For movies opening March 5, 2010
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Alice in Wonderland (PG for fantasy, action, violence, scary images and smoking) Tim Burton directs this animated sequel to the Lewis Carroll children’s classic revolving around now 19 year-old Alice’s (Mia Wasikowska) return to the whimsical kingdom for a reunion with the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen) and other childhood friends, and to end the Red Queen’s (Helena Bonham Carter) reign of terror. Ensemble voice cast includes Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Alan Rickman, Christopher Lee and Crispin Glover.
Brooklyn’s Finest (R for nudity, graphic sexuality, pervasive profanity, drug use and gory violence) Gritty, NYC crime saga, directed by Antoine Fuqua, about three NYPD cops (Don Cheadle, Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke) stationed in three different outer boroughs whose paths cross serendipitously while working the same case. With Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin, Will Patton and Vincent D’Onofrio.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Suss (Unrated) WWII documentary examining Jew Suss, an anti-Semitic feature film produced by Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels in 1940 and directed by Veit Harlan who was later tried for crimes against humanity but exonerated after raising the “I only followed orders” defense. (In German, Italian and French with subtitles)
Harlem Aria (R for crude and profane language) Unlikely-buddy comedy about a trio of panhandlers, a mildly-retarded aspiring opera singer (Gabriel Casseus), a trash-talking homeless man (Damon Wayans) and a classically-trained pianist (Christian Camargo), entertaining passersby in Greenwich Village’s Washington Square Park, who get a big break when they attract the attention of one of the world’s leading tenors (Paul Sorvino). With Nicole Ari Parker, Malik Yoba and Eyde Byrde.
The Secret of Kells (Unrated) Oscar-nominated animated feature, set in the 9th Century, about a 12 year-old, aspiring artist (Evan Maguire) who runs away from home to embark on a magical journey through the forest as the protege of a master illustrator ((Mick Lally). With Brendan Gleeson, Michael McGrath and Paul Young.
We Live in Public (Unrated) 15 minutes of fame documentary revisiting the rise and fall of dotcom pioneer Josh Harris who with his girlfriend broadcast their every move over the internet 24/7 for half a year until he suffered a nervous breakdown and collapsed into mental illness after she dumped him and moved out of the surveillance camera-flooded apartment.
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.
