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Movies & Film Events: Week of Aug. 26

Thursday, 26 August 2010 00:00 GTWebmaster Film - Reviews and Times
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Films This Week
Check out the movies playing around town.
With reviews and trailers.

 

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NEW THIS WEEK

film_americanTHE AMERICAN George Clooney stars in this suspense drama as an American assassin in Europe who takes a break from death for awhile to embrace life in a rural Italian village with a gorgeous woman (Violante Placido)—until his past begins to catch up with him. Anton Corbijn (Control) directs. (R) 103 minutes. Starts Wednesday (September 1).

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film_disappearance_of_alice_creedTHE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED Reviewed this issue. (R) 100 minutes. (★★★1/2) Starts Friday.










film_last_exorcismTHE LAST EXORCISM It's The Exorcist meets The Blair Witch Project in this shoestring horror melodrama about an evangelical preacher (Patrick Fabian) who agrees to allow a documentary crew to film his attempt to exorcise a demon out of a possessed young woman (Ashley Bell). Daniel Stamm directs. (PG-13) 87 minutes. Starts Friday.

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film_maos_last_dancerMAO'S LAST DANCER Reviewed this issue. (PG) 117 minutes. In English and subtitled Mandarin. (★★★) Starts Friday.













film_restrepoRESTREPO Co-directors Sebastian Junger (he wrote the non-fiction book, The Perfect Storm) and Tim Hetherington turn their documentary cameras on the soldiers on the ground, the "grunts" who do the heavy lifting and pay the steepest price in any war, at any time. Specifically, the film concerns a US Army platoon on a 15-month deployment who fight to establish an outpost in the volatile Korengal Valley in Afghnistan, and the daily struggle to defend it and each other from Taliban incursions. (R) 93 minutes. Starts Friday.

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film_takersTAKERS Idris Elba, Paul Walker, and Chris Brown lead a gang of thieves planning the $20 million heit of a lifetime; Matt Dillon is the cop determined to stop them. Hayden Christiansen co-stars for director John Luessenhop. (PG-13) Starts Friday.
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Film Events

CONTINUING SERIES: MIDNIGHTS @ THE DEL MAR On hiatus until September 17, 2010.

CONTINUING SERIES: WEEKEND  MATINEE CLASSICS AT APTOS CINEMA If you've only ever seen them on TV, don't miss this series of classic movie matinees unspooling each weekend at Aptos Cinema. This week: THE AWFUL TRUTH The inimitable Cary Grant and the vivacious and classy Irene Dunne star in this classic 1937 screwball comedy about a "perfect couple" whose marriage is disrupted by a little white lie. Leo McCarey (who also wrote the smart script) won an Oscar for his breezy direction. (Not rated) 91 minutes. (HHH) Lisa Jensen. (Sat-Sun matinee only, 11 a.m. Admission $6. At Aptos Cinema.

CONTINUING SERIES: FLASHBACK FEATURES Oldies and goodies on Thursday nights at the Cinema 9, presented by your genial host, Joe Ferrara. $5 gets you in. This week: BLAZING SADDLES. (R) 93 minutes. (★★★)

Lisa Jensen. Tonight (Thursday) only,

8 p.m., at the Cinema 9.

CONTINUING EVENT: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE MOVIES Discussion begins at 7 pm and admission is free. For more information visit www.ltatm.org.

Now Playing

ANTON CHEKHOV'S THE DUEL It's all about ennui in this delicately rendered drama of morality and malaise, discontent and redemption. Shot in lovely Croatia with a mostly Irish/British cast, and directed by Russian Georgian-born Israeli filmmaker Dover Kosashvili, it captures to perfection the small-minded, all-consuming boredom of its protagonist—a feckless young aristocrat from St. Petersburg who's run off to the seaside with another man's wife. But once this premise is set up, it's explicated tediously for another hour while nothing much happens. The narrative pulse is reactivated briefly in the plight of the ripe young mistress (Fiona Glasscott) who finds herself without male protection. But we wish Kosashvili had come up with a better way to convey boredom than asking the audience to sit through 95 enervating minutes that feel like days. (Not rated) 95 minutes. (★★) Lisa Jensen

CATS AND DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE It’s fun, but here’s hoping this franchise doesn’t have nine lives. In this sequel, a feline secret agent hatches a plan to rule the world. (PG)

DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS Oh, it’s so easy to see how this must have worked much better as a French comedy, which actually inspired it. Paul Rudd teams with Steve Carell who embraces his inner nerdball. The premise finds Rudd, who’s trying to work his way up in his company. He must impress his boss by attending the boss' annual dinner party where “idiots” are made fun of. There are some surprisingly sweet moments here and some of the schtick in Schmucks works but, once again, Hollywood often lacks the depth and quirky nuances to pull of a redux that requires both ingredients. Jay Roach (Meet The Parents; Meet the Fockers) directs (PG-13)  (★★1/2) Greg Archer

DESPICABLE ME It’s about the de-grinching of a  befuddled criminal who uses an army of minions to thwart justice. Steve Carell voices the main character; Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, Julie Andrews, and Jermaine Clement are also on board. One of the more amusing animated features of the year. The film has heart and you can’t help be won over by its charm.  (PG) 95 minutes. (★★★1/2) Greg Archer

EAT PRAY LOVE Julia Roberts, try as she might, cannot elevate Eat Pray Love to the heavenly place it so wants to reside at. Based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert, the film stumbles mainly because co-writer director Ryan Murphy doesn’t evoke much believable emotion from Roberts.. Wait for Netflix. In the meantime, rent Under the Tuscan Sun, a better outing that tries to serve the same purpose. (★★) (PG-13) 140 minutes.

THE EXPENDABLES Sylvester Stallone directs himself (and every other action star they can still prop up behind an automatic weapon) in this shoot-em-up about skullduggery in South America when a group of mercenaries discover their mission to take down a ruthless dictator is fraught with complications. Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke, and Bruce Willis join in the fun, with a special guest appearance with soon-to-be ex-gov Arnold Schwarzenegger. (R) 103 minutes.

THE EXTRA MAN Kevin Kline in a winning role here. He stars as a broke but “sophisticated” New Yorker who gets by as a paid escort for wealthy older widows. Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine) somehow becomes his protege—it’s some of Dano’s best work. This gem of an offbeat comedy has some real heart. Look for a surprisingly good Katie Holmes in a costarring role. John C. Reilly and Cathy Moriarty also star. Based on the Jonathan Ames novel. (R) 105 minutes. (★★★) Greg Archer

FAREWELL As in his last film, Joyeux Noel, French filmmaker Christian Carion again adapts an amazing true story for the screen in this haunting, heartbreaking spy drama. In 1981, a disillusioned KGB agent (the wonderful Emir Kusturica), in search of a better life for his people, opens up discreet communications with a timid young French engineer (Guillaume Canet) in Moscow for the leaking of state secrets that will ultimately lead to the fall of the Soviet Union. Caught up in their spymasters' web, finding commonality in French poetry, the rock group Queen, and hope for their children, the personal relationsip between these two very different men carries the story in a Cold War thriller brimming with suspense, wry humor, and melancholy. (Not rated) 113 minutes. In French with English subtitles. (★★★1/2) Lisa Jensen

GET LOW Robert Duvall stages a cinematic love-feast for the profession he loves in this tall tale about an old backwoods, Depression-era hermit who decides to throw himself a "funeral party" while he's still alive to participate. His gradually unfolding story provides a muted and involving setting for the rough-cut gem that is Duvall's performance. He acts his heart out beneath his character's taciturn façade, and if we catch him at it a bit too often, and other story elements don't always add up, at least his entertaining performance is its own reward. Bill Murray and Sissy Spacek co-star for director Aaron Schneider. (PG-13) 100 minutes. (★★1/2)

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE Good news for fans of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: the two protagonists from that film (played by the same actors, the excellent Mikael Nyqvist and the incendiary Noomi Rapace) return in this sequel, the second Swedish film made from the Stieg Larsson trilogy. Incoming director Daniel Alfredson crafts a fleet, taut thriller from this "second act" book. (R) 129 minutes. In Swedish with English subtitles. (★★★1/2)

Lisa Jensen

INCEPTION One of the best pictures of the year. Sublime, hypnotic and downright thought-provoking. Most of all, director Christopher Nolan (Memento; The Dark Knight). creates an intelligent sci-fi thriller that–imagine this—doesn’t play down to its audience. Leonardo DiCaprio is a master thief who steals corporate ideas from the dreams of his victims. (Somebody give this man an Oscar soon.) He’s hired by a corporate giant to commit the perfect crime—implanting an idea into the dream of an heir of a business foe..Take note: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Berenger deliver powerful turns here. Michael Caine co-stars. (PG-13) 150 minutes. (★★★★) Greg Archer

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT Nic and Jules are a devoted, long-married couple raising their two kids in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Their family has its quirks, but the kids respect their parents, each other, and themselves. That this movie is NOT about the fact that Nic and Jules are a lesbian couple is just one of the things that make Lisa Cholodenko's family comedy so fresh, fun, and appealing. A sublimely subtle Annette Bening and warm, disarming Julianne Moore star. Mark Ruffalo is great as the anonymous sperm donor "dad" who disrupts their family life. These kids may have two moms, but this perceptive tale of family dynamics should resonate with anyone who's ever been a parent, a spouse, or a child. (R) 106 minutes. (★★★1/2) Lisa Jensen

LIFE DURING WARTIME This new film from Todd Solondz purports to be a sequel of some sort to his 1998 drama, Happiness, except with an entirely different cast. Well, anyway, look for the minutiae of modern daily life to be dissected in great detail, in all its complexity, pathos, and weird humor. Ciaran Hinds stars; Allison Janney, Ally Sheedy, Charlotte Rampling, Michael Lerner, and Paul Reubens pop up in the cast. (Not rated) 98 minutes.

LOTTERY TICKET When a guy in the projects finds out he holds the winning numbers in a $370 million lottery, he has to defend his ticket against rapacious friends, family, and neighbors over a three-day weekend before he can claim his prize. Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson, Naturi Naughton, and Keith David star in this urban comedy from director Erik White. (PG-13) 99 minutes.

NANNY McPHEE RETURNS Emma Thompson returns as the gnarly-looking, but magical nanny from Christianna Brand's children's book series; this time she comes to the aid of a young mother trying to cope with running the family farm, raising her own kids and their spoiled cousins while her husband is away at war. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rhys Ifans, Ralph Fiennes, and Maggie Smith co-star for director Susanna White. (PG) 109 minutes.

PIRANHA 3-D Director Aja Alejandre dives into this gore-spewing remake—in 3-D, natch—of the trashy 1978 horror thriller about prehistoric man-eating fish unleashed at a lakeside resort after a geological shift. Richard Dreyfuss, Elisabeth Shue, and Jerry O'Connell star. (R)

SALT A surprisingly fascinating thriller. It’s as if The Bourne Identity crawled under the covers with, well, Angelina Jolie. The temptress stars as a CIA agent wrongfully (or maybe not?) accused of being a Russian spy. There are many twists and turns here and Jolie is pitch perfect in a stellar role in a film that is captivating from beginning to end. And these days, there aren’t many movies that are capable of doing that. Directed by Phillip Noyce.(R) 99 minutes. (★★★) Greg Archer

SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD Michael Cera stars in this adaptation of the Bryan Lee O'Malley comic book series about a guy who has to cope with his new girlfriend's seven ex-boyfriends. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, and Anna Kendrick co-star. Edgar Wright directs. (PG-13)

STEP UP 3-D The moves get even wilder in this third installment of the street-dancing saga, shot in Digital 3-D.. (PG-13)

THE SWITCH Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman star in this romantic comedy about a single woman who decides to get pregnant, her angsty best (male) buddy, and a mix-up at the sperm bank. Patrick Wilson plays the designated donor; Jeff Goldblum and Juliette Lewis also co-star for directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck. (PG-13)

THE OTHER GUYS Trouble ensues for lowly NYPD precinct detectives Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg when they try to emulate their idols. But can the film rise above mediocrity? Not really.  (PG-13) 107 minutes. (★★) Greg Archer

VAMPIRES SUCK Spoof-meisters Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer (Scary Movie; Disaster Movie, etc.) try to horn in on the Twilight phenomenon in this parody of teen vampire movies. Matt Lanter, Jenn Proske and Chris Riggi star. (PG-13)

 

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    Bring Your Own Bag

    Single-use plastic bag bans are underway Shoppers in Capitola, Watsonville, the City of Santa Cruz, and the unincorporated parts of the county are, by now, becoming accustomed to the absence of plastic bags. On Sept. 20, 2011, Santa Cruz County became the first local jurisdiction to pass an ordinance that banned single-use plastic bags and implemented a fee for paper bags, which took effect last spring. Watsonville, Capitola, and Santa Cruz followed suit with similar actions: Watsonville’s ordinance went into effect last September, and, as of last month, the bans in Capitola and the City of Santa Cruz are now in place.

     

    The Maya-Ixil Move Forward

    Local nonprofit works to educate and create opportunity for indigenous communities in Guatemala In an isolated region of the Guatemala mountains called Ixil, the indigenous Maya population was devastated by a civil war between the government and leftist guerrilla factions that spanned 1960 to 1996. During that 36-year war, the Guatemalan military eradicated entire Mayan communities. In what amounted to genocide, soldiers burned Mayan farmlands and homes, raped and tortured the people, and scattered families. By the end of the war, 200,000 Mayans had been killed, 7,000 of whom were Maya-Ixil.

     

    Public Thinking

    Watsonville teens host TEDx event Santa Cruz County is no stranger to the TED brand. TED—which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design—talks have come to the area through independently organized events 10 times since 2011. This month, the gathering returns to the county with a new twist, thanks to the Watsonville Youth City Council. TEDxYouth@Watsonville, which will take place Sunday, May 19 at the Henry J. Mello Center for the Performing Arts in Watsonville, will feature only speakers younger than 19 years old and will traverse topics from racial stereotypes and renewable energy to traditional Mexican dance.

     

    The Tilt

    Although Jesse Malley, lead singer of the outlaw country, blues and rock ’n’ roll band The Tilt, no longer lives in Santa Cruz, she was born and raised here and this is where her love of music and performance began. “My dad worked at The Catalyst for 27 years, so I got to see a lot of music acts come through town,” she says. “Music always seemed to me to be such an incredible way to express yourself that I just stumbled upon my voice and jumped into it.” That jump eventually led to Malley heading down to San Diego to pursue a music career, and her band The Tilt has just released their full-length debut, Howlin’.

     

    Whole Lotta Blues

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    Beck to the Future

    In celebration of Beck’s solo acoustic show at The Rio, GT explores Song Reader, the alternative rock icon’s most ambitious interactive art piece yet. Here’s an odd little paradox of the digital revolution: The more sophisticated our technology gets, the more our musical milieu begins to resemble that of a bygone era, when song ideas were passed around from musician to musician, perpetually taking on new twists. Dozens of different YouTube users might try their hand at setting somebody’s rant about cats or double rainbows to music, or you might hear the Belgian musician Gotye turning the many and varied covers of his song “Somebody That I Used to Know” into a virtual orchestra (see below).

     

    Land of Lions

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    So Sleep (Pralaya) Does Not Overtake Us

    Sunday is Pentecost, a festival of the Holy Spirit (Ray 3 of Divine Intelligence). Pentecost is the name given to the descent of the Holy Spirit as tongues of fire appearing above the heads of Christ’s (Piscean World Teacher) Disciples (students) in an upper room (plane of the Mind). Pentecost is not a simple bible story. It’s an actual experience for each individual as the Light of the Soul begins to direct the personality with spiritual gifts and virtues – wisdom, understanding (all ideas, all hearts), knowledge and Right Judgment (directing the intellect), wonder, fortitude/courage and respect/reverence (directing our willingness to serve).

     

    Legal Battles Drag On

    More than a year after the 75 River St. occupation, four defendants remain embroiled in ongoing case  More than a year and a half since a group occupied the former Wells Fargo building on River Street in an act of protest, felony charges linger on for four of the original defendants and a trial may be imminent. Gabriella Ripley-Phipps, Brent Adams, Cameron Laurendeau and Franklin Alcantara were scheduled to begin trial May 13 in connection with the late 2011 protest. That trial now has been pushed back to September due to scheduling conflicts. The four face a felony charge of vandalism and a misdemeanor for trespassing.

     

    Bringing the Message Home

    Former mayor and UCSC student recap their experiences at the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women While traveling to New York for the 57th United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), seasoned local activist Jane Weed-Pomerantz had a notion of what to expect. But, with the vast scope of worldwide women’s rights violations presented at the commission, she knew she would still be taken aback at times. “I was worried because I had a feeling I would be finding out what I did find out about women and girls in the world,” says Weed-Pomerantz. “I was trying to brace myself for the knowledge of the reality, because we are really very protected in this country.”
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    May Day in the Alps

    When my daughter returns to Santa Cruz from her new home in Los Angeles, she comments on how quiet it is here. It was even more so during a trip to Ben Lomond, when we set out for a sample of her second favorite macaroni and cheese. Sitting at the front of the Tyrolean Inn restaurant, the green tarp with plastic windows kept out the chill as well as the noise of an occasional passing car. A new draft beer celebrating the German spring, Maibok ($6) was refreshing, served in a hefty glass stein, but specialty cocktails are unique as well.

     

    The Power of Conversation

    Local author Cecile Andrews emphasizes importance of community engagement in newest book Cecile Andrews, author of the new book “Living Room Revolution: A Handbook for Conversation, Community and the Common Good,” probably wouldn’t get along too well with Larry David’s character from HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, known for hiding his face and avoiding communication with anyone he runs into on the street. Andrews is a longstanding part-time Santa Cruz (part-time Seattle) resident who says something that’s struck her about this town over the years is people's willingness to participate in a practice she’s dubbed the “Stop and Chat”—which is exactly what it sounds like.

     

    What are you a total sucker for?

    A cold beer after a long bike ride, gossip, and fighting over politics. Kyle McKinley Santa Cruz | Lecturer

     

    Best of Santa Cruz County

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    Vine & Dine: Pine Ridge Vineyards

    Chenin Blanc + Viognier 2012 On a recent trip to Palm Springs, I came across Pine Ridge Vineyards’ Chenin Blanc + Viognier at a new downtown restaurant called Lulu. Superbly decorated in Hollywood-esque style and with a very hip vibe, this California bistro is one of the hottest new dining spots—and the Chenin Blanc was just the right wine to pair with some of Lulu’s Happy Hour tapas-style food. And eating outdoors in the desert’s warm night air makes a chilled white wine taste even better.

     

    Making Sense of Soul

    Allen Stone wants to give R&B back some of its depth Whether fairly or unfairly, R&B and soul music often get typecast. Much of the music is groove-inducing and has an overtly romantic, sensual or sexual side to it, and the suggestive lyrics only reinforce this mood. That is fine and well, but for R&B and soul singer Allen Stone, it is not enough. “I love music that’s about love, and I love R&B songs, but I also like songs that have influence on culture,” Stone says. "I believe that if you’re given a microphone you need to use it in a positive way, and I feel like pop culture, more often than not, doesn’t. I think that [pop stars] are very bad stewards of the microphone they’ve been given, and the voices they’ve been given, and they tend to talk about pretty futile and shallow things, rather than subjects which uplift the children in our culture, or the teenage culture, or the young adult generation. If you’re given a microphone, you should say something that’s deeper than, ‘I’m going to the club and I’m going to drink cognac.’”

     

    Step on up to the Bar

    Here in Santa Cruz County, we are privileged to have farm-fresh greens year-round. Making a nightly salad at home is a snap since the emergence of pre-washed greens, and vinaigrette dressing is made easily with your favorite vinegar and small spoon of Dijon mustard whisked with a bit of olive oil.

     

    Exposed

    David Cay Johnston’s new book explains how big companies rob us blind In his late teens David Cay Johnston started to ask questions. “Why do we have these guys in uniforms with guns driving around in cars all day?” “Why is the Santa Cruz County Courthouse being built in such an unusual shape?” He wrote an article, while still living in his hometown of Santa Cruz, proving that the off-kilter courthouse building, which officials had promised would save money, actually cost more than a conventional building.

     

    Do you unplug often enough? Or do you need help?

    Santa Cruz | Caregiver