Kam Williams Reviews Movies Opening Aug. 28, 2014

PHOTO: Still from Life of Crime


BIG BUDGET FILMS

As Above, So Below (R for terror, graphic violence and pervasive profanity) Found-footage horror flick, set in the catacombs beneath Paris, revolving around a team of American archaeologists who unwittingly unleash countless dormant demons while exploring the uncharted subterranean maze. Co-starring Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge and Perdita Weeks.

The November Man (R for rape, profanity, sexuality, nudity, graphic violence and brief drug use) Cat-and-mouse espionage thriller about a retired CIA Agent (Pierce Brosnan) who comes out of retirement to protect a valuable witness (Olga Kurylenko) to war crimes from his former protégé (Luke Bracey) gone rogue. With Will Patton, Eliza Taylor and Caterina Scorsone.


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

The Calling (R for violence, profanity and disturbing content) Crime thriller about a small town detective (Susan Sarandon) whose investigation of a string of grisly murders brings her face-to-face with a serial killer. Ensemble cast includes Ellen Burstyn, Topher Grace and Donald Sutherland.

Canopy (PG-13 for intense violence and bloody images) World War II drama about an Australian fighter pilot’s (Khan Chittenden) struggle to survive in the jungle after being shot down over Singapore. With Mo Tzu-yi, Robert Menzies and Edwina Wren. (In English, Japanese and Mandarin with subtitles)

The Congress (Unrated) Animated sci-fi adventure about an aging actress (Robin Wright) who breaks a contract by coming out of retirement after having sold a movie studio the exclusive rights to her image. Cast includes Paul Giamatti, Harvey Keitel, John Hamm and Danny Huston.

Last Weekend (Unrated) Ensemble dramedy about a matriarch (Patricia Clarkson) who comes to question her role in her dysfunctional clan during a disastrous reunion at the family lakefront estate she’s about to sell. With Mary Kay Place, Zachary Booth, Rutina Wesley, Judith Light and Jayma Mays.

Life of Crime (R for profanity, sexuality and violence) Mobster comedy about a couple of crooks (Mos Def and John Hawkes) who kidnap the wife (Jennifer Aniston) of a millionaire (Tim Robbins) for ransom only to learn that they’ve done the philanderer a favor by freeing him to spend more time with his mistress (Isla Fisher). Support cast includes Mark Boone Junior, Kevin Cannon and Julie E. Davis.

The Naked Room (Unrated) Fly-on-the-wall documentary focusing on the behavior of patients, parents and physicians in the examination room of a children’s hospital in Mexico City. (In Spanish with subtitles)

The Notebook (R for nudity, profanity, sexuality and disturbing violence) Coming-of-age saga, set in the Hungarian countryside towards the end of World War II, about twin 13 year-old boys (Andras and Laszlo Gyemant) forced to fend for themselves after being left in the care of their abusive, alcoholic grandmother (Piroska Molnar) by their desperate mother (Gyongyver Bognar). With Andras Rethelyi, Ulrich Thomsen and Orsolya Toth. (In Hungarian with subtitles)

Second Opinion (Unrated) Medical expose’ about Ralph Moss, Ph.D., a young writer in Sloan-Kettering’s PR Department who risked his career by blowing the whistle on a massive cover-up of the truth about a promising cancer cure called Laetrile.

Shadows from My Past (Unrated) Holocaust documentary revisiting the plight of The Kaufmans, as preserved in letters exchanged among members of the Austrian Jewish family between 1939 and 1941.

Starred Up (Unrated) Irish crime drama, set in Belfast, about a troubled juvenile delinquent (Jack O’Connell) assigned to an adult prison for violent offenders who meets his match in an inmate (Ben Mendelsohn) that happens to be his estranged father. Cast includes Rupert Friend, Sam Spruell and David Ajala.

The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears (Unrated) Behind closed doors mystery about a man (Klaus Tange) whose search for his missing wife takes him down a labyrinthine trail around his apartment building marked by eroticized bloodshed and bizarre sexual fantasies. With Ursula Bedena, Joe Koener and Birgit Yew. (In French, Danish and Flemish with subtitles)

Through a Lens Darkly (Unrated) Historical documentary tracing how African-American photographers utilized the camera as a tool for social change.