Kam's Kapsules for movies opening February 1, 2019

 

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun  

by Kam Williams

OPENING THIS WEEK

WIDE RELEASES

Miss Bala (PG-13 for violence, profanity, sexuality, drug use and mature themes) English language remake of the 2011 Mexican action thriller about a makeup artist from L.A. (Gina Rodriguez) forced to survive by her wits south of the border after being kidnapped by a drug cartel while visiting her BFF (Cristina Rodlo) in Tijuana. With Anthony Mackie, Ismael Cruz Cordova and Thomas Dekker.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Arctic (PG-13 for profanity and bloody images) Tale of survival about a man (Mads Mikkelsen) stranded near the North Pole who must decide between remaining with the helicopter wreckage and embarking on a perilous trek back to civilization across the frozen tundra. With Maria Thelma Smaradottir.

The Least of These: The Graham Staines Story (PG-13 for mature themes and disturbing images) Stephen Baldwin plays the title character in this fact-based drama, set in rural India in the late Nineties, about an Australian missionary burned alive while caring for and converting lepers to Christianity. Featuring Sharman Joshi, Shari Rigby and Manoj Mishra.



Piercing (R for profanity, nudity, bizarre violence and deviant sexuality) Horror comedy, adapted from Ryu Murakami's novel of the same name about a family man (Christopher Abbott) who decides to indulge a dark impulse while on a business trip by murdering a call girl (Mia Wasikowska) in his hotel room. Cast includes Laia Costa, Wendell Pierce and Marin Ireland.



Velvet Buzzsaw (R for profanity, sexuality, nudity, violence and drug use) Suspense thriller, set in L.A., about a supernatural force that exacts revenge on the greedy purchasers of high-priced paintings by a mysterious, unknown artist. Ensemble includes Jake Gyllenhaal, John Malkovich, Toni Collette, Rene Russo, Daveed Diggs and Billy Magnussen.

The Wild Pear Tree (Unrated) Dysfunctional family drama about an aspiring writer (Dogu Demirkol) who returns home to his tiny village from Istanbul after graduating from college only to find himself forced to deal with his father's (Murat Cemcir) gambling debts. With Hazar Erguclu, Serkan Keskin and Bennu Yildirimlar. (In Turkish with subtitles)