Volume II No. 12

A publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners

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Thriller, set at a CIA training facility, about a new agency recruit who comes to suspect one of his trainers is a double agent. Directed by Roger Donaldson (“Dante’s Peak,” “Thirteen Days”) from a screenplay by Mitch Glazer (“Three of Hearts,” “Great Expectations”), Kurt Wimmer (“The Thomas Crown Affair,” “Equilibrium”) and Roger Towne (“The Natural”). With Al Pacino (“Simone”), Colin Farrell (“Minority Report”), Eugene Lipinski (“Who is Cletis Tout?”), Gabriel Macht (“Bad Company”), Bridget Moynahan (“The Sum of All Fears”) and Clayne Crawford (“Swimfan”). Previously known as “The Farm.” Scope. 105 min. PG-13: Violence; sexuality; language. Jan. 31. Buena Vista.

Supernatural thriller about a Catholic priest who teams with an escaped mental patient to track down a serial killer who preys on excommunicated Catholics. Written and directed by Brian Helgeland (“A Knight’s Tale”). With Heath Ledger (“A Knight’s Tale,” “The Four Feathers”), Shannyn Sossamon (“The Rules of Attraction”), Benno Fürmann (“The Princess and the Warrior”), Peter Weller (“ivans xtc.”) and Mark Addy (“The Time Machine”). Flat. 96 min. Jan. 17. Fox.

Two features linked by the theme of life in the Middle East. “The Settlers,” a 58-minute documentary directed by Ruth Walk, follows a Jewish family struggling to live a normal life despite the military and political turmoil that surrounds them in the West Bank city of Hebron. “Close, Closed, Closure” (also known as “Seger”), a 52-minute documentary directed by Ram Loevy, depicts a Palestinian family’s struggle with life on the Gaza Strip, where the family remains dependent on Israel for its economic well-being. Jan. 15 in New York. First Run.

Comedy about a young woman who hopes to escape her downscale origins for a more glamorous life as a flight attendant. Directed by Bruno Barreto (“One Tough Cop,” “Bossa Nova”) from a screenplay by Eric Wald. With Gwyneth Paltrow (“Possession”), Christina Applegate (“The Sweetest Thing”), Candice Bergen (“Sweet Home Alabama”), Marc Blucas (“Sunshine State,” “They”), Mark Ruffalo (“Windtalkers”), Mike Myers (“Austin Powers in Goldmember”), Rob Lowe (“Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,” “The Specials”), Stephen Tobolowsky (“Adaptation,” “Love Liza”) and Kelly Preston (“Battlefield Earth”). Scope. 90 min. Jan. 24. Miramax.

German-language documentary about one of Adolf Hitler’s three personal secretaries, who describes her first-hand 1942-1945 experiences with the Third Reich’s inner circle. Directed by André Heller and Othmar Schmiderer. Featuring Traudl Junge. 90 min. PG: Thematic material. Dec. 25 in New York and Los Angeles. Sony Pictures Classics.

Spanish- and English-language thriller about a group of people who, endowed with great luck, compete at a special island casino for each other’s good fortune. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo from a screenplay by Fresnadillo and Andrés M. Koppel. With Leonardo Sbaraglia (“Burnt Money”), Max von Sydow (“Minority Report”), Eusebio Poncela, Mónica López and Antonio Dechant. Scope. 108 min. R: Language; some violence; brief nudity. Dec. 13 in New York, wider Dec. 20. Lions Gate.

Hindi-language crime drama about a wily criminal who, after leaving prison, hires a team of six strangers to help him rob a Los Angeles bank – unaware that one of the strangers is an undercover cop. Written and directed by Sanjay Gupta. With Amitabh Bachchan (“Sometimes Happy, Sometimes Sad”), Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, Mahesh Manjrekar and Kumar Gaurav. Dec. 6 limited. Media Partners.

Spanish-language drama, set in Buenos Aires, about an unstable 20-year-old singer who finds herself drawn into a world of prostitution by a charismatic hustler. Written and directed by Veronica Chen. With Cecilia Bengolea, Leonardo Brezicki, Adrian Fondari, Pablo Razuk, Adrian Blanco and Carlos Issa. 87 min. Dec. 20 in New York. Strand.

 

Drama, set in New York, about a Latino cocaine dealer who, while trying to leave the drug trade behind for good, finds himself swindled out of millions by a Wall Street investment broker. Frank Reyes makes his feature directorial debut from his own screenplay. With John Leguizamo (“Collateral Damage”), Denise Richards (“Undercover Brother”), Peter Sarsgaard (“K-19: The Widowmaker”), Rubén Blades (“All the Pretty Horses”), Sonia Braga (“Angel Eyes”), Isabella Rossellini (“Roger Dodger”), Rafael Báez (“Shanghai Noon”), Anthony “Treach” Criss (“Love and a Bullet”) and Delilah Cotto (“Girl 6”). R: Strong violence; pervasive language; drug content; some sexuality. Dec. 6. Universal.

Drama, set in suburban New Jersey, about a man who finds escape from the everyday banality of his grocery job and troubled personal life by performing Tuesday night stand-up comedy routines in a smoky dive bar along the New Jersey Turnpike. Based on the play “Veins & Thumbtacks” by Jonathan Marc Sherman. Written and directed by Frank Whaley (“Joe the King”). With Whaley (“Chelsea Walls”), Ethan Hawke (“Tape”), Carla Gugino (“Spy Kids 2”), Lynn Cohen (“Fast Food, Fast Women”), Jillian Stacom and Spelman M. Beaubrun. 96 min. Dec. 13 limited. First Look.

Russian-language fantasy (consisting of a single, unbroken 90-minute high-definition digital video shot) about a French diplomat who encounters Russian historical figures as he tours St. Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum. Directed by Alexsandr Sokurov (“Mother and Son”) from a screenplay by Boris Khaimsky and Anatoli Nikiforov. With Sergei Dontsov (“Window to Paris”), Mariya Kuznetsova, Leonid Mozgovoy, David Giorgobiani and Aleksandr Chaban. Also known as “Russkij Kovcheg.” 96 min. Dec. 6 in New York. Wellspring.

 

Drama, set in New Orleans, about a young man who hopes to use an Army career to get out of the family business he despises: male prostitution. Actor Nicholas Cage (“Windtalkers,” “Adaptation”) makes his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by John Carlen. With Cage, James Franco (“City by the Sea”), Brenda Blethyn (“Pumpkin”), Mena Suvari (“The Musketeer”), Harry Dean Stanton (“The Pledge”) and Scott Caan (“Ocean’s Eleven”). Also known as “Pony Rides.” 110 min. R: Strong sexuality; language; some drug use; violence. Dec. 27 in New York and Los Angeles. IDP.

 

 

 

"Big Shot's Funeral" – "National Security"

 

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