Best Movies of 2009: Kenneth Turan, LA Times

LA Times movie critic Kenneth Turan's top movies of 2009:

Best movies of 2009:

Bright Star and The Hurt Locker

Runners-Up:

An Education

Avatar

Amreeka

Adventureland

Big Fan

Sergio

Up

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Julie and Julia

Afghan Star

Anvil! The story of Anvil

Soul Power

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29

More Than a Game

Tyson

Unmistaken Child

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Ponyo

Up in the Air

Female Performances in Foreign Film:

Coco Before Chanel

Everlasting Moments

The Maid

Moscow, Belgium

Seraphine

A Woman in Berlin

Movie reviews and stories from Kenneth Turan at the LA Times

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Avatar

"Avatar": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan:

Think of "Avatar" as "The Jazz Singer" of 3-D filmmaking. Think of it as the most expensive and accomplished Saturday matinee movie ever made. Think of it as the ultimate James Cameron production.

Whatever way you choose to look at it, "Avatar's" shock and awe demand to be seen. You've never experienced anything like it, and neither has anyone else.

Read Turan's full review of "Avatar" at the LA Times

AVATAR
AVATAR takes us to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on an epic adventure, ultimately fighting to save the alien world he has learned to call home. James Cameron, the Oscar-winning director of “Titanic,” first conceived the film 15 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not exist yet. Now, after four years of production, AVATAR, a live action film with a new generation of special effects, delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.More Details

Opened December 18, 2009 Runtime:2 hr. 30 min.
PG-13warfare, intense battle sequences, some smoking, sensuality and languageCast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore
Director: James Cameron
Genres: Sci-Fi Action, Science Fiction

Movie times and tickets for AVATAR from Fandango

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Best Movies of 2009: Betsy Sharkey, LA Times

LA Times movie critic Betsy Sharkey's Top 10 Movies of 2009

Up in the Air

Precious

The Hurt Locker

The Beaches of Agnes

Fantastic Mr. Fox

An Education

District 9

Bright Star

A Single Man

Two Lovers

Betsy Sharkey's movie reviews at the LA Times

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A Single Man

"A Single Man": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Betsy Sharkey

We're always looking for those performances that truly define an actor, where we can sit back and simply watch the talent soar. For Colin Firth, "A Single Man" is that film. Until now probably best known for his work in the "Bridget Jones" films -- the stuffy, sensitive suitor forever in the shadow of Hugh Grant's roguish charmer -- his portrayal of George, the single man that he imbues with amazing grace, should change all that.

Read Sharkey's full review of "A Single Man" at the LA Times

A Single Man
George (Colin Firth) is a college professor who recently lost his lover, Jim (Nicholas Hoult), in a car accident. Grief-stricken beyond words, George plans to commit suicide. As he goes about his daily routine and puts his affairs in order , encounters with colleagues, students and an old friend (Julianne Moore) lead George to make a final decision as to whether his life is worth living without Jim.

Opened December 11, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 39 min.
Cast: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult, Matthew Goode, Jon Kortajarena
Director: Tom Ford
Genres: Period Film, Psychological Drama, Drama

Movie times and tickets for "A Single Man" from Fandango

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Invictus

"Invictus": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan:

Clint Eastwood's latest and most unexpected foray in his one-man campaign to make movies the way they used to be made. Instead of a thriller, war movie or western, the director has turned out a stirring drama about South African leader Nelson Mandela, blending entertainment, social message and history lesson in a way that recalls such decades-old films as "The Story of Louis Pasteur," "The Life of Emile Zola" and "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet." The more things change, the more they remain the same.
Read Kenneth Turan's full review of "Invictus" at the LA Times

"Invictus"
With the fall of apartheid in South Africa, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) tries to unite his countrymen and bring peace by bringing the Rugby World Cup to his country.

Opened December 11, 2009 Runtime:2 hr. 12 min.
PG-13brief strong language
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge, Patrick Mofokeng, Matt Stern, Julian Lewis Jones, Adjoa Andoh
Director: Clint Eastwood
Genres: Political Drama, Biopic [feature], Drama


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Four Seasons Lodge

"Four Seasons Lodge": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan:

How does life go on, where does it go, when a a person has had to confront the worst of existence? Inspirational in unexpected ways, "Four Seasons Lodge" provides answers to those eternal questions, bringing a vibrant perspective to the resilience of the human spirit with its documentary portrait of a Catskills bungalow colony run by and for Holocaust survivors.

Four Seasons Lodge
Fascinated by the group of aging Holocaust survivors who spend their summers together at the Four Seasons Lodge in the Catskill Mountains, filmmaker Andrew Jacobs documents their collective memories, close friendships, and rich traditions at a time when their favorite retreat hovers in an uncertain state of flux. Every year since 1979, this small group of German and Polish Jews has gathered at the Four Seasons to reminisce about their childhoods and find comfort in one another's company. Like old friends, they often bicker and argue, but it generally isn't anything that lodge president Carl can't resolve with some friendly advice. This year, the regular vacationers at the Four Seasons hopelessly split between those who want to see the resort sold, and those who hope to see it stay intact. But this particular group has been through so much together that whatever may come of the Four Seasons, their familial bonds will remain as strong as they ever were. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

"Four Seasons Lodge" appears not to be showing at any theaters, so it's one to look out for on Netflix or Amazon once released to DVD

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Crazy Heart

"Crazy Heart": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan:

There's a powerful symmetry at work in "Crazy Heart" that's impossible to resist. It's a parallel between protagonist Bad Blake, a country singer whose entire life has led him to a nadir of disintegration, and star Jeff Bridges, whose exceptional film choices have put him at the height of his powers just in time to make Mr. Blake the capstone role of his career.
Read Kenneth Turan's full review of "Crazy Heart" at the LA Times

Crazy Heart
Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who's had way too many marriages, far too many years on the road and one too many drinks way too many times. And yet, Bad can’t help but reach for salvation with the help of Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician. As he struggles down the road of redemption, Bad learns the hard way just how tough life can be on one man’s crazy heart.

Opened December 16, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 51 min.
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Tom Bower, Colin Farrell
Director: Scott Cooper
Genres: Drama

Movie times and tickets from for "Crazy Heart" Fandango

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Broken Embraces

"Broken Embraces": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Betsy Sharkey

Something almost magical happens whenever actress Penélope Cruz and filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar work together, and so it is with "Broken Embraces," a deliciously twisted tale of love, death and a badly edited film. Read Sharkey's full review of "Broken Embraces" at the LA Times

Broken Embraces
The story of Mateo, Lena, Judit and Ernesto Martel is a story of “amour fou”, dominated by fatality, jealously, the abuse of power, treachery and a guilt complex. A moving and terrible story, the most expressive image of which is the photo of two lovers embracing, torn into a thousand pieces.

Opened November 20, 2009 Runtime:2 hr. 8 min.
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Blanca Portillo, Lluís Homar, José Luis Gómez, Ruben Ochandiano
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Genres: Comedy Drama, Melodrama, Post-Noir (Modern Noir)

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Up in the Air

"Up in the Air": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan:

"Up in the Air" makes it look easy. Not just in its casual and apparently effortless excellence, but in its ability to blend entertainment and insight, comedy and poignancy, even drama and reality, things that are difficult by themselves but a whole lot harder in combination. This film does all that and never seems to break a sweat. Read Turan's full review of "Up in the Air" at the LA Times

Up in the Air
From Jason Reitman, the Oscar nominated director of “Juno,” comes a comedy called “Up in the Air” starring Oscar winner George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.

Opened December 4, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 49 min.
Cast: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Danny R. McBride
Director: Jason Reitman
Genres: Romantic Comedy, Comedy Drama, Psychological Drama, Family Drama, Workplace Comedy

Movie times and tickets for "Up in the Air" from Fandango

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The Princess and the Frog

"The Princess and the Frog": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Betsy Sharkey:

Go ahead and pucker up. Because long before "The Princess and the Frog" is over you'll want to smooch the charming couple, air kiss a romantic firefly and hug a voodoo queen in this foot-stomping, smile-inducing, heart-warming animated twist on the old Brothers Grimm frog-prince fairy tale. Read Sharkey's review of "The Princess and the Frog" at the LA Times

The Princess and the Frog
Walt Disney Animation Studios presents a musical set in the greatest city of them all, New Orleans. "The Princess and the Frog" marks Disney's return to the warmth and grandeur of hand drawn animation. The film teams Ron Clements and John Musker , creators of "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin" with Oscar winning composer Randy Newman. From the heart of Louisiana's mystical bayouts and the banks of the mighty Mississippi comes an unforgetable tale of love, enchantment and discovery with a trumpet playing alligator, a love sick Cajun firefly, and a host of other charming characters at every turn.

Opened December 11, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 35 min.
Cast: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jim Cummings
Director: Ron Clements
Genres: Children's Fantasy, Fairy Tales & Legends, Musical, Children's/Family

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The Last Station

"The Last Station": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan:

The complicated marriage between Leo Tolstoy and his wife Sofya has been turned into a showcase for tasty acting by Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren.
Read Turan's review of "The Last Station" at the LA Times

The Last Station
In 1910, famed novelist Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) and his wife Sofya (Helen Mirren) vehemently disagree over the rights to Tolstoy's literary legacy. Sofya believes her husband should bequeath them to her upon his death, while Tolstoy's chief disciple, Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), has nearly convinced the writer to sign the rights over to the Russian people. To this end, Chertkov inserts a spy into Tolstoy's household, who promptly falls for one of the novelist's daughters.

Opened December 4, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 52 min.
Cast: Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, Paul Giamatti, Anne-Marie Duff
Director: Michael Hoffman
Genres: Period Film, Biopic [feature], Drama


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The Messenger

"The Messenger": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Betsy Sharkey:

It would have been easy for this moving new drama that follows an Army casualty notification team as they tell families a loved one has died in combat to turn into a patriotic melodrama or a hopelessly somber tragedy. It is neither. Instead emotions are used sparingly with the director's restraint allowing the marvelous central cast -- Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton -- to breathe, filling the silences with indelible characters whose humanity makes room for humor and hope as well. Read Sharkey's full review of "The Messenger" at the LA Times

Synopsis "The Messenger"
Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army officer who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers, Will faces the challenge of completing his mission while seeking to find comfort and healing back on the home front. When he finds himself drawn to Olivia (Samantha Morton), to whom he has just delivered the news of her husband's death, Will’s emotional detachment begins to dissolve and the film reveals itself as a surprising, humorous, moving and very human portrait of grief, friendship and survival.

Opened November 13, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 45 min.
R language and some sexual content/nudity
Cast: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, Steve Buscemi, Eamonn Walker
Director: Oren Moverman
Genres: Psychological Drama, War Drama, Drama


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Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

"Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Betsy Sharkey:

Cold-blooded reptiles are lurking everywhere in the slick new noir "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans," with snakes, iguanas, gators and especially Nicolas Cage at their slithering and cynical best.Read Sharkey's full review of title at the LA Times

Synopsis "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans"
A substance-abusing cop (Nicolas Cage) is locked in a downward spiral as he probes the drug-related murders of five illegal immigrants from Senegal.

Opened November 20, 2009 Runtime:2 hr. 1 min.
R language throughout, some violence, sexuality and drug use
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Xzibit, Fairuza Balk
Director: Werner Herzog
Genres: Crime Drama, Drama, Police Drama


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Pirate Radio

"Pirate Radio": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Betsy Sharkey:

"Pirate Radio," the new rock-saturated comedy that proves life really is better when it's set to a '60s soundtrack, is, to borrow from the Stones, "a gas! gas! gas!"

And borrow does it ever -- from the Kinks, the Rolling Stones, Hendrix, the Who, the Troggs, the Turtles, the Beach Boys, the Yardbirds, the Seekers, the List, um, make that, the list goes on . . . nearly 60 cuts in all in what may be the coolest music-video masquerading as a movie ever. Read Betsy Sharkey's review of "Pirate Radio"at the LA Times

Synopsis "Pirate Radio"
In the 1960s this group of rougue DJs, on a boat in the middle of the Northern Atlantic, played rock records and broke the law all for the love of music. The songs they played united and defined an entire generation and drove the British government crazy. By playing Rock n Roll they were standing up against the British government who did everything in their power to shut them down. The band of rebels is lead by The Count, played by the Academy Award Winning Philip Seymour Hoffman, Quentin the boss of Radio Rock, Gavin the greatest DJ in Britian, Midnight Mark, Doctor Dave and Young Carl who comes of age amidst the chaos of sex, drugs and rock n roll. The film features an unbelievable selection of music including The Beatles, The Stones, Beach Boys, Dusty Springfield, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Smokey Robinson, David Bowie, Otis Redding, Cat Stevens just to name a few. The film is laugh out loud funny and speaks to the rock n roll rebel in all of us.

Opened November 13, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 55 min.
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh, January Jones
Director: Richard Curtis
Genres: Period Film, Musical Comedy, Comedy, Ensemble Film

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The Fantastic Mr. Fox

"The Fantastic Mr. Fox": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan:

With George Clooney and Meryl Streep as the most urbane couple in the vulpine world, this adaptation of the much-loved Roald Dahl novel animates not only forest animals, but the career of director Wes Anderson. Read Turan's full review of "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" at the LA Times

Synopsis Fantastic Mr. Fox
Mr. and Mrs. Fox (Clooney and Streep) live an idyllic home life with their son Ash (Schwartzman) and visiting young nephew Kristopherson (Eric Anderson). But after 12 years, the bucolic existence proves too much for Mr Fox’s wild animal instincts. Soon he slips back into his old ways as a sneaky chicken thief and in doing so, endangers not only his beloved family, but the whole animal community. Trapped underground and with not enough food to go around, the animals band together to fight against the evil Farmers - Boggis, Bunce and Bean - who are determined to capture the audacious, fantastic Mr. Fox at any cost.

Opened November 13, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 27 min.
Cast: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Wallace Wolodarsky
Director: Wes Anderson
Genres: Children's/Family


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Precious

"Precious": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Betsy Sharkey:

Nothing quite prepares you for the rough-cut diamond that is "Precious." A rare blend of pure entertainment and dark social commentary, this shockingly raw, surprisingly irreverent and absolutely unforgettable story of an obese, illiterate, pregnant black Harlem teen circa 1987 is one that you hope will not be dismissed as too difficult, because it should not be missed.
Read Sharkey's full review of "Precious" at the LA Times

Editor's Note: "Precious" is based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire and was released on November 6, 2009 to limited theaters. Wider release is expected. To check if "Precious" is showing in your area, use this link to Fandango to search by your zip code.

Synopsis Precious
Pregnant by her own father for the second time, 16-year-old Claireece ''Precious'' Jones (Gabourey ''Gabby'' Sidibe) can neither read nor write and suffers constant abuse at the hands of her vicious mother (Mo'Nique ). Precious instinctively sees a chance to turn her life around when she is offered the opportunity to transfer to an alternative school. Under the patient, firm guidance of her new teacher, Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins the journey from oppression to self-determination.

Opened November 6, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 49 min.
R - child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language.
Cast: Gabourey Sidibe, Lenny Kravitz, Paula Patton, Mo'nique, Mariah Carey
Director: Lee Daniels
Genres: Teen Movie, Drama, Inspirational Drama

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Whip It

"Whip It": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Betsy Sharkey:

When the director calls her movie "Whip It," you might think you're in for some kind of cage-fighting "Animal House" starring girls. And while you do get the fishnets, food fights, broken bones and bloody noses, there are many sly satisfactions in Drew Barrymore's smartly done directing debut. Starring Ellen Page, the film is a chicks-on-skates/coming-of-age/sports drama/comedy/feminist polemic set in the racy world of roller derby. For the most part Barrymore proves sure and steady in her new role. View Sharkey's VIDEO review at the LA Times

Synopsis "Whip It"
Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) lives in small-town Texas and yearns to break free of her mother's (Marcia Gay Harden) world of beauty pageants and conformity. Bliss sees her chance when she meets the Hurl Scouts, a roller-derby team; she tries out for the team and wins a slot, lying to her parents about her new hobby. Bliss finds friendship and freedom with her teammates, but a conflict between a championship game and the Bluebonnet beauty pageant threatens to spill her secret.

Opened October 2, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 51 min.
Cast: Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis
Director: Drew Barrymore
Genres: Comedy Drama, Teen Movie, Coming-of-Age, Sports Drama

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Trucker

"Trucker": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Betsy Sharkey:

Appearances are rarely what they seem in "Trucker," starring Michelle Monaghan as Diane Ford, the sexy tough chick in the fast lane of writer-director James Mottern's haunting tale of motherhood lost and found. Mottern has given us a rare thing, a blue-collar woman with the grit and righteous strength of a Clint Eastwood character. Monaghan has given her heart. Read reviewer's full review of "Trucker" at the LA Times

Synopsis "Trucker"
Diane Ford (Michelle Monaghan), a vivacious and successful independent truck driver, leads a carefree life of long-haul trucking, one night stands and all-night drinking until the evening her estranged 11-year-old son, Peter (Jimmy Bennett, young James Krik in the upcoming Star Trek) is unexpectedly dropped at her door. Peter hasn't seen his mother since he was a baby and wants to live with Diane as little as she wants him, but they are stuck with each other - at least for now, while his father Len (Benjamin Bratt) is in the hospital. Burdened with this new responsibility and seeing the life of freedom she's fought for now jeopardized, Diane steps reluctantly into her past and looks sidelong at an uncharted future that is not as simple or straightforward as she had once believed possible.

Opened October 9, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 33 min.
R, sexuality, language, brief drug use involving minors, and a sexual assault
Cast: Michelle Monaghan, Nathan Fillion, Benjamin Bratt, Joey Lauren Adams, Jimmy Bennett
Director: James Mottern
Genres: Drama, Family Drama, Slice of Life

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More Than a Game

"More Than a Game": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan:

Destined to be known as "the LeBron James movie," this knockout sports documentary is a whole lot more. It shows how the bond that James formed with his teammates in high school and earlier sustained him and transformed everyone's lives.

Synopsis "More Than A Game"
Five talented young basketball players from Akron, Ohio star in this remarkable true-life coming of age story about friendship and loyalty in the face of great adversity. Coached by a charismatic but inexperienced player’s father, and led by future NBA superstar LeBron James, the “Fab Five’s” improbable seven-year journey leads them from a decrepit inner-city gym to the doorstep of a national high school championship. Along the way, the close-knit team is repeatedly tested—both on and off the court—as James’ exploding worldwide celebrity threatens to destroy everything they’ve set out to achieve together. "More Than A Game" combines a series of unforgettable one-on-one interviews with rare news footage, never-before-seen home videos, and personal family photographs to bring this heart-wrenching and wholly American story to life.

Opened October 2, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 42 min.
Cast: LeBron James, Dru Joyce III, Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce II, Willie McGee, Romeo Travis
Director: Kristopher Belman
Genres: Sports & Recreation, Sports


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The Maid

"The Maid": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan:

If every film you see, even every independent or foreign-language film, reminds you of the one you saw the week before, it's time to check out "The Maid." This completely unexpected feature, made in Chile by young director Sebastián Silva and featuring a spectacular performance by actress Catalina Saavedra, has that particular gift of leaving you off balance in the best possible way. Already a winner of two key awards at Sundance and the only foreign-language film to be one of five best picture nominees at the Gotham Independent Film Awards, this is one to savor. I could tell you more, but that would ruin the fun.
Read Kenneth Turan's review of title at the LA Times

Synopsis "The Maid"
A drama centered on a maid trying to hold on to her position after having served a family for 23 years.
Note: Film is presented in Spanish with English subtitles.

Opened October 16, 2009
Director: Sebastián Silva
Genres: Art House/Foreign, Drama

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Good Hair

"Good Hair": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Betsy Shareky:

Chris Rock tries to untangle a question posed by his young daughter: "Daddy, why don't I have good hair?" The result is an amusing, poignant and surprisingly candid look at the issues and implications tied to "black" hair -- as in ethnic -- with a disarming Rock coaxing answers and opinions from an eclectic cross-section of African Americans who spend billions to process and weave their way to straightness. Read full review of "Good Hair" at the LA Times

Synopsis of "Good Hair"
Prompted by a question from his young daughter, comic Chris Rock sets out to explore the importance of hair in black culture. Rock interviews celebrities such as Ice-T and Raven Symone, and visits hair salons, stylist competitions and even an Indian temple to learn about hair culture.

Opened October 9, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 35 min.
Director: Jeff Stilson
Genres: Documentary

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Bright Star

"Bright Star": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan:

"Bright Star" satisfies a hunger we may not have known we had, a hunger for an exquisitely done, emotional love story that marries heartbreaking passion to formidable filmmaking restraint, all in the service of an unapologetically romantic belief in "the holiness of the heart's affections."
Read Kenneth Turan's full review of "Bright Star"at the LA Times

Synopsis
London 1818: a secret love affair begins between 23 year old English poet, John Keats, and the girl next door, Fanny Brawne, an outspoken student of fashion. This unlikely pair started at odds; he thinking her a stylish minx, she unimpressed by literature in general. It was the illness of Keats’s younger brother that drew them together. Keats was touched by Fanny’s efforts to help and agreed to teach her poetry. By the time Fanny’s alarmed mother and Keats’s best friend Brown realised their attachment, the relationship had an unstoppable momentum. Intensely and helplessly absorbed in each other, the young lovers were swept into powerful new sensations, “I have the feeling as if I were dissolving”, Keats wrote to her. Together they rode a wave of romantic obsession that deepened as their troubles mounted. Only Keats’s illness proved insurmountable.

Opened September 18, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 59 min.
Cast: Ben Whishaw, Abbie Cornish, Kerry Fox, Paul Schneider, Edie Martin
Director: Jane Campion
Genres: Romantic Drama, Period Film, Romance


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The Damned United

"The Damned United": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan:

"The Damned United," briskly directed by Tom Hooper, who did the multi-Emmy-winning "John Adams" HBO series, is a compelling sports film because on one level it doesn't seem to be about sports at all. It's about ambition, betrayal and moral blindness, the tale of a complicated, driven, gifted man whose flaws are so striking they flirt with raising his story to the level of tragedy. Read Kenneth Turan's full review of "The Damned United" at the LA Times

Synopsis "The Damned United"
Set in 1960s and 1970s England, The Damned United tells the confrontational and darkly humorous story of Brian Clough’s doomed 44-day tenure as manager of the reigning champions of English football Leeds United. Previously managed by his bitter rival Don Revie, and on the back of their most successful period ever as a football club, Leeds was perceived by many to represent a new aggressive and cynical style of football - an anathema to the principled yet flamboyant Brian Clough, who had achieved astonishing success as manager of Hartlepool and Derby County building teams in his own vision with trusty lieutenant Peter Taylor. Taking the Leeds job without Taylor by his side, with a changing room full of what in his mind were still Don’s boys, would lead to an unheralded examination of Clough’s belligerence and brilliance over 44 days. This is that story. The story of The Damned United.

Opened October 9, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 38 min
Cast: Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, Jim Broadbent, Henry Goodman, Maurice Roeves, Stephen Graham, Brian McCardie, Peter McDonald, Giles Anderson, Mark Bazeley
Director: Tom Hooper
Genres: Period Film, Drama, Sports Drama

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Bliss

"Movie Title": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Reviewer:

Bliss is a powerfully told modern-day horror story of a Meryem, a sheepherder's daughter who is the victim of an "honor crime"; her chastity lost brutally, her sentence in the small Turkish village of her birth -- dictated by tradition, demanded by the village's most powerful man -- is death. Director Abdullah Oguz's powerful adaptation of Omer Zulfu Livaneli's politically trenchant novel follows the girl, and the cousin who's been assigned to dispose of her, on a painful journey of self-discovery that is not to be missed. Read Betsy Sharkey's full review of "Bliss" at the LA Times

In Turkish with English subtitles.

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An Education

"An Education": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan:

Invariably funny and inexpressibly moving in the way it looks at a young girl's journey from innocence to experience, "An Education" does so many things so well, it's difficult to know where to begin when cataloging its virtues. What's easy is knowing where you'll end up, which is marveling, like everyone else, at the performance by Carey Mulligan that is the film's irreplaceable centerpiece. Kenneth Turan's review of "An Education" at the LA Times

Synopsis "An Education"
Despite her sheltered upbringing, Jenny (Carey Mulligan) is a teen with a bright future; she's smart, pretty, and has aspirations of attending Oxford University. When David (Peter Sarsgaard), a charming but much older suitor, motors into her life in a shiny automobile, Jenny gets a taste of adult life that she won't soon forget.

Opened October 9, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 40 min.
Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper
Director: Lone Scherfig
Genres: Period Film, Drama, Coming-of-Age

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The Boys are Back

"The Boys are Back": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Betsy Sharkey:

A sun-and-sorrow-drenched story of love, loss and "free range" fatherhood starring Clive Owen, based loosely on British political reporter Simon Carr's difficult yet droll memoir recounting his attempts to rebuild his family after the death of his wife. The film, in the good hands of director Scott Hicks, is a bit like the parenting it portrays - at times there is pain, mistakes will be made - but if you can get beyond that, there is pleasure to be found. Read the review of "The Boys are Back" at the LA Times

Synopsis "The Boys Are Back"
After the untimely passing of his second wife, Joe (Clive Owen) must not only deal with his own grief, but try to find a way to raise his two sons alone. With Joe in unfamiliar territory and the boys Artie and Harry trying to cope with their own personal baggage, the three decide to throw convention to the wind and live by the words "just say yes.'' But when things go wrong, Joe must find a way to behave more like a parent without losing the joy of a more childlike lifestyle.

Opened September 25, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 44 min.
Cast: Clive Owen, Laura Fraser, Emma Booth
Director: Scott Hicks
Genres: Drama

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Art & Copy

"Art & Copy": LA Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan

As recorded by Doug Pray in his irresistible new documentary, the men and women who created the most memorable ads of our time, from "Where's the Beef?" to "Got Milk?," tell rich, meaty war stories that prove the legendary Mary Wells' point that they, like her, were "born with a gift for sensing what will turn you on." Review of "Art & Copy by Kenneth Turan

Art & Copy
A powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray ("Surfwise", "Scratch", "Hype!"), it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time -- people who've profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry.

Opened August 21, 2009
Runtime:1 hr. 30 min.
Cast: David Kennedy, Chad Tiedeman, George Lois, Phyllis K. Robinson, Jim Durfee, Mary Wells, Charlie Moss, Hal Riney, Jean-Yves LeGall, Lee Clow, Cliff Freeman, Tommy Hilfiger, Rich Silverstein
Director: Doug Pray
Genres: Sales & Marketing, Social History, Business, Culture & Society

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Amreeka

"Amreeka": L.A. Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan

The pointed, emotional story of a divorced Palestinian woman and her son who immigrate to the U.S. just after the invasion of Iraq, "Amreeka" brings a keen eye as well as a feeling for affectionate human comedy to a fraught situation, avoiding both stridency and sentimentality in the process. Read Kenneth Turan's review of "Amreeka" at latimes.com

Amreeka
Muna (Nisreen Faour), a divorced Palestinian woman, leaves the West Bank with Fadi (Melkar Muallem), her teenaged sun, to the city of Illinois. Both mother and son hope to start a new life in America but go through a difficult transition. Fadi must adapt to the hallways and classrooms of his new high school. And Muna must keep up with the pace cooking hamburgers at a local White Castle.

Opened September 4, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 36 min.
Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Alia Shawkat
Director: Cherien Dabis
Genres: Psychological Drama, Drama

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The Hurt Locker

"The Hurt Locker": L.A. Times Critics' Choice Award from Kenneth Turan

The Hurt Locker The film has the killer impact of the explosive devices that are the heart of its plot: It simply blows you apart and doesn't bother putting you back together again. Tense, overflowing with crackling verisimilitude, it's both the film about the war in Iraq that we've been waiting for and the kind of unqualified triumph that's been long expected from director Kathryn Bigelow. Read Kenneth Turan's reivew of "The Hurt Locker" at the L.A. Times

The Hurt Locker
A riveting, suspenseful portrait of the courage under fire of the military's unrecognized heroes: the technicians of a bomb squad who volunteer to challenge the odds and save lives doing one of the world's most dangerous jobs.
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse
Opened June 26, 2009 Runtime:2 hr. 11 min.Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Genres: Action Thriller, Combat Films, War

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Paper Heart

Paper Heart: L.A. Times Critics' Choice Award from Betsy Sharkey

Paper Heart A clever hybrid of a film, "Paper Heart" swings between comedy, documentary and puppet re-enactments. Starring Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera as variations on themselves, and Jake Johnson as director Nick Jasenovec, this romantic fable follows Yi on a cross-country search for what love means. Read Betsy Sharkey's review of "Paper Heart" at the L.A. Times

Paper Heart
"Paper Heart" follows Charlyne Yi as she embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one subject she doesn’t fully understand: Love. Michael Cera becomes the object of her affection. Weaving together reality and fantasy, the film combines elements of documentary and traditional storytelling to bring a fresh perspective to the modern romance.

Opened August 7, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 29 min.
Cast: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Jake Johnson
Director: Nicholas Jasenovec
Genres: Romantic Comedy, Mockumentary, Comedy

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Ponyo

Ponyo: Critics' Award by Kenneth Turan:

Five minutes into this magical film by Hayao Miyazaki, the great genius of Japanese animation, you'll be planning to see it again. This story of a goldfish who wants desperately to be a little girl mixes fantasy and folklore, adventure and affection, in a way no one else comes close to. Read Kenneth Turan's review of Ponyo at the L.A. Times

Ponyo
Opened August 14, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 41 min.
Cast: Noah Cyrus, Yuria Nara, Frankie Jonas, Hiroki Doi, Tina Fey, Tomoko Yamaguchi, Matt Damon, Kazushige Nagashima, Cate Blanchett, Yuki Amami, Liam Neeson, George Tokoro Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Genres: Children's Fantasy, Anime, Fantasy

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Still Walking

Still Walking gets an L.A. Times Critics' Choice award from Kenneth Turan:

The new film by Hirokazu Kore-eda, writer-director of the exceptional "After Life," works in mysterious ways. It will strongly move you but you won't be able to say exactly why. It illuminates 24 hours in the life of a Japanese family, and though on one level not much is happening, by the end everything is revealed. Kenneth Turan's review of "Still Walking" at the L.A. Times

Still Walking
Opened August 28, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 54 min.
A man (Hiroshi Abe) bears the brunt of his parents' disapproval at an annual gathering to honor the memory of his long-deceased brother.
Cast: Hiroshi Abe, Yoshio Harada, Yui Natsukawa, Kazuya Takahashi, Shohei Tanaka, Hotaru Nomoto Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Genres: Family Drama, Drama

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Flame & Citron

Kenneth Turan, in awarding a LA Times Critics' Choice Award writes:

"Flame & Citron" is an old-fashioned vehicle beautifully restored and revitalized for the modern age. Its focus on the heroic behavior of a pair of Danish anti-Nazi resistance fighters may sound traditional, but the tone throughout is more nihilistic than idealistic, and that makes a considerable difference. Read Turan's review of "Flame & Citron"

Flame & Citron
Opened July 31, 2009 Runtime:2 hr. 10 min.
Cast: Thure Lindhardt, Mads Mikkelsen, Stine Stengade, Peter Mogge Mygind, Mille Hoffmeyer Lehfeldt
Director: Ole Christian Madsen
Genres: War Drama, Drama, Thriller, Resistance Film
Note: Film is presented in Danish with English subtitles.

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District 9

A critics' choice from Betsey Sharkey for "Distrcit 9"

The movie is very smart sci-fi, but that's just the beginning; as the alien/human conflict escalates and our human hero hits hard times, it becomes a scathing social satire hidden inside a terrific action thriller teeming with gross aliens and regrettable inter-species conflict. And it's a blast. Read the full review of District 9 at the LA Times

Synopsis District 9

Aliens become refugees in South Africa where they are kept isolated from any human contact. While being contained in the refuge being ignored of their welfare, their weapons become the sole interest of Multi-National United (MNU). But only one man , Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), can activate these weapons. He becomes hunted for and only one place can give him refuge, District 9.

Opened August 14, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 53 min.
R bloody violence and pervasive language
Cast: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Vanessa Haywood, Mandla Gaduka
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Genres: Science Fiction, Psychological Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi Adventure

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A Woman in Berlin

A Critics' Choice award from Kenneth Turan for "A Woman in Berlin":

Directed by Max Färberböck ("Aimee & Jaguar") and starring German actress of the moment Nina Hoss, this film has everything you want in adult narrative cinema: It's intelligent, provocative and intensely dramatic. Its subject matter -- the victims of rape in Russian-occupied Berlin -- may be tough, but it is as powerfully authentic as anyone could want. Click here to read Turan's full review of A Woman in Berlin

A Woman in Berlin Opened July 17, 2009 Runtime:2 hr. 11 min.
Cast: Nina Hoss, Yevgeny Sidikhin, Irm Hermann, Jördis Triebel, Rosalie Thomass
Director: Max Färberböck
Genres: Period Film, War Drama, War

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Julie and Julia

Both Kenneth Turan and Betsy Sharkey give a Critics' Choice Award to the movie "Julie and Julia" about cooks Julia Child and Julie Powell. Sharkey writes in her capsule review:

This perfectly puffed soufflé of a film, starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as the blogger who cooks through "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and lives-loves to tell the tale, is about as tasty a delight as any major studio has served up this summer. In a world where even fast food joints are forced to display their calories, it's great fun to be sauteed in butter and wine for a couple of hours absolutely guilt free. Streep fills out the towering, gangly cooking phenom quite remarkably; she's larger than life and yet completely embraceable. Meanwhile, Adams is spongecake light as the aimless young Manhattanite searching for a new recipe for life in Child's sauces. The film, and its performances, are exceedingly rich. Yum. -- Betsy Sharkey

In Turan's capsule review he writes:

New movies are like restaurants: They're hot when they first open and then, especially in Los Angeles, there's a tendency to forget that they're around. It would be criminal if this happens to "Julie & Julia," a film with its own intimate connection to food. A consummate entertainment that echoes the rhythms and attitudes of classic Hollywood, this story of how Julia Child (an irresistible Meryl Streep) achieved fame through a cookbook and Julie Powell (Amy Adams) did the same by following Child's recipes is a satisfying throwback to those old-fashioned movie fantasies where impossible dreams do come true. If you're an adult looking for a good time, search no further. Read Turan's full review of Julie and Julia

Synopsis Julie & Julia
A frustrated temp secretary (Amy Adams) embarks on a year-long culinary quest to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She chronicles her trials and tribulations in a blog that catches on with the food crowd. The film also covers the years Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) spent in Paris during the 1940s and 1950s, when he was a foreign diplomat who was eventually investigated by Sen. Joseph McCarthy for alleged communist ties

Opened August 7, 2009 Runtime:2 hr. 3 min.
Cast: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond Director: Nora Ephron Genres: Comedy, Domestic Comedy

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Soul Power

Critics' Choice award for Soul Power from Kenneth Turan:

Most everyone remembers "The Rumble in the Jungle," the 1974 heavyweight championship fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire, but who remembers "Zaire 74," the music festival that was organized to go along with it? "Soul Power," a vibrant and joyous new documentary, should end that anonymity. Among the highlights are B.B. King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz, Miriam Makeba and the legendary Zaire ensembles OK Jazz and Orchestre Afrisa. The amazing thing about these 35-year-old performances is how fresh and alive they are. Kenneth Turan's review of Soul Power at the LA Times

Synopsis Soul Power

In 1974, the most celebrated American R&B acts of the time came together with the most renowned musical groups in Africa for a 12-hour, three-night long concert held in Kinshasa, Zaire. The dream-child of Hugh Masekela and Stewart Levine, this music festival became a reality when they convinced boxing promoter Don King to combine the event with “The Rumble in the Jungle,” the epic fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, previously chronicled in the Academy Award-winning documentary WHEN WE WERE KINGS. "Soul Power" is a verité documentary about this legendary music festival (dubbed “Zaire ‘74”), and it depicts the experiences and performances of such musical luminaries as James Brown, BB King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz, among a host of others. At the peak of their talents and the height of their careers, these artists were inspired by this return to their African roots, as well as the enthusiasm of the Zairian audience, to give the performances of their lives.

Director: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
Genres: Concerts, Music History, Music
Opened July 10, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 33 min.

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The Hurt Locker

A critics' choice award for "The Hurt Locker from LA Times reviwer Kenneth Turan:

The film has the killer impact of the explosive devices that are the heart of its plot: It simply blows you apart and doesn't bother putting you back together again. Overwhelmingly tense, overflowing with crackling verisimilitude, it's both the film about the war in Iraq that we've been waiting for and the kind of unqualified triumph that's been long expected from director Kathryn Bigelow. "The Hurt Locker" asks difficult questions about heroism's costs and demands, about what war does to soldiers, and about damage that may be impossible to rectify or repair. Click here to read the full review of "The Hurt Locker" by Kenneth Turan.

Synopsis The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker is a riveting, suspenseful portrait of the courage under fire of the military's unrecognized heroes: the technicians of a bomb squad who volunteer to challenge the odds and save lives doing one of the world's most dangerous jobs. Three members of the Army's elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad battle insurgents and one another as they search for and disarm a wave of roadside bombs on the streets of Baghdad—in order to try and make the city a safer place for Iraqis and Americans alike. Their mission is clear—protect and save—but it's anything but easy, as the margin of error when defusing a war-zone bomb is zero. This thrilling and heart-pounding look at the psychology of bomb technicians and the effects of risk and danger on the human psyche is a fictional tale inspired by real events by journalist and screenwriter Mark Boal, who was embedded with a special bomb unit in Iraq.

Opened June 26, 2009 Runtime:2 hr. 11 min. R - language and war violence

Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Genres: Action Thriller, Combat Films, War

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Afghan Star

Kenneth Turan writes:

If you believe that bringing the questionable virtues of "American Idol" to Afghanistan would do that beleaguered nation no favors, this remarkable documentary, a double prize-winner at Sundance, will change your mind in an instant. In the context of Afghanistan, the show's core idea becomes moving, dramatic and significant in ways ti simply isn't in the West. Review of "Afghan Star" by Kenneth Turan at the LA Times

Synopsis Afghan Star

Marking’s timely and moving film follows the dramatic stories of four young finalists—two men and two women—as they hazard everything to become the nation’s favorite performer. By observing the Afghani people's relationship to its pop culture, Afghan Star is the perfect window into a country’s tenuous, ongoing struggle for modernity. What Americans consider frivolous entertainment is downright revolutionary—and more human—in this troubled part of the world.

Note: Film is presented in Dari and Pashtun with English subtitles.

Cast: Rafi Naabzada, Lima Sahar, Fayez Hameed, Setara Hussainzada
Director: Havana Marking
Genres: Social History, Politics & Government, Social Issues, Culture & Society, Film, TV & Radio, Music

Opened June 26, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 28 min.

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(500) Days of Summer

A Critics' Choice award for "(500) Days of Summer" from Michael Ordona:

...bristles with energy, emotional and intellectual, as it flits about the dizzying highs and weeping karaoke lows of a passionate entanglement. The films many virtues include an unusual storytelling conceit, a sharp sense of music, a lover's-eye view of Los Angeles and on-the-money performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. And it has the best closing line of any movie so far this year.

Betsy Sharkey also weighs in with a plug here.

Synopsis (500) Days of Summer
Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), greeting-card writer and hopeless romantic, is caught completely off-guard when his girlfriend, Summer (Zooey Deschanel), suddenly dumps him. He reflects back on their 500 days together to try to figure out where their love affair went sour, and in so doing, Tom rediscovers his true passions in life.

Cast: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Clark Gregg, Minka Kelly, Matthew Gray Gubler
Director: Marc Webb
Genres: Romantic Comedy, Comedy
Opened July 17, 2009 Run time:1 hr. 35 min.

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Coraline Release to DVD and Bluray

Unfortunately there are no new critics' choice recommendations from the LA Times film reviewers. It must be the summer doldrums.

One new release to DVD this coming week that caught my eye though, is the release of Coraline. This animated movie has me totally intrigued. It is also available in 3D format. All formats for Coraline are available from Amazon.com

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Up

Both LA Times movie critics Kenneth Turan and Betsey Sharkey give Pixar's "Up" a thumbs up. Sharkey writes:

Oh, for a flight of fancy on a summer day, carried aloft by a rainbow bouquet of a hundred balloons -- that's what the animated "Up" feels like, a lovely escape from the realities that tether us to the ground. In a sense, directors Pete Docter and Bob Peterson have given us two movies, which is not so disconcerting if you know that going in. It opens with 78-year-old Carl, voiced by an excellent Ed Asner, remembering life with his beloved late wife Ellie, a loving look at an ordinary life. But with memories come regret and soon Carl and a young wilderness explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai) are off in search of the South American adventurer Carl and Ellie meant to track down all those years ago. One part sentiment, one part adventure, terrific animation, catch it if you can.

The full review of "Up" by Kenneth Turan can be read here at the LA Times

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Opened May 29, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 36 min.
Cast: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Bob Peterson, Jordan Nagai, Delroy Lindo
Director: Pete Docter
Genres: Family-Oriented Adventure, Children's/Family

Seraphine

Kenneth Turan awards a "Critics' Choice" to French movie, "Seraphine":

What makes this winner of seven Césars, including best film and best actress, so exceptional is that it neither condescends to nor romanticizes its subject, a World War I-era Primitive artist. Rather, powered by a performance of a lifetime by Belgium-born actress Yolande Moreau, it allows us to meet this singular person on her own terms, lets us see how ordinary life, extraordinary artistic ability and eccentric mental states can and do exist in the same person.
Kenneth Turan's review of "Seraphine" at the LA Times

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Synopsis

Belgian actress Yolande Moreau headlines this biopic, starring as a little-known but uncommonly brilliant painter. Frenchwoman Séraphine Louis (Moreau), aka Séraphine de Senlis, lived from 1864 to 1942. Though ostensibly a shepherdess and housekeeper whose chief duties involved cooking, cleaning, and ironing, in her off-hours Séraphine joyously turned to natural elements of the outdoor world, with which she felt a tremendous degree of emotional and spiritual communion. Séraphine channeled these undying passions through painting, and, having only the scantest materials at hand, created paints from elements such as animal blood, oil from church candles, and dirt pulled from the ground. With these crude and raw tools, the nascent, budding artist created tableaux of floral arrangements utterly unlike any seen before. Sadly, those around Séraphine perceived the paintings as coarse and unimpressive -- something of a joke. Her life took a most fantastic turn, then, when Wilhelm Uhde (Ulrich Tukur), a German art critic, turned up in Senlis -- and laid eyes on the young woman's creations for the first time. Yet, despite the success that Uhde brought to Séraphine, a sad future still lay ahead for the young woman -- one accompanied by continued obscurity and emotional isolation. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Opened June 5, 2009 Runtime:2 hr. 5 min
Cast: Yolande Moreau, Ulrich Tukur, Anne Bennent, Genevieve Mnich
Director: Martin Provost
Genres: Period Film, Drama
French with English subtitles

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