Opening
thor -(Odeon/SilverCity/Uni 4/Caprice) Directed, rather improbably, by Kenneth Branagh, this is a 3D account of the hammer-swinging Norse god after he gets the boot out of Asgard and ends up on earth — which he then has to save from annihilation. Two of the stars not playing Thor are Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman. Starts Fri.
something borrowed -(Capitol/SilverCity/Uni 4) Kate Hudson stars in a romantic comedy about a perpetually single gal who unexpectedly falls for a guy — too bad he’s the fiancé of her best friend. Starts Fri.
Continuing
★½ arthur -(Odeon) Here’s a disappointingly over-stated and ill-conceived remake of the delightful 1981 comedy about a boozy, immature playboy. Despite the star power of Russell Brand and the great Helen Mirren, only a few of the jokes have real zing and Arthur himself is irritating rather than charming.
★★★ fast five -(Odeon/SilverCity/Uni 4/Caprice) In the latest Fast & Furious installment, those sort-of good guys once again end up on the wrong side of the law as they finds themselves trapped between a vicious drug lord and an implacable federal agent. Starring Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. This is fine, trashy fun. See review.
★★★½ hanna -(Capitol/SilverCity) A 16-year-old girl, trained as an assassin by her CIA rogue agent of a father, is on the run across North Africa and Europe as ruthless intelligence agents try to track her down. Starring Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana and a very persuasive Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones). The plot cheats a bit, but this thriller couched in terms of a fairy tale is engaging and very well directed by Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice).
hoodwinked too! hood vs. evil -(Capitol/SilverCity/Caprice) This kid-friendly animation is a wacky take-off of classic fairy tales, as Red Riding Hood and the Wolf are called on to investigate the disappearance of Hansel and Gretel.
★★½ jane eyre -(Odeon) The classic Charlotte Brontë romance about a young governess and a house with terrible secrets gets a handsome-looking but rather dull remake that stars the wonderful Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and the rather wooden Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds).
★★½ limitless -(Caprice) Bradley Cooper plays an unmotivated writer who discovers a new drug that gives him super-human mental powers, in a thriller with aspects of a headtrip movie. Co-starring Robert De Niro and Australia’s Abbie Cornish (Bright Star).
★★★½ the lincoln lawyer -(Capitol) This tricky crime thriller stars Matthew McConaughey as an unconventional lawyer who gets in over his head while representing a wealthy client accused of murder. Based on the novel by Michael Connelly. McConaughey brings his natural gifts — roguish charm overlaid with dollops of sleaze and smug self-regard — in what could be a career-saving role. The great supporting cast includes Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy, John Leguizamo and Ryan Phillippe.
prom -(Odeon/SilverCity) A group of teens get ready for their big prom night, in a Disney flick that has been receiving ho-hum reviews.
★★★¼ rio -(Capitol/SilverCity) This very colourful animated romp stars a domesticated macaw that heads off on a wild jaunt to Rio de Janeiro to find avian amour. Featuring the vocal talents of Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway. Note: moves from the Odeon to the Capitol on Friday.
★½ scream 4 -(Capitol) Wes Craven reboots his own deconstructive slasher series, but the plotting is preposterous and all that “meta” movie babble stopped being clever years ago. Starring Scream survivors Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette.
soul surfer -(Capitol) A teenage surfer loses her arm to a shark attack and somehow summons the courage to ride the waves again. Based on the true-life tale from a few years back.
★★★ source code -(Odeon) Jake Gyllenhaal stars in a sci-fi-ish thriller about a soldier who is teleported into the body of a stranger in order to find the terrorist due to blow up a train in eight minutes. The Matrix-meets-Groundhog-Day premise is more clever than the movie itself, which is solid but unremarkable.
★★¾ water for elephants -(Odeon/SilverCity/Uni 4) 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. Glamorous but sentimental and clichéd and reeking with phoniness, this romantic melodrama benefits hugely from a stirring performance by Rosie the elephant.
leaving thurs.
hop -(Capitol/SilverCity/Caprice)
african cats -(SilverCity)
your highness -(SilverCity)
Imax
★★★½ ARABIA -(1:00 5:00) The past and the present merge in this exploration of the rich history and present-day exoticism and complexity of Saudi Arabia.
★★★★ born to be wild -(10am, 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!
journey into amazing caves -(11am, 3:00, 6:00, 8:00)
screenings
Movie Monday – Screening This Is Not A Robbery. When a 91-year-old man was arrested for trying to rob a bank, it created headlines — and, later, this documentary, which offers a much more interesting account of how a once-succesful businessman embarked on a life of crime at age 87. 6:30pm MONDAY in the 1900-block Fort. By donation. 595-FLIC. moviemonday.ca
Cinecenta
Cinecenta at UVic screens its films in the Student Union Building. Tickets are available 40 minutes prior to showtime. Info: 721-8365. cinecenta.com.
★★★★ of gods and men -(Weded.-Sat., May 4-7: 7:00, 9:25) Based on events during an upsurge of Islamist violence in 1996 Algeria, this elegant and meditative drama centres on eight French monks whose religious beliefs are challenged by their harrowing predicament. This award winner is a must-see for film fans. “A luminous tale of faith and heroism.” –Time Magazine
the tempest -(Sun.-Tues., May 8-10: 7:00, 9:10) The ever-great Helen Mirren does a fine bit of Shakespearean gender-bending by playing “Prospera” in a well-reviewed adaptation of the Bard’s fantastical play involving different groups of people shipwrecked on an island ruled by a skillful illusionist. Directed by Julie Taymor.
into eternity -(Wed.-Thurs., May 11-12: 7:30, 9:00) People fond of great albeit harrowing documentaries should check out this account of the efforts to dig a repository for nuclear waste — hey, the project will only take a century, and only has to provide a safe haven for all that radioactive slag for a mere 100,000 years.
