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Vol. LXI, No. 41
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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
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2 Days in Paris (Unrated). Romantic comedy about a French photographer (Julie Delpy) and an American designer (Adam Goldberg) living in New York City who decide to vacation in Paris to rekindle the passion in their relationship only to have the plan derailed by her meddling parents and the resurfacing of her still flirtatious ex-boyfriends. In French and English with subtitles.
3:10 to Yuma (R for violence and profanity). Christian Bale and Russell Crowe co-star in this remake of the 1957 classic Western about the dangerous trip by a broke rancher across the desert who is trying to collect a bounty for bringing an outlaw to a train waiting to transport him to justice. Cast includes Gretchen Mol, Peter Fonda and Kevin Durand.
Across the Universe (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, nudity, drug use and violence). Beatles-based musical, set against the backdrop of the turbulent Sixties, revolving around the romantic relationship of a dockworker (Jim Sturgess) from Liverpool and the rebellious refugee (Evan Rachel Wood) from suburbia he meets in Greenwich Village while searching for his long-lost father.
The Bourne Ultimatum (Rated PG-13 for violence and intense action). Matt Damon reprises the titular role as amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne for the third installment of the franchise inspired by the best-selling series of international political potboilers by Robert Ludlum. Talented cast includes Oscar-winner Chris Cooper, nominees Joan Allen, David Straithairn, and Albert Finney, plus Julia Stiles and Paddy Considine.
The Brave One (R for profanity, sexuality, and graphic violence). Shades of Charles Bronson’s Death Wish in this film about a radio DJ (Jodie Foster) out for retribution after a brutal attack which left her seriously wounded and took the life of her beloved fiancé. Directed by Oscar-winner Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) and co-starring Terrence Howard as the NYPD detective on the trail of this vigilante who’s taking the law into her own hands.
Death at a Funeral (R for profanity and drug use). Offbeat British comedy about the relatives of a recently-deceased family patriarch who hope not only to bury the body but also a dark secret about the dysfunctional dearly departed.
Eastern Promises (R for nudity, profanity, violence, and graphic sexuality). David Cronenberg directs this crime thriller about a midwife (Naomi Watts) who finds herself on the run from a Russian crime family after delving into the diary of a teenager who died during childbirth. Cast includes Viggo Mortensen, Victor Cassel and Sinead Cusack.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (PG-13 for sexuality, nudity and violence). Cate Blanchett reprises her Oscar-nominated role as Queen Elizabeth I (1553-1603) in this sequel, set in the late 16th Century, where we find the monarch defending her empire while falling for Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen). With Geoffrey Rush, Samantha Morton and Rhys Ifans.
Feast of Love (R for nudity, sexuality and profanity). Ostensibly inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this multi-layered meditation on relationships revolves around assorted romantic liaisons among members of a tight-knit Oregon community. Ensemble cast includes Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear, Selma Blair, Jane Alexander, Radha Mitchell and Fred Ward.
Feel the Noise (PG-13 for sensuality, violence, sexual innuendos and drug use). Omarion stars in this overcoming-the-odds drama about an aspiring rapper who flees Harlem for Puerto Rico where he bonds with his father (Giancarlo Esposito) while still pursuing his dream of stardom.
The Final Season (PG for mild epithets, teen smoking and mature themes). Inspirational sports flick about the efforts of a new coach (Sean Astin) to motivate members of his baseball team over the course of the last season before the Iowa high school merges with another. Cast includes Tom Arnold, Rachael Leigh Cook and Michael Angarano.
The Game Plan (PG for mature themes). The Rock stars in this Disney kiddie comedy about a famous and fun-loving NFL quarterback who finds his playboy lifestyle suddenly sacked by his having to raise the seven year-old daughter (Madison Pettis) he never knew he had. With Kyra Sedgwick, Morris Chestnut and Gordon Clapp.
Good Luck Chuck (R for nudity, profanity, sexuality and drug use). Based on the Steve Glenn short story of the same name, this romantic comedy revolves around the lengths to which a successful dentist/perennial loser at love (Dane Cook) will go to land the accident-prone penguin expert/girl of his dreams (Jessica Alba).
The Good Night (R for profanity and sexuality). Romantic comedy about a once-promising pop star-turned-jingle writer (Martin Freeman) who deals with his depression about his fading career and deteriorating relationship by fantasizing about the perfect mate (Penelope Cruz) while in the dream state. Cast includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Simon Pegg and Danny and Lucy DeVito.
The Heartbreak Kid (R for profanity, crude humor and graphic sexuality). The Farrelly Brothers direct this romantic comedy about a confirmed bachelor (Ben Stiller) who finally ties the knot only to fall in love with a woman (Michelle Monaghan) he meets while honeymooning in Mexico with his suddenly insufferable bride (Malin Akerman).
In the Valley of Elah (R for sexuality, nudity, profanity, violence and disturbing content). Two-time Oscar-winner Paul Haggis (for Crash) wrote and directed this crime thriller about a couple (Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon) who team with a police detective to solve the mysterious disappearance of their son (Jonathan Tucker) who went AWOL after his return from Iraq.
Into the Wild (R for profanity and nudity). Sean Penn directs this back-to-nature adventure, based on the real-life exploits of Christopher McCandless, a student-athlete (Emile Hirsch) who gave away all his money and earthly possessions to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness after graduating from Emory College in 1992.
The Jane Austen Book Club (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, drug use and mature themes). Romance drama about a half-dozen females who form a book club only to find parallels between their lives in California and that of the characters in the 19th Century British novels they’ve been reading. Ensemble includes Maria Bello, Amy Brenneman, Emily Blunt, Kathy Baker and Hugh Dancy.
The Kingdom (R for profanity and graphic violence). Jamie Foxx stars in this international potboiler as an FBI Special Agent who assembles an elite team of commandos (Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) with only five days to find the madman behind the terrorist bombing of a Western compound in Saudi Arabia.
Lars and the Real Girl (PG-13 for sexuality). Droll romantic comedy about a delusional loser (Ryan Gosling) whose friends and family don’t have the heart to tell him that the life-sized doll he fell in love with online and ordered over the internet isn’t a real woman. With Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson and Paul Schneider.
Lust, Caution (NC-17 for explicit sexuality). Ang Lee directs this WWII saga, set in Shanghai during the Japanese occupation, about a beautiful young actress (Tang Wei) who joins the resistance movement and agrees to impersonate a rich heiress in order to seduce and assassinate a leading collaborator (Tony Leung) with the enemy.
Michael Clayton (R for profanity). George Clooney handles the title role in this conspiratorial corporate potboiler about a discontented attorney assigned to handle some dirty work by a senior partner (Sydney Pollack) at a leading NYC law firm. With Tilda Swinton, Ken Howard and Michael O’Keefe.
Mr. Woodcock (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, mature themes, a drug reference, and crude humor). Billy Bob Thornton stars in the title role of this comedy about the return of a best-selling author (Seann William Scott) to his hometown where he discovers, to his horror, that his mother (Susan Sarandon) is engaged to the sadistic gym teacher who had made his life miserable all through high school. With Amy Poehler and Ethan Suplee.
Resident Evil: Extinction (R for profanity, nudity and pervasive graphic violence). Third installment of the fright franchise based on the popular video game finds Milla Jovovich reprising her lead role as the two-fisted heroine at the center of another harrowing, high body-count horror flick. Cast includes Mike Epps, Oded Fehr, Ali Larter and Ashanti.
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (PG for fantasy action and scary images). Sci-fi adventure about a young boy (Alexander Ludwig) who discovers that he is among the last of a group of immortal warriors capable of time-traveling for a cataclysmic showdown with evil forces.
Sydney White (PG-13 for profanity, partying and sexual humor). Teensploit putting a twist on the Snow White fairy tale features Amanda Bynes as a college freshman who opts to live with seven social zeros instead of pledging her late mother’s sorority.
We Own the Night (R for nudity, profanity, sexuality, drug use and grahic violence). Set in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn in 1988, this crime saga pits the manager (Joaquin Phoenix) of a nightclub owned by Russian mobsters against his brother (Mark Wahlberg) and father (Robert Duvall), both of whom are with the NYPD. With Eva Mendes as the gangster’s gun moll.
Why Did I Get Married? (PG-13 for profanity, sexual references and mature themes). Tyler Perry directs and co-stars in this adaptation of his play about four married couples, friends since college, who find their marriages tested during a week-long reunion in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Ensemble cast includes Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Tasha Smith, Malik Yoba, Michael Jai White, Sharon Leal, Denise Boutte and Lamann Rucker.