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Kam's Kapsules by Kam Williams

The Aviator (PG-13 for nudity, sexual content, mature themes, profanity, and a crash sequence). Martin Scorcese tapped Leonardo DiCaprio to play Howard Hughes in this biopic about the enterprising, eccentric playboy who parlayed a modest inheritance into a massive fortune. With Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner, Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn, Jude Law as Errol Flynn, Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow, Jane Lynch as Amelia Earhart, Stanley DeSantis as Louis B. Mayer, and Michael-John Wolf as Cary Grant.

Bad Education (Unrated). Oscar-winner Pedro Almodovar (Talk to Her) wrote and directed this semi-autobiographical film which examines the effect of sexual abuse by a Catholic priest on the friendship of two boys, one of whom grows up to be a filmmaker. In Spanish with subtitles.

Closer (R for sexuality, nudity and profanity). Oscar-winner Mike Nichols (The Graduate) directs this adaptation of the Patrick Marber play of the same name. Leading ladies Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman appear opposite Clive Owen and Jude Law in a bawdy relationship drama about the effect of chance, instant attraction, and casual betrayal on two couples.

Fat Albert (PG for mild epithets). SNL's Kenan Thompson handles the title character in this live action adaptation of Bill Cosby's television cartoon series about the misadventures of a bunch of boys from the same Philly neighborhood. Cast members include Kyla Pratt and Raven Symone. Finding Neverland (PG for adult themes and mild epithets) Johnny Depp stars as Scottish playwright J.M. Barrie in this family drama which speculates about what might have been the inspiration behind Peter Pan, his revered children's classic. With Kate Winslet, Vanessa Redgrave, Dustin Hoffman, and Julie Christie.

Finding Neverland (PG for adult themes and mild epithets). Johnny Depp stars as Scottish playwright J.M. Barrie in this family drama which speculates about what might have been the inspiration behind Peter Pan, his revered children's classic. With Kate Winslet, Vanessa Redgrave, Dustin Hoffman, and Julie Christie.

The Flight of the Phoenix (PG-13 for profanity and violence). Remake of the 1965 film with Jimmy Stewart, Ernest Borgnine, Peter Finch, Richard Attenborough, and George Kennedy. This colorized update features Dennis Quaid as the captain of an ill-fated cargo plane which crashes in the Mongolian Desert where passengers and crew get on each other's nerves while trying to repair the damaged aircraft.

Hotel Rwanda (PG-13 for violence, profanity, and disturbing images). Don Cheadle landed a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in this true story about a hotel manager who saved over 1,000 refugees from ethnic cleansing during the Rwandan civil war. With Nick Nolte, Joaquin Phoenix, and Cara Seymour.

House of Flying Daggers (PG-13 for stylized martial arts action and some sexuality). Historical costume drama, set near the close of the Tang Dynasty, about the attempt of police deputies to save an enchanting dancer from a gang of revolutionaries. In Mandarin with subtitles.

The Incredibles (PG for action violence). Disney animated, sci-fi adventure about a family of super-heroes, living secretly in suburbia under the Witness Protection Program, who come out of seclusion to save the world from a super-villain bent on world domination. Voices of CGI characters provided by Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Craig T. Nelson, and Jason Lee.

Kinsey (R for sex content). Laura Linney and Liam Neeson star in this look at the life of Alfred Kinsey, Harvard-educated academic whose pioneering research in human sexual behavior in the late Forties opened up a whole new field of study.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (PG for mature themes, scary situations, and mild epithets). Jim Carrey narrates this adaptation of the popular children's book series as the greedy Count who adopts three orphaned distant relatives with the hope of stealing the kids' inheritance.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (R for sex, expletives, nudity, drug use, and violence). Call Bill Murray Steve in this madcap update of Moby Dick about a revenge-minded oceanographer who sets out on an expedition to hunt down the jaguar shark which killed his partner. Along for the ride in this comic adventure are Steve's estranged wife (Anjelica Huston), a journalist (Cate Blanchett), and an airline pilot (Owen Wilson) who might be his son.

Meet the Fockers (PG-13 for off-color humor, profanity, and a drug reference). Sequel to Meet the Parents introduces Barbara Streisand and Dustin Hoffman as the very ethnic parents of Ben Stiller. Plot has Robert DeNiro and Blythe Danner, returning as protective parents of the bride (Teri Polo), now venturing to Detroit to size-up their daughter's soon to be in-laws.

Ocean's Twelve (PG-13 for profanity). Original ensemble cast returns for sequel, expanding gang to accommodate the addition of Danny's (George Clooney) wife (Julia Roberts). This go-round, they decide to pull a trio of heists in Rome, Paris, and Amsterdam. Fresh faces include Catherine Zeta-Jones-Douglas, Bruce Willis, and Peter Fonda.

The Phantom of the Opera (PG-13 for brief violent images). Joel Schumacher brings the Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway hit musical to the big screen. Set in Paris in the 19th Century, this romantic epic revolves around a disfigured genius (Gerard Butler) who pines for the love of a beautiful young soprano (Emmy Rossum). With Minnie Driver and Alan Cumming.

The Polar Express (G). Animated adaptation of Jumanji author Chris Van Allsburg's children's book about a boy who's belief in Santa Claus is rewarded by the arrival of a train to take him to the North Pole as proof. Tom Hanks stars, supplying the voice of a half-dozen characters including the boy, his father, the conductor, a hobo, Scrooge and St. Nick.

Sideways (R for sex, expletives, and nudity). Road film with Paul Giamatti as a recently-divorced writer who embarks on a weekend exploration of the California wine country with a washed-up actor friend (Thomas Haden Church) to soak their woes while reflecting on their failed relationships.

Spanglish (PG-13 for sex and expletives). Academy Award-winner James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment) directs this cross-cultural comedy about the effect of the arrival of an attractive, Mexican immigrant housekeeper (Paz Flor) on the family of a famous chef (Adam Sandler) and his insecure wife (Tea Leoni).

A Very Long Engagement (R for violence and sexuality). Audrey Tautou stars in a World War I romance drama, adapted from the novel of the same name by Sebastien Japrisot, as a woman desperately searching everywhere from the city of Paris to the trenches on the front lines for her missing fiancé, a soldier who had been court-martialed. In French with subtitles.