Vol. LXII, No. 47
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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
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Body of Lies (R for pervasive profanity and graphic violence including torture). Ridley Scott directs this international thriller about a CIA operative (Leonardo DiCaprio) who attempts to infiltrate a Middle East terrorist network with the help of a veteran agent (Russell Crowe) and Jordan’s chief of intelligence (Mark Strong). In English and Arabic with subtitles.
Bolt (PG for mild action and scenes of peril). Disney animated adventure about a German Shepherd TV star (John Travolta) who discovers he doesn’t really have any superpowers after being accidentally shipped from Hollywood to New York City when he has to embark on a humbling cross-country trek home with the help of a cat (Susie Essman) and a hamster (Mark Walton). Voice cast includes Miley Cyrus, James Lipton, Malcolm McDowell, and wrestler Randy Savage.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (PG-13 for mature themes). Holocaust drama about the 8-year-old son (Asa Butterfield) of a concentration camp commander (David Thewlis) whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy (Jack Scanlon) interned on the other side of the fence leads to devastating consequences.
Changeling (R for profanity, violence, and disturbing content). Clint Eastwood directs this psychological thriller, set in Los Angeles, inspired by events arising in 1928 during a real life case involving a single mother (Angelina Jolie) whose hopes for the safe return of her kidnapped nine-year-old (Gattlin Griffith) were seemingly answered but then dashed when she realized that the boy brought to her was not her son. Cast includes John Malkovich, Amy Ryan, and Morgan Eastwood.
Happy-Go-Lucky (R for profanity). Romance drama about a Pollyannaish school teacher (Sally Hawkins) who finds her cheery optimism tested when she starts taking driving lessons from a cynical instructor (Eddie Marsan) who has anger management issues.
The Haunting of Molly Hartley (PG-13 for violence, terror, teen drinking, brief profanity, and mature themes). Haley Bennett handles the title role in this horror film about a 17-year-old’s desperate effort to escape from Satan after she learns that her parents once entered into a pact with the Devil in order to save her life.
High School Musical 3: Senior Year (G). Disney song and dance extravaganza revolves around a couple of high school sweethearts (Zac Efron and Vanessa Anne Hudgens) and their friends as they face the prospect of graduating and going their separate ways. With Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG for mild crude humor). Animated adventure finds the colorful menagerie of domesticated New York zoo animals again struggling to survive in the wilds of the African jungle. Voice cast includes Cedric the Entertainer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Ben Stiller, Will I Am, Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister, and the late Bernie Mac.
Quantum of Solace (PG-13 for sexuality, violence, and intense action sequences). Daniel Craig returns for his second go-round as James Bond for a mission which pits 007 against a diabolical villain (Mathieu Amalric) bent on controlling one of the world’s most critical natural resources. Cast includes Dame Judi Dench, Jesper Christensen, Jeffrey Wright, Olga Kurylenko, and Gemma Arterton.
Rachel Getting Married (R for profanity and brief sexuality). Anne Hathaway stars in this dysfunctional family drama about a substance abuser who checks out of rehab for the weekend to attend her sister’s (Rosemarie DeWitt) very eventful wedding. With Debra Winger, Bill Irwin, and Anna Deavere Smith.
Religulous (R for profanity and sexuality). Anti dogma documentary starring agnostic Bill Maher who indicts faith in organized religions as beliefs in fairy tales which are to blame for many of the world’s woes. With commentary by Steve Burg, Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda, and Andrew Newberg.
Role Models (R for nudity, profanity, sexuality, and crude humor). Sean William Scott and Paul Rudd co-star in this shock comedy as slackers sentenced to 150 hours of community service as mentors to a couple of impressionable youngsters (Christopher ‘McLovin’ Mintz-Plasse and Bobb’e J. Thompson).
Saw V (R for nudity, profanity, torture, and graphic violence). Latest installment of the slasher series finds a forensics expert (Costas Mandylor) hunting for humans during a deadly rampage aimed at protecting the secret that he has been tapped to carry on the grisly legacy of the infamous Jigsaw (Tobin Bell). With Meagan Good, Julie Benz, and Betsey Russell.
The Secret Life of Bees (PG-13 for violence and mature themes). Dakota Fanning stars in this Southern saga, set in the sixties at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, about a motherless teen who runs away with her surrogate mom (Jennifer Hudson) from her abusive father (Paul Bettany) to a tiny South Carolina town where they are taken in by an eccentric trio of beekeeping sisters (Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo, and Alicia Keys).
Slumdog Millionaire (R for violence, profanity, and disturbing images). Romantic comedy, set in Mumbai, about an 18 year-old street urchin (Dev Patel) who becomes a TV contestant on India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire not for the money but to win back the heart of the girl (Freida Pinto) of his dreams. In English and Hindi with subtitles.
Soul Men (R for nudity, sexuality, and profanity). Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac co-star in this comedy about a couple of R&B legends who reunite for a memorial concert at the Apollo in honor of their recently deceased front man. Directed by Malcolm Lee, cast includes Sharon Leal, Jennifer Coolidge, Sean Hayes, John Legend, Ken Davitian, and the late Isaac Hayes.
Synecdoche, New York (R for profanity, sexuality, and nudity). Philip Seymour Hoffman stars in this drama about an unhappily married theater director’s struggle to balance women and work while recreating a replica of New York City in a warehouse as a set for his latest play. Cast includes Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Hope Davis, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, and Michelle Williams.
Twilight (PG-13 for violence and sensuality). Horror film revolving around the unlikely romance which arises between a beautiful young woman (Kristen Stewart) and a mysterious immortal vampire (Robert Pattinson) irresistibly lured by her primal scent.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (R for nudity, profanity, sexuality, and crude humor). Kevin Smith directs this romantic comedy about a couple of cash strapped platonic friends (Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) who make a pornographic film to make money only to find themselves falling in love with each other. Cast includes Justin Long, Jason Mewes, Craig Robinson, and Traci Lords.