Liz Braun
Movie Entertainment
July 2010
Mother was right: July really is a good time to go outside and play. It’s turning out to be science-fiction month at the movies, and whether you take yours straight up or in 3-D, there’s plenty to choose from. We’re looking forward to blockbusters like Inception and Salt as much as the next person. But if big popcorn movies aren’t your cup of tea, consider the sweeping beauty of I Am Love, with Tilda Swinton, or Brigitte Berman’s frankly fascinating movie about the real Hugh Hefner. See? Something for everyone. Almost.
CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE (3-D)
When Kitty Galore goes rogue, hoping to enslave not only dogs but her fellow cats as well, cats and dogs unite to fight their common enemy. Oh, the fur will fly.
With Alec Baldwin, Bette Midler, Chris O’Donnell. Family fun in 3-D.
TWELVE
A high school dropout on theUpper East Side in New York maintains the life he wants by dealing drugs. Then his cousin is murdered and his best friend is arrested for the crime. Based on the novel by Nick McDonell, the film stars Chace Crawford, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, 50 Cent and Zoë Kravitz.
CHARLIE ST. CLOUD
A young man who survives a tragic accident has to choose between his ghostly connection to the past and the transformative power of love. Zac Efron, Amanda Crew and Kim Basinger star in a film based on Ben Sherwood’s bestselling novel, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud.
SALT
Evelyn Salt is supposed to be a trusted CIA agent. Then she’s accused of being a Russian spy and all hell breaks loose. Jaw-dropping espionage stunts and spy action with Angelina Jolie, Liev Schrieber and Chiwetel Ejiofor. This looks like big, butt-kicking fun.
THE LAST AIRBENDER (3-D)
Fantasy and adventure from M. Night Shyamalan. Benders are those who can control Water, Earth, Fire and Air. The Fire Nation is at war with everyone else, and the only one who can stop the fighting is Aang (Noah Ringer), the last known airbender and survivor of the Air Nomads. He’s the sole person who could maintain peace for all. And so forth.
THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE
The secret weapon in this particular fantasy adventure? Canadian actor Jay Baruchel, who brings just the right element of goofiness to the role of the apprentice magic-maker. Baruchel is the perfect guy to put opposite the appealing weirdness of Nicolas Cage, the sorcerer himself; rounding out the cast is Alfred Molina as the villain.
INCEPTION
Your mind is the scene of the crime. In the near future, a famed idea thief (Leonardo DiCaprio) lifts corporate secrets from people’s minds as they sleep. He’s known for being the best at this sort of dream-sharing robbery. But here’s the thing: If he can take out ideas, could he likewise plant one? Thinking man’s sci-fi thriller.
Christopher Nolan directs Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
ONDINE
Neil Jordan’s newest movie involves an Irish fisherman and the mermaid who turns up in his net one day. Well, he sees her as a mermaid, and that’s all that counts. Then he learns the truth about her. Colin Farrell returns to his roots (and his acting abilities) in this role. Also with Alicja Bachleda, Farrell’s real-life partner, and with Stephen Rea.
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS
Paul Rudd is Tim, an up-and-coming executive, and all he has to do now to get that corner office is find some loser to take to his boss’s annual Dinner for Extraordinary People. That’s a fancy name for a contest to see which employee can bring the most idiotic dinner guest. And Tim just happens to know Barry (Steve Carell), the ultimate goof. Comedy about male friendship also stars Zach Galifianakis and Canada’s Bruce Greenwood.
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Julianne Moore and Annette Bening are the lesbian mothers, and Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson play their kids; Mark Ruffalo is the sperm donor who re-enters all their lives. Clever comedy about the contemporary family from director Lisa Cholodenko (Laurel Canyon).
CYRUS
Brothers Jay and Mark Duplass direct a twisted romantic comedy. John C. Reilly plays a divorced guy who despairs of ever finding true love again. Then he meets the woman of his dreams at a party (Marisa Tomei), and it almost seems too good to be true. It is: she has a manipulative adult son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill), who isn’t letting his mommy go any time soon. Also with Catherine Keener.
BEASTLY
Modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast (with a little Dorian Gray tossed in) stars Alex Pettyfer as the snotty New York rich kid who gets turned into an ugly guy, Vanessa Hudgens as the woman who sees his true beauty under all the scars, and Mary-Kate Olsen as the witch. Beauty is only skin deep, kids.
DESPICABLE ME (3-D)
The world’s greatest villain, Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), can zap you with his freeze gun and make plans to steal the moon in a daring heist. But when three little orphans start to rely upon him, things change. Animated family comedy with the voices of Kristen Wiig, Russell Brand, Will Arnett and, as Gru’s mom, Julie Andrews.
HUGH HEFNER: PLAYBOY, ACTIVIST AND REBEL
Exhilarating documentary about Hugh Hefner’s early career and his days as a social activist, working for racial integration and even women’s rights through Playboy. Meticulous film from Oscar-winning Canadian filmmaker Brigitte Berman is a biopic of sorts that includes testimonials from Joan Baez, Tony Curtis, Dick Gregory,
Pete Seeger and a whole lot of unexpected Hefner fans. True eye-opener.
I AM LOVE (Io sono l’amore)
A visually stunning film from Luca Guadagnino about an aristocratic family in Milan undergoing drastic change. The family business is being handed off to her husband and her adult son, but the beautiful Emma (Tilda Swinton) embarks on a passionate affair with one of her son’s friends. Tragedy among the rich. Also with Edoardo Gabbriellini.
RAMONA AND BEEZUS
Beverly Cleary’s wonderful children’s novels come to the big screen, where the accident-prone but imaginative Ramona Quimby and her big sister Beezus take on the world. Wonderful adventure, and a bit of misadventure, follow. With Joey King, Selena Gomez, John Corbett and Sandra Oh.
WINNEBAGO MAN
A documentary about Jack Rebney, the guy whose 20-year-old Winnebago sales video outtakes, laced with endless profanity, eventually made him one of the very first YouTube superstars. Rebney’s bloopers were put together on video, copied, and eventually became a cult item. Funny and surprising, this film from Ben Steinbauer is a look at fame, privacy and the brave new world of YouTube.
PREDATORS
How did all those professional killers wind up on another planet, fighting those pesky alien predators? Explosive action and plenty of scary bits with Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, Alice Braga, Topher Grace.
Liz Braun is a film critic for Sun Media in Toronto.