Newspaper Page Text
Some releases may not be showing locally this week.
United States of Money) charts the rise
and tall of former New York Governor
127 HOURS (R) Academy Award
winner Danny Boyle's newest film is
based on the true story of mountain
climber Aron Ralston (the increasingly
interesting James Franco), who resorts
to doing anything to survive after he is
trapped under a boulder For five days,
he lies trapped before summoning the
courage and will to scale a 65-foot wall
and hike eight miles to be rescued
Think Cast Away except James Franco
a lot more desperate than Tom Hanks
Also starring Lizzy Caplan, Kate Mara.
Amber Tamblyn and Treat Williams
AFTERSHOCK (NR) This Chinese
domestic smash (it is Chinas highest
grossing locally made film) chronicles
the 1976 earthquake in Tangshan
that claimed 240,000 lives. Director
x>aogang Feng has won several inter
national awards, including one from the
Venice Film Festival, lor his features
A Sign, A World Without Thieves. The
Banquet and Assembly Aftershock is
the first major commercial IMAX film
shot outside oi the United States. The
film is also the official Chinese admis
sion for the Academy Award for Best
Foreign Language Film.
ALIEN PRIVATE EYE (NR) 1987
A zoot-suited alien working Earth as
a gumshoe becomes involved in a
bloody war over a mysterious extrater
restrial disc. Part of Cine* Bad Movie
Night series
CASE 39 (R) Add 10-year-old Lillith
to cinema's ever-growing list of poten
tially demonic children. Social worker
Emily Jenkins (Ren6e Zellweger) sus
pects that problem-child Lillith (Jodelle
Fertand) is the victim of abuse. After
a fairy-tale oven incident transpires
(frori which the girl narrowly escapes),
her tears are validated and the parents
quickly jailed. Jenkins then brings
Lillith into her home until the girl
can be placed with the perfect foster
parents, but a series of mysterious
circumstances force do-gooder Jenkins
to reassess the child’s innocence.
Directed by Christian Atvert (also the
writer of 2009 horror flick, Pandorurrf)
CLIENT 9: THE RISE AND FALL OF
EUOT SPITZER (R) Academy Award
winning documentarian Alex Gibney
(he won the Oscar lor Taxi to the Dark
Side but also helmed Enron: The
Smartest Guys in the Room, Gonzo:
| The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S.
Thompson, and Casino Jack and the
and present CNN anchor Eliot Spitzer
Featuring interviews with the scandal-
rocked former politico. Client 9s poster
claims to tell “the real story '
THE COMPANY MEN (R) TV mega-
producer John Wells (“ER," 'The West
Wing*) makes his feature film debut
with this timely drama. Three men—
Bobby Walker. Gene McClary and
Phil Woodward (Oscar winners Ben
Affleck. Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee
Jones)—deal with losing their jobs in
the present recession and the effects
on their wives, lives and communities
Talk about a cast Besides the three
stars. Kevin Costner. Craig T Nelson.
Maria Bello and Rosemarie Dewitt are
also Company Men
CONVICTION (R)Single mother Betty
Anne Waters (two-time Academy Award
winner Hilary Swank) puts herself
through law school in order to get her
brother’s (Sam Rockwell) wrongful
conviction for murder overturned. It's
hard to tell from the trailer whether or
not this inspirational, based on a true
story drama—starring one multiple
Oscar winner and several Oscar nomi
nees (Juliette Lewis. Minnie Driver, and
Melissa Leo)—has award potential
With Ari Graynor. Clea DuVall. and
Peter Gallagher. Directed by Tony
Goldwyn (the bad guy from Ghost who
now directs).
DEEP DOWN (NR) From the ITVS
Community Cinema series, Deep
Down: A Story from the Heart of Coal
Country, from filmmakers Jennifer
Gilomen and Sally Rubin, looks at
the differences that arise between two
longtime Kentucky residents. Beverly
May wants to fight the mining com
pany devouring the worlds dwindling
resources, while her friend. Terry
Ratliff, considers selling the mining
rights to his backyard, a decision that
could destroy both people's homes
DUE DATE (R) After the big-time
breakthrough of The Hangover, direc
tor Todd Phillips (Road Trip) returns
with this comedy about a soon-to-be
father. Peter Highman (Robert Downey,
Jr.), who must hitch a ride with
aspiring actor, Ethan Tremblay (Zack
Galifinakias), if he wants to make it to
his child* birth on time. Something
feels off in the trailer for this seem
ingly funny comedy. With Michelle
Monaghan. Juliette Lewis. Danny
McBride, Jamie Foxx, RZA and Alan
Arkin.
FOR COLORED GIRLS (R) He's
baa-ack Tyler Perry returns, and he's
brought his Why Did I Get Mamed
star Janet Jackson with him The lives
of several black women intersect at
a 12-step program in Perry* first
adaptation of someone else* work
(Ntozake Shange's 1975 play. For
Colored Girls Who Have Considered
Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enut)
It might be interesting to see how (if)
Perry converts Shange’s 20-poem
structure into a cohesive plot-driven
movie Also starring Amka Noni Rose.
Whoopi Goldberg. Thandie Newton.
Loretta Devine. Kimberly Elise, Phylicia
Rashad and Macy Gray.
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE
HORNET’S NEST (R) 2009 The cin
ematic tale of Lisbeth Saiander (Noomi
Rapace) concludes with this adaptation
of Stieg Larsson* third and final novel
Trapped in the hospital, recovering
from life-threatening injuries, Lisbeth
and her allies, including Mikael
Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), must
outwit a secret section of the Swedish
government that just wants her dead
The Girl Who Played with Fire direc
tor Daniei Alfreoson returns With an
English-language adaptation of the
first novel on the way. will an American
audience exist by the time there is a
Swedish climax?
HARRY POTTER AND THE
DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART I (PG-
13) The end of Harry Potter-mania is
almost finally here {HP7: Part IIwill
complete the film franchise next sum
mer). Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron
(Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma
Watson) leave the relative safety of
Hogwarts to seek out the secret of
Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) power,
the Horcruxes. The director (David
Yates), writer (Steve Wove) and cast
are unchanged from Harry Potter and
the Half-Blood Prince, and the unnec
essary 3D transfer was fortunately
dropped. Will the Boy Who Lived ever
die?
INCEPTION (PG-13) Mysterious thief
Dorn Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a
mastermind at stealing from your mind.
He and his team will forge your dream-
scape, infiltrate it and extract whatever
valuable secrets you are trying to hide.
A perfect summer blockbuster fiat is
also an Oscar contender (for set design
and cinematography), the thrillingiy
original Inception is the cinematic
equivalent of an intelligent, bestselling
beach-read, well written enough to
aspire higher bu< entertaining enough
for mass appeal
INHALE (NR) A young girl (Mia
Stailard) needs a double lung trans
plant, leading her parents, Paul and
Diane Stanton (Dermot Mulroney and
Diane Kruger), to travel to Juarez.
Mexico, where their ethical boundar
ies will be tested. Icelandic director,
seven-time Edda Award winner Baltasar
Kormdkur, is admired for his 101
Reykjavickand The Sea, not so much
for his English language debut. 20051s
A Little Trip to Heaven Also starring ‘
Rosanna Arquette. Sam Shepard. Jordi
Molte {Knight and Dafi and Vincent
Perez.
INSIDE JOB (PG-13) Charles
Ferguson—his Oscar nominated
Iraq War doc. No End in Sight was
one of 2007$ best, most insightful
films—returns with a comprehensive
look at the 2008 financial meltdown in
which we remain mired. As fantastic as
Ferguson's previous film was. it was
also one of the most depressing and
frightening I cannot see Inside Job
being any more optimistic However. I
would assume it will garner Ferguson
his second Oscar nomination. Narrated
by Matt Damon
IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY
(PG-13) A depressed teenager (Keir
Gilchrist, the son from The United
States of Tara*) checks into an adult
psychiatric ward, befriending one nut
ter (Zack Galifianakis) and sparking a
romance with another (Emma Roberts)
The third film from Anna Boden and
Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson and Sugar)
will, hopefully, finally break the duo
through to the next filmmaking tier
With Lauren Graham, Jeremy Davies
('Lost*), Jim Gatfigan and Viola Davis
(an Academy Award nominee for
Doubt)
JACKASS 3D (R) Everything I said
four years ago in my Jackass Number
Two review holds true for Jackass 3D
It’s disgusting, filthy, violent and frack
ing hilarious
LEO’S ROOM jNR) 2009 In
Montevideo, Leo (Martin Rodriguez)
traps himself in his room, unable to
finish his thesis or get a job. After
his six-month relationship with his
girlfriend ends. Leo seeks help from
a therapist and new acquaintances on
the Internet. However, it is a chance
encounter with a classmate. Caro
(Cecilia Cdsero), that starts to crack
Leo* sell-imposed shell. Leo* Room
is the feature debut of writer-director
Enrique Buchichio.
LIFE DURING WARTIME (R)
Controversial filmmaker Todd Solondz
returns to his Happiness clan, albeit
with all new actors. Convicted pedo
phile Bill (Ciaran Hinds) is set to be
released from prison, while his wife,
Trish (Alison Janney). is planning to
get remarried. Meanwhile, Irish's sister.
Joy (Shirley Henderson), leaves a wake
of secrets and shame white on leave
from the correctional institute where
she works. With Michael Lemer, Paul
"Pee Wee Herman* Reubens. Charlotte
Rampling, Ally Sheedy and Gaby
Hoffman.
MADE IN DAGENHAM (R) Sounds
like another satisfying Britcom. In
• 1968, the female workers at the Ford
Dagenham car plant wer4 on strike
to protest sexua 1 discrimination The
swell cast includes Sally Hawkins, who
probably will not get her first Oscar
nomination for this (she should have
gotten one for Happy-Go-Lucky) and
Bob Hoskins. Director Nigel Cole also
helmed A Lot Like Love, Calendar Girls
and Saving Grace. Word is good on the
script by TV writer William Ivory.
MEGAMINO (PG) Megamind wl-
tity tweaks the soperhero genre with
enough ingenuity and crafty celebrity
voice-work to save a parents week
end trip to the movies. Dreamworks’
Megamindcouti not stand up to the
real costumed heroes like Pixarts
The bcredibles, but the superhero •
satire would make a capable animated
sidekick.
MONSTERS (R) Monsters envisions
a world in which Mexico has become
an alien quarantine zone. One man.
U.S. journalist Andrew Kaulder (Scoot
McNairy, tn Search of a Midnight Kis$.
must help tourist Samantha Wynden
(Whitney Able, All the Boys Love
Mandy Land) find the safety offered
by the U S border Gareth Edwards
wrote, directed and shot this buzz-
inducing genre flick; the visual effects
whiz completed the FX on his laptop
Sounds like Escape from District 9 I’m
into this one
MORNING GLORY (PG-13)
Fortunately, watching a movie about
morning talk shows is a lot less painful
than actually watching ‘Good Morning,
Early Today Show** Small-time pro
ducer Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams)
gets her shot at the big-time when IBS's
fourth-place ’Daybreak’ comes to call.
Firing her depraved cohost (‘Modern
Family** gone-too-soon Ty Burrell),
Becky hires news icon Mike Pomeroy
(Harrison Ford) to join the morning vet
Colleen Peck (a so underused Diane
Keaton that they should have cast my
grandmother) and jumpstart the rat
ings Nothing special (it* no Broadcast
News). Morning Glory reaps the old-
fashioned benefits of casting movie
stars like zestful beauty McAdams or
gruff audience tave Ford and letting
them do their charismatic thing
NEVER LET ME GO (R) One of the
most acclaimed novels of our time
(wow. that sounds overblown). Kazuo
Ishiguro* Never Let Me Go comes
to the big screen as director Mark
Romanek* follow-up to his intrigu
ing 2002 debut. One Hour Photo. In
a dystopian Britain where people are
cloned for use in organ transplants,
three friends (Keira Knighdey, Carrie
Mulligan and Andrew Garfield) struggle
to face reality as they mature into adult
hood. With Charlotte Rampling and
Sally Hawkins {Happy-Go-Lucky)
THE NEXT THREE DAYS (PG-13)
Academy Award winner Paul Haggis
(Crash) returns with a remake of
the French thriller. Pour Etta A wife
and mother. Lara Brennan (Elizabeth
Banks), is accused of murder. Years
into her sentence, her husband. John
(Russell Crowe), struggles to raise
their family while his imprisoned wife
falls apart. Naturally, he plots to break
her out. The film sounds intriguing;
can it right Haggis* ship after the dis
appointing (especially award-wise) In
the Valley of Elatfl With Liam Neeson,
Olivia Wilde (*House*) t RZA and Brian
Dennehy.
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 (R)
Katie* back. Does it matter what this
sequel to Oren Peii* tiny budgeted (all
blockbuster is about so long as the
movie is as chilly as the teaser? What
worries me most is how you justify
another found footage supernatural
thriller without completely ripping
oft the or iginal or coming oft as hor
ribly forced structurally? Director Tod
Williams previously helmed the John
Irving adaptation The Door in the Floor,
writer Michael R. Perry has some genre
experience from years in the televi
sion biz (“Stephen King* Dead Zone,*
‘Millennium.* ’American Gothic* and
the awesome “Eerie, Indiana').
PIRANHA (R) Boobs and Mood are
the calling cards of Piranha. H that
doesn't get your attention, you should .
probably skip this honor comedy. If it
does, you're golden
RED (PG-13) Retired black ops
agent Frank Moses (Willis) is clas
sified RED—Retired. Extremely
Dangerous. To survive, he goes on
the road, (ricking up his former team
mates. all of whom have also been
MOVIE LISTINGS
Schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead.
ACC LIBRARY (706-613-3650)
Deep Down (NR) 7:00 (Th. 11/18)
Cttei (706-353-3343)
AUen Private Eye (NR) 8:00 (W. 11/17)
IYi Kind of a Funny Story (PG-13) 5:15, 9:30 (new time F. 11/19:
9:45) (adcfl times Sa. 11/20 & $u. 11/21: 3:00) (no 9:45 show Su.
11/21)
Inside Job (PG-13) 4:45, 7:15. 9:45 (new time 11/19: 7:15) (add!
times Sa. 11/20 & Su. 11/21: 2:30)
Leo's Room (NR) 3:30 (Su. 11/21)
Ltfe During Wartime (R) 7:30 (new time F. 11/19: 5:00)
Never Let Me Go (R) 5:15, 7:30, 9:40 (starts F. 11/19) (no 9:40 show
So. 11/21)
Accurate movie times for the CARMIRE 12 (706-354-0016),
BaCRWOOt STADIUM 11 (706-546-1011) and GfOMU
SQUARE 5 (706-548-3426) cinemas are not available by press
time. Visit www.fUgpole.com for updated times.
declared RED due to a mysterious
early- 80s operation in Guatemala
With the help of cancer-stricken Joe
Matheson (Freeman), lunatic Marvin
Boggs (Malkovich), wetworks-spe-
cialist-turned-Martha-Stewart Victoria
(Mirren) and Frank’s new girlfriend.
Social Security ftunkie Sarah (Mary-
Louise Parker). Frank must outwit his
pseudo-replacement, William Looper
(Karl Urban), and figure out who
wants him dead A good old. light
hearted romp of PG-13 violence and
explosions
SAW 30 (R) So it is that Saw 3D (AKA
Saw VII) continues the vengeful games
devised by angry policeman Mark
Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) His latest
target is a two-fer Jigsaw's widow. Jill
Tuck (Betsy Russell), and an unmemo-
rable IA officer played by an actor who
combines Christian Bale, Matthew
McConaughey and Ryan Gosling into
the missing Dillon brother (his names
Chad Donella. for those who care). The
original Saw's self-maimed surgeon.
Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes).
returns for reasons only revealed m the
movie’s ho-hum climax, an expected
series of i .velations that retcon the
entire franchise
SECRETARIAT (PGj The subject of
this biopic, the 1973 Triple Crown win
ner. is made pretty obvious by the title,
but much of the focus will be on owner
Penny Chenery (Diane Lane). Director
Randall Wallace was nominated for
an Oscar for writing Braveheart before
settling in the director's chair for The
Man in the Iron Mask ml We Were
Soldiers Scripter Mike Rich really
knows this touchy-feely biographi
cal territory, having written Finding
Forrester, The Rookie and Radio. Also
starring John Malkovich. Scott Glenn,
James Cromwell and Dylan Walsh.
SKYLINE (PG-13) See Movie Pick
THE SWITCH (PG-13) For those
who did not get their fill of artificial
insemination humor with the woe
ful Back-Up Plan, enjoy The Switch
Jennifer Aniston plays a single
40-something who becomes pregnant
through Al. Little does she know her
pal (Jason Bateman) switched her
pretened brand of sperm for his store
brand. Seven years later, he tells her
the tnrih. Awkward And a bit beyond
creepy. What 7 ! This flick is based on
a short story by Pulitzer Prizewinner
Jeffrey Eugenides. but it* directed by
the duo behind “Cavemen * I am so, so
confused.
TAKERS (PG-13) A theft of multiple
millions of dollars and Matt Dillon
sounds a lot like Armored This crime
around, Dillon is a detective in the way
of a group of bank robbers and the $20
million they stole. The odd. recogniz
able cast also includes Zoe Saldana,
Hayden Christensen. Paul Walker,
Idris Elba (I would say he* slumming
but this flick seems no worse than
Obsessed), Johnathon Schaech, Jay
Hernandez. Michael Ealy, Chris Brown
and Tip T.I.* Harris.
TOY STORY 3 (G) Toy Story Slacks
the emotional heft (though parents
ol youngsters best bring the tissues)
of recent Pixar masterpieces, but is
every bit the satisjying curtain call tor
Andy* toys.
UNSTOPPABLE (PG-13) The fleet
hour and a hail, bullet train that is
Unstoppable gets audiences to its des-
tinalicn by the most scenic, suspense
ful route. Loosely based on the true
story, the film stars Denzel Washington
and Star Trek* Chris Pine as the only
two men who can stop a runaway bain
terrorizing the Pennsylvania country
side. Rosario Dawson is the sexy dis
patcher guiding the two heroes. Sure,
the genre dicttes abound, but they
cannot derail Tony* train once it gets
going. Ail aboard this perfectly crafted
dramatic thriller.
Drew Wheeler