Kam Williams Reviews Movies Opening March 6, 2015

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Chappie (R for violence, profanity and brief nudity) Sci-fi thriller set in a futuristic totalitarian state patrolled by repressive police androids where a renegade robot (Sharlto Copley) reprogrammed for good represents the last hope for humanity. With Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver and Dev Patel.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (PG for mild epithets and suggestive material) Dame Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Celia Imrie, Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton and Dev Patel reprise their roles in this sequel which finds the proprietor (Patel) of India’s preeminent Old Folks Home pursuing his dream of opening another boarding house. Additions to the cast include Richard Gere, Tamsin Grieg and David Strathairn.

Unfinished Business (R for risqué sexuality, graphic nudity, profanity and drug use) Buddy comedy revolving around a trio’s (Vince Vaughn, Tom Wilkinson and Dave Franco) business trip gone awry at European ports of call ranging from a fetish convention to a global economic summit. Featuring Jil Funke, David Akinloye and Heidi Philipsen.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Bad Asses on the Bayou (R for violence, profanity, sexuality and nudity) Danny Trejo and Danny Glover reprise their roles in this sequel to Bad Ass 2 set in Baton Rouge where the aging tough guys take the law into their own hands to rescue a pal’s (John Amos) daughter kidnapped for ransom (Loni Love). Rob Mello, Sammi Rotibi and Jimmy Bennett.

Earth’s Golden Playground (Unrated) Gold Rush documentary highlighting the present-day resurgence of mining among prospectors searching for the mother lode up in the Yukon.

Faults (Unrated) Psychological thriller about desperate parents (Beth Grant and Chris Ellis) who hire a disgraced deprogrammer (Leland Orser) to rescue their daughter (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) from the clutches of a mind-controlling cult. With Jon Gries, Nicholas Tucci and Leonard Earl Howze.

An Honest Liar (Unrated) Retrospective about magician-turned-skeptic The Amazing Randi’s career spent debunking hoaxes, pseudoscience and claims of paranormal activity. Featuring Aice Cooper, Uri Geller, Penn Jillette, Bill Nye and Michael Edwards.

Kidnapping Mr. Heineken (R for pervasive profanity) Fact-based drama recreating the 1983 abduction in Amsterdam of the heir (Anthony Hopkins) to the mammoth beer fortune. Cast includes Sam Worthington, Jim Sturgess and Jemima West.

The Lesson (Unrated) Survival saga about a cash-strapped schoolteacher (Margita Gosheva) who resorts to desperate measures to provide for her family. With Ivan Barnev, Ivan Savov, Stefan Denolyubov and Ivanka Bratoeva. (In Bulgarian with subtitles)

Merchants of Doubt (PG-13 for brief profanity) Screen adaptation of Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway’s best-seller of the same name, a cautionary documentary warning about the profusion of pundits-for-hire who create confusion by posing as impartial experts who dispute the conventional wisdom about global warming, pollution and the pharmaceutical industry.

October Gale (Unrated) Crime thriller set in a remote cottage on an island where a recently-widowed doctor (Patricia Clarkson) cares for a mysterious stranger (Scott Speedman) who washed ashore with a gunshot wound while trying to evade the shooter (Tim Roth) seeking to finish him off. With Callum Keith Rennie, Aidan Devine, Billy MacLellan and Eric Murdoch.

Two Men in Town (R for profanity) Unlikely-buddies drama, set in New Mexico, about the friendship forged between a Muslim ex-con (Forest Whitaker) and his idealistic parole officer (Brenda Blethyn), much to the chagrin of a border town sheriff (Harvey Keitel). Supporting cast includes Luis Guzman, Ellen Burstyn and Dolores Heredia.

A Year in Champagne (Unrated) Second installment in alcohol trilogy, and sequel to A Year in Burgundy, explores everything you always ever wanted to know about the bubbly brew from France.