Looking for something the see at the movie theater? Here’s a review of this month’s releases! Have a look before you head to the theater and find out what will suit you best.
We Own the Night
We Own the Night , the latest film by James Gray and the second to feature Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg acting together, takes its name from the NYPD rallying cry during their war on drug-related crime in 1980s New York City. Bobby (Phoenix) is a club manager mixed up with the Russian mafia, while his brother Joseph (Wahlberg) is an ambitious police captain trying to shut down the mob. Initially at odds in a bloody all-out war for dominance over city streets, the two are brought together by their father and legendary deputy police chief Bert (Robert Duvall) to decide what’s more important: their own opposing lives, or the ties of family.
Premieres March 27
The Bucket List
Corporate billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and working class mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) are worlds apart. At a crossroads in their lives, they share a hospital room and discover they have two things in common: a desire to spend the time they have left doing everything they ever wanted to do before they “kick the bucket”. Together they embark on the road trip of a lifetime, becoming friends along the way and learning to live life to the fullest. While certainly a gimmicky concept, and not nearly a perfect film, the chance to watch such great performers addressing a topic they both must have considered (that of mortality – both were born in 1937) is a strong draw.
Premieres March 27
Into the Wild
What Christopher McCandless (played by Emile Hirsch) did, as summed up first in the biography by John Krakauer and now in a film written and directed by Sean Penn, was live the dream: to feel ultimately alive. Throwing his monotonous middle-class existence by the wayside, McCandless embarks on a journey throughout the United States, with the eventual goal of reaching Alaska. With no means of adequate sustenance, he eventually starves to death in his so sought after isolation; but in the two years of his trek until that point he comes into a variety of relationships which help him develop his idea of what it means to be truly free of society’s caging restraints.
Premieres April 3
Paranoid Park
Gus Van Sant’s films have been some of the most idiosyncratic of independent film in America since 2000. His latest, Paranoid Park, has more of a story-driven narrative than his others (Elephant, Good Will Hunting), but it’s still with a lyrical beat, driven by a mix-and-match of 8mm skateboarding footage and the malaise of a teen caught in that very recognizable, almost atypical state of mind. An unsolved murder at Portland’s infamous skatepark brings detectives to a local high school, propelling a young skater into a moral odyssey where he must not only deal with the pain and disconnect of adolescence but the consequences of his own actions.
Premieres April 3
Step Up 2 the Streets
In this street-dance sequel, viewers should expect lots of bared midriffs, suggestive dancing and sticky teen chemistry – what’s not to like? The story follows Andie, Missy, Sophie and others whose names end in the same sound as they strut, spin, break and flip on their way to becoming MTV starlets- I mean, serious ballet dancers. While there will be plenty of (painful) dialogue about “keeping it real” and such, what we’re really here for is the incredible gymnastic dancing, of which there is thankfully plenty to keep us entertained. Those with a hip condition (or an aversion to ringtone aesthetics) should drop the kids off here and check out The Bucket List.
Premieres April 3
In the Valley of Elah
Paul Haggis’ In The Valley of Elah explores themes including the Iraq war, abuse of prisoners and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder following active combat, but also delves into the heart and the patriotism of the everyday American. Upon hearing that his son has returned from duty in Iraq but is now missing, Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones), a retired Army veteran, is compelled to figure out what happened. What follows is a passionate drama of Deerfield, at times with help from Detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron), uncovering his son’s fate and the overall mental state of a number of returning Iraq veterans.
Premieres April 10
The Eye (2008)
In this remake of the 2002 Asian film by the same name, Sydney Wells (Jessica Alba) is an accomplished, independent, Los Angeles-based concert violinist. She is also blind, and has been so since a childhood tragedy. After receiving the double-corneal transplant surgery that will restore her sight, she slowly begins to see again. But Sydney’s happiness is short-lived as unexplainable shadowy and frightening images start to haunt her. Are they a passing aftermath of her surgery or something horrifyingly real? As those around her begin to doubt her sanity, Sydney is soon convinced that her anonymous eye donor has somehow opened the door to a terrifying world only she can now see.
Premieres April 10
Over Her Dead Body
Though critically panned, this film about a pretty ghost trying to keep her man from beyond the grave could have the laughs and heart to make it a good date movie. Kate (Eva Longoria Parker) dies on the day of her wedding to fiancé Henry (Paul Rudd). Despite his skepticism, he subsequently begins a relationship with psychic Ashley (Lake Bell) who becomes haunted by Kate, who makes it her goal to sabotage their relationship from beyond the grave (thankfully, there’s no decomposition of this exquisite corpse). While things look set for heartbreak, we all know how this one has to end, so you’ll be sure to go home smiling.
Premieres April 17
