Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun  

by Kam Williams

For movies opening April 17, 2015

BIG BUDGET FILMS

 

Child 44 (R for violence, profanity, disturbing images and a sex scene) Screen adaptation of Tom Rob Smith’s best-selling political thriller of the same name, set behind the Iron Curtain in 1953, about a disgraced Soviet spy (Tom Hardy) who joins forces with his wife (Noomi Rapace) and an army general (Gary Oldman) to track down a pedophilic serial killer preying on young boys. With Joel Kinnaman, Charles Dance, Paddy Considine and Victor Cassel.

 

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (PG for mild violence) Kevin James reprises the title role in this slapstick-driven sequel which finds the hapless hero on vacation in Vegas with his college-bound daughter (Raini Rodriguez) until he instinctively jumps into action when duty calls. With Neal McDonough, Nicholas Turturro and Loni Love.

 

Unfriended (R for violence, sexuality, teen drug and alcohol abuse, and pervasive profanity) Found footage horror flick revolving around a half-dozen teens who find themselves terrorized over the internet by a stranger seeking vengeance for a classmate shamed into killing herself a year earlier. Ensemble cast includes Cal Barnes, Matthew Bohrer, Courtney Halverson, Shelley Hennig, Renee Olstead and Will Peltz.

 

 

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

 

Alex of Venice (R for profanity, sexual references and drug use) Midlife crisis drama about a workaholic attorney (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) suddenly forced to reorder her priorities after being unceremoniously dumped by her frustrated, stay-at-home husband (Chris Messina). With Don Johnson, Derek Luke and Troy Garity.

 

Antarctic Edge: 70 Degrees South (Unrated) Eco-documentary following a team of scientists in a race against time to understand the rate of planetary climate change at the fastest-warming place on the planet.

 

Beneath the Helmet (Unrated) Coming-of-age documentary chronicling the transformation of five high school graduates drafted into the Israeli army to defend their country. (In Hebrew with subtitles)

 

Beyond the Reach (R for violence) Suspense thriller about a high-rolling corporate executive (Michael Douglas) playing a very dangerous game with his young guide (Jeremy Irvine) during a hunting trip in the Mojave Desert. Cast includes Martin Palmer, David Garver and Hanna Mangan Lawrence.

 

Felix and Meira (R for nudity and sexuality) Romance drama, set in Montreal, about the love which blossoms between a loner (Martin Dubreuil) and the sheltered, Hasidic housewife (Hadas Yaron) he meets in a bakery. With Luzer Twersky, Benoit Girard, Melissa Weisz and Anne-Elisabeth Bosse. (In French, Yiddish, English, Hebrew, Spanish and Italian with subtitles)

 

The Human Experiment (Unrated) Cautionary documentary, narrated by Sean Penn, warning of the dangers lurking in a variety of everyday household products containing toxic chemicals.

 

Monkey Kingdom (G) Nature documentary, narrated by Tina Fey, examining a family of monkeys living among ancient ruins in a Sri Lankan jungle. The film primarily focuses on one young mother’s struggle to survive while caring for her newborn son.

 

Mr. X (Unrated) Sci-fi thriller about a man (Emraan Hashmi) who morphs into  a revenge-minded vigilante after developing the superpower of invisibility. With Amyra Dastur, Arunoday Singh and Nora Fatehi. (In Hindi with subtitles)

 

The Road Within (R for sexuality, nudity, drug use and pervasive profanity) Cross-country dramedy about a Tourette’s sufferer (Robert Sheehan) who, accompanied by an anorexic (Zoe Kravitz) and an obsessive-compulsive (Dev Patel), escapes from a treatment center in order to scatter his recently-deceased mother’s ashes in the ocean. Featuring Kyra Sedgwick, Ali Hillis and Cooper Roth.

 

Shake the Dust (Unrated) Hip-hop documentary examining the influence of breakdancing in poor neighborhoods all over the world, from Colombia to Cambodia to Uganda.

 

The Squeeze (PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, drug use and mature themes) Crime caper about a notorious gambler (Christopher McDonald) who enlists a modest golf prodigy (Jeremy Sumpter) into playing a series of high-stakes matches against unsuspecting suckers. With Michael Nouri, Jason Dohring and Katherine LaNasa.

 

True Story (R for profanity and disturbing material) Fact-based cat-and-mouse caper about a disgraced New York Times reporter’s (Jonah Hill) investigation of the jailed murder suspect (James Franco) who had assumed his identity while on the run from the FBI. With Felicity Jones, Gretchen Mol and Betty Gilpin.