crime thriller about a small-time drug dealer (Columbus Short) forced to choose between love and money as he tries to escape the 'hood. Cast includes Vivica A. Fox, Erica Peeples and Nelsan Ellis.

The Unknown Girl (Unrated) Crime thriller about a physician (Adele Haenel) who becomes obsessed with investigating the murder of the anonymous African immigrant whose frantic knock at the door she'd ignored. With Olivier Bonnaud, Jeremie Renier and Louka Minella. (In French with subtitles)

Year by the Sea (Unrated) Adaptation of Joan Anderson's (Karen Long) midlife crisis memoir about a writer who moves to Cape Cod rather than relocate to the Midwest with her husband (Michael Cristofer) upon their becoming empty nesters. Supporting cast includes Celia Imrie, Yannick Bisson and S. Epatha Merkerson.