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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (April 25, 2012)
Arts & Entertainment Movies Opening This Week: April 27 By Kam Williams Special to The Skanner News BIGBUDGET FILMS Bernie (PG-13 for violent images and brief profanity) Jack Black plays the title character in this crime com- edy about a small-town, Texas mortician who goes to great lengths to keep up the illusion that the wealthy widow (Shirley MacLaine) he’s killed is still alive. With Matthew McConaughey, Rick Dial and Veronica Orosco. The Five-Year Engage- ment (R for pervasive profanity and sexuality) Battles-of-the-sexes come- dy chronicling the increasingly strained rela- tionship of a very busy bride and groom-to-be (Emily Blunt and Jason Segel) who keep having to put off their wedding plans. Support cast includes Kevin Hart, Rhys Ifans, David Paymer and Mindy Kaling. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (PG for action, mild epithets and crude humor) Animated kiddie adventure about a competition among 96 Minutes three buccaneer swashbuck- lers (Hugh Grant, Jeremy Piven and Salma Hayek) to capture the coveted Pirate of the Year Award by wreaking the most havoc on the high seas. Voice cast includes Brendan Gleeson, Martin Freeman and Brian Blessed. The Raven (R for graphic violence and grisly images) 19th Century murder mys- tery which finds poet Edgar Allen Poe (John Cusack) joining forces with a young detective (Luke Evans) to apprehend the serial killer on the loose in his beloved Baltimore. Featuring Alice Eve, M. Emmet Walsh and Brendan Gleeson. Page 8 The Portland Skanner April 25, 2012 Safe (R for profanity and graphic violence) Action thriller about a retired Mixed Martial Arts fighter (Jason Statham) who comes to the rescue of a 12 year- old Chinese girl (Catherine Chan) who’s been abducted by the same mobsters who murdered his wife and chil- dren. With Chris Sarandon, James Hong and Anson Mount. Sound of My Voice (Unrated) Mind control drama about an investiga- tive journalist (Christopher Denham) who, with the help of his girlfriend (Nicole Vicius), infiltrates a reli- gious cult only to fall under the spell of the charismatic leader (Brit Marling) he had hoped to expose as a charla- tan. Supporting cast includes Avery Kristen Pohl, Davenia McFadden and Kandice Stroh. INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS 96 Minutes (R for vio- lence and pervasive profanity) Fact-based crime thriller about a couple of college coeds (Brittany Snow and Christian Ser- The Giant Mechanical Man ratos) who find themselves carjacked and kidnapped by a wannabe gangster (J. Michael Trautmann) with a reluctant accomplice (Evan Ross). With David Oyelowo, Sylvia Jeffries and Hosea Chanchez. The Broken Tower (Unrated) James Franco stars in this bittersweet biopic recounting the abbre- viated life and career of Hart Crane (1899-1932), a celebrated gay poet who took his own life by jump- ing off an ocean liner right after being assaulted for making a pass at a crew member. Support cast includes Michael Shannon, Stacey Miller and Vince Jolivette. Citizen Gangster (Unrat- ed) Diminished dreams saga, set in the wake of World War II, revisiting the real-life exploits of Eddie Boyd (Scott Speedman), a decorated Army veteran who began robbing banks to support his family when his fledgling acting career failed to pan out. Featuring Kelly Riley, Kevin Durand and Brian Cox. Dolphin Boy (Unrated) Overcoming-the-odds doc- umentary, set in Israel, about an Arab teenager left mute by a brutal beatdown who makes a miraculous recovery after his therapist prescribes a rehab regimen that involves swimming with dolphins in the Red Sea for four weeks. (In Hebrew and Arabic with subtitles) Elles (NC-17 for explicit sexuality) Juliette Binoche stars in this midlife crisis drama about a Parisian jour- nalist inspired to reevaluate her own sexuality while researching an article about college coeds who enjoy supporting themselves by moonlighting as prostitutes. With Anais Demoustier, Joanna Kulig and Louis-Do de Lencquesaing. (In French and Polish with sub- titles) The Giant Mechanical Man (PG-13 for sexuality and brief profanity) Quirky romantic comedy about a soft-spoken zookeeper (Jenna Fischer) who falls for a struggling street per- former (Chris Messina) in spite of pressure from her domineering sister (Malin Restless City Akerman) to date a pompous, self-help guru (Topher Grace). With Lucy Punch, Bob Odenkirk and Rich Sommer. Restless City (R for drug use and brief sexuality) New York City tale of sur- vival about an African immigrant (Sy Alassane) who sells bootlegged CDs on the street of Manhattan while trying to make it as a musician and encouraging his hooker girlfriend (Sky Grey) to find a respectable line of work. With Herve Diese, Ger Duany and Danai Gurira. (In English, French, Wolof and Yoruba with subtitles) Headhunters (R for nudi- ty, graphic sexuality and gruesome violence) Multi- layered mystery, set in Norway, about a corporate headhunter (Aksel Hennie) who risks his career to steal a priceless painting by Rubens from a well-heeled client (Nikolaj Coster-Wal- dau).
