Kam’s Kapsules by Kam Williams

21 (PG-13 for violence, sexuality and partial nudity). Vegas casino caper recalls the real-life exploits of a quintet of card-counting MIT students who, with the help of their math professor (Kevin Spacey), beat the house for millions in winnings. Cast includes Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Jim Sturgess, and Aaron Yoo.

88 Minutes (R for profanity, disturbing violence and brief nudity). Al Pacino stars in this revenge thriller, set in Seattle, as a forensic psychiatrist with only 88 minutes to find out who’s behind the death threat leveled at him on the eve of the execution of a serial killer (Neal McDonough) he helped convict. Cast includes Leelee Sobieski, Amy Brenneman, and Alicia Witt.

The Counterfeiters (R for sexuality, nudity, profanity, and violence). True World War II tale of survival, set in a Nazi concentration camp, about a master counterfeiter (Karl Markovics) forced to ply his trade to flood the market with the currency of the countries fighting Hitler and thereby devalue their money. In German with subtitles.

Drillbit Taylor (PG-13 for bullying, sexual references, profanity, crude humor, and partial nudity). Owen Wilson handles the title role in this revenge comedy as a down on his luck soldier of fortune hired by three freshmen (Troy Gentile, Nate Hartley, and David Dorfman) to protect them from the high school bully (Alex Frost).

The Forbidden Kingdom (PG-13 for martial arts action). Jet Li and Jackie Chan co-star in this time travel fantasy about an American teenager (Michael Angarano) who finds an Oriental artifact which teleports him back to ancient China where he embarks on an adventure with a kung fu master (Chan) to free a fabled king (Li) unfairly imprisoned by an evil warlord (Collin Chou).

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (R for profanity, sexuality, and graphic nudity). Romantic comedy about a depressed slacker (Jason Se-gel) who goes to Hawaii to get over being dumped by a famous actress (Kristen Bell) only to discover that she’s staying at the same resort with her new, rock star boyfriend (Russell Brand). Supporting cast includes Mila Kunis, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd and Steve Landesberg.

Horton Hears a Who (G). Jim Carrey provides the voiceover for the title character in this animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss kiddie classic about an elephant determined to come to the assistance of the inhabitants of a tiny planet when he hears cries for help coming from a speck of dust floating through the air. Voice cast includes Steve Carrell, Carol Burnett, Jonah Hill, Jamie Pressly, SNL’s Amy Poehler, Isla Fisher, Will Arnett, and Seth Rogen.

Leatherheads (PG-13 for brief profanity). George Clooney directed and stars in this romantic comedy, set in 1925, as the owner/captain of a fledgling pro football franchise who finds himself competing with the decorated World War I hero (John Krasinski) he’s just signed for the affections of a skeptical sports reporter (Renee Zellweger) covering the team.

Married Life (Unrated). Romantic triangle thriller, set in the forties, revolving around a middle-aged adulterer (Chris Cooper) impatient to enjoy his 30 years-younger mistress (Rachel McAdams) who opts to murder rather than divorce his wife (Patricia Clarkson). With Pierce Brosnan as the pal with possibly less than honorable intentions.

Meet the Browns (PG-13 for profanity, violence, mature themes, sexual references, and drug use). Tyler Perry wrote, directed, and reprises his cross-dressing role as Madea in this adaptation of his play about a single-mom (Angela Bassett) who moves her family from Chicago to Georgia for the funeral of the father she never met. Cast includes Rick Fox, Frankie Faison, Jenifer Lewis, and Tamela and David Mann.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13 for sexual innuendo and partial nudity). Frances McDormand stars in the title role of this romantic comedy, adapted from Winifred Watson’s 1938 novel of the same name, about an unfairly-fired British nanny who tries a new line of work as the social secretary of an American starlet (Amy Adams).

Nim’s Island (PG for mild action and brief epithets). Fanciful family adventure about a young girl (Abigail Breslin) with an active imagination who enlists the assistance of her favorite author (Jodie Foster) and fictional hero (Gerard Butler) in finding her father, a scientist who has gone missing on a magical island.

Pathology (R for violence, nudity, profanity, drug use, gruesome images, and graphic sexuality). Grisly horror film about a medical student (Milo Ventimiglia) who joins a conspiracy with classmates competing to execute the perfect crime only to realize that he might be the next victim on the hit list. With Alyssa Milano, Keir O’Donnell and Michael Weston.

Priceless (PG-13 for nudity and sexuality). Audrey Tautou stars in this French farce as a scheming gold digger in search of a wealthy sugar daddy who seduces a shy bartender (Gad Elmaleh), mistakenly believing him to be a multi-millionaire. In French with subtitles.

Prom Night (PG-13 for violence, terror, sexuality, profanity, and underage drinking). Remake of 1980 slasher film about a group of teenagers who share a dark, childhood secret which comes back to haunt them when a sadistic killer bent on revenge starts stalking them during their senior prom. Cast includes Brittany Snow, Johnathon Schaech, and Jessica Stroup.

The Ruins (R for nudity, sexuality, profanity, graphic violence, and gruesome images). Hardcore horror film about four Americans friends (Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmore, Jonathan Tucker and Laura Ramsey) vacationing in Cancun who are persuaded by a German tourist (Joe Anderson) to join in the search for his missing brother amidst the ruins of an archaeological dig located in a remote Mexican jungle.

Shine a Light (PG-13 for smoking, drug use and brief profanity). Martin Scorcese directs this concert film featuring the Rolling Stones, shot in 2006 at New York’s Beacon Theater before an audience which included Bill and Hillary Clinton. With appearances by bluesman Buddy Guy and pop diva Christina Aguilera.

Shutter (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, terror, and disturbing images). English language remake of the Thai horror film of the same name about newlyweds (Joshua Jackson and Rachael Taylor) honeymooning in Tokyo who start discovering disturbing images in the photographs they take after their car hits a girl in a fatal traffic accident on Mt. Fuji.

Smart People (R for profanity, sexuality, and brief teen drug and alcohol abuse). Dysfunctional family comedy about a widowed professor (Dennis Quaid), raising an emotionally-distant son (Ashton Holmes) and a wisecracking daughter (Ellen Page) alone, whose fortunes change when he crosses paths with a seductive former student (Sarah Jessica Parker) at about the same time his brother (Thomas Haden Church) arrives in town unannounced and needing a place to stay.

Stop-Loss (R for graphic violence and pervasive profanity). Iraq War saga about the emotional toll exacted on an honorably-disharged veteran (Ryan Phillippe) and his family when he is ordered by the Army to return to Baghdad for another tour of duty. With Rob Brown, Channing Tatum and Ciaran Hinds.

Street Kings (R for graphic violence and pervasive profanity). Keanu Reeves stars in this whodunit about a vice cop implicated in the murder of his own partner (Terry Crews) who teams up with a young homicide detective (Chris Evans) to catch the real killers. Cast includes Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Common, Naomie Harris and Cedric the Entertainer.

Superhero Movie (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, crude humor, slapstick violence and drug references). Leslie Nielsen, Tracy Morgan, and Pamela Anderson are among the cast in this parody of the superhero genre which satirizes a host of comic book screen adaptations including Fantastic Four, X-Men, Spider-Man, and Batman.

Under the Same Moon (PG-13 for mature themes). Immigration saga about a nine year-old Mexican boy (Adrian Alonso) who, following the death of his grandmother (Angelina Pelaez), crosses the border into the U.S. to search for his mother (Kate del Castillo) in Los Angeles, unaware that she’s already planning to return home to be with him. Supporting cast includes America Ferrara. In Spanish and English with subtitles.

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