OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

For movies opening November 13, 2009

BIG BUDGET FILMS
     *2012 (PG-13 for profanity and intense disaster sequences) Epic adventure about the heroic efforts of an academic researcher (John Cusack) to lead a group of survivors to safety in the wake of an apocalyptic global event which devastates the planet, leaving humanity on the brink of extinction. Ensemble cast includes Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson. 

     The Fantastic Mr. Fox (PG for action, smoking and slang) Wes Anderson directs this animated comedy about three mean farmers (Michael Gambon, Robin Hurlstone and Hugo Guinness) who join forces to catch the clever fox (George Clooney) that's been raiding their chicken coops. Voice cast includes Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe and Jason Schwartzman.

     Pirate Radio (R for profanity, sexuality and brief nudity) Raucous musical comedy, set in the Sixties, revolving around a crew of eight rogue DJs illegally broadcasting rock and roll from a renegade radio station operating on a ship in the North Sea, much to the chagrin of the British government. Cast includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh.  

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
     Dare (R for profanity, sexuality and underage alcohol consumption) Coming-of-age drama revolving around a high school senior (Emmy Rossum) who becomes embroiled in a love triangle when she and her gay best friend (Ashley Springer) both become infatuated with the same mysterious classmate (Zach Gilford). 

     The End of Poverty? (Unrated) Globalization expose' examines why so many people all over the world continue to suffer at a time of unparalleled corporate wealth. (In French, Spanish, English and Portuguese)

     Four Seasons Lodge (Unrated) Borscht Belt documentary chronicling what might be the final gathering of a rapidly-dwindling group Holocaust survivors who have reunited at a resort in the Catskills every summer to celebrate their lives.  

     The Good Soldier (Unrated) Postwar documentary poses the question "What makes a good soldier?" to five veterans of WWII, Vietnam and the Middle East conflicts.

     The Hand of Fatima (Unrated) Mystical documentary about the friendship forged between NY Times critic Bob Palmer and a legendary band of Sufi musicians from Morocco.

     The Messenger (R for profanity, sexuality and nudity) Romance drama about a wounded, U.S. Army veteran (Ben Foster) who finds himself facing an ethical dilemma when he gets involved with a war widow (Samantha Morton) he's just informed about the death of her husband. Supporting cast includes Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi and Yaya DaCosta. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)  

     Oh My God (Unrated) Chicken or egg documentary asking folks from all walks of life "Did God create man or did man create God?" Interviewees include Hugh Jackman, Ringo Starr, David Copperfield, Bob Geldof, Seal and Baz Luhrmann.

     Uncertainty (Unrated) Bifurcated drama featuring a pair of parallel tales detailing the divergent fates which await a young couple (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lynn Collins) following their outcome of a flip of a coin on the Brooklyn Bridge on July 4th.   

     William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe (Unrated) Political bio-pic about the life and times of the late civil rights lawyer whose controversial clients included Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, H. Rap Brown, Stokely Carmichael, Abbie Hoffman, Adam Clayton Powell and the Berrigan brothers.

     Women in Trouble (R for sexuality and profanity) Ensemble comedy chronicling an eventful day-in-the-life of ten women living in L.A., including a pregnant porn star (Carla Gugino) and a pair of strippers (Adrianne Palicki and Emmanuelle Chriqui). With Dolly Parton, Simon Baker, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elizabeth Berkley, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon and Marley Shelton