For movies opening October 21, 2011
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Johnny English Reborn (PG for mild violence, rude humor, brief sensuality and brief profanity) Rowan Atkinson reprises the title role in this James Bond parody in which the bumbling, British spy attempts to redeem himself by foiling an assassination attempt on a head of state by a team of bloodthirsty assassins. With Gillian Anderson, Rosamund Pike, Dominic West and Ben Miller. (In English, Mandarin and Chinese with subtitles)
Paranormal Activity 3 (R for violence, profanity, drug use and brief sexuality) Prequel to the haunted house franchise finds a couple of siblings (Katie Featherstone and Sprague Grayden) befriending an invisible entity which enters their home only to end up tormented by the uninvited guest. With Brian Boland, Lauren Bittner and Christopher Nicholas Smith.
The Three Musketeers (PG-13 for action and violence) 3-D screen adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ swashbuckling classic features the trio of legendary swordsmen (Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson and Luke Evans) teaming with D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman) to prevent the diabolical Cardinal Richelieu (Cristoph Waltz) from seizing the French throne with the help of an attractive double agent (Milla Jovovich). Supporting cast includes Helen George, Christian Oliver, Til Schweiger and Orlando Bloom as the Duke of Buckingham.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Being Elmo (Unrated) Puppeteer profile of Kevin Clash, a black man from Baltimore who made it out of the ‘hood to enjoy an enduring career as the voice of one of the most beloved Sesame Street characters. Featuring appearances by Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O’Donnell and Frank Oz.
Cargo (Unrated) Sex trafficking drama about an Egyptian smuggler (Sayed Badreya) who develops feelings for a young Russian woman (Natasha Rinis) while driving her from Mexico to New York City. Cast includes Phillip Willingham, Raul I. Torres and Seth Ruffer.
Elevate (Unrated) Hoop dreams documentary chronicling the effort to make it to the NBA made by a quartet of unusually tall teens who migrated from Senegal to the U.S. to play for prep schools.
Glitch in the Grid (Unrated) Character-driven drama about three artists’ (Jay Masonek, Eric Leisner and Jeffrey Leisner) quest for spiritual fulfillment while struggling to survive in Los Angeles during an economic recession. With Travis Bellman, Max Daily and Homer Darnall.
Le Havre (Unrated) Unlikely-buddy drama about an elderly bohemian (Andre Wilms) who decides to help an illegal African immigrant (Blondin Miguel) hide from the gendarmes. With Kati Outinen, Jean-Pierre Darroussin and Elina Salo.
(In French with subtitles)
Margin Call (R for profanity) Financial crisis thriller revolving around the panic at a leading, Wall Street investment firm over the course of a pivotal 24-hour period during the 2008 economic collapse. Ensemble includes Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Demi Moore and Jeremy Irons.
Martha Marcy May Marlene (R for nudity, profanity, sexuality and disturbing violence) Psychological thriller about an escapee (Elizabeth Olsen) from an abusive religious cult who starts suffering from paranoid delusions that she’s being stalked by the sect’s charismatic leader (John Hawkes) after taking refuge at the home of her sister (Sarah Paulson) and brother-in-law (Hugh Dancy). With Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet and Maria Dizzia.
The Mighty Macs (Unrated) Touching tale of female empowerment recounting the real-life exploits of tiny Immaculata College’s basketball team which in 1971 made a miraculous bid for the women’s national championship. Cast includes Carla Gugino, Ellen Burstyn, David Boreanaz and Marley Shelton.
Oranges and Sunshine (R for profanity) British biopic about Margaret Humphreys (Emily Watson), a social worker from Nottingham who in 1987 singlehandedly uncovered a scandalous government program which had secretly relocated over 150,000 poor children from England to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and elsewhere around the Commonwealth without parents’ knowledge or consent. Cast includes Hugo Weaving, David Wenham and Tara Morice.
Paul Goodman Changed My Life (Unrated) Reverential biopic about the pacifist visionary, gay philosopher and best-selling author whose countercultural indictment of the establishment, “Growing Up Absurd,” made him a darling of the leftist anarchists back in the Sixties.
Retreat (R for violence and pervasive profanity) Apocalyptic thriller about a couple (Cillian Murphy and Thandie Newton) who leave London for an unpopulated island to recover from the loss of a baby only to have a mysterious stranger (Jamie Bell) wash up on shore with news of an airborne virus that’s suddenly sweeping across Europe.
The Reunion (PG-13 for violence, sexuality and profanity) Dysfunctional family drama about a young woman (Amy Smart) who tries to fulfill her father’s dying wish by bringing her three feuding brothers (John Cena, Ethan Embry and Boyd Holbrook) back together. With Michael Rispoli, Lela Loren and Greg Henry.
Revenge of the Electric Car (Unrated) Chris Paine directs this sequel to Who Killed the Electric Car? highlighting the resurgence in popularity of zero-emission vehicles courtesy of both traditional auto companies such as Nissan and GM as well as industry pioneers like Tesla. With appearances by Danny DeVito, Tim Robbins, Jon Favreau and Stephen Colbert.
The Swell Season (Unrated) Behind-the-scenes documentary, shot in black & white, shedding light on the strains placed by fame on the real-life relationship of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the co-stars of the film Once, whose collaboration culminated in the couple’s winning an Academy Award for the picture’s title song.
