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Some releases may not be showing locally this week.
127 HOURS (R) Academy Award
winner Danny Boyle's newest lilm is
based on the true story ol 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 excep\ James Franco
a lot more desperate than Tom Hanks
With Lizzy Caplan. Kate Mara, Amber
Tamblyn and Treat Williams.
AFTERSHOCK (NR) This Chinese
domestic smash (it is China’s highest
grossing locally made film) chronicles
the 1976 earthquake in Tangshan that
claimed 240.000 lives. Aftershock is
the first major commercial IMAX film
shot outside of the United States
ALL GOOD THINGS (R) Capturing
the Friedmans director Andrew Jarecki
turns to fiction features with this mur
der mystery based on New York's most
notorious unsolved cases A detective
(Jeffrey Dean Morgan) investigates a
missing peisons case involving the
heir to a real estate dynasty (Ryan
Gosling) and a woman jrom the wrong
side of the tracks (Kirsten Dunst).
ALPHA AND OMEGA (PG) Two
young wolves at opposite ends of their
pack's social order find themselves in
a foreign land. They must rely on each
other in order to find their way home.
BLACK SWAN (R) I don't know
whether or not I'm going to like it.
but I cannot wait for Black Swan, the
new film from Darren Aronofsky (Pi,
Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain.
The Wrestlet). A veteran ballerina.
Nina (Natalie Portman). vies with
a premising new dancer. Lily (Mila
Kunis). lor the lead role in Swan Lake
but instead begins a twisted friendship
with her competitor, a relationship that
ultimately could destroy Nina. With
Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder and
Barbara Hershey.
BURLESQUE (PG-13) What
Showgirls was to AJI About Eve,
Burlesque is to Showgirls. Not
nearly as awfully entertaining as
Paul Verhoeven’s glitzy Vegas crass-
terpiece, Burlesque stars Cher as the
proprietor of a struggling Sunset Strip
burlesque club and Christian Aguilera
as the dancing diva with a voice
strong enough to save it. I’ll never
understand why the filmmakers would
have assembled the cast they did and
then underuse Stanley Tucci and Alan
Cumming so criminally.
THE CALLING (NR) 2009. Filmmaker
David A. Rangheili* documentary
focuses on Orlando Castillo. Mother
Mary-Elizabeth and Father Philip
Scott, three members of a new Catholic
community assisting people on the
outskirts of society in Lima, Peru. Did
they choose this often difficult life or
were they called? Winner of awards
from the seventh Queens International
Film Festival and the fourth Gasparilla
International Film Festival, The Calling
was an official selection at festivals
ranging from Breckinridge to Chicago
to Staten Island to Rhode Island to
Costa Rica.
CLIENT 9: THE RISE AND FALL OF
ELIOT SPITZER (R) Academy Award
winning documentarian Alex Gibney
(he won the Oscar for Taxi to the Dark
Side but also helmed Enron: The
Smartest Guys in the Room, Gonzo:
The Life and Work ol Dr. Hunter S.
Thompson, and Casino Jack and the
United States ol Money) charts the rise
and fall of former New York Governor
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 ana the effects on
their wives, lives and communities
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
Galitinakias), if he wants to make it to
his child's birth on time. Something
feels off in the trailer for this seemingly
funny comedy.
FASTER (R) The Rock shelves the
family-friendty brand he's been market
ing the past few years for a motorized,
violent, revenge thriller that seems
custom-buitt for Vm Diesel. Dwayne
Johnson's Driver has just released
from prison. Now he is on a mono
lithic mission to slaughter the men
responsible for the death of his bank
robbing brother. Hot on his heels is the
whirry killer (Oliver Jackson-Cchen). in
therapy to deal with his issues, and the
dirty cop (Billy Bob Thornton) who is
verging on retirement. Notorious direc
tor George Tillman Jr. keeps the action
moving at a clip, and Johnson retains
presence even when he pockets his
magnetic charisma. Faster gets to its
destination by a more direct route than
most other nouveau exploitation flicks
FOR COLORED GIRLS (R) He's
baa-ack. Tyler Perry returns, and he's
brought his Why Did I Get Married
star Janet Jackson with him. The lives
of several black women intersect at a
12-step program in Perry's first adapta
tion of someone else* work (Ntozake
Shange's 1975 play. For Colored Girls
Who Have Considered Suicide When
the Rainbow Is Enuf). It might be inter
esting to see how (if) Perry converts
Shange's 20-poem structure into a
cohesive plot-driven movie.
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE
HORNET’S NEST (R) 2009. The cin- *
ematic tale of Lisbeth Salander (Noomi
Rapace) concludes with this adaptation
of Stieg Larsson’s 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
governgieht that just wants her dead
The Girl Who Played with Fire direc
tor Daniel Alfredson returns. With an
English-language adaptation of the
first novel on the way. will an American
audience exist for the Swedish climax?
HARRY POTTER AND THE
DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
(PG-13) As much as I still cherish
this series of books. I just have never
been as invested in the film versions.
That lack of true, heartfelt engagement
has never shown as brightly as it does
now. as the end we all know by heart
approaches. I cannot find fault with
this flawless penultimate installment of
the stalwart franchise. The three young
leads have matured tremendously as
actors; Emma Watson has improved
vastly since the game-changing third
film. Director David Yates continues
to bring Rowling* magical world to
rousing, tangible life. The landscapes
of the hopeless, doomed, lonely HP7.1
resembled a post-apocalypse and con
jured up the highest possible praise; it
reminded me of Peter Jackson's Lord of
the Ringsand The Empire Strikes Back.
I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS (R)
Scam artist and former police officer
Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) plots the
big con to escape his second stint in
prison and win the heal anft freedom
of Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor).
Bad Santa saipters Glenn Ficarra and
John Requa make their directorial
debut with this adaptation of a true
story; their comedic presence alone
piques my curiosity. Carrey against
type just increases my interest.
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 that is
also an Oscar contender (for set design
and cinematography), the thrillingty
MOVIE LISTINGS
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ACC LIBRARY (706-613-3650)
The Calling (HR) 7:00 (Th. 12/2)
Cftili (706-353-3343)
Th« Girt Who Kicked The Hornet'* Nest (R) 8:00 (new times F. 12/3:
5:15.8:15) (add! times Sa. 12/4 & Su. 12/5: 2:15) (no show M. 12/6)
Never Let Me Go (R) 5:30 (new time F. 12/3:9:30) (add! times Sa.
12/4 & Su. 12/5: 2:30) (no 9:30 show Su. 12/5)
Sing My Troubles By (Nk) 5:00. 7:15 (M. 12/6)
Watting for Superman (PG) 5:00, 7:15, 9:30 (new times F. 12/3: 5:00,
7:15)
VBA TATI CENTER THEATER (706-542-6396)
Momenta (R) 8:00 (Th. 12/2)
Inception (PG-13) 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 (F. 12/3, Sa. tt/4. So.'12/5)
Accurate movie times for the CARWKE 12 (706-354-0016),
•HCRWOOB STADIUM 11 (706-546-1011) and OKHOTA
SOU At! 5 (706-548-3426) cinemas are not available by press
time. Visit www.flagpole.com for updated times.
original Inception is the cinematic
equivalent of an intelligent, bestselling
beach-read, well written enough to
aspire higher but entertaining enough
for mass appeal.
THE KING’S SPEECH (R) To combat
a nervous stammer. King George VI
(Colin Firth). AKA Bertie, works with
an unorthodox speech therapist. Lionel
logue (Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush).
Director Tom Hooper helmed HBO's
excellent ‘John Adams’ and Elizabeth I.
This historical picture is shaping up to
be Firth's best Oscar shot yet; the trailer
predicts a winner. With Helena Bonham
Carter as George's daughter Queen
Elizabeth II. Guy Pearce as Edward VIII.
Michael Gambon as King George V and
Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill’
LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS (R)
Director Edward Zwick ditches the
historical action genre he prefers for
a romantic comedy (he's made one.
1986's About Last Night...) starring
Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne I lathaway.
Jamie Reidy (Gyllenhaal) is a charming
Viagra salesman wooing the free-spir
ited Maggie Murdock (Hathaway)
MADE IN DAGENHAM (R) Sounds
like another satisfying Britcom. In *
1968, the female workers at the Ford
Dagenham car plant went on strike
to protest sexual 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) A blatant riff on
the Superman mythology, Megamind
begins with the destruction of the home
planet of the blue baby soon to be
known as Megarrvnd (v. Will Ferrell).
Jettisoned to safety by his parents,
Megamind finds his way to Earth
Unfortunately, a bundle of muscles
and invincibility with a bulldozer chin
(Metro Man) barley escaped his neigh
boring planers concurrent obliteration
to crash land on Earth as well. Thus
is bom the Metro Man vs. Megamind
rivalry. Though Megamind always
loses to Metro Man (v. Brad Pitt), the
blue baddie keeps trying, kidnapping
the white-clad heroes girtfriend, reporter
Roxanne Ritchi (v. Tina Fey), time and
time again. Of course, the superhero
always wins, and the super villain ends
up in prison—until the day Megamind
defeats Metro Man. But what is a bad
guy to do when no good exists to
oppose him?
MEMENTO (R) 2000. inception film-
make^ Christopher Nolan burst onto
the cinematic scene with this chrono
logically challenged thriller starring
Guy Pearce. ToW entirely In reverse.
Leonard Shelby Is search for his wife*
kiiier becomes less about reality and
more aoout a truth created by his frag
ile. grief-stricken mind.
MORNING GLORY (PG-13)
Fortunately, watching a movie about
morning talk shows is a lot less painful
than actually watching “Good Morning.
Early Today ShowT SmaiWime pro
ducer Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams)
gets tier 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 vC
Colleen Peck (a so underused Diane
Keaton that they should have cast my
grandmother) and jumpstart the rat
ings. Nothing special (it's no Broadcast
News). Morning Glory reaps the old-
fashioned benefits of casting movie
stars like zestful beauty McAdams or
gruff audience lave Ford and letting
them do their charismatic thing.
NEVER LET ME GO (R) In a differ
ent version of 1970s Britain. Kathy H
(Carey Mulligan, turning heads yet
again). Tommy D. (Andrew Garfield)
and Ruth (Keira Knightley) attend an
idyllic boarding school. Unbeknownst
to these three children, they are part of
a national program that has a hidden
agenda. Several years later. Tommy and
Ruth have become a couple, and lonely
Kathy harbors a not-so-secret love tor
Tommy. Eventually, fate—and highly
regarded novelist Kazuo Ishiguro (The
Remains of the Day)—conspire lo
reunite the trio as they search lor a way
to escape the fate that the program has
in store for them.
THE NEXT THREE DAYS (PG-13)
I cannot think of a more implausible
thriller that I found compelling, against
my better judgment. A schoolteacher
husband and father. John Brennan
(Russell Crowe), plots a prison break .
tor his wife, Lara (Elizabeth Barks), an *
innocent imprisoned for murder. After
consulting a criminal expert in prison
breaks (Liam Neeson), John must
ironically break the law his imprisoned
wife did not if he is to free her. Oscar
winning writer-director Paul Haggis
makes a gripping case with this ludi
crous remake of the French Pour Elle.
The Next Three Days is not worth the
high price of a theatrical admission,
but tor the price of a DVD rental or
cable channel, it will pass the time on a
rainy weekend afternoon.
NIGHT CATCHES US (R) In 1976.
Marcus (Anthony Mackie) returns
to the Philly neighborhood he once
called home. Though some old friends,
Patricia (Kerry Washington), greet
Marcus warmly, others suspect him
of being before behind the slaying
of a compatriot in the Black Power
Movement. Night Catches Us is the
feature debut of writer-director Tanya
Hamilton and features a score by The
Roots. The film was hailed as one of
the best at Sundance, where it was
nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
RARE EXPOfTTS: A CHRISTMAS
TAlE (NR) Bless my horror heart, this
flick sounds awesome. Santa Claus is
unearthed at an archaeological dig in
Lapland* Korvatunturi Mountains. But
judging by the disappearing children,
this jolly old Nicholas is no saint,
leading a man, his son and a posse of
hunters to go on a Santa hunt Watch
out for Santa* elves. They wont let
their leader go quietly into the night
Finnish filmmaker Jalmari Hetander*
holiday entry in his Rare Exports series
could be Christmas 2010* hot gift for
horror lovers.
SING MY TROUBLES BY (NR) Neil
Rosenbaum* feature length documen
tary, the rather lengthily subtitled Sing
My Troubles By: Visits with Georgia
Women Carrying Their Musical
Traditions into the 21st Century, hon
ors living Georgian women holding
onto the gospel, blues, mountain music
and ballad traditions of their past.
This special screening wifi include' a
Q&A with the filmmakers and will be
followed by musical performances
by several of the acts featured in the
film, including The Myers Family and
Friends, a family string band; mountain
ballad singers Mary Lomax and Bonnie
Loggins; and gospel singer Rev Willie
Mae Eberhart
TANGLED (PG) Disney's 50th ani
mated feature entertains like some
of the best the House of Mouse has
ever offered The long-haired princess
(v. Mandy Mcore) is imprisoned in a
tower by a witch posing as her mother
One day. a roguish thief named Flynn
Ryder (v Zachary Levi > Chris Evans >
Nolan North > Nathan Fillion) stumbles
into her tower and is convinced to
escort her about the scary kingdom
her mother has warned her about for
18 years. None of the songs may be
destined for Disney classic status, but
the warm family humor and romance
will please anyone longing for a new
Disney dream to come true.
THE TOWN (R) Ben Affleck* second
directorial effort (this one based ofl
a tough Bostonian novel by Chuck
Hogan rather than Dennis Lehane) is
a very good film In the bank robber
Mecca, Charlestown. Doug MacRay
(Affleck, who has certainly gotten his
pump on) wants out. But his vicious
blood brother James Coughlin (Jeremy
Renner, showing The Hurt Locker was
no fluke), crime boss Fergie *The
Florist* Coim (Pete Postlethwaite)
and the F B I, represented by Special
Agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm of the
excellently depressing ‘Mad Men"),
wont let him. Dougie also has fallen
for Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), the
only witness the FB I. has that could
tie his gang to their latest score This
tough cops-and-robbers flick conjures
comparisons lo Heat
TOY STORY 3 (G) Toy Story 3 lacks
the emotional heft (though parents
of youngsters best bring the tissues)
of recent Pixar masterpieces, but is
every bit the satisfying curtain call for
Andy* toys.
UNSTOPPABLE (PG-13) tt was
about time Tony Scott got back to the
terse, gruff action he specialized in
before 1995 when he lost his mind to
overdirection. He was not helped when
the world of digital filmmaking opened
up before him like Avatar's Pandora.
The fleet, hour and a half, bullet train
that is Unstoppable gets audiences
to its destination by the most scenic,
suspenseful route. Loosely based
on the true story. Unstoppable stars
Denzel Washington and Chris Pine as
the only two men who can stop a run
away train terrorizing the Pennsylvania
countryside.
WAITING FOR SUPERMAN (PG)
Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows
a handful of promising kids through an
education system that inhibits, rather
than encourages, academic growth.
Guggenheim* exhaustive review of
the public education system explores
‘drop-out factories,* ‘academic sink
holes' and reminds the viewer that
education statistics have names.
WE WARRIOR’S WAY (NR) Like
last year* gory Thanksgiving release.
Ninja Assassin, The Warrior * Way
comes atong just in time to kick some
awards bait ass. A warrior-assassin
has to hide out in a small town in the -
American badlands after refusing to
take a mission. The Warrior* Way,
the directorial debut of Sngmoo Lee.
sounds familiar yet retains some realty
cool potential.
YOU AGAIN (PG)Mami (Kristen
Belt) realizes her brother is about to
marry the bully who tormented her •
throughout high school. Now it is her
job to expose her enemy* true colors
before they become family. You have to
love Bell* support Sigourney Weaver.
Jamie Lee Curtis. Kristen Chenoweth
and eternally funny golden girts. Cforis
Leachman and Betty White. From com
petent but director Andy Ftefcman.
U/hftAlDF
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12 FLAGPOLE.COM • DECEMBER 1,2010