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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 2016)
Page 6 The Skanner December 14, 2016 Arts & Entertainment Kam’s Kapsules: Movies Opening Friday, Dec. 16, 2016 BIG BUDGET FILMS Collateral Beauty (PG- 13 for mature themes and brief profanity) Intro- spective character por- trait starring Will Smith as a Madison Avenue executive who writes letters to Love, Time and Death after withdraw- ing from the world in the wake of a personal tragedy. A-list ensem- ble includes Academy Award-winners Helen Mirren and Kate Wins- let, Oscar-nominees Ed- ward Norton and Keira Knightley, as well as Mi- Kam Williams Kam’s Kapsules Movie Reviews in this screen adapta- tion of August Wilson’s Tony Award and Pulitiz- er Prize-winning play chronicling the struggles of an African-American family living in Pitts- burgh in the Fifties. With Mykelti Williamson, Jovan Adepo, Stephen Naomie Harris in ‘Collateral Beauty’ chael Pena and Naomie Harris. Fences (PG-13 for pro- fanity, mature themes and sexual referenc- es) Denzel Washington and Viola Davis co-star Henderson and Russell Hornsby. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (PG-13 for violence and extended action sequences) Inter- galactic epic revolving around a rebel soldier (Felicity Jones) recruited to lead a band of unlike- ly heroes on a mission to steal the design for the Empire’s weapon of mass destruction. featuring Forest Whitaker, Diego Luna, Mads Mikkelsen, Jiang Wen, Alan Tudyk and Donnie Yen. INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS Barry (Unrated) Dev- on Terrell plays Barack Obama in this biopic about the future Presi- dent’s stint as a student at Columbia University during the early Eight- ies. With Ashley Judd, Jenna Elfman and Famke Janssen. The Grace of Jake (Un- rated) Musical dramedy about a just-paroled con- vict (Jake La Botz) who steals a car and drives from California to Ar- kansas in search of the father (Michael Beck) he never knew. With Jordin Sparks, Lew Temple and Ravi Kapoor. A Kind of Murder (PG-13 for profanity and violence) Psychological thriller, set in New York in the 1960s, about a mis- erably-married architect (Patrick Wilson) who be- comes the prime suspect when his wife (Jessica Biel) dies under mysteri- ous circumstances. With Eddie Marsan, Vincent Kartheiser and Haley Bennett. Neruda (R for pro- fanity, sexuality and nudity) Chilean docu- drama recounting the hunt in the late 1940s for Pablo Neruda (Luis Gnecco) following the Nobel Prize-winning poet-turned-fugitive’s conversion to Commu- nism. with Gael Garcia Bernal, Alfredo Castro and Mercedes Moran. (In Spanish and French SHOWTIMES THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN (R) Fri-Thur: 2:00, 9:20 A MAN CALLED OVE (EN MAN SOM HETER OVE) (PG-13) Fri-Thur: 4:20, 9:10 MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (PG-13) Fri-Thur: 2:25, 7:15 QUEEN OF KATWE (PG) Fri-Sat, Mon-Thur: 11:40, 6:45 Sun: 6:45 The Week of Friday, Dec. 16 through Thursday, Dec. 27, 2016 STORKS (PG) Fri-Thur: 11:55 SULLY (PG-13) Fri-Thur: 7:00 THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (PG) Fri-Thur: 2:15, 4:30 ELF (PG) Fri-Thur: 12:15, 5:05, 9:55 $4.00 adults, $3.00 senior citizens (65+) $3.00 for kids (12 & under) 7818 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215 503-252-1707 • AcademyTheaterPdx.com Babysitting: Available for children 2 to 8 years old. Fri: shows after 3:30pm and before 8:00pm. Sat - Sun: all shows before 8:00pm. $9.50 per child for the length of the movie. Call to reserve a spot, no drop ins. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in ‘Fences’ with subtitles) Rooted in Peace (Un- rated) Eco-documentary challenging Americans to proactively find ways to live in harmony with the environment and with other countries. Featuring commentary by Deepak Chopra, Arch- bishop Desmond Tutu and the late Pete Seeger. Solace (R for sexuality, nudity, profanity, bloody images and pervasive profanity) Crime thriller about a psychic (Antho- ny Hopkins) who joins forces with an FBI agent (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) in the hunt for a serial kill- er (Colin Farrell). With Abbie Cornish, Matt Ger- ald and Marley Shelton. FILM REVIEW: ‘La La Land’ an Enchanting Homage to Hollywood Musicals ‘La La Land’ revolves around Sebastian Wilder and Mia Dolan, struggling artists played to perfection by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, respectively. By Kam Williams For The Skanner News I f you only see one movie this year, you need to get out more. That be- ing said, “La La Land” is the picture to catch. This nostalgic homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood is a panoramic masterpiece which makes very effective use of every inch of the “ chanting original score composed by Justin Hurwitz who collaborated with college classmate Damien on Whip- lash as well as his debut offering, the deceptively-unassuming Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench. This relatively-ambitious roman- tic romp revolves around Sebastian Wilder and Mia Dolan, struggling artists played to perfection by Ryan Chazelle resurrects the wide-angled lens for a last hurrah in service of an old-fashioned musical unfolding against a breathtaking ar- ray of L.A. backdrops big screen. Written and directed by Oscar-nom- inee Damien Chazelle (for “Whip- lash”), the picture was shot in Cin- emaScope, a supposedly-obsolete technology that fell out of favor with filmmakers in the late Sixties. Here, Chazelle resurrects the wide-angled lens for a last hurrah in service of an old-fashioned musical unfolding against a breathtaking array of L.A. backdrops. La La also features an en- Gosling and Emma Stone, respective- ly. Their talented supporting cast in- cludes J.K. Simmons, John Legend and Rosemarie DeWitt. After a showstopping opening staged on a gridlocked freeway where stuck motorists suddenly break into song and dance, we’re introduced to the likable leads. We learn that jazz pianist Sebastian’s a purist playing See LA LA LAND on page 7
