Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 2015)
Arts & Entertainment Kam’s Capsules: Movies Opening Friday, Jan. 23 By Kam Williams For The Skanner News BIG BUDGET FILMS The Boy Next Door (R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and violence) Psy- chological thriller about a young man (Ryan Guzman) who becomes obsessed with his recently-divorced neigh- bor (Jennifer Lopez) after they share a one-night stand. Cast includes John Corbett, Kristen Chenoweth, Hill Harper and Ian Nelson. Mortdecai (R for profani- ty and sexuality) Screen adaptation of the Kyril Bon- figlioli best-seller of the same name about a globe- trotting art dealer’s (Johnny Depp) search for a stolen painting containing clues leading to a missing Nazi gold fortune. With Olivia Munn, Ewan McGregor, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bet- tany and Jeff Goldblum. Strange Magic (PG for action and scary images) Animated musical, inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream, revolving around a battle among elves, goblins, fairies and imps over a pow- erful potion. Voice cast includes Meredith Anne Bull, Kristen Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Alfred Molina and Maya Rudolph. INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS Against the Sun (PG for mature themes and mild epi- thets) World War II survival saga recounting a trio of air- men’s (Tom Felton, Jake Abel and Garret Dillahunt) real-life ordeal in a lifeboat after ditching their plane over the Pacific Ocean. Fea- turing Nadia Parra. Big Muddy (R for vio- lence, profanity, sexuality and some nudity) Nadia Litz and Justin Kelly co-star as mother and son operating on the wrong side of the law in this remarkable neo noir reminiscent of Red Rock West from debut director Jefferson Moneo. Cast includes David La Haye, Stephen McHattie and James Le Gros. Black Sea (R for vio- lence, graphic images and pervasive profanity) Buried treasure adventure starring Jude Law as a submarine captain who goes rogue to search for a sunken ship supposedly loaded with gold. With Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn and Jodie Whittaker. Cake (R for profanity, substance abuse and brief sexuality) Poignant charac- ter portrait starring Jennifer Aniston as a woman who befriends the just-widowed husband (Sam Worthington) of a suicidal member of her chronic pain support group (Anna Kendrick). Ensemble cast includes Adriana Bar- razza, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Lucy Punch, Mamie Gummer and Chris Messina. (In English and Spanish with subtitles) The Duke of Burgundy (Unrated) Romance drama revolving around a lesbian couple’s (Sidse Babett Knudsen and Chiara D’An- na) sadomasochistic relationship. With Eugenia Caruso, Fatma Mohamed and Monica Swinn. The Humbling (R for Jericho Rosales as the title role in Manny profanity, sexuality and brief violence) Oscar-win- ner Barry Levinson (for Rain Man) directed this adaptation of the Philip Roth best-seller of the same name about an aging actor (Al Pacino) whose life is turned upside-down when he embarks on an ill- advised affair with a considerably-younger les- bian (Greta Gerwig). Support cast includes Dianne Wiest, Charles Grodin, Mandy Patinkin and Kyra Sedgwick. Manny (PG-13 for vio- lence and bloody images) Pugilism biopic, narrated by Liam Neeson, about Fil- ipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao. Featuring commentary by Mark Wahlberg, Jeremy Piven and Jimmy Kimmel. Miss Hill: Making Dance Matter (Unrated) Reverential biopic about Martha Hill (1900-1995), the visionary founding director of Juilliard’s Dance Division. Mommy (R for violence, sexual references and perva- sive profanity) ADHD drama chronicling a griev- ing widow’s (Anne Dorval) Page 8 The Portland and Seattle Skanner January 21, 2015 frustrations while raising her violent, teenage son (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) alone. With Suzanne Clement, Patrick Huard and Alexandre Goyette. (In French and English with subtitles) gay teen’s (Said Mrini) search for identity in a soci- ety in denial about the existence of homosexuality. With Amine Ennaji, Karim Ait M’Hand and Frederic Landenberg. (In French and Arabic with subtitles) Strange Magic Red Army (PG for mild epithets and mature themes) Cold War documentary highlighting the exploits of the Soviet Army’s hockey team, the most successful sports dynasty in history. (In English and Russian with subtitles) Salvation Army (Unrat- ed) Coming-of-age drama, set in Casablanca, about a Son of a Gun (Unrated) Cat-and-mouse crime caper, set in Perth, about a 19 year- old petty thief (Brenton Thwaites) who, against his better judgment, becomes the protégé of Australia’s Public Enemy #1 (Ewan McGregor) after the two stage a daring jailbreak. With Alicia Vikander, Matt Nable, Tammie West and Jacek Koman.
