Published: April 30, 2009
Kam's Kapsules: May 1, 2009, Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
By Kam Williams 
For movies opening May 1, 2009
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Battle for Terra (PG for violence and mature themes) Animated sci-fi adventure about the peaceful inhabitants of a distant planet who face annihilation when desperate human invaders declare war in the wake of the destruction of Earth. Voice cast includes Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Wilson, Amanda Peet, Dennis Quaid, Danny Glover, Rosanna Arquette, James Garner and Chris Evans.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality and drug use) Romantic comedy about a confirmed bachelor (Matthew McConaughey) who finds himself confronted by the disembodied spirits of the women he's seduced and abandoned on the eve of his brother's (Breckin Meyer) wedding. Cast includes Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas, Lacy Chabert, Robert Forster, Emma Stone and Anne Archer.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (PG-13 for intense violence and partial nudity) Latest installment in the Marvel Comics franchise focuses on Wolverine's (Hugh Jackman) search for Sabertooth (Live Schreiber) in order to exact a measure of revenge for the death of his girlfriend, Silver Fox (Lynn Collins). With Will i. Am, Ryan Reynolds and Danny Huston.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Eldorado (Unrated) Unlikely-buddy comedy about a Belgian auto dealer (Bouli Lanners) who befriends the young burglar (Fabrice Edde) he catches in the act of robbing his house. (In French with subtitles)
Home (PG-13 for disturbing images) Female empowerment flick, set in the Sixties, about a breast cancer survivor (Marcia Gay Harden) stuck in a bad marriage to an emotionally-unsupportive jerk (Michael Gaston) who makes the most of a bonding opportunity with her 8 year-old daughter (Eulala Scheel) during a life-transforming road trip the two take together over the summer.
Ice People (Unrated) South Pole documentary, directed by Anne Aghion, chronicling four months of the day-to-day lives of explorers who have dedicated their careers to the scientific study of climate-change in Antarctica's extremely challenging environment.
The Limits of Control (R for profanity and graphic nudity) Jim Jarmusch directs this surrealistic crime thriller about a mysterious loner (Isaach De Bankolé) with trust issues making his way across Spain to pull off a job. Cast includes Jarmusch veterans Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Alex Descas, John Hurt and Youki Kudoh, along with Gael García Bernal and Paz De La Huerta.
The Merry Gentleman (R for profanity and violence) Michael Keaton makes his directorial debut and handles the title role in this romance drama about a young woman (Kelly MacDonald) who flees to Chicago to escape an abusive marriage only to become involved with a suicidal hit man (Keaton) on the run from the law. With Bobby Cannavale, Darlene Hunt and Tom Bastounes.
Revanche (Unrated) Crime saga, set in Austria, revolving around an ex-con (Johannes Krisch) determined to avenge the shooting of his prostitute girlfriend (Irina Potapenko) by a cop (Andreas Lust) during a bank robbery. (In Russian and German with subtitles)
The Skeptic (Unrated) Horror flick about a cynical lawyer (Tim Daly) who finds a big surprise when he moves into his recently-deceased aunt's (Sara Weaver) house which is rumored to be haunted. With Zoe Saldana, Tom Arnold and Edward Herrmann.
Three Monkeys (Unrated) Stuck in denial drama about a family of four who would rather play deaf, dumb and blind than confront the serious problems that are splitting them apart. Ensemble includes Yavuz Bingol, Hatice Aslan, Rifat Sungar and Cafer Kose. (In Turkish with subtitles)
A Wink and a Smile (Unrated) Ecdysiast documentary about ten ordinary women from different walks of life (including a doctor, a housewife, an opera singer and a college student) who take a six-week course in striptease at Seattle's Academy of Burlesque before trying their hand, I mean feet, at exotic dancing onstage.
Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the African-American Film Critics Association, and the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee. Contact him through NewsBlaze.
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