Kam’s Kapsules by Kam Williams

Amreeka (PG-13 for profanity and teen drug use). Dramatic comedy about a Palestinian single-mother (Nisreen Faour) with a teenage son (Melkar Muallem) and their adjustment to life in suburbia after they move from the West Bank to a tiny town in Illinois. In English and Arabic with subtitles.

The Boys Are Back (PG-13 for mature themes and sexual dialogue). Clive Owen stars in this adaptation of Simon Carr’s memoir about a sportswriter who suddenly finds himself overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising two sons (Nicholas McAnulty and George MacKay) alone after his wife (Laura Fraser) succumbs to cancer.

Bright Star (PG for mature themes, sensuality, smoking, and mild epithets). Oscar-winner Jane Campion (The Piano) wrote and directed this 19th century costume drama about the three-year romance of poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his neighbor Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) which ended prematurely when he contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of 25.

Capitalism: A Love Story (Unrated). Iconoclast Michael Moore examines the toll exacted on the American Dream by the country’s unquestioned allegiance to the free market economic system.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (PG for mild epithets). Animated adventure inspired by the beloved children’s best seller of the same name about a town where a mad scientist’s (Bill Hader) atmospheric experiment gone horribly wrong leads to food falling from the sky like rain. Voice cast includes Anna Faris, Mr. T, Andy Samberg, Al Roker, and Will Forte.

Coco before Chanel (PG-13 for sexuality and smoking). Audrey Tautou handles the title role in this biopic about the rise of Coco Chanel from headstrong orphan to the legendary fashion designer. In French with subtitles.

Couples Retreat (PG-13 for profanity and sexuality). Battle-of-the-sexes comedy revolving around four couples vacationing on a tropical island who come to regret booking themselves at the therapy getaway when they learn that participation in the retreat’s relationship counseling sessions is not optional. Cast includes Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis, Faizon Love, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kali Hawk, Kristen Bell, Tasha Smith, and Jean Reno.

Fame (PG for mature themes, teen drinking, sexuality, and mild epithets). Remake of the 1980 classic revolving around the aspirations of students at New York Citiy’s School for the Performing Arts as they prepare for professional careers in dance, music, and acting. Cast includes Naturi Naughton, Kay Panabaker, Debbie Allen, Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth, and Charles S. Dutton.

Free Style (PG for sensuality, mature themes, and coarse language). Corbin Bleu stars in this sports adventure chronicling an 18-year-old biker’s quest to win the Amateur Motorcross Championship with the help of his mother (Penelope Ann Miller), his little sister (Madison Pettis), and his new girlfriend (Sandra Echevarria).

The Informant! (R for profanity). Steven Soderbergh directs this fact-based legal thriller about a corporate executive who becomes a star-witness (Matt Damon) who testifies against his former employer and other agri-business companies in a federal price-fixing case. With Patton Oswalt, Scott Bakula, and Melanie Lynskey.

The Invention of Lying (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, and drug use). Romantic comedy set in a mythical world where everyone is truthful and gullible except for the one person (Ricky Gervais) who has learned how to lie his way to fame and fortune while manipulating his way into the heart of the woman of his dreams (Jennifer Garner). With Tina Fey, Jeffrey Tambor, Jonah Hill, Rob Lowe, and Louis C.K.

Julie & Julia (PG-13 for sensuality and brief profanity). Nora Ephron directs this lighthearted biopic merging the memoir of celebrated chef Julia Child (Meryl Streep) with that of her biggest fan, a housewife (Amy Adams) who tried to cook 524 of her idol’s famous recipes over the course of one year. With Jane Lynch, Stanley Tucci, and Chris Messina.

Law Abiding Citizen (R for graphic violence, rape, torture, and pervasive profanity). Revenge thriller, set in Philadelphia, about a family man (Gerard Butler) who takes the law into his own hands after his wife’s (Brooke Mills) and daughter’s (Ksenia Hulayev) killers are set free by a plea bargain with the District Attorney (Jamie Foxx). With Viola Davis, Bruce McGill, Roger Bart, and Regina Hall.

Love Happens (PG-13 for profanity and sexual references). Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart co-star in this romance drama about a grieving widowed self-help guru who falls in love with an empathetic florist who is attending of one his seminars. With Martin Sheen, Sasha Alexander, and Judy Greer.

More Than a Game (PG for mild epithets and smoking). Overcoming-the-odds documentary recounting the hoop exploits and tight-knit friendship of LeBron James and the four pals he played on the same basketball team with from junior high through high school graduation.

Paris (R for profanity and sexual references). Melancholy drama about an ailing chorus line dancer (Romain Duris) reduced to observing Paris’ hustle and bustle from his apartment balcony while waiting for a heart transplant. With Juliette Binoche, Melanie Laurent and Fabrice Luchini. In French with subtitles.

The Stepfather (PG-13 for mature themes, disturbing images, intense violence, and brief sensuality). Remake of the 1987 horror film about a military school student (Penn Badgley) who returns home to find his mother (Sela Ward) engaged to a suspicious man (Dylan Walsh) hiding a checkered past. Cast includes Amber Heard, Skyler Samuels, and Braeden Lemasters.

Surrogates (PG-13 for profanity, disturbing images, sexuality, drug use, and intense violence). Bruce Willis stars in this futuristic science fiction crime thriller as an FBI agent forced to investigate the first murder in what was presumed to be a crime free utopian society filled with robotic clones. Supporting cast includes Radha Mitchell, Boris Kodjoe, Ving Rhames, and James Cromwell.

Where the Wild Things Are (PG for mature themes, brief epithets and action sequences). Spike Jonze directs this screen adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s tale about a misunderstood little boy (Max Records) crowned king by the strange creatures inhabiting a magical world created by his vivid imagination. With Catherine Keener, Forest Whitaker, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini, Chris Cooper, and Catherine O’Hara.

Whip It (PG-13 for sexuality, crude humor, profanity, and drug use). Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut and also appears in this adaptation of Shauna Cross’ best seller about a reluctant beauty pageant contestant (Ellen Page) who rebels against her mother (Marcia Gay Harden) by joining a rough-and-tumble roller derby team. Cast includes Kristen Wiig, Jimmy Fallon, Eve, Daniel Stern, Juliette Lewis and Har Mar Superstar.

Zombieland (R for profanity and gory violence). Horror comedy about a hardy band of survivors (Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone) who seek sanctuary in an amusement park after America is overrun by man eating zombies. Supporting cast includes Billy Murray, Amber Heard, and Derek Graf.

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