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Some releases may not be showing locally this week.
127 HOURS (R) Academy Award
winner Danny Boyle's newest tilm 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.
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 persons case involving the
heir to a real estate dynasty (Ryan
Gosling) and a young woman from
the wrong side of the tracks (Kirsten
Dunst).
ALPHA AND OMEGA (PG) Two
young wolves at opposite ends ot 'heir
pack's social order find themselves in
a foreign land. They must rely on each
other in order to find their way home.
ANOTHER YEAR (PG-13) The
incredible Mike Leigh returns! Spend
four seasons in the life of the happily
married Tom and Gerri (Jim Broadbent
and Ruth Sheen) and their miserable
circle of friends and family. Leigh has
had more critically welcomed films
than Another Year, but the film, star
ring the usual crew of Leigh regulars
sounds exactly like what I would expect
from the veteran British filmmaker.
ATHENS BURNING (NR) A docu
mentary chronicling the history of The
Georgia Theatre up to the 2009 fire and
the current efforts to rebuild the rhusic
venue.
BARNEY’S VERSION (R) TV pro
ducer Barney Panofsky (the typically
infallible Paul Giamatti) reflects on
his three marriages, battles with the
bottle, and the mysterious disap
pearance of his best friend. Boogie
(Scott Speed:nan, always remembered
for ‘Felicity*) in this adaptation of
Mordecai Richter's last novel.
BEST OF THE NY INT’L
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/tour)
or Cinb's (www athenscine.com) for
more information.
BIUTIFUL (R) Critical darling
Alejandro Gonzalez Ifiarritu (Amores
Perros, 21 Grams, Babe!) returns with
what sounds like a Spanish-language
version of Clint Eastwood's Hereafter
(not a compliment). In Barcelona,
Uxbal (Javier Bardem, who won Best
Actor at Cannes) struggles to be a
good husband and father, while using
his ability to speak to the deceased to
eke out a living.
BLACK SWAN (R) Great does not
begin to describe Black Swan nor does
it do this complex film justice. Let's
call Black Swan what it is: stunning,
original, another imperfect masterpiece
from filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (The
Wrestlei). 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. Lily
(Mila Kunis). is out to Single White
Femalebet. Or are her suspicions those
of a raving lunatic raised by a mad
woman. Nina’s mother Erica (Barbara
Hershey), on the verge ol utter self-
destruction?
BLUE VALENTINE (R) The perfect
past and broken present of working
class cuuple Dean and Cindy (Golden
Globe nominees Ryan Gosling and
Michelie Williams) is examined in a
crosscut fury by writer-director Derek
Cianfrance. Early buzz has been strong,
though Blue Valentine is supposedly
far from a light-hearted romp at the
movies.
CASINO JACK (R) This docudrama
recounts the rise and fall of super
lobbyist Jack Abramoff (Kevin Spacey.
who is sure to garner Oscar buzz) and
his business partner. Michael Scanlon
(Barry Pepper), \‘ Mn wheeled and
dealed with Washington's most power
ful players. The uh-oh comes when a
mob-connected associate (Jon Lovitz)
brings everything crashing down in
scandal.
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIfe
THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN
TREADER (PG) Fox's first entry since
snatching up the rights to the popular
C.S. Lewis franchise after Walt Disney
dropped it, The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,
hereby known as Narnia 3, continues
the series' downward spiral since the
f irst entry, The L on. 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 Eliot Spitzer. Featuring inter
views 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.
COUNTRY STRONG (PG-13) A TV
movie with a capital TV, Country Strong
boasts some likable individual parts
that fail to add up. Country superstar
Kelly Canter (Gwyneth Paltrow, doing
all her own singin' and accentin', y'all)
is released from rehab and goes back
on the road with a singing beauty
queen, Chiles Stanton (Leighton
Meester) and a singing cowboy. Beau
Hutton (Garret Hedlund, Tron: Legacy).
But the pressure of reviving her career
and saving her marriage (to a slightly *
Ricky Gervais-ian Tim McGraw) is too
much for the too brightly burning star.
THE DILEMMA (PG-13) Ron Howard
directs Vince Vaughn and Kevin James
in his first comedy since 1999’s Edtv.
A confirmed bachelor Ronny (Vaughn)
must decide whether or not to tell his
best buddy and business partner Nick
• (James) that his wife, Geneva (Winona
Ryder), is cheating on him. Imagine
the comic possibilities as Vaughn and
James get guidance from a director that
isn't a pal of Vaughn or Adam Sandler.
FAIR GAME (PG-13) Doug Liman
(The Bourne Identity) directs this diama
based on the government's outing of
CIA Operative Valerie Plame. Naomi
Watts stars as Plame. whose identity
was leaked while investigating WMDs
in Iraq after her husband. Joseph
Wilson (Sean Penn), wrote a 2003 New
York Times op-ed piece critical of the
Bush administration.
THE FIGHTER (R) MarkWahlberg
stars as boxer ‘Irish* Micky Ward,
whose brother, Dick Eklund (Christian
Bale), helped him train before going
pro in the 1980s. A great film.
FOR ONCF IN MY LIFE (NR) From
the ITVS Community Cinema Series
comes the inspiring story of the Spirit
of Goodwill Band. The 28 members
of the band navigate daily life through
a wide range of mental and physical
disabilities. With humor, talent and
determination, this band plays on.
GHOST BIRD (NR) In 2005, scien
tists announced that the Ivory-billed
woodpecker, a species thought to be
extinct for 60 years, had been found in
the swamps of Eastern Arkansas. Other
creatures have wrongly been presumed
extinct, but the reappearance of the
Ivory-bill was celebrated around the
world as the rediscovery of a lifetime,
prompting the largest recovery effort
ever undertaken for a lost species.
THE GREEN HORNET (PG-13) About
half of the trailer for Michel Gondry’s
take on the crime fighting TV program
best remembered for Bruce Lee exists
me: the other half 'eaves me really
cold. After his newspaper publisher
father (Tom Wilkinson) is killed, slacker
Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) and martial arts
expert Kato (Jay Chou) decide to don
masks and fight crime by night.
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 rivals,
the Blefuscudians.
HARRY POTTER AND THE
DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
(PG-13) 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's magical world to rous
ing, 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 Rings and The Empire Strikes Back.
HEREAFTER (PG-13) C'int must be
feeling mortal. The sturdy old director's
newest film, a supernatural meiodrama
(it's not quite his thing), asks and
unsuccessfully tries to answer the eter
nal query: What happens after we die?
HOW DO YOU KNOW (PG-13) An
aging (27?!) 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'm a big fan of Oscar-winning writer-
director James L. Brooks (Terms of
Endearment, Broadcast News. As Good
As It Gets), who hopefully will get back
on track after 1he pretty blah Spanglish.
With Brooks regular Jack Nicholson as
Rudd’s dad.
! 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 heart and freedom
ol Phillip Morris (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.
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.
JACKASS 3 (R) Everything I said four
years ago in my Jackass Number Two
review holds true for Jackass 3. It's
disgusting, filthy, violent and fracking
hilarious.
THE KING’S SPEECH (R) See Movie
Pick.
LAST TRAIN HOME (NR) The
creators of the award-winning Up
the Yangtze return with this look at
the annual trek taken by 130 million
Chinese migrant workers, as they
travel back to their home villages
to celebrate the New Years holiday.
Chinese-Canadian filmmaker Lixin
Fan follows one couple, Changhua and
Sugin Zhang, that has been making the
journey tor 20 years. Winner of Best
Feature-Length Documentary from the
Amsterdam International Documentary
Film Festival as well as a Grand Jury
Prize nomination from the Sundance
Film Festival.
LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (PG-13)
When their mutual friends die in a car
accident, two singletons (Katherine
Heigl and Josh Duhamel) find them
selves thrust into the role of caregiver
for their orphaned daughter. Director
Greg Berlanti looks to snatch the crown
of heartfelt hilarity from Judd Apatow.
LITTLE FOCKERS (PG-13) The
Fockers, Greg and Pam (Ben Stiller
and Teri Polo), now have a couple of
kids, taking a little of grandpa Jack
Byrnes' (Robert De Niro) heat off of
Greg. But with the twins' birthday party
on the horizon, old suspicions—and
old pals like Teri's ex Kevin (Owen
Wilson)—are returning to haunt male
nurse Gaylord Focker.
LOVE AND QTHER 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.
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 and Bob Hoskins.
MONSTERS (R) Monsters is eas
ily the most impressive cinematic
achievement of the year. British film
maker Gareth Edwards has carved a
solid genre effort from mumblecore
without sacrificing the essence of that
American independent-film movement
or science fiction.
MY DOG TULIP (NR) This lovely
looking animated movie for adults
tells the story of a man and his affec
tion for the German shepherd he
rescues. Christopher Plummer lends
his gravelly, dynamic voice to Tulip's
owner. British author J.R. Ackerley. who
published an account of his 16-year
relationship with Queenie (renamed
Tulip for the book).
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 (R)
Katie's back. Does it matter what this
sequel to Oren Pelte tiny budgeted fall
blockbuster is about, so long as the
movie is as chilly as the teaser?
RED (PG-13) Retired black ops agent
Frank Moses (Willis) is classified
RED—Retired, Extremely Dangerous.
To survive, he goes on the road,
picking up his former teammates,
all of whom have also been declared
RED due to a mysterious early-’80s
operation in Guatemala. A good old,
lighthearted romp of PG-13 violence
and explosions.
THE ROOM (R) 2003. Wiseaus film is
supposedly THE new cult phenomenon.
SEASON OF THE WITCH (PG-13)
Two Crusaders (Nicolas Cage and the
welcome Ron Perlman) desert the papa!
army after being asked to slaughter
thousands of innocents. Whiie trudging
across Europe, the duo are found out
and tasked with transporting a witch
to some monks that intend to cure the
plague. The trip does not go smoothly.
SECRETARIAT (PG) The subject ot
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).
THE SECRET TO A HAPPY
ENDING (NR) Three years of touring
and recording in the lives of Athens’
MOVIE LISTINGS
Schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead.
ACC LIBRARY (706-613-3650)
What Are Dreams? (NR) 7:00 (Th. 1/13)
CINE (706-353-3343)
Ghost Bird (NR) 5:15, 7:15 (Th. 1/20)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (PG-13) 5:00, 8:15 (new time F.
1/14: 4:30) (add'l times Sa. 1/15 8, Su. 1/16: 1:30)
Kids Flix Short Films: Best of NY Int'l Children's Film Festival (NR)
4:00, 5:30 (new times Sa. 1/15: 2:30. 4:00) (ends Su. 1/16)
Last Train Home (NR) 7:15 (ends Th. 1/13)
Made in Dagenham (R ) 4:45, 7:15, 9:30 (starts F. 1/14) (no 9:30
show Su. 1/16)
The Room (R ) Midnight (F. 1/14 & Sa. 1/15)
The Secret to a Happy Ending (NR) 7:30 (starts F. 1/14) (add'l times
Sa. 1/15 & Su. 1/16: 2:00) (no 7:30 show Su. 1/16)
The Social Network (PG-13) 9:15 (new time F. 1/14: 9:45) (add'l times
Su. 1/16 & W. 1/19: 7:30) (no 9:45 show Su. 1/16)
Something the Lord Made (NR) 5:00, 8:00 (W. 1/19)
Accurate movie times for the CARMIKE 12 (706-354-0016),
BEECHWOOD STADIUM 11 (706-546-1011) and GEORGIA
SQUARE 5 (706-548-3426) cinemas are not available by press
time. Visit www.flagpole.com for updated times.
own Drive-By Truckers is chronicled
by filmmake r Barr Weinstein in the
documentary. The Secret to a Happy
Ending. Featuring interviews with the
band, behind the scenes footage (on
the road and in the studio) and live
performances (I can personally attest to
the band's greatness), this rock doc is
a must see lor the diehard Truckers fan.
Show up Monday. 1/17, for a Q&A with
producer Dave Barbe.
THE SOCIAL NETWORK (PG-13)
By the end of this muiti-focused
deposition of founds Mark Zuckerberg
(Jesse Eisenberg), a new asshole of an
‘OO’s anti-hero has been born to rival
the '80s Gordon Gekko and the '90's
Hannibal Lecter. The Social Network s
the best film of the year.
SOMETHING THE LORD MADE
(NR) Something The Lord Made is the
story of two men, Dr Alfred Blalock, an
•ambitious white surgeon, and Vivien
Thomas, a brilliant black carpenter
turned lab technician. Together they
defied the racial structures of the Jim
Crow south, devised groundbreaking
surgical techniques and pioneered the
field of heart surgery.
SOMEWHERE (R) Bad boy actor
Johnny Marco, rocking the Hollywood
lifestyle pretty hard at the Chateau
Marmonl. is visiled by his daughter
(Elle Fanning. Dakota's little sister)
Oscar winner Sofia Coppola's new film
won the Golden Lion, the top prize at
the Venice Film Festival
TAMARA DREWE (R) A young news
paper writer who used to be what one
would call an ugly duckling, returns
to her hometown as her childhood
home goes up for sale Two-time Oscar
nominee Stephen Frears (The Gfilters
and The Queen) directs Moira Buffini's
adaptation of Posy Simmond's graphic
novel retelling of Thomas Hardy's Far
from the Madding Crowd.
TANGLED (PG) Disney's 50th ani
mated feature entertains like some of
the best the House ol Mouse has ever
offered. Can you imagine how magical
this fairy tale could have been had it
been traditionally animated and simnly
titled Rapunzel?
THE TEMPEST (PG-13) Julie Taymor.
more acclaimed for Broadway's The
Lion King than any of her film work
adapts more Shakespeare (she previ
ously filmed a version of Titus).
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 canals
of that old Italian city would be advised
to wait for discount fares.
TRON: LEGACY (PG) The trippy.all-
blacklit visuals are the best amusement
park ride/laser light show you'll see
at the movies this year. Get your light
cycle to the theater before I derez you.
TRUE GRIT (PG-13) See Movie Pick.
UNSTOPPABLE (PG-13) The fleet,
hour and a half, bullet train that is
Unstoppable gets audiences to its
destination by the most scenic, sus
penseful route. Loosely based on the
true story, Unstoppable stars Denzel
Washington and Star Trek's Chris
Pine as the only two men who can
stop a runaway train terrorizing the
Pennsylvania countryside.
WHAT ARE DREAMS? (NR) 2009.
What are dreams’ Can that question
ever be answered? This documentary,
originally airing on NOVA in November
2009, looks at the research of the
wr rids leading dream researchers as
they experiment to unlock the secrets
of sleep and dreaming, are people that
don't ever dream.
YOGI BEAR (PG) What can you say
about another CGI-live action update
of a classic cartoon? Like Alvin and the
Chipmunks before it. Yogi Bear will
satisfy the low expectations of children
while providing the parents an hour
and a half to disengage.
Drew Wheeler
10 FLAGPOLE.COM • JANUARY 12, 2011