|
  


Volume
V No. 8/9
A
publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners
Advertise
in In Focus
©
|
| The
Aryan Couple
Period drama, set during World War II, about a German-Jewish
industrialist who bargains for his family’s
safe exit from the country by relinquishing his
business to the Nazis. Directed by John Daly
from a screenplay by Daly and Kendrew Lascelles
(“Focus”). With Kenny Doughty (“Elizabeth,” “The
Great Raid,” “My First Wedding”),
Caroline Carver, Martin Landau (“Hollywood
Homicide”), Judy Parfitt (“Asylum”),
Danny Webb (“The Upside of Anger”)
and Steven Mackintosh (“The Jacket”).
120 min. PG-13: Violence; disturbing images;
thematic elements. Sept. 23. Slow Hand.

|
|
Bee
Season
Drama about a father who pays less attention to
his failing marriage, his wife’s mental instability
and his son’s involvement with a cult after
his daughter exhibits extraordinary spelling bee
prowess. Directed by Scott McGehee & David
Siegel (“The Deep End”) from a screenplay
by Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal (“Losing Isaiah”).
With Richard Gere (“Shall We Dance?”),
Juliette Binoche (“In My Country”),
Max Minghella (“Art School Confidential,” “Syriana”),
Kate Bosworth (“Beyond the Sea”) and
Flora Cross. Scope. PG-13: Thematic elements; scene
of sensuality; brief strong language. Sept 30.
Fox Searchlight.

|
|
Clean
French-, English- and Cantonese-language drama
about a methadone-addict ex-VJ who – after
serving a 6-month prison term for facilitating
her rock-star husband’s fatal heroin overdose – sets
out to regain custody of her son. Directed by Olivier
Assayas (“Les Destinees,” “Demonlover”)
from a screenplay by Assayas, Malachy Martin and
Sarah Perry. With Maggie Cheung (“Hero,” “2046”),
Nick Nolte (“Hotel Rwanda,” “The
Beautiful Country”), Don McKellar (“The
Event”), Beatrice Dalle (“The Time
of the Wolf”) and Rémi Martin (“Les
Destinees”). Scope. 111 min. R: Drug content;
language; brief nudity. Sept. 9 in New York and
Los Angeles. Palm.

|
|
Cry
Wolf
Thriller about high schoolers who make up a story
about a serial killer, only to have no one believe
them when a real serial killer turns up. Directed
by 2001 USC film school grad Jeff Wadlow from a
screenplay by Wadlow and Beau Bauman. Starring
Jared Padalecki (“House of Wax”), Jon
Bon Jovi (“Pay It Forward”), Lindy
Booth (“Dawn of the Dead”), Julian
Morris and Gary Cole (“The Ring Two”).
Scope. PG-13: Violence; terror; disturbing images;
language; sexuality; a brief drug reference. Sept.
23. Focus.

|
Derailed
Thriller about two married executives who find
themselves blackmailed by a violent criminal who
knows about their affair. Based on the novel by
James Siegel. Swedish filmmaker Mikael Håfström
directs from a screenplay by Stuart Beattie (“Collateral”).
With Clive Owen (“Sin City”), Jennifer
Aniston (“Along Came Polly”), Melissa
George (“The Amityville Horror”), RZA
(“Unleashed”), Xzibit (“XXX:
State of the Union”), Giancarlo Esposito
(“Ali”) and Tom Conti (“Beyond
Therapy”). R: Strong disturbing violence;
language; some sexuality. Oct. 21. Weinstein.

|
Doom
Sci-fi actioner about a marine who finds himself
battling flesh-eating ghouls in a claustrophobic,
labyrinthine facility. Based on the popular computer
game. Directed by Andrzei Barkowiak (“Exit
Wounds,” “Cradle 2 The Grave”)
from a screenplay by Dave Callaham. With Dwayne “The
Rock” Johnson (“Be Cool”), Karl
Urban (“The Bourne Supremacy”), Rosamund
Pike (“Die Another Day,” “Pride
and Prejudice”), Ian Hughes (“Bright
Young Things”), Robert Russel (“The
Prince & Me”), Al Weaver (“The
Merchant of Venice”), Dhobi Oparei (“Thunderbirds”),
Ben Daniels (“Madeline”), Razaaq Adoti
(“Resident Evil: Apocalypse”), Dexter
Fletcher (“Layer Cake”), Richard Brake
(“Batman Begins”) and Daniel York (“The
Beach”). Oct. 21. Universal.

|
Elizabethtown
Drama about
a young man who, after losing his job and girlfriend,
returns to his rural Kentucky hometown, where he
falls for a flight attendant. Written and directed
by Cameron Crowe (“Almost Famous,” “Vanilla
Sky”). With Orlando Bloom (“Kingdom of
Heaven”), Kirsten Dunst (“Wimbledon”),
Jessica Biel (“Blade: Trinity,” “Stealth”),
Alec Baldwin (“The Aviator”), Judy Greer
(“Cursed”), Susan Sarandon (“Romance & Cigarettes”),
Bruce McGill (“Cinderella Man”) and Jed
Rees (“Men With Brooms”). Scope. PG-13:
Language; some sexual references. Oct. 14. Paramount.

|
Everything
Is Illuminated
Comedy-drama
about an American Jew’s journey to the Ukraine
to find the woman credited with saving his grandfather’s
life during the Nazi occupation. Based on the novel
by Jonathan Safran Foer. Actor Liev Schreiber (“The
Manchurian Candidate”) makes his feature directorial
debut from his own screenplay. With Elijah Wood (“Sin
City”), Boris Leskin (“Men in Black”)
and Eugene Hutz. Flat. Sept. 16. Warner Independent
Pictures.

|
Fierce People
Drama about
16-year-old who finds himself running with a much
more affluent crowd when his cocaine-addicted mother
is invited to move onto the estate of her wealthy,
much-older boyfriend. Directed by Griffin Dunne (“Practical
Magic,” “Famous”) from a screenplay
by Dirk Wittenborn. With Diane Lane (“Under
the Tuscan Sun”), Donald Sutherland (“Cold
Mountain,” “Pride and Prejudice”),
Kristen Stewart (“Undertow”), Anton Yelchin
(“House of D”) and Christopher Shyer
(“The Core”). Flat. 112 min. R: Language;
drug use; sexuality/nudity; some violence. Oct. 21.
Lions Gate.

|
The Fog
Horror thriller
about a dead soldier preying on the inhabitants of
a sleepy coastal town, murdering his victims under
the cover of a thick fog that rolls in at night.
A remake of the 1980 John Carpenter film. Directed
by Rupert Wainwright (“Blank Check,” “Stigmata”)
from a screenplay by Cooper Layne (“The Core”).
With Tom Welling (“Cheaper by the Dozen”),
Selma Blair (“In Good Company”), Maggie
Grace (TV’s “Lost”), Rade Serbedzija
(“Batman Begins”), DeRay Davis (“Jiminy
Glick in La La Wood”) and Sara Botsford (“Eulogy”).
Oct. 14. Sony.

|
The
Greatest Game Ever Played
Drama, based
on a true story, about a 20-year-old amateur golfer
who shocked the world with his surprise defeat
over British pro legend Harry Vardon in the 1913
U.S.
Open. Based on the book by Mark Frost. Directed
by Bill Paxton (“Frailty”) from a screenplay
by Frost (“Storyville,” “Fantastic
Four”). With Shia LaBeouf (“Constantine”),
Stephen Dillane (“Nine Lives”), Stephen
Marcus (“Stage Beauty”), Peter Firth
(“Pearl Harbor”), Michael Weaver (“Broken
Lizard’s Club Dread”), Elias Koteas (“Simone”),
Matthew Knight and Josh Flitter (“Eternal Sunshine
of the Spotless Mind”). Flat. PG: Some brief
mild language. Sept 30. Buena Vista.

|
|
Art
School Confidential
Comedy about an art student who realizes the best
route to celebrity status – and the coed
he covets – is posing as a dangerous criminal.
The “Ghost World” team of director
Terry Zwigoff (“Bad Santa”) and novelist-screenwriter
Daniel Clowes reunite. With Max Minghella (“Bee
Season,” “Syriana”), Sophia Myles
(“Underworld,” “Thunderbirds”),
John Malkovich (“The Hitchhiker’s Guide
to the Galaxy”), Jim Broadbent (“Vera
Drake”), Anjelica Huston (“The Life
Aquatic With Steve Zissou”) and Chris McKenna
(“In & Out”). R: Language including
sexual references; nudity; a scene of violence.
Sept 30. Sony Pictures Classics.

|
Ballet
Russes
Documentary about the dancers and choreographers
of the Ballet Russe, the legendary dance troupe
that defined modern ballet. Written and directed
by Daniel Geller & Dayna Goldfine (“Kids
of Survival”). Featuring Irina Baranova,
Marc E. Platt, Mia Slavenska, Yvonne Chouteau,
Frederic Franklin, Nathalie Krassovska and George
Zoritch. Flat. Oct. 26 in New York. Zeitgeist.
|
Brooklyn
Lobster
Drama about a close-knit family whose members reexamine
their respective personal relationships when their
family seafood restaurant faces serious financial
troubles. Written and directed by Kevin Jordan (“Smiling
Fish & Goat on Fire”). With Heather Burns
(“Bewitched”), Daniel Sauli (“Boiler
Room”), Marisa Ryan (“Riding in Cars
with Boys”), Danny Aiello (“Prince of
Central Park”) and Jane Curtin (“Coneheads”).
Also known as “The Lobster Farm.” Oct.
14. Meadowbrook.

|
Cote
d’Azur
French-language farce about a man who brings
his wife and two teen offspring to his childhood
vacation home, where all four of them encounter
unexpected romantic complications. Written and
directed by Olivier Ducastel & Jacques Martineau
(“The Adventures of Felix”). With
Gilbert Melki (“Intimate Strangers”),
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (“5x2”), Jean-Marc
Barr (“Dogville”), Romain Torres,
Sabrina Seyvecou (“Secret Things”),
Jacques Bonnaffé (“Va Savoir”)
and Edouard Collin. Also known as “Crustacés
et coquillages.” Sept. 9. Strand.

|
Dear
Wendy
Drama about a young pacifist who is inexplicably
drawn to a gun he finds and forms a group of antique
gun collectors bonded by one vow: They will never
fire their weapons. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg
(“The Celebration”) from a screenplay
by Lars von Trier (“Dancer in the Dark,” “Dogville”).
With Bill Pullman (“The Grudge”), Jamie
Bell (“Undertow,” “The Chumscrubber”),
Mark Webber (“Broken Flowers”), Chris
Owen (“Hidalgo”) and Alison Pill (“Confessions
of a Teenage Drama Queen”). 104 min. Sept.
23. Wellspring.

|
Don’t
Come Knockin’
Drama about an aging movie star who abruptly leaves
the Utah set of the Western he’s shooting
to visit his long-estranged mother, who tells him
about a son in Montana he never knew he had. The “Paris,
Texas” team of director Wim Wenders (“Million
Dollar Hotel”) and screenwriter Sam Shepard
(“Simpatico”) reunite. With Shepard
(“The Notebook,” “Stealth”),
Jessica Lange (“Big Fish,” “Broken
Flowers”), Gabriel Mann (“A Lot Like
Love”), Sarah Polley (“Dawn of the
Dead”), Fairuza Balk (“Personal Velocity”),
Tim Roth (“Dark Water”), Majandra Delfino
(“Traffic”), Mariah Delfino (“Jeepers
Creppers II”), Marley Shelton (“Sin
City”), George Kennedy (“View From
The Top”), James Gammon (“Silver City”)
and Eva Marie Saint (“Because of Winn-Dixie”).
125 min. Oct. 14 in New York and Los Angeles. Sony
Pictures Classics.

|
Dreamer:
Inspired by a True Story
Drama about a racehorse trainer and his young daughter,
who transform a horse with a broken leg into
a Breeder’s Cup contender. Actor John
Gatins (“Big Fat Liar”) makes his
feature directorial debut from his own screenplay.
With Kurt Russell (“Sky High”),
Dakota Fanning (“War of the Worlds”),
Luis Guzmán (“Lemony Snicket’s
A Series of Unfortunate Events”), Kris
Kristofferson (“The Jacket”), Freddy
Rodríguez (“Chasing Papi”)
and Elisabeth Shue (“Hide and Seek”).
Scope. PG: Brief mild language. Oct. 21. DreamWorks.

|
Eternal
Erotic
supernatural thriller, set in Canada and Italy, about
a Montreal homicide investigator who comes to learn
the serial killer he’s hunting may be a 500-year-old
lesbian vampire. Written and directed by Wilhelm
Liebenberg & Federic Sanchez. With Caroline Néron
(“Seducing Doctor Lewis”), Conrad Pla
(“The Terminal”), Nick Baillie, Victoria
Sanchez (“Noel”) and Ilona Elkin (“King’s
Ransom”). Flat. 107 min. Sept. 16. Regent.

|
The
Exorcism of Emily Rose
Dramatic
thriller, based on a true story, about a priest
put on trial after he inadvertently murders a young
woman
during an exorcism. Screenwriter Scott Derrickson
(“Urban Legends: Final Cut”) directs
from a screenplay by Derrickson and Paul Harris Boardman
(“Urban Legends: Final Cut”). With Laura
Linney (“Kinsey”), Tom Wilkinson (“Batman
Begins”), Jennifer Carpenter (“White
Chicks”), Shohreh Aghdashloo (“House
of Sand and Fog”), Joshua Close (“A Home
at the End of the World”), Colm Feore (“The
Chronicles of Riddick”), Marsha Regis (“White
Noise”) and Campbell Scott (“The Secret
Lives of Dentists”). Sept. 9. Sony.

|
Flight
Plan
Thriller
about a airline passenger who drifts off to sleep,
then wakes to discover her daughter has mysteriously
disappeared mid-flight, and that there is no evidence
of the daughter ever having been aboard. Directed
by Robert Schwentke from a screenplay by Peter
Dowling, and Billy Ray (“Shattered Glass,” “Suspect
Zero”). With Jodie Foster (“A Very Long
Engagement”), Erika Christensen (“Upside
of Anger”), Sean Bean (“National Treasure”),
Haley Ramm and Peter Sarsgaard (“Kinsey,” “Skeleton
Key”). Scope. PG-13: Violence; some intense
plot material. Sept. 23. Buena Vista.

|
A
Good Woman
Comedy
about a middle-aged temptress who plans to steal
away a younger woman’s husband. Directed by
Mike Barker (“Best Laid Plans”) from
a screenplay by Howard Himelstein. With Helen Hunt
(“The Curse of the Jade Scorpion”), Scarlett
Johansson (“The Island”), Stephen Campbell
Moore (“Bright Young Things”), Roger
Hammond (“Around the World in 80 Days”),
John Standing (“The Man Who Knew Too Little”)
and Tom Wilkinson (“Batman Begins,” “The
Exorcism of Emily Rose”). Flat. 93 min. PG:
Thematic material; sensuality; language. Sept.
16 in New York. Lions Gate.

|
|
|