FILM | SHORTS
OPENING FILMS THE CASE FOR CHRIST
Investigative journalist Lee Strobel was once an avowed atheist, setting out to irrefutably prove that there is no God. But as soon as he started digging into the “evidence” of Jesus’ existence — and once his wife converted to Christianity — he began to see the light. Here’s a family-friendly, dramatized retelling of Strobel’s path to finding religion, co-starring Faye Dunaway, Robert Forster and Frankie Faison. (NW) Rated PG
GOING IN STYLE
Oscar winners Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin take on roles originated by George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg in this remake of a 1979 comedy about old dudes who decide they’ve got nothing left to lose and rob a bank. Directed by (of all people) Zach Braff and written by Theodore Melfi, who helmed last year’s Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures. (NW) Rated PG-13
QUEEN OF THE DESERT
The latest from prolific writer-directorexistentialist Werner Herzog is another of his meditations on our relationship with nature. This stately biopic chronicles the life of the English explorer and political officer Gertrude Bell (Nicole Kidman), whose historical knowledge and diplomatic acumen were instrumental in establishing the modern state of Iraq. The movie received
scathing reviews after its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, but at least it’ll be pretty to look at. (NW) Rated PG-13
SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE
The third (!) feature in the recent reboot of Peyo’s Belgian cartoon creation jettisons the live-action elements from the last two Smurfs movies and goes all-in on its eye-searing CGI. This time, Smurfette takes off on a mission to discover her purpose in her otherwise all-male village, stumbling upon the secrets of Smurf existence in the process. Regressive gender stereotypes ensue. Featuring the voices of Demi Lovato, Mandy Patinkin, Julia Roberts and, uh, TV chef Gordon Ramsay. (MJ) Rated PG
YOUR NAME
A shy teenage girl, wishing she were someone else, wakes up one morning and finds herself in the body of a more popular teenage boy. But there’s a catch: He’s now occupying her body, and they find themselves improving one another’s social lives as their minds and bodies swap back and forth over the course of a year. Based on a popular novel by writer-director Makoto Shinkai, this anime feature is perhaps too densely plotted for its own good, but it’s an ultimately moving, beautifully drawn story that should appeal to young adults. In dubbed and subtitled versions. (NW) Rated PG
Writing workshops, panels, readings, and more!
NOW PLAYING A UNITED KINGDOM
The true story of Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo), a Botswanan prince (and later, president) who aided in securing his country’s independence while married to a woman (Rosamund Pike) who was both European and white. During the late 1940s, their marriage was initially met with resistance from both the British and South African people, though they came to be generally beloved political figures. At the Magic Lantern. (NW) Rated PG-13
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Continuing the trend of remaking its animated classics as live-action features, Disney’s update of its great version of Beauty and the Beast is reverential to a fault. The plot goes more or less unchanged — the bookish Belle (Emma Watson) is taken captive by the horrifying Beast (Dan Stevens), who turns out to be cuddlier than expected — though this script provides more backstory for its central characters. Still, it’s not enough to make you forget the 1991 original, which probably shouldn’t have been monkeyed with in the first place. (SR) Rated PG
THE BOSS BABY
The latest from DreamWorks Animation casts Alec Baldwin as an infant who wears a business suit, talks like Jack Donaghy from 30 Rock and offers
April 17 - 23
up such pearls of wisdom as “cookies are for closers only” (because kids sure do love their Glengarry Glen Ross references). But here’s the twist: Baby Baldwin’s antics are all in the mind of his imaginative 7-year-old brother, who’s afraid the arrival of a new sibling will attract all of his parents’ attention. (NW) Rated PG
Laila Lalami Christopher Howell Albert Goldbarth Nance Van Winckel
Shin Yu Pai John Rybicki Jamaal May Emily Ruskovich Alexandra Teague
Meghan Daum Jason Rekulak Justin Torres and more!
Tickets & Info: GetLitFestival.org
CHIPS
Another raunchy, R-rated big-screen adaptation of a goofy, retro TV show, this time updating the adventures of ’70s California highway patrolmen Poncherello and Baker to contemporary L.A. Michael Peña and Dax Shepard (who also wrote and directed) step into those famous khaki uniforms to, in a plot ripped from a Dirty Harry movie, hunt down a renegade ex-cop on a murderous rampage. Hey, the approach worked for 21 Jump Street. What’s next — T.J. Hooker? (NW) Rated R
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GET OUT
Written and directed by Jordan Peele, this psychological thriller tackles the same issues of race and masculinity that were regularly explored on his Comedy Central series Key and Peele. Daniel Kaluuya (Sicario) and Allison Williams (Girls) play an interracial couple who visit her family’s country estate, which he discovers has a curi ous history with its African American ...continued on next page
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APRIL 6, 2017 INLANDER 35