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Some releases may not be showing locally this week.
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
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
Foreign Language Film.
ALL GOOD THINGS (R) Capturing
the Friedmans director Andrew Jarecki
turns to fiction teatures with this mur
der mystery based on New York's most
notorious unsolved cases A detective
(Jeffrey Dean Morgan) investigates a
missing persons case involving the
heir to a real estate dynasty (Ryan
Gosling) and a young woman trom
the wrong side of the tracks (Kirsten
Dunst). Another late 2010, Ryan
Gosling film vying for Oscar love
ALPHA AND OMEGA (PG)Two
young wolves at opposite ends ot their
pack's social order find themselves in
a foreign land. They must rely on each
other in order to find their way home.
BEST OF THE NY INTL
CHILDREN'S FILM FESTIVAL (NR)
Each year this festival presents a kalei
doscopic collection of the best new
animation, live action and experimental
film for children from around the world.
Visit their website (www.gkids.tv/lour)
or Cin6's (wwwjfhensctne.com) for
more information
BLACK SWAN (R) Great does not
begin to describe Black Swan nor does
it do this complex film justice. Lets
call Black Swan what it is: stunning,
original, another imperfect masterpiece
from filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (The
Wrestler). Aging ballerina Nina Sayers
(Natalie Portman) finally lands a lead
as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake But
as the pressure mounts. Nina begins
to suspect that the pretty new dancer,
Lity (Mila Kunis). is out to Single
While Female her. Or are her suspi
cions those of a raving lunatic raised
by a madwoman, Ninas mother Erica
(Barbara Hershey), on the.verge of utter
self-destruction? Aronofsky shoots this
psychosexual thriller like a Polanskian
horror film
BURLESQUE (PG-13) Wha!
Showgirls was to All 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
CASINO JACK (R) This docudrama
recounts the rise and fall of super-
lobbyist Jack Abramofl (Kevin Spacey)
and his business partner, Michael
Scanlon (Barry Pepper), who wheeled
and dealea with Washingtons most
powerful players The uh-oh comes
when a mob-connected associate (Jon
Lovitz)'brings everything crashing
down in scandal.
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA:
THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN
TREADER (PG) 20th Century Fox's
first entry since snatching up the rights
to the popular C.S. Lewis franchise
alter Walt Disney- dropped it. The
Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of
the Dawn Treader, hereby known as
Narnia 3. continues the series' down
ward spiral since the first entry, The
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
CLIENT 9: THE RISE AND FALL
OF ELIOT SPITZER (R) Academy
Award winning documentarian Alex
Gibney charts the rise and fall of former
New York Governor and present CNN
anchor Biot Spitzer. Featuring inter
views with the scandal-rocked former
politico. Chem 9s poster claims to tell
The real story.*
THE COMPANY MEN (R) Three men
deal with losing their jobs in the pres
ent 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.
DUE DATE (R) After the big-time
breakthrough of The Hangover, direc
tor Todd Phillips (Road Trifi returns
with this comedy about a soon-to-be
father, Peter Highman (Robert Downey.
Jr.), who must hitch a ride with
aspiring actor, Efhan Tremblay (Zack
Galifinairias). if he wants to make it to
his child* birth on time. Something
Jeeis off in the trailer for this seemingly
funny comedy.
EASY A (PG-13) This second movie
from director Will Gluck and first-time
feature writer Bert V Royal accom
plishes a rare feat’lor teen-aimed tunny
tlicks tt starts with a tun concept that
it treats respectfully and with genuine
humor in a tightly written script good
enough to attract a talented cast that
includes Emma Stone, Stanley Tucci.
Patricia Clarkson, Thomas Haden
Church. Lisa Kudrow and Malcolm
McDowell.
FAIR GAME (PG-13) Doug Liman
(The Bourne Identity directs this
drama based on the government's
outing ot CIA Operative Valerie Plame
Naomi Watts stars as Plame. whose
identity was leaked while investigat
ing WADs in Iraq after her husband,
Joseph Wilson (Sean Perm), wrote
a 2003 New York Times op-ed piece
critical ot the Bush administration
With Ty Burrell (so funny on “Modern
Family’), Bruce McGill, Sam Shepard
and Biooke Smith.
THE FIGHTER (R) Mark. Wahlberg
stars as boxer ’Irish' Micky Ward,
whose brother, Dick Ektund (Christian
Bale), helped him train before going
pro in the 1980s Seeking to rehab
his image after that awful I Heart
Huckabees footage went viral a tew
years back. David 0. Russell took over
this project that Darren Aronofsky was
prepping prior to The Wrestler I won
der how welcoming the set was, with
the combination of notorious hotheads
Russell and Bale. With Amy Adams and
Melissa Leo.
GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (PG) Travel
writer Lemuel Gulliver (Jack Black) is
shipwrecked on the island of Lilliput,
in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle,
where he towers over the natives
Though they first imprison him, he
soon becomes a favorite, helping
scheme to defeat the Lilliputian rivats,
the Blefuscudians. One of my favorite
books by one of my favorite satirists
gets the new treatment but I am not
excited, though toe cowriting credit for
Nicholas Stoller (Get Him to the Greek)
intrigues.
HARRY POTTER AND THE
DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
(PG-13) As much as I stilt 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 toe end we all know by heart
approaches I cannot find fault with this
flawless penultimate installment of toe
stalwart franchise. Director David Yates
continues to bring Rowling* magical
world to rousing, tangible life.
HEREAFTER (PG-13) Clint must be
feeling mortal The sturdy old directors
newest film, a supernatural melodrama
(its not quite his thing), asks and
unsuccessfully tries to answer the
eternal query: Wh# happens after we -
die? Being an Eastwood film. I'm not
surprised Hereafter is slow and a bit
sappily sentimental.
HOW DO YOU KNOW (PG-13) An
aging (277!) athlete Lisa Jorgenson
(Reese Witherspoon) starts feeling her
age and winds up getting involved in
a love triangle with her baseball player
boyfriend (Owen Wilson) and a crisis-
ridden corporate guy (Paul Rudd)
i LOVE YOU PHNLUP MORRIS (R)
Scam artist and former police officer
Steven Russelt (Jim Carrey) plots toe
big con to escape his second stint in
prison and win toe heart and freedom
of Phillip Moms (Ewan McGregor).
Bad Santa scripters 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. With
Leslie Mann and Rodrigo Santoro
(Raul Castro in both parts of Steven
Soderbergh's epic Chd).
THE ILLUSIONIST (PG) Triplets of
Belleville filmmaker Sylvain Chomet
returns with this wondrous looking
traditionally animated feature Based on
a concept by the late, adored Jacques
Tati. The Illusionist is a stage magician
struggling against the ebbing tide of
vaudeville. Enter a young girl named
Alice who changes his life forever The
Illusionist is toe best chance traditional
animation has to beat its computer
generated competition for all the year-
end prizes
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* 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
LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS:
THE OWLS OF GA HOOLE (PG) 300
director Zack Snyder was made tor ani
mation, and Legend of the Guardians:
The Owts otGahooieproves it.
Unfortunately, the film, based on toe
first three books in Kathryn Lasky*
bestselling children* series, feels
rushed and poorly explained
LITTLE FOCKERS (PG-13) I can!
quite decide how I feel about this
third entry in toe Meet toe... movie
franchise. The Fockers, Greg and Pam
(Ben Stiller and Ten Polo), now have a
couple of kids, taking a little ot grandpa
Jack Byrnes' (Robert De Niro) heat off
of Greg . But with toe twins'birthday
party on toe horizon, okf suspicions—
and old pais tike Ten* ex Kevin (Owen
Wilson)—are returning to haunt male
nurse Gaylord Focker. Director Paul
Weitz (About a Boty takes over tor
Jay Roach, toe director of toe first two
mega-hit comedies.
LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS (R) The
raunchy romdramedy Love and Other
Drugs delivers on its titillating promise
to show loads of Jake Gyllenhaal and
Anne Hathaway naked and banging
Other stuff happens, but one* desire
to watch writer-director Edward Zwick*
first romance since 1986* About Last
Night... really boils down to how
much you want to see these two stars .
in the butt.
MADE IN DAGENHAM (R) Sounds
like another satisfying Britaim. tn
1968, the female workers at toe 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 tor this (she should have
gotten one tor Happy-Go-Lucky) and
Bob Hoskins
MONSTERS (R) Monsters is easily
toe most impressive anemic achieve
ment of toe year. Set in an alternate
reality where alien life forms have
invaded and mutated the animal popu
lation of a quarantined Mexico, reporter
Andrew (Scoot McNairy) is tasked
with escorting his boss’ daughter.
Samantha (Whitney Able), back to the
United States. When their passports are
stolen, Andrew and Whitney must risk
traveling over land during the migra
tion period of los monstruos. Sd-ti
tans expecting an explosive monster-a-
minute thriller will be disappointed ini
tially. but the climactic payoff is worth
the deliberate trek to get there
MY DOG TULIP (NR) This lovely
looking animated movie tor adults tells
toe story ot a man and his affection
for the German shepherd he rescues
Christopher Plummer tends his grav
elly. dynamic voice to Tulip's owner.
British author J.R Ackeriey, who pub
lished an account of his 16-year rela
tionship with Queenie (renamed Tulip
tor the book). The hand drawn anima
tion from Paul and Sandra Fiertinger
looks beautifully old-tashioned
NOTE BY NOTE (NR) 2007 Ever
wondered how they make a Steinway
Grand piano? Personally. I have not
though I bet toe process is an interest
ing one. Note by Note The Making
of Steinway L1037. from director Ben
Niles, follows the piano from the for
est floor to toe concert hall, and asks
for the expert opinions ol Steinway
enthusiasts such as Harry Connick. Jr .
Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Kenny Barron,
Bill Char lap, Hfetene Grimaud, Hank
Jones. Lang Lang and Marcus Roberts
Part of toe ACC Library* iFilms.
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 (R)
Katie* back. Does it matter what this
sequel to Oren Peli* tiny budgeted fall
blockbuster is about so long as toe
movie is as chilly as toe teaser?
RARE EXPORTS: 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 ot
hunters to go on a Santa hunt.
RED (PG-13) Rebred black ops agent
Frank Moses (Willis) is classified
RED—Retired, Extremely Dangerous
To survive, he goes on toe road,
picking up his former teammates,
all of whom have also been declared
RED due to a mysterious eariy-BOs
operation in Guatemala. A good oW,
lighthearted romp of PG-13 violence
and explosions.
RESJDBIT EVIL- AFTBtLJFE (R)
Calling Paul W.S. Anderson* directo
rial return to this zombie videogame-
tumed-movie franchise Resident Evil
A would be an insult to arguably toe
best game' in toe mother series. With
such a rich source ol story, one would
think this entire series could be better,
but Anderson has manufactured his
own paler RE universe by cherrypicking
various conoepts and characters. RE A
may be the worst yet.
SOMEWHERE (R) Bad boy actor
Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff.whohas
some real life experience to draw from),
rocking toe Hollywood lifestyle pretty
hard a! toe Chateau Marmont. is visited
by his daughter (Elte Fanning, Dakota*
little sister). Oscar winner Sofia
Coppola* new him won toe Golden
Lion, the top prize at toe Venice Frim
Festival. Expect a typical Sofia Coppola
anemabc experience wtoetoer or no(
MOVIE LISTINGS
Schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead.
ACC LIBRARY (706-613-3650)
Mote by Note (NR) 7:00 (Th. 12/30)
ONI (706-353-3343)
Mr Game (PG-13) 7:30, 9:45 (no 9:45 show Su. 12/26)
Kids FUx Short FUras: Best of NY IntT Children's Filin Festival (NR)
2:15 (starts Su. 12/26) (new time M. 12/27:4:00)
Monsters (R) 9:30 (addT time Su. 12/26: 3:00) (no 9:30 show Su.
12/26)
My Peg Tulip (NR) 5:30 (W. 12/22 & Th. 12/23) (new time Sa. 12/26:
5:45)
Tamara Drew* (R) 5:00. 7:15
Accurate movie times for the f ARMHtl 12 (706-354-0016),
mOWBOOi CTABNM1 11 (706-546-1011) and SEOBSIA
SONARS 5 (706-548-3426) cinemas are not available by press
time. Visit wwrw.fUgpole.com for updated times.
14 FLAGPOLE.COM • DECEMBER 22.2010
L
you like it. With Michelle Monaghan
(Eagle Eye) and Laura Ramsey (The
Ruins).
TAMARA DREWE (R) A young
newspaper writer (blockbuster princess
Gemma Arterton, Quantum of Solace.
Clash of the Titans. Prince of Persia
The Sands ot 7/me), who used to be
what one would call an ugly duckling,
returns to her hometown as her child
hood home goes up for sale. Two-time
Oscar nominee Stephen Frears (The
Gutters and The Queen) directs Moira
Buffini* adaptation of Posy Sirnmonds
graphic novel retelling ol Thomas
Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd
With Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia).
TANGLED (PG) Disney* 50th ani
mated feature entertains like some ot
the best the House of Mouse has ever
ottered. Can you imagine how magical
this fairy tale could have been had it
been traditionally animated and simply
titled Rapunzel?
THE TOURIST (PG-13) Seeing this
Angelina Jolie-Johnny Depp team-up
may be cheaper than a trip to Venice,
but anyone wishing to float the canais
of that old Italian city would be advised
to wait for discount tares. A math
teacher from Wisconsin. Frank Tupelo
(Depp), gets involved in international
espionage after being chatted up by a
beautiful Brit, Elise Ward (Jolie). Soon,
Frank is running across rooftops from
Russian hitmen ano butting heads with
a determined detective from Scotland
Yard (Paul Bettany) How* a Wisconsin
schoolteacher to survive?
THE TOWN (R) Ben Affleck's sec*>nd
directorial effort is a very good film
This tough cops-and-robbers flick
conjures comparisons to Heat a good,
it overrated Michael Mann film that The
Town soundly trumps
TRON: LEGACY (PG) Disney* big
budget. 3D sequel to the cult classic
picks up right as game designer Kevin
Flynn (Jeff Bridges) again disappears
into the Grid, tots time leaving his
young son, Sam. behind. When an all
growed up Sam (Garrett Hedlund, toe
upcoming Country Strong) receives
a communication from his estranged
dad, toe younger Flynn happens upon
the Grid and becomes just the revolu
tionary capable of dethroning toe des
potic Clu (Bridges, 20 years younger
thanks to CGO-The trippy, ail-btacktit
visuals dreamed up by director Joseph
Kosmski dance to the kinetic beat and
rhythmic thump of Daft Punk* excellent
score. The insanely entertaining Tron
Legacy is toe best amusement park
ride/teser light snow you’ll see at the
movies this year Get your light cycle to
the theater before I derezyou.
TRUE GRIT (PG-13) To help distance
their new film horn toe John Wayne
classic, Joel and Ethan Coen are call
ing it a new adaptation of toe novel by
Charles Portis rather than a remake.
A young girt (Bailee Steinteid) hires
gruff U.S. Marshal Reuben J. “Rooster'
Cogbum (Jeff Bridges) to help find toe
man who kilted her tatoer. I am quite
thrilled to see Bridges'take on Wayne*
iconic role as directed by the Coens
With Matt Damon as La Boeuf and
Josh Brotin as Tom Chaney.
YOGI BEAR (PG) What can you say
about another CGWive action update
ot a classic cartoon? Yogi Soar will
satisfy toe tow expectations of children
white providing toe parents an hour
and a haft to disengage. Yogi (v. Dan
Ackroyd) and Boo-Boo (v. Justin
Timberiake) still staft Jdlystone Park
much to toe chagrin of Ranger Srrrito
(Tom Cavanaugh). When toeir park is
threatened by evil Mayor Brown (* the
funny Andrew Daly) and his weasefy
Chief of Staff (Nate Corddry), toe too
. must put aside their ddfarenoes and
work together. Yogi Bear is not smarter
than your average family film, but I ve
seen several dumber