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Some releases may not be showing locally this week.
127 HOURS (R) Another excellent
film from Oscar-winning director
Danny Boyle (Sljmdog Millionaire),
127 Hours tells the remarkable sur
vival story ol Aron Ralston, an avid
outdoorsman who whittled off his
arm to escape dying in a canyon near
Moab. UT.
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.
ANOTHER YEAR (PG-13) See Movifr
Pick. •
BARNEY’S VERSION (R) TV pro
ducer Barney Panofsky (the typically
infatfible Paul Giamatli) reflects on
his three marriages, battles with the
bottle, and the mysterious disap
pearance of his best friend. Boogie
(Scott Speedman, always remembered
for “Felicity*) in this adaptation of
Mordecai Richler's last novel.
THE BEACHES OF AGNES (NR)
2008. The latest film from Agnes Varda,
the director of Gleaners and I and Cteo
. from 5 to 7, reminisces about her
life through photographs, film cl'ps,
interviews, reenactments and her own
contemporary commentary. Part of the
French Film Festival.
BESTOFtHE NYINT’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/lour)
or Cin6*s (www.athenscine.com) for
more information.
BIUTIFUL (R) Critical darling
Alejandro Gonzalez literritu (Amores
Perms. 21 Grams, Babel) 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
Wrestle/).
BLUE VALENTINE (R) The perfect
past and broken present of working
class couple Dean and Cindy (Golden
Globe nominees Ryan Gosling and
Michelle Williams) is examined in a
crosscut fury by writer-director Derek
Cianfrance. Early buzz has been strong,
though Blue Valentine 's 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 gamer Oscar buzz) and
his business partner. Michael Scanlon
(Barry Pepper), who wheeled and
dealed with Washington's most power
ful players.
CEDAR RAPIDS (R) A small town
lifer, Tim Lippe (Ed Helms), is sent to
the annual insurance conference in the
big city of Cedar Rapids, IA, where he
learns the ropes from some convention
veterans, led by John C. Reilly.
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA:
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
first entry, The Lion, the Witch, and the
Wardrobe.
CLIENT 9: THE RISE AND FALL OF
ELIOT SPITZER (R) Academy Award
winning documentarian Alex Gioney
(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 of Dr. Hunter S.
Thompson, and Casino Jack and the
United States of 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 stoiy.*
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.
THE DILEMMA (PG-13) The
Dilemma, the first comedy from direc
tor Ron Howard since 1999s Edtv,
has aspirations to be more than a
silly slapstick farce. When the guy in
imbroglio is played by Vince Vaughn,
who is nearly always better than his
chosen material, and the filmmaker
is an acclaimed Oscar winner, you
hope for a bit more than poorly edited,
sophomoric gags.
DUE DATE (R) After the big-time
breakthrough ol 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), it he wants to make it to
his child's birth on time.
THE EAGLE (PG-13) After August’s
Centurion, Rome is all the rage, kind
of. Cullman, Aiabama native Channing
Tatum might not bring to mind Julius
Caesar but he could pull off Roman
soldier Marcus Aquila. who seeks to
redeem the Ninth Legion 20 years after
its leader, his dad. disappeared into the
Scottish mist.
C A|R GAME (PG-13) Doug Liman
\,,te Bourne Identity) directs this drama
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.
FASTER (R) The Reck shelves the
family-friendly brand he's been market
ing the past few years for a motorized,
violent, revenge thriller that seems
custom-built for Vin Diesel.
THE FIGHTER (R) Mark Wahiberg
stars as boxer “Irish" Micky Ward,
whose brother, Dick Eklund (Christian
Bale), helped him train before going
pro in, the 1980s. With Amy Adams and
Melissa Leo.
FROM PRADA TO NADA (PG-13) In
this Latinized version of Jane Austen’s
Sense and Sensibility, two spoiled little
rich girls (10,000 BC's Camilla Belle
and grown-up Spy Kid Alexa Vega)
move to East LA to live with their
estranged aunt after the sudden death
of their supposedly wealthy father.
GNOMEO AND JULIET (G) This new
Disney dish feels more like an appe
tizer for whatever blockbuster Pixar
cooks up for 20111s main course. In
this cutesy adaptation of Shakespeare's
Romeo and Juliet, Gnomeo (v. James
McAvoy) and Juliet (v. Emily Blunt) are
star-crossed lovers from rival gardens.
THE GREEN HORNET (PG-13) More
unconventional on paper than Ang
Lee’s Hulk, The Green Hornet is an
interesting entry in the overpopulated,
same-y superhero genre.
GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (PG) Travel
writer Lemuel Gulliver (Jack Black) is
shipwrecked on the island of Lilfiput.
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) I cannot find fault with this flawless
penultimate installment of the stalwart
franchise.
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 LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS (R)
This black comedy recounts the true
story of con man Steven Russell (Jim
Carrey). A former policeman, Steven
turns to a life of crime to pay for his
new high-flying lifestyle as a gay man.
When he’s finally caught, Steven is
sent to prison where he meets doe
eyed Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor).
The two fall in love, leading Steven to
another Iraud-filled crime spree and
several (too many) escape attempts.
THE ILLUSIONIST (PG) Triplets ol
Belleville filmmaker Sylvain Chomet
returns with this wondrous looking
traditionally animated feature. Based on
a concept by the late, adored Jacques
Tati, The Illusionists a stage magician
struggling against the ebbing tide of
vaudeville.
JUST GO WITH IT (PG-13) This plot
sounds like a winner. A dude named
Danny (Adam Sandler) talks his pal
Katherine (Jennifer Aniston), a pretty
mother of two. into acting like his
soon-to-be divorced wife so he can
woo his dream girl (Sports Illustrated
swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker).
JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY
NEVER-(G) No 3D concert movie
has been able to generate the sort of
buzz or box office seen by the Hannah
Montana/ Miley Cyrus behemoth that
started the movement, but they keep
making them.
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
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 lixe Teri’s ex Kevin (Owen
Wilson)—are returning to haunt male
nurse Gayltrd Focker.
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.
THE MECHANIC (R) Jason Statham
gets his Bronson on in this remake.
Elite hit man Arthur Bishop (Statham)
takes an apprentice. Steve McKenna
(Ben Foster), under his wing.
Complications arise after learning
McKenna has connections to an earlier
target. I really like the idea of the up-
and-coming Foster as an assassin-in-
training. and I’ve watched enough crap
with Statham to brave another. Director
Simon West knows action from his
time with Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and
Con Air, but is it the right kind? With
Donald Sutherland.
MEGAMIND (PG) Megamind wit
tily tweaks the superhero genre with
enough ingenuity and crafty celebrity
voice-work to save a parentis week
end trip to the movies. Dreamworks’
Megamind could not stand up to the
real costumed heroes like Pixar's The
Incredibles, but the satire would make
a capable animated sidekick.
MIAMI CONNECTION (NR) 1987.
Bad Movie Night is back to celebrate
the worst cinema has to offer! And it's
free! Ninjas on bikes terrorize a Florida
(?) torn populated by what Cin6’s
website sounds like a human version
ot the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:
“orphaned, pizza-loving Tae Know Do
enthusiasts."
MORNING GLORY (PG-13) Nothing
special, Morning Glory leaps the old-
fashioned benefits of casting movie
stars like zestful beauty McAdams or
gruff audience fave Ford and letting
them do their charismatic thing.
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
for his wife, Lara (Elizabeth Banks), 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.
NIXON IN CHINA (NR) This 1987
opera details the visit of U.S. President
Richard Nixon to China in 1972, where
he meets China’s Chairman Mao
Zedong and other Chinese officials. A
performance by the Metropolitan Opera
will be streamed live in high-definition
at Beechwood Cinemas.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED (R) Could
No Strings Attached be this year's
Valentine's DaY> !t does star Ashton
Kutcher, is helmed by a washed-up
‘comedy* director (Ivan Reitman), and
is really, really poorly written. A meager
handful of genuine laughs are crowded
out by cheap/misguided gags. Kudos
also for wasting Kevin Kline, which is
hard to do. No Strings Attached starts
the year off with a star-studded rom-
com bomb, and it’s not Kate Hudson’s
fault, for once.
ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT (NR) When
circus producer David Balding real
ized his adopted “daughter* Flora,
the orphaned African elephant that
was the star of his show, was ready to
retire from the spotlight, he began a
nine-year odyssey to find her the right
retirement home. The film is part of the
Animal Voices Film Festival.
THE RITE (PG-13) Based on journal
ist Matt Baglio's book. California priest
Gary Thomas (Colin O'Donoghue)
is sent to Rome by his bishop to be
trained as an exorcist. While at the
Vatican’s exorcism school, he encoun
ters demonic forces, and his views on
the spiritual battle between good and
evil change. .
THE ROOMMATE (PG-13) Sure The
Roommate is a Single Whits Female
rip-off, but moving the psychotic
action to freshman year of college
was a brilliant move. Too bad that’s
where any brilliance the movie could
have achieved ends thanks to the poor
MOVIE LISTINGS
Schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead,
ACC LIBRARY (706-613-3650)
Stand Firm (NR) 7:00 (Th. 2/10)
CINE (706-353-3343)
Another Year (PG-13) 5:15, 7:45 (W. 2/9 & Th. 2/10) 4:30, 7:00
(starts F. 2/11)
Blue Valentine (R) 5:00, 7:30, 9:45 (no 9:45 Su. 2/13), 2:30 (Sa. 2/12
& Su. 2/13)
The Fighter (R) 9:30 (starts F. 2/11) (no 9:30 show Su. 2/13), 2:00
(Sa. 2/12 & Su. 2/13)
Kids Flix Short Films: Best of NY Inti Children's Film Festival (NR)
2:15 (Sa. 2/12 & Su. 2/13)
Miami Connection (NR) 8:00 (Tu. 2/15)
UGA TATE CENTER THEATER (706-542-6396)
The Beaches of Agnes (NR) 8:00 (M. 2/14)
His Girl Friday (NR) 8:00 (Th. 2/10)
Morning Glory (PC-13) 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 (F. 2/11-Su. 2/13)
*
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.
12 FLAGPOLE.COM • FEBRUARY 9, 2011
scripting prowess of first-time writer
Sonny Mallhi.
SANCTUM (R) What slowly starts out
as the worst film of 2011 eventually
settles down to be a decent, trapped
in a cave genre effort. A group of cave
divers led by Frank (Richard Roxburgh)
are trapped far below the surface after
a storm closes off their only known
means of egress. Thankfully, Frank’s
pne badass caving vet. who will stop at
nothing to gel his son (Rhys Wakefield)
to safety.
SEASON OF THE WITCH (PG-13)
As silly as the newest Nic Cage action
flick is. I am shocked it did not end
with the Donovan hit of the same name.
THE SOCIAL NETWORK (PG-13)
By the end of this multi-focused
deposition of founder Mark Zuckerberg
(Jesse Eisenberg). a new asshole of an
’00 s anti-hero has been born to rival
the ‘80’s Gordon Gekko and the 90’s
Hannibal Lecter. And Zuckerberg is
real. Acclaimed director Fincher may
have crafted his most complete film
yet. The Social Network is the best film
of the year.
STAND FIRM (NR) 1996. The title
pretty mu r n sums up this documen
tary: Jehovah's Witnesses Stand Firm
Against Nazi Assault. What more do
you need to know before making a
decision to see it? Interviews with 10
historians and more than 20 survivors
relate a tale of courage and triumph as
this small religious group iciused to
take part in Hitler’s Third Reich All a
Witness had to do to be released from
prison was sign a statement renounc
ing their faith
THE TEMPEST (PG-13) Julie Taymor,
more acclaimed for Broadway’s The
Lion King than any of her film work
(Across the Universe) adapts more
Shakespeare (she previously filmed
a version of Titus). Prospero is now
a female alchemist named Prospera
(Helen Mirren). Banished to an island
for witchcraft, she raises her daughter.
Miranda (Felicity Jones), and struggles
for power with Caliban (Djimon
Hounsou). It should be another domi
nating visual effort from ’.he always
interesting mind of Taymor.
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 insanely
entertaining Tron: Legacy's 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) To help distance
their new film from the John Wayne
classic, Joel and Ethan Coen are call
ing it a new adaptation of the novel by
Charles Portis rather than a remake.
A young girl (Hailee Steinfeld) hires
gruff U.S. Marshal Reuben J. ‘Rooster’
Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help find the
man who killed her father. I am quite
thrilled to see Bridges’ take on Wayne's
iconic role as directed by the Coens.
UNSTOPPABLE (PG-13) Loosely
based on the true story. Unstoppable
stars Denzel Washington and Chris
Pine as the only two men who can
stop a runaway train terrorizing the
Pennsylvania countryside.
THE WAY BACK (PG-13) Another
POW escape flick a la The Great Escape
and Rescue Dawn, The Way Back
chronicles the efforts of several sol
diers. led by the young (Jim Sturgess,
21), to break out of a gulag in Soviet-
occupied Poland.
YOGI BEAR (PG) Yogi Bear will
satisfy the low expectations of children
while providing the parents an hour
and a half to disengage.Bear is not
smarter than your average family film,
but I’ve seen several dumber.
Drew Wheeler
