Liz Braun
Movie Entertainment
March 2010
Spring has sprung. Or maybe not. There’s a very good reason why this unsettled time of year leaves people feeling as mad as a March hare. Luckily, at the movies, there is a fresh new season of promising items ready for release, starting with all the adventure and fantasy of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. That March hare certainly gets around, doesn’t he?
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Alice returns, as a young woman, to the Technicolor fantasy of the Wonderland she experienced as a child, and does battle with the Red Queen. The film blends CGI and live action to make Alice’s fantastical world real. With Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman, and Mia Wasikowska as Alice.
THE BOUNTY
A bounty hunter (Gerard Butler) has to go after a woman who has skipped bail. As it happens, she’s his ex-wife (Jennifer Aniston) and he has to transport her across the country. Romcom version of Planes, Trains & Automobiles, maybe?
BROOKLYN’S FINEST
Gritty cop drama with Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, and Don Cheadle as guys all struggling to stay on the right side of the law in their grimy portion of Brooklyn. Cast includes Wesley Snipes, Lili Taylor, and Ellen Barkin.
CHLOE
Atom Egoyan’s domestic thriller about a doctor (JulianneMoore) who believes that her husband (Liam Neeson) is cheating on her. To test her theory, the Mrs. hires an escort (Amanda Seyfried) to seduce the husband and report back on levels of infidelity. Of course, complications ensue.
CLASH OF THE TITANS
Greek mythology slightly rewritten for the big screen, with all the usual heroes and villains, not to mention Sam Worthington as Perseus, Liam Neeson as Zeus and Danny Huston as Poseidon. Epic adventure, we must say.
COOKING WITH STELLA
Siblings Deepa and Dilip Mehta wrote this Upstairs, Downstairs type comedy about a slightly larcenous house keeper (Seema Biswas) in New Delhi and the Canadian diplomats (Lisa Ray and Don McKellar) for whom she works.
GREENBERG
Ben Stiller is Roger Greenberg, a guy who has run out of ideas. Housesitting for his brother in Los Angeles then leads to a relationship with his brother’s assistant (Greta Gerwig). Quirky comedy also stars Rhys Ifans and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
GREEN ZONE
A war thriller about an U.S. army officer who goes rogue in Iraq. Story involves weapons of mass destruction, faulty intelligence and the lives of innocents. The film stars Matt Damon, here re-teamed with Bourne director Paul Greengrass, with Greg Kinnear, Amy Ryan and Brendan Gleeson rounding out the cast.
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
Guys travel back in time to 1986 via the usual route – a magical hot tub and plenty of alcohol. Given how funny 1986 was without even trying, this comedy should rock. With John Cusack, Chevy Chase, Lizzy Caplan.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
Animated film has a young Viking preparing to subdue a dragon as part of his training to be a man. With the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig.
LAST NIGHT
A married man struggles to stay faithful while he’s out of town on business, while at the same time, his wife has a chance encounter with an old boyfriend. Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes.
LEBANON
The horror of war. This film about an Israeli tank crew fighting in the Israel/Lebanon war of 1982 is already drawing comparisons to The Hurt Locker for tension and verisimilitude. And claustrophobia. Samuel Maoz directs.
NOWHERE BOY
Artist Sam Taylor-Wood makes her feature directorial debut with this film about John Lennon’s adolescence and the influence of his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) and his mother, Julia (Anne-Marie Duff). With Aaron Johnson as Lennon and Thomas Sangster as Paul McCartney.
OUR FAMILY WEDDING
Two fathers butt heads over the rushed wedding of their son and daughter. Can they set aside their differences long enough to see their children marry? With America Ferrera, Forest Whitaker, Lance Gross, Carlos Mencia.
REMEMBER ME
Heartthrob Robert Pattinson steps away from the vampires to play a rebellious kid in New York with an overbearing father. And a love interest in Ally (Emilie de Ravin), a fellow student. Both have terrible tragedy in their background. A film about family and love, with Chris Cooper and Pierce Brosnan. Will anyone hear
the dialogue over the teen screaming?
THE RUNAWAYS
Underage teen rockers the Runaways were a huge hit in the 1970s, but the personal cost was high. As for this biopic, who doesn’t want to see Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart rock out as Cherie Currie and Joan Jett?
SEASON OF THE WITCH
Fantasy thriller about knights in the 14th century charged with taking a witch to monks who can destroy her powers, which are thought to be the source of the Black Death. Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman.
SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE
Canadian Jay Baruchel stars as an airport security guard who is stunned to realize that the perfect woman (Alice Eve) has fallen for him. Comedy about love and insecurity also stars Mike Vogel.