Kam's Kapsules for movies opening November 24, 2017

 

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun  

 by Kam Williams

OPENING THIS WEEK

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Coco (PG for mature themes) Animated musical fantasy revolving around a 12 year-old wannabe mariachi musician (Anthony Gonzalez) who runs away from home accompanied by a trash-talking trickster (Gael Garcia Bernal) after his disapproving parents deliberately destroy his beloved guitar. Voice cast includes Benjamin Britt, Edward James Olmos and Renee Victor. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

Molly's Game (R for profanity, drug use and some violence) Jessica Chastain plays the title character in a biopic chronicling the rise and fall of Molly Bloom, the Olympic skier-turned-gambler who ran a high-stakes poker game for a decade until the FBI brought down the operation. A-list cast includes Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Graham Greene and Chris O'Dowd.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (Unrated) Revealing retrospective about the Jewish matinee idol-turned-inventor (1914-2000) who fled Austria and helped the Allies defeat the Nazis by developing a deadly-accurate, radio guidance system for torpedoes. Featuring commentary by Mel Brooks, Diane Kruger and Peter Bogdanovich.

Brimstone & Glory (Unrated) Visually-captivating documentary, shot in Tultepec, Mexico, celebrating the compelling appeal and beauty of elaborate fireworks displays. (In Spanish with subtitles)

Call Me by Your Name (R for sexuality, nudity and some profanity) Homoerotic, coming-of-age tale, set in Italy in 1983, about a 17 year-old (Timothee Chalamet) who develops a crush on his dad's (Michael Stuhlbarg) doctoral student (Armie Hammer) spending the summer at the family's villa. With Amira Casar, Esther Garrel and Victoire Du Bois. (In English, Italian, French and German with subtitles)

Darkest Hour (PG-13 for mature themes) World War II docudrama, set during the early days of the conflict, recounting how British Prime Minster Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) rallied the nation to prepare for an invasion as the Nazis rolled across the rest of Europe. With Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Eric Clapton: A Live in 12 Bars (Unrated) Reverential rocktrospective featuring commentary about the blues guitar legend by late colleagues like B.B. King, George Harrison and Jimi Hendrix, courtesy of archival footage.

The Man Who Invented Christmas (PG for mature themes and mild epithets) Adaptation off Lee Standiford's best seller of the same name crediting Charles Dickens' (Dan Stevens) "A Christmas Carol" for the cultural shift that turned a religious holiday into a gift-giving season. Featuring Christopher Plummer as Ebenezer Scrooge.

Mr. Roosevelt (Unrated) Offbeat comedy about a fledgling comedienne (Noel Wells) who moves back to Austin from Hollywood to care for her cat when informed by her ex-boyfriend (Nick Thune) that it has fallen seriously ill. With Britt Lower, Daniella Pineda and Andre Hyland.

What Happened in Vegas (Unrated) Eye-opening documentary exposing the Las Vegas Police Department's widespread practice of covering up corruption and police brutality.