Santa Cruz Good Times

Films This Week
Check out the movies playing around town.
With reviews and trailers.

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New This Week

BEGINNERS
Coming of age is not just for kids any more in Mike Mills' winsome, yet sneakily affecting comedy-drama. On one hand, it's about choices (and compromises) made, roads not taken, and baggage inflicted in the course of  life, along with a residual legacy of sadness passed through the generations. But it's also a wryly humorous celebration of love, friendship, family bonds, and finding oneself, at any age. Ewan McGregor is wonderful as a 38-year-old graphic designer in Los Angeles trying to jumpstart his own romantic life. But Christopher Plummer is the centerpiece as his widowed father who comes out as a gay man at age 75, embracing his new identity with gusto as their offbeat, yet tender father-son dynamic plays out. Mary Page Keller is absolutely terrific in flashback as McGregor's wistful, yet deliciously subversive mom. (R) 105 minutes. (★★★)—Lisa Jensen. Starts Friday. Watch film trailer >>>

MONTE CARLO 
In this tween-oriented family comedy, three young women on a disappointing holiday in Paris are whisked off for a wild weekend in Monte Carlo when one of them is mistaken for a British heiress on vacation. Selena Gomez, Leighton Meister, and Katie Cassidy star. Thomas Bezucha (The Family Stone) directs. (PG) Starts Friday. Watch film trailer >>>

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Film Events

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: BORN YESTERDAY The great Judy Holliday melts hearts, earns laughs, and wins herself an Oscar as a dizzy, wisecracking dame who gets wise to her no-good, self-made tycoon boyfriend (Broderick Crawford)—and her own self-worth—thanks to an "egghead" tutor (William Holden) the tycoon hires to educate her. Savvy vetreran George Cukor directs this sparkling 1950 romantic comedy. (Not rated) 103 minutes. (★★★)—Lisa Jensen. Sat-Sun matinee only. Admission $6. At Aptos Cinema. 

CONTINUING EVENT: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE MOVIES This informal movie discussion group meets at the Del Mar mezzanine in downtown Santa Cruz. Movie junkies are invited to join in on Wednesday nights to discuss current flicks with a rotating series of guest moderators. Discussion begins at 7 pm and admission is free. For more information visit www.ltatm.org.

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MOVIE TIMES 7/1–7/7

Del Mar Theatre    469-3220
Midnight In Paris  12:45, 2:50, 5, 7:20, 9:40  + Fri-Mon 10:45am
Cars 2 in 3D   2, 4:30, 7, 9:30  + Fri-Mon 11:30am
Cars 2   1:20, 3:45, 6:15, 8:40  + Fri-Mon 11am
Beginners New Special Screening Series – “Baby Friendly Show” –  07/06  11am

Nickelodeon    426-7500
The Tree of Life  1:15, 4, 6:45, 9:30   
Submarine  1, 3:10, 5:10, 7:10, 9:10 
Midnight in Paris  1:50, 4:10, 6:20, 8:30  Fri-Mon 11:40am
Beginners  2:20, 4:40, 7, 9:20

Aptos Cinema    426-7500
Larry Crowne  2:40, 4:50, 7, 9:10  + Fri-Mon  12:30
Bridesmaids  2, 6:50 
Cave of Forgotten Dreams  4:40, 9:20 
Born Yesterday  Classic on the Big Screen Saturday, Sunday, Monday Matinee  11am

Green Valley Cinema 8    761-8200
Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3D  2:45, 6:15, 9:45 + Fri-Sun 11:30am
Transformers: Dark of the Moon 35mm  3:15, 6:45, 10:15 + Fri-Sun 11am
Larry Crowne  1:20, 4, 6:45, 9:25  +Fri- Sun 11am
Cars 2 3D  1:30, 4, 6:45, 9:15  + Fri-Sun 11am
Cars 2 35mm   1:45, 4:15, 7, 9:30, Fri-Sun 11am
Bad Teacher  1, 3, 5:05, 7:10, 9:30  + Fri-Sun 11am
Mr. Popper’s Penguins  1, 3, 5:05, 7:15, 9:30  + Fri-Sun 11am
Green Lantern  35mm   1:40, 4:10 + Fri-Sun 11:10am
Super 8   6:30, 9:10

Cinelux Scotts Valley Cinema    438-3260
Midnight In Paris  11:55am, 2:10, 4:30, 7:10, 9:20 + Sun-Mon no 11:55am
Monte Carlo  11:10am, 1:45, 4:30, 7, 9:30
Super 8  11:45am, 2:40, 5:10, 7:45, 10:15
Bad Teacher  11am, 1:20, 3:30, 5:45, 8, 10:10
Larry Crowne  11:55am, 2:20, 4:55, 7:20, 9:45
Green Lantern  9:55 + Sat-Mon 11:30am
Cars 2  11:20am, 1:10, 2, 4, 4:40, 6:45, 7:20, 9:30
Transformers: Dark of the Moon  Wed 06/29- 06/30  12:15, 1, 3:45, 4:20, 7, 7:45, 10:20
Transformers: Dark of the Moon  Fri 07/01- Thurs 07/07  12:15, 1, 3:45, 4:20, 7, 7:45, 10:20
Despicable Me  $1.00 Family Film  Wed 06/29 & Thurs 06/30   10am

Cinelux 41st Avenue Cinema    479-3504
Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3D  11:55am, 3:30, 7, 10:20
Cars 2  11am, 1:40, 4:20, 7, 9:40
Super 8  11:20am, 2, 4:30, 7:15, 10
E.T.  $1.00 Family Film  Wed 06/29 & Thurs 06/30  10am

Santa Cruz Cinema 9    (800) 326-3264 #1700
The Globe Presents  The Merry Wives of Windsor  Mon 6/27  6:30
Transformers  Dark of the Moon  Special 3D Sneak  Tue 6/28  9
Transformers  Dark of the Moon  2D Midnight Show  Tue 6/28 12:01 AM
Bad Teacher  12:40, 3, 5:30, 8, 10:20
Green Lantern 3D  1:20, 4:10, 7, 9:50
Green Lantern  11:10am, 2, 4:50, 7:40, 10:40
Super 8   11am, 1, 1:40, 3:50, 4:30, 6:40, 7:20, 9:30, 10
Mr. Popper's Penguins  11:40am, 2:10, 4:40, 7:10, 9:40
X-Men:  First Class  1:10, 4:20, 7:30, 10:35
The Hangover Part II  11:50am, 2:30, 5:10, 7:50, 10:30 + Mon no 5:10, 7:50
Pirates of the Carribean:  On Stranger Tides  12:30, 3:40, 6:50, 10:10

Riverfront    (800) 326-3264 #1701
Bridesmaids  12:45, 4, 6:45, 9:30
Larry Crowne  noon, 2:20, 4:40, 7, 9:40

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Now Playing
THE ART OF GETTING BY Former child actor Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland; The Spiderwick Chronicles) stars in this indie romantic comedy as a lonely teenager about to graduate from high school without having done any real work who reorgianizes his priorities when he meets kindred spirit Emma Roberts. Michael Angarano and Alicia Silverstone co-star for rookie director Gavin Wiesen. (PG-13) 84 minutes.

BAD TEACHER Cameron Diaz stars in this salty comedy as the high school teacher from hell, a foul-mouthed slacker who sets her romantic sights on a fellow teacher after her boyfriend (and meal ticket) dumps her. Lucy Punch, Jason Segel, and Justin Timberlake co-star for director Jake Kasdan. (R) 92 minutes.

BRIDESMAIDS One the best comedies of the year. Clever. Well written. Wonderfully executed. Kristen Wiig, who also cowrotes this comedy, plays a romantically-challenged woman suddenly caught in her best friend’s (Maya Rudolph) wedding arrangements.. Determined to be the best maid of honor, she, naturally, screws up. All that ensues is hilarious. But the film actually sports some real heart and, quite smoothly, delivers a sobering look at what women go through in relationships—of all kinds. This has to be one of the best supporting casts to hit the screen in a long tims. Beyond Rudolph, the typically tepid Rose Byrne outdoes herself. There’s Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper and an amazing Melissa McCarthy—watch out for this one! The late Jill Clayburgh also co-stars. Wiig co-Paul Feig directs. (R)  (★★★) —Greg Archer

CARS 2 Owen Wilson returns as the voice of racing car Lightning McQueen, in this sequel to the Disney Pixar animated hit from 2006. this time, Lightning and his pit crew of pals are off to an international race that takes them to Paris and Tokyo. Larry the Cable Guy, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Caine, Cheech Marin, and Emily Mortimer provide additional voices. Original director John Lassiter teams up with co-helmer Brad Lewis for the sequel. (G)

CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS Werner Herzog explores two of his favorite themes—human obsessions, and the forbidding grandeur of Nature—in his stunning new doc, a tour of Chauvet Cave. This  recently discovered, 32,000-year-old cave buried under a massive rockslide in rural France contains the earliest known wall paintings made by human hands. The filmmaking stumbles abit; some crucial details don't interest Herzog enough to include them (like the media in which the artwork was produced), and we have to slog through some of the director's more bewildering ruminations. But the cave interiors are stunning. Shooting in 3D allows Herzog to capture the depth and mystery of images glimpsed in shadowy recesses or sprawling across unevewn surfaces. Sequences outside can be disorienting, but 3D captures the cave interiors with breathtaking fidelity. (Not rated) 90 minutes. (★★★) —Lisa Jensen.

THE GREEN LANTERN Ryan Reynolds tries his hand at super-heroics as Hal Jordan, test pilot hero of the long-running DC comic, who's chosen to join an intergalactic peace-keeping brotherhood. Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, and Mark Strong co-star for veteran action director Martin Campbell. (PG-13).

THE HANGOVER PART II This is what you should know: Stay home and drink. There is no real reason for anybody to venture out for this embarassing rehash of the same jokes you’d find in the first movie. Some fun moments exist here but there’s nothing new brought to the bar. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha return for another wedding and another unexpected night of mayhem—this time in Bangkok, Thailand. If you like smoking monkeys, small penises and hermaphrodites, climb on board. Othewise, meet me at the lounge. Todd Phillips directs. (R) (★1/2) —Greg Archer

JUDY MOODY AND THE NOT BUMMER SUMMER The popular kid-lit book series by Megan McDonald inspired this family comedy in which the intrepid grammar school heroine (newcomer Jordana Beatty) has to invent her own summer adventures after all her vacation plans go awry. Heather Graham, Jaleel White, and Preston Bailey co-star for director John Schultz (Aliens in the Attic).  (PG) 91 minutes.

KUNG FU PANDA 2: KABOOM OF DOOM The bears are back in town; Jack Black returns as the voice of Po, cuddly Chinese panda-turned-mystic warrior, whose happy life guarding the Valley of Peace is threatened when he and his cohorts  must rally to stop a new villain. Jennifer Yuh directs this sequel to the hit animated family comedy. Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogan, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dustin Hoffman join the large supporting voice cast. (PG)

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS There's nothing not to love in Woody Allen's irresistible romantic comedy. The poster image of star Owen Wilson sauntering alongside the river Seine at night under Van Gogh's sprawling "Starry Night" says everything about the art, history, enduring fantasy, and cultural allure of Paris, issues Allen addresses with savvy brio in this marvelously inventive film. Wilson is great fun as a Hollywood screenwriter longing to writer serious fiction who's transported back to the era he idolizes, Pais in the 1920s, in this endlessly sharp and funny riff on our collective desire to embrace a past "Golden Age" we think we've missed when the present gets too complicated. Rachel McAdams and Marion Cotillard co-star, along with Corey Stoll (Ernest Hemingway), Kathy Bates (Gertrude Stein), and a great cameo by Adrien Brody as Salvador Dali. (PG-13) 100 minutes. (★★★★) —Lisa Jensen.

MR.POPPER'S PENGUINS Jim Carrey stars in this family comedy as a businessman whose life starts to go a little nuts when he becomes the caretaker for six rambunctious penguins. Carla Gugino, Madeline Carroll, and Angela Lansbury co-star in this adaptation of the childrens' book by Richard and Forence Atwater. Mark Waters (Mean Girls; The Spiderwick Chronicles) directs. (PG)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES Johnny Depp's reeling and raucous Captain Jack Sparrow is having a blast here. Penelope Cruz is on board as the daughter of Blackbeard—played with dark, ferocious brio by Ian McShane. Geoffrey Rush is back, stomping around on a peg leg as pirate Barbarossa-turned-privateer, and the action is more focused: everyone is searching for the Fountain of Youth. But scriptwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio don't so much craft a narrative plot as string a bunch of gigantic comedy set-pieces together; when it comes to basics, like character motivation, they're clueless.. (PG-13) 137 minutes. (★★1/2)—Lisa Jensen. (Read a longer review at Lisa Jensen Online Express: ljo-express.blogspot.com)
SUPER 8 Steven Spielberg produced this retro mystery thriller set in 1979, where a bunch of kids in the Midwest shooting a home movie on Super 8 film inadvertantly capture something dangerous on film at the site of a train wreck. Elle Fanning, Amanda Michalka, and Kyle Chandler star for writer-director  J. J. Abrams. (PG-13)

THE TREE OF LIFE Terence Malick plunges us into seemingly familiar terrain—growing up in suburban Middle America in the1950s—and turns it into something strange and mysterious, a metaphor for the eternal search for grace and meaning in life. Brad Pitt is a formidable presence as a conflicted father striving to teach his three sons the ways of the world in lessons that are often harsh. Jessica Chastain is their loving mother; Sean Penn is one troubled son as an adult. Young actors Hunter McCracken and Laramie Eppler are extraordinary. Malick's mesmerising, impressionistic storytelling hits a few snags, like an overly stage-managed finale. But mostly this is a questing, non-denominational, truly visionary tone poem on the pure wonder of being. (PG-13) 138 minutes. (★★★1/2)—Lisa Jensen.

TROLLHUNTER Forget those cute little frizzy-haired dolls. The creatures of Nordic legend are all too real—and really big—in this shoestring horror thriller about a bunch of Norwegian film students who set out to capture one on film (Blair Witch-style). Andre Ovredal directs. (Not rated) 90 minutes. In Norwegian with English subtitles.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS After the disappointing goulash that was the first X-Men"origins" movie, Wolverine, this entertaining prequel steers the franchise back on track. Helmed by incoming director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake), the character-driven plot is more focused (with new young mutants given more time to establish their personalities), and the moral dilemma between rising above vengeance and giving in to it more acute. James McAvoy brings warmth and humor to young Charles Xavier, son of privilege, on a mission to provide support and acceptance to outcast genetic mutants and teach them to harness their often scary powers. Michael Fassbender is a terrific young Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto), concentration camp survivor, on a mission to kill the ex-Nazi, Schultze, now Shaw (Kevin Bacon), who killed his mother and experimented on him. One big plot problem is it's never explained how Shaw himself becomes an uber-mutant, but when he brings the world to the brink of WWIII via the Cuban Missile Crisis (after which only mutants will survive), Xavier and Erik gather a team of young mutants to stop him—only to split into opposite factions over how to deal with humans who fear and oppress them. Jennifer Lawrence makes a sassy, yet vulnerable Mystique, January Jones a chilly Emma Frost; Nicholas Hoult (Beast) and Lucas Till (Havok) also have their moments.There's plenty of destruction, as usual, but Vaughn keeps character and relationships in the forefront throughout. (PG-13). 132 minutes. (★★★)—Lisa Jensen.

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