Vol. LXI, No. 38
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Wednesday, September 19, 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.
Balls of Fury (PG-13 for profanity, crude behavior, and sex-related humor). Dan Fogler stars in this revenge comedy as a washed-up ping-pong champion coaxed out of retirement by an FBI Agent (George Lopez) to enter a tournament hosted by the Asian crime lord (Christopher Walken) who murdered his father. Cast includes Maggie Q, Aisha Tyler, Kerri Kenney, David Koechner and Jim Lampley.
Becoming Jane (PG for brief nudity and mild epithets). Anne Hathaway handles the title role of Jane Austen (1775-1817) in this fanciful bio-pic focusing on the British author's amorous relationship with an Irish rogue (James McAvoy), much to the chagrin of her parents (Julie Walters and James Cromwell) who had hoped their daughter would take an interest in a rich aristocratic suitor (Laurence Fox) more to their liking.
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. Our peripatetic hero wanders the planet again, finding himself on the run from inscrutable enemies while still on a relentless quest to determine his own identity. 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.
Dragon Wars (PG-13 for intense violence). Based on a Korean legend, this sci-fi adventure revolves around a reporter (Jason Behr) determined to save Los Angeles from a giant flying serpent with the help of a beautiful young woman (Amanda Brooks) stricken with a mysterious illness.
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.
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).
Hairspray (PG for teen smoking, mild epithets, and suggestive content). Adaptation of the Broadway musical, set in Baltimore in 1962, about the efforts of a light on her feet portly pepperpot (Tracy Turnblad) to integrate a local TV dance show after she realizes the producers don't allow black kids to appear on the program. Star-studded cast includes John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Marsden, Elijah Kelley, Allison Janney, and Jerry Stiller.
Halloween (Unrated). Rob Zombie directs this remake of the 1978 horror classic which started the slasher series about a maniac (Tyler Mane) who embarks on a murderous rampage after escaping from the mental institution where he'd been held since killing his sister. Supporting cast includes Malcolm McDowell, Brad Dourif, Adrienne Barbeau, Mickey Dolenz, and Dee Wallace.
Moliere (Unrated). Imaginative bio-pic based on a fictionalized account of 13 undocumented years (1645-1658) in the life of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (Romain Duris), the renowned French actor and playwright who went by the stage name of Moliere. In French with subtitles.
Mr. Bean's Holiday (PG for mild epithets). Rowan Atkinson reprises his role as the incomparably accident-prone bumbling Briton for a slapstick-driven misadventure meandering from London to Paris to Cannes during which he is suspected of kidnapping, creates havoc on a movie set, and finds romance with a beautiful young actress (Emma de Caunes).
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.
The Nanny Diaries (PG-13 for profanity). Sacrlett Johansson handles the title role in this romantic comedy, based on the best-selling novel of the same name, about a college grad nanny for a wealthy Manhattan family who finds herself having to put up with the parents' (Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti) dysfunction and the demands of their precocious son (Nicholas Art) until hope arrives in the form of a relationship with a handsome Harvard alumnus (Chris Evans) from Park Avenue.
No End in Sight (Unrated). Damning documentary examines the ineptitude on the part of the Bush Administration in conducting the War in Iraq.
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, this one featuring her leading survivors of the last zombie attack across the desert to the ruins of Las Vegas. Cast includes Mike Epps, Oded Fehr, Ali Larter and Ashanti.
Rush Hour 3 (PG-13 for nudity, profanity, sexuality, and slapstick violence). Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan are teamed up again for another go-round as mismatched detectives, this time to take on a gang of Chinese mobsters operating in Paris. Cast includes Max von Sydow, Julie Depardieu, Roman Polanski and Vinnie Jones.
Shoot 'Em Up (Unrated). Clive Owen stars in this adventure about a mysterious loner who teams up with a prostitute (Monica Bellucci) who has a heart of gold and can serve as a wet nurse to nurture a stranger's newborn baby who needs to be protected from a gang of hit men led by a bloodthirsty mobster (Paul Giamatti).
Silk (R for nudity and sexuality). Costume drama, set in 19th Century France, about a silkworm smuggler (Michael Pitt) who cheats on his wife (Keira Knightley) with a geisha girl (Sei Ashina) while in Japan on business. (In Japanese and English with subtitles)
Superbad (R for profanity, sexuality, alcohol and drug use, a violent image, and pervasive crude content). Raunchy coming-of-age comedy about a couple of inseparable nerdy high school seniors (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) who plan the perfect party in order to get the girls of their dreams before they set off in the fall to different colleges.
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.
La Vie en Rose (PG-13 for nudity, profanity, sexuality, substance abuse, and mature themes). Marion Cotillard portrays Edith Piaf (1915-1963) in this bittersweet biopic about the tragic life and times of the legendary chanteuse who started as a lowly street performer until she was discovered by the nightclub owner (Gerard Depardieu) who put her name up in lights. In French with subtitles.