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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 2012)
Arts & Entertainment Opening This Week — Dec. 7, 2012 BIG BUDGET FILMS Playing for Keeps (PG- 13 for profanity, sexual situations and an intense image) Romantic comedy revolving around a retired pro athlete (Gerard Butler) with a checkered past who’s effort to woo back his ex- wife (Jessica Biel) by coaching their son’s (Noah Lomax) soccer team goes awry when some of his players’ moms start flirting with him. With Catherine Zeta-Jones, Uma Thurman, Dennis Quaid and Judy Greer. INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS The Art of Flight (PG-13 for profanity) Snowboard- ing documentary showcasing the death-defy- ing exploits of Travis Rice and other daredevils as they K AM ’ S C APSULES Movie Reviews by Kam Williams risk avalanches and acci- dents while exploring uncharted mountains all around the world. Delhi Safari (PG for vio- lence, menacing action, suggestive content, crude humor and mature themes) Bollywood-produced, ani- mated adventure about a protective mother leopard (Vanessa Williams), her cub (Tara Strong), a monkey (Carlos Alazraqui), a parrot (Tom Kenny) and a bear (Brad Garrett) forced to flee the forest for help when real estate developers leave their natural habitat on the verge of destruction. Voice cast includes Jane Lynch, Jason Alexander and Cary Elwes. (In Hindi and English with subtitles) Bad Kids Go to Hell (R for profanity, sexuality, vio- lence and drug use) Dark comedy about a half-dozen students at an elite prep school who start falling vic- tim to horrible accidents while serving detention. Starring Judd Nelson, Ben Browder, Ali Faulkner and Chanel Ryan. Tchoupitoulas (Unrated) Dusk to dawn documentary chronicling a day-in-the-life of three boys who join a rowdy parade of New Orleans revelers. December 5, 2012 Tucker) and an Alzheimer’s patient (Hal Holbrook). With Cary Elwes, Joanna Cassidy and Rick Gonza- lez. memorials erected in their honor. Happy New Year (Unrat- ed) PTSD drama about a self-destructive Iraq War veteran (Michael Cuomo) who finds himself plagued by guilt and desperation upon return to the U.S. after a tour of duty overseas. Cast includes J.D. Williams, Will Rogers and Jose Yenque. In Our Nature (Unrated) Close quarters drama about the tensions which surface when a guy (Zach Guilford) takes his girlfriend (Jenna Malone) to his family’s summer home for a quiet weekend getaway only to have his long-estranged father (John Slattery) show up unexpectedly with his trophy girlfriend (Gabrielle Union). Delhi Safari The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (Unrated) Edward Burns wrote, direct- ed and co-stars in this dysfunctional family drama about the emotional strain experienced by seven sib- lings when their long-lost father (Malachy McCourt) returns home for the holi- days after having walked out on them and their mom (Anita Gillette) a couple of decades earlier. With Con- nie Britton, Heather Burns, Noah Emmerich and Kerry Bishe’. Flying Lessons (R for profanity and sexuality) Prodigal Daughter drama about a young woman (Maggie Grace) who returns home for the first time in years to repair relationships with her alcoholic mother (Christine Lahti), an ex- boyfriend (Jonathan Page 6 The Portland Skanner Tchoupitoulas Buffalo Girls (Unrated) Child abuse documentary taking an intimate peek into the boxing careers of 8 year- old Stam Sor Con Lek and Pet Chor Chanachai, female prizefighters who support their families while pursu- ing Thailand’s Flyweight title. (In Thai with subtitles) Cheerful Weather for the Wedding (Unrated) Cold feet comedy about a bride-to-be (Felicity Jones) worried that she’s about to marry the wrong man who keeps both her fiance (James Norton) and her ex (Luke Treadaway) in sus- pense on her wedding day. With Ellie Kendrick, Mackenzie Crook and Eliz- abeth McGovern. The Art of Flight Deadfall (R for profanity, sexuality and graphic vio- lence) Crime caper about a brother (Eric Bana) and sis- ter (Olivia Wilde) who decide to go their separate ways in the wake of a casi- no heist gone bad. Ensemble cast includes Sissy Spacek, Kate Mara, Kris Kristofferson and Treat Williams. Heleno (R for profanity, sexuality and drug use) Bit- tersweet biopic about the tragic life of Heleno de Fre- itas (Rodrigo Santoro), one of Brazil’s all-time great soccer players. (In Por- tuguese with subtitles) Honor Flight (Unrated) Greatest Generation docu- mentary about a Midwest community that raised $250,000 to fly its surviving WWII veterans to Washing- ton, DC to visit the war Hyde Park on Hudson (R for brief sexuality) Tale of illicit love, set over the course of a wild weekend in 1939, chronicling President Franklin Delano Roo- sevelt’s (Bill Murray) incestuous affair with his cousin Margaret (Laura Lin- ney) while he was simultaneously entertaining the King (Samuel West) and Queen (Olivia Colman) of England during a Royal visit to the States. Lay the Favorite (R for sexuality, nudity, drug use and pervasive profanity) Screen adaptation of Beth Raymer’ memoir of the same name about a small- town stripper (Rebecca Hall) who moves to Las Vegas where she becomes the protégé of a professional gambler (Bruce Willis), much to the chagrin of his jealous wife (Catherine
