Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 26, 2012)
Arts & Entertainment Opening This Week — Weekly Movie Previews BIG BUDGET FILMS Django Unchained (R for pro- fanity, nudity, ethnic slurs and graphic violence) Jamie Foxx stars as the title character in Quentin Tarantino’s revenge-tinged West- ern about a slave-turned-bounty hunter’s search for his wife and slave owners with whom he wants to settle a score. Cast includes Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washing- ton, Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson. Les Miserables (PG-13 for violence, mature themes and suggestive material) Musical drama, set in Paris in the wake of the French Revolution, revolving around a ruthless policeman’s (Russell Crowe) relentless pursuit of an ex-con (Hugh Jack- man) wanted for a parole violation after serving 19 years for the theft of a loaf of bread. With Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bon- ham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. Parental Guidance (PG-13 for rude humor) Generation-skipping comedy about a couple of old-fashioned grandparents (Billy Crystal and Bette Midler) who meet their match babysitting three grandkids (Bailee Madison, Joshua Rush and Kyle Harrison) whose helicopter parents (Marisa Tomei and Tom Everett Scott) are away on business. With Tony Hawk, Gedde Watan- abe and Steve Levy. Promised Land (R for profanity) Tale of corporate corruption about a gas company K AM ’ S advance team (Matt C APSULES Damon and Frances McDormand) that Movie downplays the eco- logical risks while Reviews duping small town by Kam property owners into Williams leasing their drilling rights. Supporting cast includes Hal Holbrook, Rosemarie DeWitt and John Krasinski. INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS Allegiance (R for pervasive profanity) Stop-loss drama about a National Guard Lieutenant (Seth Gabel) torn between his loyalty to the military and a member of his unit (Bow Wow) who went to care for a son with terminal cancer AWOL rather than redeploy to Iraq. With Aidan Quinn, Resh- ma Shetty and Malik Yoba. Quartet (Unrated) Dustin Hoffman directs this musical drama set at a home for retired opera singers where plans for the annual concert celebrating Verdi’s birthday are disrupted by the arrival of a pampered diva (Maggie Smith). Featuring Michael Gambon, Billy Connolly and Sheridan Smith. Tabu (Unrated) Flashback flick about an ailing octogenarian (Laura Soveral) in Lis- bon who becomes desperate on her Jamie Foxx plays the title role in the controversial Western about slavery, Django Unchained deathbed to contact the ex-lover (Henrique disturbing violence) Justice-delayed docu- Espirito Santo) from Mozambique with mentary about a trio of Arkansas teenagers whom she’d shared an illicit affair many convicted of a triple murder they didn’t years earlier. With Teresa Madruga, Isabel commit who spent 18 years in prison before Munoz Cardoso, Ana Moreira and Carloto finally being freed recently with the help of DNA evidence. With commentary by Henry Cotta. (In Portuguese with subtitles) Rollins and Eddie Vedder. West of Memphis (R for profanity and Premium Rush DVD Review Levitt and Ramirez Co- Star in Adrenaline-Fueled Bike Thriller by Kam Williams Traffic is so congested in Manhattan nowadays, it’s hard to see that terminally- gridlocked terrain as a viable setting for high-octane chase scenes. Yet, that is pre- cisely what we have in Premium Rush, an adrenaline-fueled adventure revolving around the derring-do of daring bike mes- sengers who dart between cars and dodge pedestrians to make their deliveries. At the film’s point of departure, we’re introduced to several staff members of a bonded company called Security Courier. Employee of the Year Wilee (Joseph Gor- don-Levitt) is a Columbia Law School graduate who prefers this liberating line of work to being stuck sitting behind a desk in a business suit every day. Similarly, his gorgeous girlfriend, Vanessa (Dania Ramirez), sees it as a refreshing alternative to waiting tables in a restaurant. However, one hazard of the job for her is having to fend off the sleazy overtures of fellow messenger, Manny (Wole’ Parks), and of their equally-flirta- tious dispatcher, Raj (Aasif Mandvi). Nonetheless, this picture is more about action than romance, and the fun starts soon after Wilee accepts an assignment to transport an envelope designated “Premi- um Rush” from his alma mater to China- town. But before he even has a chance to leave campus, a gentleman (Michael See RUSH on page 7 December 26, 2012 The Seattle Skanner Page 5
