Weekly Film Listings July 28- Aug.3
Opening
cowboys & aliens -(Odeon/SilverCity/Westshore) The Wild West gets wacky when space aliens invade 1873 Arizona and all that stands between us and world domination is a posse of cowboys. Starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man). Starts Fri.
crazy, stupid, love -(Odeon/SilverCity/Westshore) A nice but slightly sappy guy (Steve Carell) gets dumped by his wife (Julianne Moore) and looks to a young stud (Ryan Gosling) to get some tips on how to deal with women. Based on the trailer — and the cast — this could be a fun romantic comedy. Starts Fri.
the smurfs -(Capitol/SilverCity/Uni 4) A nasty wizard chases those cute blue blobs out of their magical medieval world and all the way to Manhattan. I imagine that something akin to crazy fun will ensue. Starts Fri.
Continuing
★★½ bad teacher -(Capitol/Caprice) Cameron Diaz sets a bad example — and has lots of fun — playing a foul-mouthed, lazy and scheming junior high teacher. Co-starring Justin Timberlake. Note: moves to the Capitol from the Odeon on Friday.
★★★½ beginners -(Odeon) Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer are both great in a touching comedy-drama about a young man who is shocked by two revelations from his dad: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has been a closeted gay who has just taken up with a young male lover.
★★★½ bridesmaids -(Odeon/Caprice) SNL’s Kristen Wiig co-wrote and stars in this raucous but smart and heartfelt comedy that celebrates female friendship (while often being rather rude).
cars 2 -(Caprice) Disney’s animation classic from a few years back gets a snappy looking sequel, this one with a storyline involving international espionage. Featuring voices by Owen Wilson and Michael Caine.
★★★ captain america: the first avenger -(Odeon/SilverCity/Uni 4/Westshore) Corny but packed with retro charm, this new comic book adaptation is highly entertaining as it depicts a patriotic wimp who doesn’t meet the physical standards to join the army so instead volunteers for a wild science experiment. Needless to say he’s transformed into a superhero with great powers. Watch out, Nazis! See review.
★★★ friends with benefits -(Odeon/SilverCity/Uni 4) In a raunchy romantic comedy in the spirit of the recent No Strings Attached, Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake are surprised to discover that adding some steamy sex to their once-platonic friendship is a recipe for trouble. See review.
★★½ harry potter and the deathly hallows: part 2 -(Capitol/SilverCity/Uni 4/Westshore) The long-running fantasy series by JK Rowling comes to a disappointingly ho-hum climax as the plucky boy wizard has that deadly, long-anticipated final confrontation with nostril-challenged supervillain Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).
★★½ horrible bosses -(Capitol/SilverCity/Westshore) Three guys with truly appalling bosses gradually realize that all their lives would be better off if the bosses were dead. This being a comedy, the guys are dumb and don’t plan well. At all. Starring Jason Bateman, Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Aniston.
★★★★ midnight in paris -(Odeon) The latest from Woody Allen is a delightfully romantic whirl through Paris, both in the present day and during the fabled 1920s. The fine cast includes Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams and Marion Cotillard.
mr. popper’s penguins -(Caprice) Jim Carrey stars in an amiably goofy comedy about an uptight businessman who learns to unwind when his fancy Manhattan apartment gets invaded by a flock of cute penguins.
★★ transformers: dark of the moon -(Capitol/SilverCity/Caprice) Michael Bay returns to blow up whatever escaped his clutches in the first two iterations of this bombastic and noisy series about those shape-shifting Autobots and Decepticons.
★★★★★ the tree of life -(Capitol) The latest from reclusive cine-poet Terrence Malick (Thin Red Line) is a uniquely beautiful and philosophical tone poem that shifts perspective from a dysfunctional ’50s family to the deepest patterns of earthly and cosmic time and space. Winner of the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Note: moves here from the Odeon on Friday.
★★★★ winnie the pooh -(Capitol/SilverCity/Westshore) John Cleese narrates this (hand-drawn!) animated adaptation of the classic tale about the honey-loving bear and his menagerie of friends. This is a gentle, charming, and altogether superb piece of filmmaking.
leaving thurs.
★★★ x–men: first class -(Capitol)
monte carlo -(Capitol)
Imax
★★★★ born to be wild -(noon, 2:00, 4:00, 7:00) Take a remarkable safari as this documentary takes you up close and personal with the people who nurture orphaned baby elephants and orangutans en route to re-releasing them into the wild. Narrated by Morgan Freeman. This is a great film!
★★ pirates of the caribbean: on stranger tides -(8:00) Penelope Cruz sets sail with Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush and the other piratical ne’er-do-wells of The Black Pearl in the fourth edition of this increasingly tedious — and alarmingly lucrative — action-comedy series.
journey into amazing caves -(6:00)
★★★★ whales -(10am, 3:00) The perennial, much-loved classic about those noble leviathans of the deep makes another return visit.
rescue: disaster response -(11am, 1:00, 5:00) This high-adrenaline film depicts the courageous men and women who respond when global disaster strikes.
Cinecenta
Cinecenta at UVic screens its films in the Student Union Building. Info: 721-8365. cinecenta.com.
the first grader -(Wed., July 27: 7:00, 9:10) (Sun.-Mon., July 31-Aug. 1: 7:00, 9:10) This uplifting true story is set in Kenya and depicts an 84-year-old farmer who decides to take advantage of the government’s new universal-education policies and go to school. There is lots of resistance, but the unyielding octogenarian ultimately triumphs. This one has done well at film festivals and should appeal to fans of art films.
★★★ the greatest movie ever sold -(Thurs.-Sat., July 28-30: 7:15, 9:10) Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) examines the pros and cons of product placement in the movies. And being the provocateur he is, Spurlock does this by making a movie entirely funded by advertisers, in a manner both transparent and very droll.
forks over knives -(Tues.-Thurs., Aug. 2-4: 7:00, 9:00) If you want to be educated (or even just scolded) about the virtues of a plant-based diet, better check out this American documentary exposing the perils of meat and dairy.
The Roxy
★★½ super 8 -(9:00) The latest from writer-director J.J. Abrams is a sci-fi-ish thriller that is set in 1979 and shows what happens as a group of kids react to very strange goings-on in their small town — think Stand By Me meets Invaders From Mars. Although often entertaining and definitely well-acted, this is calculated sentimentality, with many heavy-handed borrowings from Steven Spielberg.
★★★¼ kung fu panda 2 -(12:50, Sat.-Sun.) It’s sequel time and Po (Jack Black) joins forces with other kung fu masters to defeat a dire villain. Although the plot is pretty basic, the set design is both clever and gorgeous and the characters have heart. With voicings by Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman and Seth Rogen.
★★½ water for elephants -(4:10, Sat.-Sun.) Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon star in a crowd-pleasing adaptation of the bestselling novel about an illicit love affair set in the exotic world of a travelling circus during the Depression.
zookeeper -(7:10 & Sat.-Sun., 2:25) The ever-amiable Kevin James stars in a comedy about a group of zoo animals who conspire together to help their favourite zoo keeper find the romance he’s been missing.
Screenings
Movie Monday -★★★½ Trigger. One of the highlights of the recent Victoria Film Festival, this new drama from Bruce McDonald (Hard Core Logo) stars Molly Parker and Tracy Wright (who was dying during the filming) as a pair of punk rock gals who get together for a very edgy reunion many years after their glory days. 6:30pm MONDAY in the 1900-block Fort. By donation. 595-FLIC. moviemonday.ca
torture ship – The Dark Side of the White Lady chronicles the brutal past of a beautiful Chilean sailing ship that for a time was used by the military for torture. This boat is coming to Victoria and some people feel its presence should be protested. To learn more, there is a screening of Dark Side on Wed., July 27, 7 pm at the Seniors Activity Centre, 380 Cook St.
