The Kids are All Right ---(Century 16) Annette Bening plays Nic, biological mother of Joni (Mia Wasikowska), a student about to leave for college. Her partner, Jules (Julianne Moore), biological mom of 15-year-old Laser (Josh Hutcherson), has stayed home with the kids and tried a variety of careers. Laser, who excels at sports, is “exploring�: trying drugs, maybe a little gay sex with his buddy. What Laser is really curious about, though, is his biological father, and with Joni’s help, he finds him. Paul (Mark Ruffalo), the sperm donor, is a restaurateur and organic farmer. Everything about Paul is cool, the kids find. But not so fast. Nic resents Paul’s apparent assumption that he’s part of the family. Will he be a father, or an interloper? Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language and drug and alcohol. One hour, 44 minutes. R.P. (Reviewed July 23, 2010)
Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page in “Inception.� runs in Gaza, leaving vacationing Juliette in a holding pattern. Mark arranges for old friend Tareq Khalifa (Alexander Siddig) to look after Juliette. A retired policeman and current coffee-shop owner, Tareq knows the city like the back of his hand. He’s a chivalrous breath of fresh air for Juliette, who’s unaccustomed to being the object of Cairo’s sometimes brusque public sexism. The picturesque romantic travelogue that follows is as obvious but elegant as the bit of symbolism that ends it. The plot consists of two people strolling around Cairo, each becoming more and more attuned to the attractiveness and uniqueness of the other. Rated PG for mild thematic elements and smoking. One hour, 30 minutes. P.C. (Reviewed Sept. 3, 2010) Eat Pray Love --1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) Julia Roberts plays Liz Gilbert, a writer who tells her astonished husband (Billy Crudup) she doesn’t want to live in unhappiness anymore. In a twink, she’s taken up with a younger lover (James Franco), but their affair also slumps into unhappiness. Realizing her problem is internal, Liz thinks of Ketut (Hadi Subiyanto), a medicine man she met in Bali on a journalism assignment. And so she hatches a plan to go to Italy and “Eat,� visit an ashram in India and “Pray,� and return to Indonesia where, if Ketut’s palm reading was right, she just may find “Love.� Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some sexual references and male rear nudity. Two hours, 20 minutes. P.C. (Reviewed Aug. 13, 2010) Get Low --(Guild) “Get Low� — set in 1930s Tennessee — fits snugly into the traditions of Southern literature, particularly the tensions between the community and the individual, and man and God. The plot finds Duvall’s Felix Bush leaving his cabin to put his affairs and funeral plans in order. His refusal to ask forgiveness makes him a poor candidate for a church burial, but he’s willing to entertain the offer of services from funeral director Buddy (Lucas Black). When Lucas’ boss Frank (Bill Murray) feels the tug of a big fish, he involves himself in Felix’s crackpot plan of a funeral at which he will be the guest of honor. All other guests will be required to share a story about Felix, in exchange for a chance to inherit his 300 acres. Rated PG-13 for some thematic material and brief violent content. One hour, 40 minutes. P.C. (Reviewed Aug. 6, 2010) Going the Distance -(Century 16, Century 20) Extra! Extra! Hip People with Cool Jobs Have Relationship Problems! Or so we “learn� in “Going the Distance,� the debut fiction feature from documentarian Nanette Burstein. Sarcasm aside, the raison d’etre of “Going the Distance� is exploring long-distance relationships. What a shame, then, that it has nothing much to say on the subject that isn’t completely obvious. Drew Barrymore and Justin Long are likeable as the star-crossed lovers but Unlike its characters, the movie never takes flight. Rated R for sexual content including dialogue, language, drug use and brief nudity. One hour, 43 minutes. P.C. (Reviewed Sept. 3, 2010) Inception ---1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) Leonardo DiCaprio headlines as Cobb, an enigmatic fellow whose expertise is accessing someone’s subconscious through his or her dreams and stealing information. Cobb is also a troubled man, hunted by shady government agents and haunted by memories of his wife (Marion Cotillard). When a businessman (Ken Watanabe) offers Cobb a chance to clear his record, he embraces the opportunity. But the task is far from simple. Cobb and his team (which includes “point man� Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “architect� Ellen
Page and “forger� Tom Hardy) are to enter the dreams of soon-to-be tycoon Robert Fischer Jr. (Cillian Murphy), and plant an idea, an act known as “inception.� While the group dives deeper, threats emerge, forcing each member to face the possibility of a mental limbo they may never wake from. Rated PG-13 for violence and action. 2 hours, 22 minutes. T.H. (Reviewed July 16, 2010)
the Houston Ballet. Stevenson singles out Li (Chi Cao) as a diamond in the rough. Thanks to a cultural exchange program, Li wins the chance to spend a few months in America under Stevenson’s tutelage. Rated PG for a brief violent image, sensuality, language and smoking. One hour, 57 minutes. P.C. (Reviewed Aug. 20, 2010) Nanny McPhee Returns --1/2 (Century 16, Century 20) As in the first film, the bulbous-nosed, bucktoothed, Nanny
McPhee (Emma Thompson) spirits into the life of a needy family. Again, she imparts five lessons to unruly English moppets, her superficially unattractive features fading away to reveal Thompson’s natural beauty. But this time McPhee visits the Green family on their Deer Valley Farm: mother Isabel (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and kids Megsie (Lil Woods), Norman (Asa Butterfield) and Vincent (Oscar Steer). A war means that Mr. Green is away and in danger; thus, tensions are running
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Lee Bailey, EURWEB.COM
Mao’s Last Dancer -(Aquarius) The film begins with an 11-yearold Li (Wen Bin Huang) being plucked from rural Shandong Province by a couple of Madame Mao’s cultural aides to attend the Beijing Dance Academy. The child becomes a teenager (Chengwu Guo) in tune with a quietly rebellious teacher who prioritizes the aesthetic of dance over its potential to be a propaganda tool. When his teacher fails to hold the tide of Communist influence, Li’s mentorship gap is filled by Ben Stevenson (Bruce Greenwood), the artistic director of
‘‘A MESMERIZING BLEND OF DANCE, DRAMA AND ROMANCE.’’ - Chet Nagel, THE DAILY CALLER
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YOU MUST NOT MISS.�
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maoslastdancer-movie.com
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SCREEN GEMS PRESENTS A RAINFOREST FILMS PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH GRAND HUSTLE FILMS “TAKERS� MATT DILLON PAUL WALKER IDRIS ELBA JAY HERNANDEZ MICHAEL EALY TIPEXECUTIVE “T.I.� HARRIS WITH CHRIS BROWN AND HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN MUSICBY PAUL HASLINGER PRODUCERS GLENN S. GAINOR GABRIEL CASSEUS CHRIS BROWN MORRIS CHESTNUT PRODUCED BY WILL PACKER TIP “T.I.� HARRIS AND JASON GETER WRITTEN BY PETER ALLEN & GABRIEL CASSEUS AND JOHN LUESSENHOP & AVERY DUFF DIRECTED BY JOHN LUESSENHOP
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“ !
GRIPPING!�
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Mitchell Park Bowl, Palo Alto Saturday, September 18th 4:00–7:30 pm Free for kids and PAMP members, $5 for adults Free GOODIES: mooncakes, tea, lanterns and more! Free GAMES: gyroscope, jianzi, tangram and more! Fantastic PERFORMANCES: kung fu, dance, storytelling and more!
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