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Last Updated: May 7, 2008 - 9:04 AM
Due to the ever-changing nature of the movie biz, showtimes as
they appear in any and all newspapers should always be double-checked with the
theaters before setting off for a night at the flicks. Please call theater for
times.
>>> Designates items highlighted in this week’s
issue.
OPENS
FRIDAY
the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man returns for revenge in The Ruins. |
>>> BLINDSIGHT
Blindsight is an inspirational documentary about a group of blind Tibetan kids who attempt to summit the Lhakpa-Ri peak of Mt. Everest (see SFR review).
The Screen, PG, 104 min.
LEATHERHEADS
George Clooney and John Krasinski star as two 1920s football stars who try to save their team and the nascent sport of professional football, which, at the time, was like a combination of rugby and ultimate fighting. They also compete for the attention of a beautiful reporter (Rene Zellweger), which allows Clooney to fully occupy the fast-talking charmer role in which he excels. Leatherheads is Clooney's third effort as a director. The first, 2002's Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, caused its ingenious screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman, to essentially disown it. But his followup, Good Night, and Good Luck was much improved and was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Will Leatherheads continue this upward trend?
Dreamcatcher, Regal Stadium 14, PG-13, 114 min.
NANKING
Constructed out of archival footage, interviews with Chinese survivors and Japanese soldiers and filmed stage readings from letters and diaries, Nanking is Bill Gutentag and Dan Sturman's powerful and important documentary about one of the worst atrocities in the history of warfare: the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, in the early days of World War II.
CCA, NR, 90 min.
NIM'S ISLAND
Gerard Butler (300) and Abigail Breslin (the cute little girl from Little Miss Sunshine) star as Jack and Nim, a father and daughter duo trapped on an enchanted island in this family fantasy/adventure. Nim brought just one book with her to the island and reads it obsessively. When Jack goes missing, a twist of fate brings Nim together with the author of the book (Jodie Foster) and some sort of magical shit goes down. Only one question remains: Will little Breslin get to say, "Da Plane! Da Plane, Boss!"?
Dreamcatcher, Regal Stadium 14, PG, 95 min.
PIERROT LE FOU
Based loosely on Lionel White's novel, Obsession, Jean-Luc Godard is said to have shot Pierrot Le Fou without a script. This 1965 classic of the French New Wave stars the gorgeous Anna Karina as Marianne, a woman on the run from Algerian hitmen, and Jean-Paul Belmondo as the man she incessantly refers to as "Pierrot," but whose name is Ferdinand. The pair head to the Mediterranean Sea, getting involved, as they do, in car chases, robbery, romance and shoot-outs. Pierrot Le Fou has incredible cinematography and to see it on the big screen is quite a treat.
The Screen, NR, 110 min.
THE RUINS
A group of young and attractive American tourists in Cancun do the regular: binge drink, dance sluttishly on table-tops and try to haggle silver earrings down from $1 to 92 cents. But the fun takes an ominous (and ridiculous) twist when they head out on a spontaneous archeological dig. First, killer bow-and-arrow wielding Mayan villagers come after them. Next up, it's carnivorous ventriloquizing vines (seriously), which slither under their tan skin, killing them from within. Go vines!
Dreamcatcher, Regal Stadium 14, R, 95 min.
SLEEPWALKING
When James' (Nick Stahl) dysfunctional older sister (Charlize Theron) dumps her 11-year-old daughter, Tara (AnnaSophia Robbon) on him, all hell breaks loose. James looses his job and he and Tara pretend to be father and daughter, evading authorities that want to put her in foster care. Meanwhile, James is forced to confront his abusive father while Tara must come to terms with her abandonment. This well-meaning movie, which also includes turns by Dennis Hopper and Woody Harrelson, is getting trashed by critics.
UA DeVargas, R, 100 min.
SHORT
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BALLAD OF ESEQUIEL HERNANDEZ
Best Documentary winner at the 2007 Santa Fe Film Festival, Ballad of Esequiel Hernandez is director Kieran Fitzgerald's film about a young American man who was murdered by US Marines on the Texas/Mexico border. Narrated by Tommy Lee Jones, whose film The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is based on the same incident. Fitzgerald will be on hand to discuss. Part of CSF's sweet, free Documentary Screening Series.
Tipton Hall, CSF, free, NR, 90 min.
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
This documentary disses on the Gregorian calender and gives mad props to the Mayan calender. Includes footage from the travels of director
Jose Jaramillo in the Mayan world of southern Mexico.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 90 min.
BIG DREAMS, LITTLE TOKYO
Big Dreams, Little Tokyo is a funny indie flick about a pair of cultural misfits who room together in Little Tokyo. One is Boyd, a Japanese-speaking American who strives to make it in the Japanese business world, only to find himself ostracized. Boyd's roommate, Jerome, is an aspiring sumo wrestler, as slight of frame as he is of chance at sumo success.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 86 min.
FAIRY FAITH
Fairies, those winged little flutterers, have appeared in cultures the world over, including that of ancient Celts, the peoples of Northern Dweebville and the Weirdos of Suburbialand. This documentary takes a serious look at fairies, in art and "reality," including interviews with some people who claim they can see into the world of fairies. Oh man, this is going to be so unintentionally hilarious.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 75 min.
KIDS FIRST!: THE MR. MEN SHOW
No, The Mr. Men Show isn't a beer-guzzling Adam Carolla salivating over brawless babes jumping on trampolines, nor is it a nude male review - it's a kids movie based on Roger Hargreaves' best-selling book Mr. Men and Little Miss Books.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 52 min.
KURT COBAIN ABOUT A SON
Constructed around audio interviews conducted by music journalist Michael Azerrad, for his book Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain About a Son lets the grunge icon be more than a grunge icon; it lets him be a man. Backdropped by a soundtrack comprised of bands that were an influence on Nirvana, and images from the singer/songwriter's past, Cobain muses on music, fame and the state of the world. Commemorates the 14th anniversary of Cobain's suicide and/or conspiritorial killing.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 96 min.
THE LONGING: THE FORGOTTEN JEWS OF SOUTH AMERICA
Gabriela Bohm's thoughtful documentary follows several South Americans who explore their Jewish ancestry after they learn of their family's conversions to Catholicism during the Inquisition. This subject may be of interest to the many crypto-Jews of New Mexico who are searching for their own historical identity.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 75 min.
LOST AND FOUND IN MEXICO
A documentary that tells the stories of several ex-pats living in beautiful San Miguel de Allende.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 53 min.
MAKING TROUBLE
Making trouble is about the female Jewish comedian's experience. It brings together four of the most popular Jewish women comedians working today - Judy Gold, Jacki Hoffman, Cory Kahaney and Jessica Kirson - to kibitz over pastrami and rye sandwiches about comedy and the Jewish women comedians of yesteryear who elevated what was considered comically kosher (opening the door for Sarah Silverman to sing about fucking Matt Damon). It also profiles six of those Chutzpah-possessing comedians who broke things open back when comedy was dominated by the goys and the boys, including legends such as Joan Rivers and Gilda Radner.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 85 min.
NEW IRANIAN CINEMA
Iran, along with Romania and Mexico, is one of the world's cinema hot spots. Eight Iranian filmmakers present their work and then open things up for discussion. An amazing opportunity for cultural and artistic exchange.
CCA, NR
SOLACE: WISDOM OF THE DYING
Solace: Wisdom of the Dying is a documentary from local filmmakers Camille Adair and Grant Taylor that explores the needs, experiences and wisdom of those nearing the end of their lives.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 52 min.
SPIRITUAL WARRIORS
Spiritual Warriors is about Finn (Jsu Garcia) a pretty-boy, out-of-work actor who, instead of taking the normal out-of-work-actor route of waiting tables and male prostitution, decides to mix it up and start drug-running to get by. One day Finn meets a wise, bearded old man and is catapulted onto a spiritual quest that takes him from Malibu to the pyramids of Egypt. He finds romance and self-love along the way. But does he land a Pepsodent commercial?
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 99 min.
NOW
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>>> 21
Directed by Robert Luketic (Legally Blond), 21 is about a group of MIT students who become experts in card counting and take Vegas casinos for millions. It's based on the book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions by Ben Mezrich. How can these kids steal the casinos' honestly earned cash by rigging the game so that the odds are stacked in their favor? By "how," of course, I mean: Teach me! Stars Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Aaron Yoo, Jacob Pitts and Laurence Fishburne (see SFR review).
Dreamcatcher, Regal Stadium 14, PG-13, 123 min.
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS
Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes, 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days is a harrowing, brilliant Romanian film, set during the waning years of Nicolae Ceausescu's totalitarian regime. An illegal abortion is its central event, but this is no message film (see SFR review).
The Screen, NR, 113 min.
10,000 BC
10,000 BC is a terrible and boring movie about a mammoth hunter who has to save his tribe (see SFR review).
Dreamcatcher, Regal Stadium 14, PG-13, 109 min.
THE BAND'S VISIT
A winner of numerous festival awards, Eran Kolirin's The Band's Visit centers around an Egyptian police band that heads to Israel on a mission to play at the inaugural ceremony of an Arab arts center. Instead, the language barrier causes the band to wind up in a small Israeli town where the locals try to show them a good time.
UA DeVargas, PG-13, 87 min.
THE BANK JOB
Directed by Roger Donaldson (The Recruit, Thirteen Days, Cadillac Man), The Bank Job is the true (though highly spiced up) story of the 1971 Baker Street bank robbery, perhaps the most notorious bank job in history.
Dreamcatcher, Regal Stadium 14, UA North, R, 83 min.
BE KIND REWIND
When junkyard employee Jerry (Jack Black) attempts a terrorist-style attack on the power plant he suspects of causing his migraines, he accidentally magnetizes his brain. Thus magnetized, he then ruins the entire stock of VHS movies in his friend Mike's (Mos Def) video store. In order to satisfy the store's sole loyal customer, an elderly lady who displays signs of dementia, the duo set out to recreate enough films to keep her coming back (see SFR review).
UA North, PG-13, 111 min.
COLLEGE ROAD TRIP
Melanie (Raven-Symone), an overachieving high school student (she can locate the US on a map), is totally stoked about her all-girl road trip to check out prospective universities. But when her overbearing police chief dad (Martin Lawrence) insists on escorting her, she soon finds herself embroiled in a chuckle-inducing adventure that culminates in life lessons.
Regal Stadium 14, G, 83 min.
THE COUNTERFEITERS
This year's Foreign Language Oscar winner tells a fascinating, f'd up and little-known tale about the biggest counterfeiting operation in history (see SFR review).
CCA, R, 98 min.
DOOMSDAY
Transpiring in London, 25 years after it's been totally screwed over by a virus that was unleashed in 2008, Doomsday looks very much like a mashup of Mad Max, 28 Weeks Later and Escape From New York - except that it's fronted by a hot chick (Rhona Mitra) and an even hotter black Bentley.
UA North, R, 105 min.
DRILLBIT TAYLOR
Drillbit Taylor stars Owen Wilson as the titular Drillbit Taylor, a homeless-man-turned-discount-bodyguard. When some nerdly high schoolers hire Drillbit to protect them from bullies, Drillbit goes undercover as a teacher at their school by camouflaging himself in teacher garb, that is, he carries around a coffee mug.
Dreamcatcher, Regal Stadium 14, PG-13, 102 min.
FLAWLESS
Not really. But Flawless is an entertaining enough heist movie. It stars Demi Moore as a woman working at a London-based diamond trading corporation in the 1960s who decides to break the glass ceiling by breaking into the vault. Her partner in crime is the corporation's observant janitor (Michael Caine). Twists, turns and comeuppance ensue.
CCA, NR, 108 min.
HORTON HEARS A WHO!
Based on the book by the ingenious Dr. Seuss, Horton Hears a Who! is voiced by Jim Carrey (who starred in another Dr. Seuss-based animation, How the Grinch Stole Christmas), Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill. All told, Horton Hears a Who! is the most promising mainstream kids' cartoon since Ratatouille. It's about an elephant who has vowed to protect a microscopic civilization that lives on a speck of dust.
Dreamcatcher, Regal Stadium 14, G, 88 min.
IN BRUGES
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star as a pair of London-based hitmen who, after a hit gone bad, are ordered by their mob boss to chill out for a bit in the quaint, medieval city of Bruges, Belgium. With nothing to do but live the tourists' life, the two check out art, muse on life and kick it with prostitutes and, oddly, an American midget acting in a European art film. Martin McDonagh, who won an Oscar in 2006 for his live-action short, Six Shooter, directs.
UA DeVargas, R, 107 min.
MARRIED LIFE
This 1940s-set, darkly-humourous romantic drama centers on an adulterous man who plots his wife's death instead of putting her through the humiliation of a divorce. With nods toward Alfred Hitchcock, Married Life is written and directed by Ira Sachs (Forty Shades of Blue) and stars Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson, Rachel McAdams, David Richmond-Peck.
UA DeVargas, PG-13, 90 min.
MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY
Frances McDormand (Fargo) stars as the titular Miss Pettigrew, a middle-aged governess living in 1939 London. When she is yet again unfairly fired, Miss Pettigrew seizes the opportunity to become the "social secretary" to the glamorous American diva, Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day is a fun and well-made film with terrific performances, witty banter and strong character development (see SFR review).
UA DeVargas, PG-13, 92 min.
NEVER BACK DOWN
Or should you? It was just a matter of time, with the rising popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and mixed martial arts (MMA), for Hollywood to capitalize and target that lucrative 18-34 male demographic. Never Back Down is about the Daniel-san-type handsome-but-troubled new kid at school who, after he gets his ass kicked, begins training in a combination of martial arts. It's like The Karate Kid except the moves work way better and the movie works way worse (see SFR review).
Dreamcatcher, Regal Stadium 14, UA North, R, 106 min.
OFF THE GRID: LIFE ON THE MESA
This documentary by Jeremy and Randy Stulberg is about a group of radicals in New Mexico who live in the absolute middle nowhere, 25 miles from the closest town. With no electricity and barely any food or water, this group of eccentrics (with names such as Mama Phyllis, Dreadie Jeff, Gecko and Moonbow) have chosen the type of freedom not offered by cell phone companies. Escaping society, and modern standards of hygiene, the loosely knit, rag-tag bunch is livin' its own version of the American Dream.
CCA, NR, 64 min.
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL
Based on the novel by Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl tells the semi-true story of two sisters who competed for the affection of King Henry VIII, a man who was notoriously difficult to be in a relationship with. Stars Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson as the sisters in rivalry and Eric Bana as Henry the Bastard.
UA North, PG-13, 105 min.
RUN, FAT BOY, RUN
A disappointing turn from British funny man Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), Run, Fat Boy, Run is about an overweight Londoner (slender for an American) who must run a marathon to prove his mettle to the love of his life. This average romantic comedy gets a few chuckles but no cackles.
UA DeVargas, PG-13, 97 min.
SEMI-PRO
One-hit-wonder disco star Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) took his loot and bought himself a basketball team. Now Moon is player, owner and coach of The Tropics, the worst team in the league. To save his team, Moon must fluff his fro, don his short shorts and lead the Tropics to victory. Fans of Ferrell won't be disappointed, as it is rumored that Ferrell says words and his face continues to look so damn funny when you're high.
UA North, R, 90 min.
SHUTTER
Shutter is a PG-13 remake of a Thai movie that is supposedly really damn scary. It's concerns an American couple, Ben (Joshua Jackson) and Jane (Rachael Taylor), who live in Tokyo. One night they kill some girl with their car. Soon after, Ben, who is a fashion photographer, starts to notice weird blurs in his images. Does he have a smudge on his lens? Or could the dead girl be back for revenge? Hint: Don't try to use Occam's razor.
Dreamcatcher, Regal Stadium 14, PG-13, 85 min.
THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
The formula: Little white kid discovers secret world inhabited by magical creatures and somehow comes to possess an object that bestows him with powers (a golden compass, crystal shard, ruby slippers); kid heads out on an adventure in which his friend and/or little sister tags along; friend and/or little sister is eventually captured; adults are incredulous but are finally forced to believe; kid saves the world. In The Spiderwick Chronicles the makes-you-special object is a magic book and the creatures resemble those nasty plaque and bacteria blobs from the old Listerine ads. Kids, with their narcissism, desire for omnipotence and beautiful romanticism, just can't get enough of this stuff.
UA North, PG, 97 min.
STOP-LOSS
Could the deluge of not-very-good Iraq-themed films actually be a Rumsfeld/Rove/Cheney/Lizard People conspiracy to delegitimize artistic commentary on the war? This one's about a brave soldier who returns home only to have the Army try and send him back. Directed by Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry) and starring Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish and Channing Tatum.
Regal Stadium 14, R, 113 min.
SUPERHERO MOVIE
At what point will the parody movie become so overdone that it will itself constitute a genre ready for parody? Now. Superhero Movie makes fun of, you guessed it, superhero movies. If Writer/director, Craig Mazin's writing past (Scary Movie 3 and 4) is any indication, his latest will be filled with excruciatingly sophomoric potty humor. And if his directing past is any indication, Superhero Movie is going to be an unfunny spoof on the superhero genre: The last and only film he's ever directed was 2000's The Specials, which was also a "funny" take on superheroes.
Dreamcatcher, Regal Stadium 14, PG-13, 85 min.
TYLER PERRY'S MEET THE BROWNS
Playwright-turned-director Tyler Perry is back with another bland family comedy that includes his name in the title. This one is about a single mother who travels to the funeral of the father she never knew.
Regal Stadium 14, UA North, PG-13, 90 min.
UNDER THE SAME MOON
Under the Same Moon centers on Enrique, a cute little kid in Mexico whose mother works as a maid in Los Angeles. She sends back remittances and hopes to see her boy again someday. When Enrique's grandmother passes away, he heads out on a solo mission to reunite with his mother, avoiding la migra but finding adventure along the way (see SFR review).
UA DeVargas, PG-13, 109 min.
VANAJA
Vanaja is a multi-film festival award-winner that revolves around Vanaja, the 15-year-old daughter of a fisherman. Vanaja begins working in the home of a wealthy woman in the hopes that she might pick up the traditional South Indian dance, Kuchipudi. But the film, which looks gorgeously, vibrantly colorful, takes a darker turn when an older man develops in interest in Vanaja.
The Screen, NR, 111 min.
VANTAGE POINT
Vantage Point tells its story of the assassination of the president of the United States from multiple angles and stars Dennis Quaid as a secret agent who took a bullet for, it now appears, no reason; Forest Whitaker as the hapless, camcorder-toting tourist-turned-modern-day-Zapruder; Sigourney Weaver as the journalist know-nothing; and William Hurt as The Prez, aka The Decider, aka the dude who just got capped.
UA North, PG-13, 90 min.
WOMAN ON THE BEACH
Though long, Woman on the Beach, from Korean filmmaker Sang-soo Hong (Woman is the Future of Man) is a film of rare psychological insight. It's simple premise, of romance at a sleepy resort town, conceals complex lessons on desire (see SFR review).
The Screen, NR, 127 min.
© Copyright 2000-2008 by the Santa Fe Reporter
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