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Some releases may not be showing locally this week.
the best person to tell you whether or used to. Twenty years ago on June
AMREEKA (PG-13) 2009. An immi
grant single mother, Muna Farah
(Nisreen Faour, Dubai $ Muhr Award
winner for Best Actress), and her
teenage son try to carve out a life in
small-town Illinois. Winner of the
FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film
Festival as well as nominations tor Best
Feature Film at the Independent Spirit
Awards and the Grand Jury Prize at
the Sundance Film Festival. Part of the
ACC library* Films series
BABETTE’S FEAST (G) 1987
Cirte* Summer Classic Movie Series
returns with a wondertul slate of films
including last week* Mr Smith Goes
to Washington, next week* Days of
Heaven, To Kill a Mockingbird, Seven
Samurai. The Birds and A Clockwork
Orange This week* classic. Babette's
Feast, won the Academy Award for Best
Foreign Language Film. Two sisters,
the daughters of a small village* very
Protestant minister, long deceased,
allow their guest. Catholic foreigner
Babette, to prepare a feast in honor
of what would have been their father's
100th birthday. Written and directed by
Gabriel Axel.
THE BACK-UP PLAN (PG-13)
Jennifer Lopez stars as Zoe, a single
lady who meets the man of her dreams,
cheesemaker Stan, on the same day
she conceives twins through artificial
insemination. Imagine the laugh riot
that ensues. The real riot should be
led by women offended by the genre*
casual sexism, but if you still think
Lopez retains a marketably funny
screen presence, you probably did not
notice. The only movie more excruciat
ing that I have seen even a scene of
this year is Valentine* Day. I don't care
to waste time figuring out which one
is worse
CLASH OF THE TITANS (PG-13)
Perhaps one of the most important
movies of my childhood years. 1981 *
Clash of the Trtans informed most of
my early knowledge of Greek mythol
ogy (for good or bad). More impor
tantly, the camp classic contained some
of the first nudity I was able to sneak
past my parents. The hick also inspired
me to compose my first only rap. (One
verse. TheKraken*crackin'* Repeat I
did not say it was any good .) Desmond
Davis' movie introduced a host of
budding cinephiles to Sir Laurence
Andress. Burgess Meredith and. less
significantly. Harry Hamlin. And Ray
Harryhausen* stop-motion visual effect
still rock. I don't care what any hip CGI
supporter says. Nearly 30 years after its
release, an entire generation still extols
the miniscule virtues of this ‘cras-
sic.’ If I had a kid, I would totally have
shown him or her this fantastical little
movie Nobody is going to be talking
about the new Clash of the Titans.
churched up 3D effects or not, by the
end of the month, much less in 2030
Where is the fun? The first m^te never
took itself seriously, a lack oi uu*.s
from which Clash 2010 could have
benefited. Original scripter Beverley
Cross’ plot is largely left unchanged
(It really took three screenwriters
to update his work?) Zeus (a shiny,
bearded Liam Neeson who has already
titled a chapter in his memoir. *2010:
The Year I Went Slumming*) impreg
nates a mortal woman as a shower oi
gold. From that sexual congress issues
Perseus (who grows up to be Avatar's
wooden Sam Worthington, who might
just be the next Harry Hamlin), which is
a good thing for mankind because it is
not long before the Z-man gets fed up
with the minions he made and releases
the Kraken—a devastating beast cre
ated from the flesh of Hades (Ralph
Rennes, whose raspy delivery aurally
grates) to defeat the Trtans—on their
collective asses (via the Greek city-
state of Argos). The first act setup is
a bore. No magic helmet. No Calibos’
army of evil midgets imprisoning poor
winged Pegususes (Pegasus? Pegasi?}.
None of this mythological B.S. is any
news to veterans of the first Clash,
which was actually a lot more accurate
than you would think. Yet inaccurate
retelling of thousand-year-old myths
is not Clash 2010* greatest flaw. In
the words of reality TVs enlightened
despot Simon Cowell, this new Clash
of the Titans is ‘utterly forgettable.*
Knock Harryhausen* stop-motion ani
mation for its outdated silliness, but the
effects play better today than the new
flick* pitiful CGI. Ten years from now.
people will scoff at the new Clasfts
FX, especially its hastily converted 3D.
and it will not retain even a whiff of the
original* quaint nostalgia Transporter
director Louis Leterrier has a knack for
making decent, disposable biockbust
ers. His Incredible Hulk did little wrong
besides be extremely unexceptional.
The same goes for his Clash remake
DEATH AT A FUNERAL (R) Not
much about Death at a Funeral has
changed since I reviewed the original
film way back in aught-seven. As proof,
I have retrofitted my earlier review for
the new comedy: *Why should wed
dings have aii the disastrous film fun?
We car. milk the sacred funereal cow
for all its riotous laughs too. Even so,
I failed to discover where they buried
all the funny in Death at a Funeral, the
latest grasp for mainstream success
from Neil Labute. At the memorial
service for the patriarch of an African-
American family, all sorts of blisslessiy
transparent, sitcom-y shenanigans
ensue (wrong coffins, mislabeled pill
bottles, incontinent uncles; the list
stalwart Aaron (Chris Rock) and suc
cessful writer Ryan (Martin Lawrence),
are harried by a small stranger (Peter
Dinkiage) with devastating fatherly rev
elations. Meanwhile a gaggle of black
stereotypes are handling the day with
indignity and self-centeredness Most
shamefully, the reliably funny James
Marsden is wasted—literally—the
entire film. Death at a Funeral has the
chuckle-less feel of politically correct,
culturally vacant, LCD humor *
DESPICABLE ME (PG) The world*
premier supervillain. Gru (v. Steve
Carefl), is plotting his biggest heist
yet—he* going to steal the moon—
when a trio of orphan girts brings the
daddy out rt Dr. Bril. I cannot get a
read on Despicable Me from its trailers
or its creators' sparse feature Filmog
raphies. Featuring your usual all-star
voice cast that includes Kristen Wiig,
Jason Segel, Will Arnett. Ken Jeong,
Julie Andrews. Danny McBride. Russel!
Brand, Mindy Kaling, Jack McBrayer,
Jemaine Clement and more
GREASE (PG) 1978. Thirty years later.
Grease remains the word One of the
most popular musicals of all time,
the revisionist slice of *50$ nostalgia
returns to theaters as a sing-atong
Join Joon Travolta and Olivia Newton-
John as unlikely', golden-throated high
schoolers, Danny Zpko and Sandy
Oteson, in betting out classics like
"You’re the One That I Want* “Summer
Nights.’ "Greased Lightning* and
“Hopelessly Devoted to You,* which
nominated to; the Academy Award
for Best Original Song.
GROWN UPS (PG-13) Immune as
I am to (he charms of Adam Sandler
Kevin James, Chris Rock (fhe actor, as
opposed to tie stand-up comedian).
David Spade and Rob Schneider
(especially Rob Schneider). I an not
not you'll tall lor their combined comic
powers I can tel! you Grown Ups is
not a very good movie, and it* way
below Sandler* recent output Five
old pals—a Hollywood super-agent
(Sandler), lovable loser (James), hen
pecked househusband (Rock), aging
homdog (Spade) and granny-chasing
New Ager (Schneider)—get together
after their childhood basketball coach*
funeral. Inoffensive enough for easily
amused families, the jokes in Grown
Ups are composed of friendly, heckling
one-upmanship, better known as
punchlines minus the work of a setup.
Apparently, The Big Chill was too intel
lectual; what Lawrence Kasdan* film
lacked were tart/bunion/hairpiece jokes
and bunch of Kevin James pratfalls
THE KARATE MO (PG) The remake
of the 1984 classic is definitely not the
best around; the somber-toned flick
would place third in a tournament with
the previous four Karate Kids Was it
realty necessary to take two hours and
20 minutes to (re)tell a plot about a kid
learning martial arts from a handyman
in order to beat up some bullies? No.
Xiao Dre (Jaden Smith, son of Karate
Kid producer Will; one wonders wftaf
came first: Will Smith* producing or
Jaden Smith* starring?) teams kung fu
from the dour Mr Han (Jackie Chan)
and enters a tournament against the
realty mean Fighting Dragons, ted by a
teacher who totally took lessons from
Matin Kove* Kreese. The final train
ing montage and the tournament donl
make up for toe two previous hours,
though they are definitely the movie*
highlights. Where are the loads of fun
references to the first film? How cool
of a subtitle would Tut tom in a body
bag, Juhmyf* or “Sweep the teg* be?
No William Zabka/Ralph Macchio cam
eos? Alas, no dice. Fm sure this new
flick will do wonders for tocai martial
arts enrollment
A THE MDS ARE ALL RIGHT (R)
Annette Bening* other (amity-centric
drama (following Mother and Child)
centers on a lesbian couple. Nic
and Jutes (power acting duo Bening
and Juiianne Moore), both of whom
conceived children through artificial
insemination. Now their teenager.
Laser (Josh Hutcherson, Journey to
the Center of the Earttt), has convinced
his older sister, Jonl (Mia Wasitowska.
Alice tn Wonderland), to investigate
their donor dads. Filmmaker Lisa
Choloderfco wrote and directed Laurel
Canyon and High Art With Mark
Ruflaio.
KNIGHT AND DAY (PG-13) Tom
Cruise* star does not shine like it
29. Cruise* Days of Thunder roared
onto screens In the interim, summer
blockbusters require less star power
and fewer original concepts, while
favoring bigger effects budgets and
more recognizable intellectual proper
ties. Ten years ago, Knight and Day
would have ruled the summer roost.
But in 2010, Cruise jumped the couch
a few years ago. Cameron Diaz* box
office clout never really materialized,
and the under-funded special effects
look abysmally dated. Hitchcockian
in the Charade sense, Knight and Day
pits super-spy Roy Miller (Cruise) and
every-girl June Havens (Diaz) against
the government, some European arms
dealers and their growing affection tor
each other After a meet-cute in the
airport. Roy and June go on the lam.
as Roy ciairs to have been framed as
a rogue agent by his partner. Fitzgerald
(Peter Sarsgaard) Roy allegedly
stole a battery prototype created by
wtmderkind Simon Feck (Paul Dano).
That Knight and Day does not work is
no fault of Cruise or Diaz. Hollywood*
former golden boy sort of embraces his
new crazy persona and fuels Miller*
cock-sure super-heroics with a touch
of insanity that leads the viewer to
question Roy* wild conspiracy along
with June. Unfortunately, screenwriter
Patrick OTteill cuts the crazy legs off
Cruise* performance with toe most
predictable of spy games Diaz lessens
June* annoying density and her star
charisma melds well with Cruise*
despite then lack of romantic chem
istry. i did not buy their love affair,
but Roy and June make a great new
Scarecrow and Mrs. King.
THE LAST AIRBEMDER (PG) M
Night Shyamaian. toe arrogant writer-
director so maligned after a devastating
triteda that concluded with 2008*
The Happening, smartly streamlines
the first 20 episodes of Nickelodeon*
Peabody Award-winning cartoon,
“Avatar: The Last Airbender." Aiibender
Aang (Noah Ringer) is the legendary
Avatar, thawed out after a hundred-year
deep freeze by Waterbender Katana
(Nicola Peltz) and her doofy brother,
Sokka (Edipsds Jackson Rathbone).
Now he must team how to bend toe
other three elements (water, earth and
fire) in order to defeat toe Fire Nation,
which looks to rute (he world M.
Night* grandiose, almost operatic seri
ousness of purpose actually benefits
the transition of toe deceptively deep,
often silly cartoon to the big screen
Nonetheless. I miss toe childish fun of
toon Aang The Last Airbender lacks
the fantastical awe that made toe show*
universe like a brilliant little brother to
Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, and nc
one will prefer It to toe cartoon Still.
I'm ready for Book Two.
LOVE RANCH (R) Ray Academy
Award nominee Taylor Hacktord directs
his Oscai-winning wife. Helen Mirren,
for toe first time in this drama based on
the first legal brothel in Rene, Nevada.
Joe Peso plays Mirren* husband.
Hacktord had been around a long white
before Ray (Have you been lifted up
where you belong by An Officer and a
Genttemarff), but none of his films are
as memorable. Writer Mark Jacobson
wrote toe article upon which American
Gangster was based. Wife Bryan
Cranston, Scout Taylor-Con’ptoo. Gina
Gershon (can you say typecasting?).
Bai Ling and M.C Gainey
MOTHER AND CHILD (R) fhe
stories of three women—a 50-year-
old healthcare professional (Annette
Bening), the daughter (Naomi Watts)
she gave up for adoption over 30
years earlier and an African-American
woman looking to adopt—unfold in
writer-director Rodrigo Garcia* new
film. Garcia has made quite a career
out of helming quality HB0 series—
‘The Sopranos,* “Carnivale.* “Six Feet
Under,* “Big Love.* ‘In Treatment * His
features—Passengers—have not fared
as well. With Jimmy Smits and Samuel
L. Jackson.
MR. SMITH GOES TO
WASHINGTON (NR) 1939 Frank
Capra* classic Academy Award
winning drama made Jimmy Stewart
a star, forever memorialized as
Jefferson Smith, the last decent man in
Washington. Playing at Cirte to kick off
the the Summer Classic Movie Series
OCEANS (G) Disneynature* second
Earth Day release, following last year*
Earth, is being described as ‘part
thriller, part meditation.* Narrated by
Pierce Brosnan, Oceans examines the
mysteries of what truly lives under
toe sea. Directors Jacques Perrin and
Jacques Ciuzaud were responsible lor
the awe-inspiring, technological break
through Winged Migration
PLEASE GIVE (R) I presently' legret
not having taken the time to watch
writer-director Nicole Holofcener*
f irst two films, Walking and Talking
and Lovely & Amazing, as I have
thoroughly enjoyed her last two.
releases, 2006* Friends with Money
and Please Give, presently playing at
Cute. Holofcener* New York, much
like Woody Allen*, is populated by
toe neurotic, the self sh and toe needy.
Unlike Woody, she focuses on toe
female half oi toat population. In Please
Give, her muse. Catherine Keener,
brilliantly crafts another fragile, quirky.
50-something woman and mother. Her
Kate is a dassed-up scavenger, pick
tng over fhe furniture carcasses of toe
recently deceased. Recently, Kate has
been having one of those existentia’
crises that are the lifeblood of inde
pendent cinema. Kale constantly gives
money and leftovers to street people
because she cannot give them anything
more emotionally meaningful. Not
only do Kate and her husband, Alex
(Oliver Platt), profit from the dean of
strangers, they are also warring tor their
ancient next-door neighbor, a power
fully blunt 90-year-otd weapon named
Andra (Ann Guibert), to die so they can
expand their apartment. Andra* grand
daughters. Rebecca (Rebecca Halt)
and Mary (Amanda Pee*), are no better
off than Kate Rebecca fids her loneli
ness as the primary caragiver for her
grandmother; Mary is a tanned empty
shell of a human being. Holofcener*
intelligent deconstruction of toe inanity
o< toe post-modern New York yuppte
is one of 2010* best scripts, vd cast
ing Hall of Vicky Cristina Barcelona
will prove smartly prescient. Hall is
certamly poised lor a strong Keener-
like career. As fenny as Please Givers,
toe emotional restate resu&nQ from a
viewing dings like a depressing funk
Still, Holofcener* acerbically talky
film charms despite its heavy-duty
unhappiness
PREDATORS (R) A group of elite
human warriors—Aonen Brody. Alice
Braga, Laurence Ftshbume Walton
Goggins, Danny Trejo and Topher
Grace (?!>—must elude more toan
one of toe universe* ultimate hunters.
Robert Rodriguez* name may sit above
toe tifle. but he is orty exec-producing
tilts reboot or me neoasor franchise.
Nimrod Artal is directing; his previous
movies were competent if no 4 , stellar
genre entries. I took for Pmdatorsto
satisfy in simitar fashion.
R.E.M. LIVE Q ROCKPALAST
t885 (lift) Commemorating 25 years
state foe band* release of "Fables of
Olivier, Dame Maggie Smith, Ursula
MOVIE LISTINGS
Schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead.
ACC LIBRARY (706-613-3650)
America (MR) 7:00 (Th. Tft)
CHlt (706-353-3343)
Due to toe Independence Oay holiday, a complete schedule of Cine roone tiroes
is unavailable Cefl or visit www.athenscine.coni tor updated tiroes.
Babette's Feast (C) 7:00 (F. 7/9) 5:00 (Sa. 7/10-Th. 7/15) •
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (NR) 5:00 (ends Th. 7/8)
***** «ve (R) 7:30.9:30 (call for new times F. 7/9-Th. 7/15)
ftXM. Live @ Rodcpaiast 1985 (MR) 7:30, 9:30 (Tu. 7/13)
The Secret in Their Ryes (R) 5:30,8:15 (call for new times F. 7/9-Th.
7/15)
(706-542-6396)
CUsfc af the Tttam. (R) 7.-00 <«. 7/12 ft W. 7/14)
Apauate movie timKfof tta f K Miffl 12
IRRABf 9 (706-548-3426) cinemas are not available by press
time. Visit www.fUgpefe.ceai for updated times. I
How do you make lemonade?
goes on) as sons, disappointingly