Before
the Devil Knows You're Dead
Drama, Thriller MA 117
Philip Seymour Hoffman Ethan Hawke
When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelery store
the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends
them, their father and one brother's wife hurtling towards a shattering
climax
“Conceptually bold and unnervingly suspenseful, this is one of the
best films Lumet has directed in a very long career” David Stratton At
the Movies“It's dynamite laced with electricity. It's a perfectly played
puzzle that's final images make for an astoundingly satisfying statement”
Bill Gibron PopMatters
Blindsight
Doco PG 104
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Himalayas, Blindsight follows
the gripping adventure of six Tibetan teenagers who set out to climb the
23,000 foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest. A dangerous
journey soon becomes a seemingly impossible challenge made all the more
remarkable by the fact that the teenagers are blind. Believed by many
Tibetans to be possessed by demons, the children are shunned by their
parents, scorned by their villages and rejected by society. Rescued by
Sabriye Tenberken -- a blind educator and adventurer who established the
first school for the blind in Lhasa, the students invite the famous blind
mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer to visit their school after learning
about his conquest of Everest. Erik arrives in Lhasa and inspires Sabriye
and her students to let him lead them higher than they have ever been
before. The resulting 3-week journey is beyond anything any of them could
have predicted. -
“You take them with you as you leave the theater, knowing that your
bad day probably isn't as rough as you first thought and inspiring the
realization that anyone can climb the peaks of their own lives. It's a
must-see” The Deadbolt “It's doubtful whether even a dream team of Hollywood's
best and brightest creative minds could have come up with a tale that's
more fascinating or more inspirational than Blindsight” Jeff Vice Deseret
News
Closing
the Ring
Dir: Richard Attenborough Romance, Drama M 118
Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Pete Postlewaite
In the same vein as The Notebook, this is a deeply moving love story,
beautifully interwoven between the 1940s and the present. Inspired by
true events and spanning fifty years, "Closing the Ring" tells
the story of how an American woman honoured a wartime promise with a lifetime
of denial - and how the discovery of a gold ring brought her back to life.
Attenborough traces multiple themes with ease and grace, giving his celebrated
ensemble cast ample opportunity to shine. Academy Award winner Brenda
Fricker stands out as a former wartime vamp, Christopher Plummer emits
an incomparable charm as Jack, Chuck's lifelong friend, and additional
support comes from Pete Postlethwaite and Neve Campbell.
Fools
Gold
Comedy / Romance M 113
Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson
Ben Finn Finnegan, is a good–natured, surf bum–turned–treasure hunter
who is obsessed with finding the legendary 18th century Queens Dowry.
In his quest, Finn has sunk everything he has, including his marriage
to Tess, and his more–rusty–than–trusty salvage boat, Booty Calls. Just
as Tess has begun to rebuild her life, Finn discovers a vital clue to
the treasure‘s whereabouts. Certain that his luck will change with the
newfound information, Finn maneuvers himself aboard Nigel‘s yacht and,
using his good–natured charm, convinces the tycoon and his Blackberry–wielding,
celebutante daughter, Gemma to join him in the pursuit of the Spanish
treasure. Against Tess‘ better judgment, the search rekindles her love
of discovery. But they are not the only ones after the treasure. FOOL'S
GOLD boasts lively performances from a solid cast that brings the film's
clever, quick humor to life
Hey
Hey It’s Esther Blueburger
Keisha Castle-Hughes, Toni Collette Comedy M 103
A smart, rueful and dead-on portrait of life’s unending quest to fit in.
. . and the girl who solves it by completely breaking out - introduces
a feisty outsider hero unlike any other seen on screen. Esther Blueburger’s
quest begins when she escapes from her Bat Mitzvah party and is befriended
by Sunni, the effortlessly cool girl who is everything Esther thinks she
wants to be. With the help of Sunni, Esther goes AWOL from her ordinary
life and leaves behind her malfunctioning nuclear family to hang out with
Sunni’s far breezier and super-hip single mom Mary and attend Sunni’s
forbidden public school as a Swedish exchange student. As seen from box
office results, audiences are responding to the precocious loner: a quirky,
intelligent, independent, non-conformist girl who dances to her own tune
and comes from a somewhat dysfunctional but loving family!
Documentary G 96
Between 1968 and 1972, nine American spacecraft voyaged to the Moon, and 12 men walked upon its surface. They remain the only human beings to have stood on another world. "In the Shadow of the Moon" brings together for the first, and very possibly the last, time surviving crew members from every single Apollo mission which flew to the Moon, and allows them to tell their story in their own words. Featuring stunning archive material which has been remastered from original NASA footage - much of it never seen before - This film offers a powerful and profound reminder of the extraordinary accomplishments humankind is capable of, as well as a celebration of the magic of moon flight and space exploration.
"A captivating and revelatory experience from beginning to end, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Miss this, and you've cheated yourself of a truly rewarding movie experience." - LEIGH PAATSCH - HERALD SUN
"I wouldn't have missed this chance to revisit one of earth's most significant encounters with deep space for anything." - Margaret Pomeranz - AT THE MOVIES
“David Sington’s In the Shadow of the Moon moved me to the extremes of nostalgia, regret and outright admiration as no other movie has moved me this year, even though -- or perhaps because -- it is a mere documentary” Andrew Sarris New York Observer An awe-inspiring film suffused with reverence and wonder . . . with the power to coax tears and goosebumps from even the most jaded viewer” Brandon Fibbs Christianity Today
Lars
& the Real Girl
Comedy PG 106
Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider
As the title character, Ryan Gosling is a strange but likeable young man
who manages to keep down a job but keeps mostly to himself. He only leaves
the garage where he lives when his older brother Gus and loving sister-in-law
Karin drag him to their house next door for dinner. Lars doesn't take
well to questioning, so the disturbing level of his isolation is never
openly discussed. It's only when he announces he has a girlfriend in the
form of an anatomically correct doll he purchased via the Internet that
everyone must admit his precarious mental state. No one quite knows how
to help Lars, so they play along, careful not to do anything that might
push him or Bianca (his plastic fiancée) over the edge. A sweet
love story and a film which deals with mental illness in surprisingly
subtle ways. With a formula that could easily have manipulated for cheap
laughs, the film achieves quirky humor in parts but mostly touching observations
about the nature of delusions themselves.
“This charmer of a film is one that you will never forget. It's funny,
overtly moving and uplifting. I want to see it again” Urban Cinefile Critics
“Tenderly depicting his characters' human foibles with low-key visual
humor, Gillespie never condescends or goes for an easy joke” Alissa Simon
Variety
Drama M 93
Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield & Gemma Ward
It's not easy being Thomas Mollison. He's turning 16, and his autistic brother Charlie embarrasses him. So do his wacky parents. When his pregnant Mother (Collette) is confined to bed rest, he is put in charge of Charlie and with the help of his new girlfriend Jackie, Thomas faces his biggest challenge yet.. A deeply personal film for writer/director Elissa Down, The Black Balloon is a gentle yet unflinching look at a family strained by the pressures of caring for an autistic teenager.
“I loved the film – in fact I cried!” Michael Adams - The Movie Show/Empire “An enjoyable and heartfelt slice of life” Sunday Life Magazine “...this film is every bit as touching, engaging and understatedly funny as you could hope it to be... a joy to watch” David Stratton, At the Movies, 4.5 stars
The
Other Boleyn Girl
Drama M 114
Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana
Based on the best selling novel by Philippa Gregory this sumptuous and
sensual tale of intrigue, romance and betrayal is set against the backdrop
of a defining moment in European history: two beautiful sisters, Anne
and Mary Boleyn, driven by their family's blind ambition, compete for
the love of the handsome and passionate King Henry VIII.
“...a mix of history, lurid melodrama, sex, politics, and two top-notch
actresses, making for a most entertaining brew” Worcester Telegram &
Gazette “A sexy, good-looking political bodice-ripper with an almost flawless
cast at the top of its game” Derek Elley Variety
Vantage
Point
Drama M 90
Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Sigourney Weaver
Two Secret Service agents are assigned to protect the President at a landmark
summit on the global war on terror. When the President is shot moments
after his arrival, chaos ensues and the disparate lives of an American
tourist, a television news producer and the two Secret Service agents
assigned to protect the President collide. It is only after we follow
the event from each person’s perspective that the terrifying truth behind
the assassination attempt is revealed. “The fact that the screenplay refrains
from smug political commentary and instead focuses on action and mystery
enhances the experience” Bill Clark FromTheBalcony
“The filmmakers hook us and reel us in during 90 breathless minutes”Carrie
Ricke Philadelphia Inquirer