Town Topics — Princeton's Weekly Community Newspaper Since 1946.
Vol. LXIV, No. 29
 
Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Kam’s Kapsules by Kam Williams

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (R for graphic sexuality and nudity). Romance drama set in Paris in the ’20s about the scandalous affair between a famous French clothes designer (Anna Mouglalis) and the promising classical composer (Mads Mikkelsen) whose penniless refugee family she let live in her villa after they escaped the Russian Revolution. In French, Russian, and English with subtitles.

Cyrus (R for profanity and sexuality). Comedy about a divorced man (John C. Reilly) who thinks he’s met the woman of his dreams (Marisa Tomei) until he has to deal with her 21-year-old son (Jonah Hill) still living at home. Supporting cast includes Catherine Keener, Matt Walsh, and Zosia Mamet.

Despicable Me (PG for mild action and crude humor). 3-D animated comedy set in an idyllic suburban neighborhood where a wicked eccentric (Steve Carell) with a black house and a dead lawn is secretly hatching a diabolical plan to steal the moon with the assistance of an army of minions. Hope for averting the disaster rests with three orphans (Dana Gaier, Miranda Cosgrove, and Elsie Fisher) in need of a father who see some potential for redemption in the evil villain. Voice cast includes Kristen Wiig, Jason Segel, Danny McBride, Will Arnett, Dr. Ken Jeong, Russell Brand, and Julie Andrews.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Unrated). Screen adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s best seller of the same name about a journalist-turned-amateur sleuth (Michael Nyqvist) who, with the help of a rebellious young computer hacker (Noomi Rapace), tries to solve the mysterious disappearance of a teen heiress which occurred forty years earlier. In Swedish with subtitles.

The Girl Who Played with Fire (Unrated). Action thriller, based on the Stieg Larsson novel, about a computer hacker (Noomi Rapace) who joins forces with a journalist (Michael Nyqvist) to try to crack a sex-trafficking ring, only to end up a fugitive after being accused of murder. In Swedish, Italian, and French with subtitles.

Grown Ups (PG-13 for profanity, nudity, crude humor, and suggestive material). Comedy about five former teammates (Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Kevin James, and Rob Schneider) who, in memory of their recently-deceased basketball coach, reunite for the first time in years and run amok over the 4th of July weekend at the same lake house where they celebrated winning a championship as kids. With Maya Rudolph, Salma Hayek, Tim Meadows, Maria Bello, Steve Buscemi, Norm Macdonald, and Gary Busey.

I Am Love (R for nudity and sexuality). Bittersweet love story set in Milan at the turn of the millennium revolving around a Russian socialite (Tilda Swinton) married to an Italian industrialist (Pippo Delbono) who embarks on an ill advised affair with a chef (Edoardo Gabbriellini) she’s introduced to by her son (Flavio Parenti). In Italian, Russian, and English with subtitles.

Inception (PG-13 for pervasive action and violence). Christopher Nolan directs this science fiction thriller about a master thief (Leonardo Di-Caprio) capable of hacking into people’s subconscious minds while they’re in the dream state, who plans to pull off the perfect heist by implanting an idea inside of someone’s head. Cast includes Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (R for profanity and sexual humor). Revealing biopic chronicling a year in the life of the legendary comedienne/elective plastic surgery devotee. With appearances by daughter Melissa, Don Rickles, and Kathy Griffin.

Knight and Day (PG-13 for violence and brief profanity). Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz reunite for the first time since Vanilla Sky for this action comedy about a woman from the midwest who crosses paths with a dashing international spy only to become embroiled in a globetrotting adventure where they must prevent an invention holding the key to infinite power from falling into the wrong hands. With Maggie Grace, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, and Paul Dano.

The Last Airbender (Unrated). M. Night Shyamalan directs the first episode in a live-action trilogy based on the popular animated TV show Avatar. First installment in the science fiction fantasy series opens with the world at war and on the brink of destruction and revolves around the attempt of a young boy (Noah Ringer) to restore peace with the help of a couple of friends (Nicola Peltz and Jackson Rathbone) and a flying bison (Dee Bradley Baker). With Dev Patel, Ali Khan, and Rohan Shah.

Mademoiselle Chambon (Unrated). Romance drama about a happily married blue-collar family man (Vincent Lindon) whose life gets complicated when he finds himself falling in love after volunteering to help out in the classroom of his son’s (Arthur Le Houerou) sophisticated schoolteacher (Sandrine Kiberlain). In French with subtitles.

Predators (Unrated). Science fiction sequel about a group of elite warriors who discover that they were brought to another planet by a race of bloodthirsty alien creatures to be hunted as prey in a human game reserve. Cast includes Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Laurence Fishburne, Alice Braga, and Danny Trejo.

Ramona and Beezus (G). Family comedy based on Beverly Cleary’s best-selling series of children’s novels, revolving around the madcap misadventures of a rambunctious third grader (Joey King) with a vivid imagination who tends to test the patience of her exasperated big sister (Selena Gomez). Supporting cast includes John Corbett, Bridget Moynahan, Sandra Oh, Josh Duhamel, and Ginnifer Goodwin.

Salt (PG-13 for violence and intense action sequences). Angelina Jolie plays the title character in this espionage thriller about a disgraced CIA agent who goes on the run to try to clear her name after being falsely accused of being a Russian spy. Cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Liev Schreiber, and Zoe Lister Jones.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (PG for violence, mild crude humor, and brief profanity). Live-action remake of the Mickey Mouse segment of Fantasia updated as a latter-day tale, set in Manhattan, where a magician (Nicolas Cage) enlists the assistance of a college student (Jay Baruchel) to do battle with his evil archenemy (Alfred Molina). With Monica Bellucci, Teresa Palmer, and Omar Benson Miller.

Toy Story 3 (G). Revival of the animated film series finds Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the rest of the gang in a daycare center after being accidentally thrown away by the mother (Laurie Metcalf) of Andy (John Morris), their now college-bound owner. Voice cast includes Joan Cusack, Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Keaton, Bonnie Hunt, and Jeff Garlin.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (PG-13 for intense violence and some sensuality). Episode three in the fantasy saga opens with high school graduation fast approaching, and Bella (Kristen Stewart) being forced to choose between her love of a vampire (Robert Pattinson) and her friendship with a werewolf (Taylor Lautner). Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest again finds itself plagued by a string of mysterious slayings. With Anna Kendrick, Dakota Fanning, and Bryce Dallas Howard.

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