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.
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Factotum
Matt Dillon is far prettier than the real-life Charles Bukowski, but he has just the right amount of scumminess to pull off playing the author's alter ego, Henri Chinaski. Like Bukowski, Chinaski drinks his way across LA, into the beds of numerous women, while hating job after job and scheming ways to make money as a professional gambler. Chinaski isn't the kind of loveable character who comes to mind when we think indie flick, but he's got a certain hideous charm that makes you wanna buy the man another drink. With Lili Taylor and Marisa Tomei.
The Screen, R, 94 min.
The Guardian
After the
Waterworld
fiasco of 1995, it's surprising that anyone would let Kevin Costner near the water again. This time, instead of Dennis Hopper and his band of postapocalyptic gang members, he's got Ashton Kutcher as the thorn in his side. Costner plays the badass Coast Guard diver who doesn't want his thunder stolen by cocky rookie Kutcher. Yes, the plot is formulaic, but the stunts are cool, and moms and daughters can sigh together when Kutcher takes his shirt off for a swim.
Dreamcatcher, PG-13, 136 min.
Open Season
Ever wonder what happens when captive animals are released into the wild? Well, here's your chance to find out. Martin Lawrence provides the voice of Boog, a 900-pound grizzly bear who finds himself in the wild three days before hunting season. Completly naive to the ways of the wild, he's forced to rely on a mule deer named Elliot, played
by Ashton Kutcher. With hunters on their trail, the animals prepare to fight back in this hilarious animated adventure.
Dreamcatcher, PG, 99 min.
The Science of Sleep
The creative whims of former music video director Michel Gondry (
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
) find endless outlets in his new flick in which dreams and reality become one. Gael García Bernal (
Fidel
,
Y tu Mama Tambien
) stars as Stéphane, an artist who lives in his own mind. His weak grasp on the external world make it difficult to win the heart of his neighbor Stéphanie, a toy maker played by the exquisite Charlotte Gainsbourg.
UA DeVargas, R, 105 min.
School for Scoundrels
Jon Heder (
Napoleon Dynamite
) is Roger, a dorky, mediocre meter maid
in New York City. Tired of always getting the short end of the stick, Roger joins a "top secret" confidence-building class taught by the aggressive and often inappropriate Dr. P (Billy Bob Thornton). Roger excels and soon builds up the confidence to ask out his dream girl, Amanda (Jacinda Barrett). His confidence flips a crazy switch in Dr. P's head, and the two square off to fight for Amanda's love.
Dreamcatcher, UA South, PG-13, 98 min.
The War Tapes
Winner of the Best Documentary Award at the Tribeca Film Festival,
The War Tapes
follows three members of the National Guard stationed in Iraq during the 2004 insurgency. Director Deborah Scranton trained the soldiers to be their own film crew and chronicled the experiences of the group and their families over the course of a year. The hard-hitting facts of war, foreign policy and democracy are shared through first-person footage and video diaries of life on the front lines.
CCA, NR, 97 min.
The Five Venoms
This vigorous kung fu classic deals with the greed and jealousy lurking in the hearts of men. The dying wish of the master of the venom house was to have five of his evil ex-students put out of commission. The youngest venom takes up the mission, but is he a match for the deadly fighting styles of scorpion, snake, centipede, gecko and toad? Find out in this glorious vehicle for the legendary fighting collective Zhang Che.
The Screen, NR, 97 min.
Gabrielle
A celebrated adaptation by Patrice Chéreau of Joseph Conrad's short story
The Return
,
Gabrielle
delves into the world of the French bourgeoisie at the turn of the 20th century. Isabelle Huppert and Pascal Greggory star in this vision of a stylish marriage on the verge of collapse.
The Screen, NR, 90 min.
House of Sand
Brazil's top mother-and-daughter duo, Fernanda Montenegro and Fernando Torres, play multiple roles in the period epic
House of Sand
. Set in the remote and beautiful desert of Maranhao, the film chronicles a woman coming to terms with the "labyrinth of sand" she is forced to inhabit. This film by Andrucha Waddington spans 60 years in an exploration of the universal need for love and a home to call one's own.
CCA, R, 114 min.
Kids First: Alvin and the Chipmunks: Trick or Treason
A delightful collection of Halloween adventures starring that loveable furry pop group Alvin and the Chipmunks. Alvin, Simon and Theodore face "power-crazed bullies," a misfit named Pumpkinseed and the perils of misjudging people in four never-before-seen cartoons.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 66 min.
La Tragedia de Macario
A rancher with a heart of gold is lured across the border by dreams of making enough money to buy his family their own home. In a horrid twist of fate, he finds himself part of a doomed container of human cargo on a train that may never reach its destination.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 71 min.
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
A star-studded tribute to the life and music of songsmith Leonard Cohen. This "loving, extraordinary documentary by Lian Lunsin" boasts live performances by Nick Cave, Martha and Rufus Wainwright, and a duet between The Man Cohen and U2 frontman Bono.
CCA, NR, 98 min.
Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Support the dynamic creativity of the gay and lesbian film genre by attending the Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Sept. 29-Oct. 5. Don't miss show-stoppers like Ramón Salazar's colorful musical
20 Centimeters
or the teen gross-out
Another Gay Movie
.
Santa Fe Film Center, times and rating vary. See
for more information on individuals films.
Spirit Riders
An award-winning documentary exploring the role of the Lakota Indians in the world peace movement. The film chronicles the practice of ceremonial horseback rides as a means of healing and inspiration. Narrated by Peter Coyote, including interviews with Viggo Mortenson (
Lord of the Rings
,
Hidalgo
) and music by Bill Miller, Robert Mirabal, Keith Secola, Rick Allen and Lauren Monroe.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 90 min.
Stairways to Heaven: The Practical Magic of Sacred Spaces
A documentary exploring the space between the worlds: as in, ours and the next. Using ancient monuments (like Stonehenge, presumably actual size, not 18 inches tall or made of refrigerators), great Gothic cathedrals (with secret Templar messages hidden in them) and the fairly recent advent of crop circles, the "spiritual technology" of the ancients is revealed. We humbly predict this film will play in Santa Fe well into the next ice age.
Santa Fe Film Center, NR, 54 min.
Tess of the Storm Country
This 1932 remake tells the story of a wealthy man on a hill and the squatters who live below him. Janet Gaynor stars as Tess, a woman of incomparable generosity who shelters the illegitimate son of the rich landowner while fighting false murder charges against her father. Throughout her trials, she safely hides her growing love for the son of her landlord, but true love won't wait forever.
The Screen, NR, 80 min.
All the King's Men
Columbia pictures casts its net for the upcoming award season with this star-studded remake of a triple-Oscar-winning 1949 film. Sean Penn fills the screen with charisma as Willie Stark, a cunning Southern populist who turns a corrupt government on its ear in his race for governor. Based on Robert Penn Warren's novel on the life of Louisiana Governer Huey Long, the film adaptation stars Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini and Sir Anthony Hopkins.
UA DeVargas, PG-13, 120 min.
Barnyard: The Original Party Animals
In this animated story of epic times at the farm, Otis (voiced by Kevin James) is a carefree jokester of a bovine (who enjoys activities like cow-tipping) until his father, the patriarch of the farm (Sam Elliott), is attacked by coyotes and Otis is forced to become a more responsible member of the barnyard community. Courtney Cox's vocal talents make an appearance as Daisy, Otis' lady love, and Danny Glover is Miles, the sidekick mule.
UA South, PG, 83 min.
The Black Dahlia
Brian De Palma's homage to noir twists the notorious murder of Betty Short and the corrupt world of LA policemen into a stylized package. Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson and Hilary Swank star (see
).
UA DeVargas, R, 121 min.
Confetti
Planning a wedding isn't all fun and games, especially when your task is to come up with the "most original wedding" ever. Three couples battle less against each other than against their friends, family and spouses-to-be in this homage to the Christopher Guest-style mockumentary.
UA DeVargas, R, 100 min.
The Covenant
Four friends at a New England prep school are the descendents of real witches. Using their model looks and
Charmed
-inspired powers, they fight the forces of evil and pick up hot chicks on the way.
Dreamcatcher, UA North, PG-13, 97 min.
Crossover
Two friends, both skilled basketball players, have very different goals. One wants to be a doctor, the other a streetball star, but in a fateful trip out to Los Angeles everything changes.
Dreamcatcher, PG-13, 95 min.
Everyone's Hero
An animated adventure about a young boy who travels to the big city to help Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees win the world series. A story of perseverance inspired by late executive producer Christopher Reeves. Features the voices of Rob Reiner and Whoopi Goldberg.
Dreamcatcher, G, 88 min.
Fearless
In his reportedly last action flick, Jet Li plays an amoral fighting master transformed by a great tragedy. Legendary fight choreographer Yuen-Wo Peng livens up the pretty period piece in which Li returns to fight foreigners (including some Americans) who have taken over his hometown. Intended as a crossover film for Li,
Fearless
spends as much time watching him farm as fight, a decision about which his fans will surely have something to say.
UA South, PG-13, 104 min.
Flyboys
Director Tony Bill and cinematographer Henry Braham employed real WWI fighter planes, models and impressive CGI effects to depict the exhilarating and extremely dangerous world of the first airborn soldiers. The film follows a group of Americans who have volunteered to join the French in the then-strictly European war against the Germans. James Franco stars as an orphaned Texan lured by romantic notions into a war where his kind last an average of six weeks.
UA South, PG-13, 139 min.
Gridiron Gang
Kids at a juvenile detention center find self-empowerment through football and their coach, played by The Rock. Against all odds the segregated delinquents come together as a team to take on the league champs.
Dreamcatcher, PG-13, 120 min.
Half Nelson
Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as "the first Oscar-caliber performance" of the year, Ryan Gosling stars as a teacher with a drug problem. He works at an inner-city junior high school, and his fervor for his students is matched only by his addiction to crack cocaine. His self-destructive behavior raises the eyebrows of one of his students, and the two become friends. In a world where there are no easy solutions, the pair embark on a road that could lead to either redemption or disaster (see
).
UA DeVargas, R, 106 min.
Hollywoodland
Adrien Brody plays a medium-boiled investigator delving into Hollywood's upper crust to find the truth behind the death of TV's Superman (Ben Affleck). Diane Lane stars as the glamorous wife of the head of MGM and girlfriend to the late man of steel.
UA North, R, 126 min.
The Illusionist
Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser. A magician, Eisenheim (Edward Norton), uses his unusual talents to woo his ill-fated childhood sweetheart, Duchess Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel), and derail the class system in Victorian Vienna. Upon returning from exploring the world, Eisenheim finds that Sophie, with whom he's still in love, is engaged to the Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Eisenheim strikes up an unlikely friendship with Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) in his quest to win back his lady love.
UA DeVargas, PG-13, 109 min.
Jackass: Number Two
If you happen to be lacking in scatological humor and depravity, please don't miss the return of
Jackass
. This second big-screen installment of the
Jackass
TV show promises its cast of burros will fall to uncharted lows to get a laugh. Go MTV films.
Dreamcatcher, UA North, R, 95 min.
The Last Kiss
Zach Braff has apparently become the poster boy for his generation. Who would have thought we'd be watching his quarterlife crisis in
Garden State
only to go through it again when he turns 30? That is exactly what happens in Tony Goldwyn's remake of the Italian hit
L'Ultimo Bacio
. Braff is coaxed along into adulthood with help from an ensemble cast of mini-stars, including Casey Affleck (
Ocean's Eleven
,
Ocean's Twelve
), Rachel Bilson (
The OC
) and Blythe Danner (
Meet the Parents
).
UA South, R, 115 min.
Little Miss Sunshine
A mixed bag cynical road trip that halfway morphs into a family situation comedy lovefest. While precisely stylized use of the camera evokes a boldness reminiscent of
The Graduate
or early Woody Allen, endearing moments are the glue holding this frequently cynical movie together. When the family finally arrives at its destination, the depiction of child pageant queens, at once disturbing and hilarious, is the cherry on top of this wild ride. The result is a climactic scene that is pretty near perfect: both laugh-out-loud surprising and endearingly inevitable. With Alan Arkin, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Abigail Breslin and Greg Kinnear.
UA DeVargas, R, 110 min.
The Protector
A young fighter named Kham (Tony Jaa) exhibits moves that could rival Jackie Chan in this purely-for-entertainment flick about a search for stolen elephants. When Kham's father is killed defending the king's elephants, Kham heads to Australia to retrieve the snatched animals and avenge his father's death.
UA South, R, 108 min.
Q
uinceañera
Newcomer Araceli Guzman-Rico plays Maria, a girl who discovers
she's pregnant on the eve of her 15th birthday. Thrust out of her home, the teenager finds support and a home with her great-grand-uncle and gay cousin.
Dreamcatcher, UA DeVargas, R, 90 min.
World Trade Center
Oliver Stone's latest is a different sort of action film: Rather than chronicling political intrigue (
Nixon
,
JFK
) or colossal conquerors of the past (
Alexander
), Stone takes on the events of 9/11 in New York City. A New Yorker himself, Stone offers us the story of two Port Authority cops, John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno (Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena, respectively), who become trapped under the World Trade Center rubble when they go to evacuate the buildings. With Maggie Gyllenhaal and Maria Bello as the significant others of Will and John.
Dreamcatcher, UA DeVargas, UA South, PG-13, 125 min.