July 13: At the Movies
A controversial chiller (“Captivity”), an awaited sequel (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”), a psychological thriller (“Joshua”), a military drama (“Rescue Dawn”) and a biographical tale (“Talk to Me”) are the top titles arriving on this Friday the 13th weekend. For complete descriptions, critical evaluations of previewed films and explanations of the Motion Picture Association of America ratings in terms of violence, language and sexual content, please refer to the Movie Capsules.
The new films (with all dates subject to change) at a theater near you are:
“Broken English,” with Parker Posey (“Superman Returns”) in a PG-13 independent film about a single New York woman whose friends and relatives wonder if she’ll ever get married. Zoe Cassavetes, daughter of legendary filmmaker John Cassavetes (“Husbands”), directed.
“Brooklyn Rules,” with Alec Baldwin (“The Departed”), Freddie Prinze Jr. (“Scooby-Doo”), Mena Suvari (“American Beauty”) and Scott Caan (“Ocean’s Thirteen”). In the R-rated crime drama, which is set in the mid-1980s, three neighborhood friends question their loyalty to each other once their lives start to go in different directions.
“Captivity,” with Elisha Cuthbert (TV’s “24”) and New Zealand actor Daniel Gillies (“Spider-Man 2”) in an R-rated chiller about two people who are kidnapped, locked in a basement and then terrorized as the reason for their imprisonment is revealed. The picture, directed by respected filmmaker Roland Joffe (“The Killing Fields”), was set for release in May but faced strong negative publicity in Los Angeles due to a tasteless billboard that showed a woman being kidnapped and eventually murdered, with the words “abduction, confinement, torture, termination” above the images. The distributor declined to screen the fright film in advance for reviewers.
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson returning for the fifth time as Harry, Ron and Hermione, respectively, and facing the wrath of the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). The rousing fantasy adventure, rated PG-13, shows the title character becoming older, showing his romantic side and facing dangerous new challenges.
“Introducing the Dwights,” with British actress Brenda Blethyn (“Secrets & Lies”) in a comedy import about a veteran bawdy comedienne whose 20-year-old, sexually inexperienced son starts dating a no-nonsense young woman with a raw sense of humor. The R-rated film premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
“Joshua,” with Sam Rockwell (“Matchstick Men”) and Vera Farmiga (“The Departed”) in a truly unsettling psychological drama. In the R-rated picture, a father gradually starts to fear that his brilliant 9-year-old son (newcomer Jacob Kogan) is trying to either physically or emotionally destroy family members.
“Lady Chatterley,” with European actress Marina Hands (“Tell No One”) in a sumptuously filmed, 168-minute version of D.H. Lawrence’s erotically charged novel. The story is seen through the eyes of the title character, who goes through a sensual awakening. Pascale Ferran (“The Kiss”) directed the unrated picture, which is being shown in French with subtitles.
“Rescue Dawn,” with Christian Bale (“Batman Begins”) and Steve Zahn (“Sahara”) in a fact-based story about Dieter Dengler, the only American to ever break out of a POW camp in the Laotian jungle. German filmmaker Werner Herzog (“Fitzcarraldo”) directed the physically imposing, emotionally draining PG-13 picture set at the time of the Vietnam War. It’s an amazing story of willpower, tenacity and passion.
“Talk to Me,” with Don Cheadle (“Ocean’s Thirteen”) in a fact-based drama about Ralph Waldo “Petey” Greene, an ex-con who became a popular radio host in Washington, D.C., during the 1960s when he spoke to his listeners about racial injustice and other subjects important to them. Greene, who abused drugs and alcohol, also became a stand-up comic who refused to allow his observations about prejudice to be watered down so that he would appeal to a wider audience. Chiwetel Ejiofor (“Serenity”), Cedric the Entertainer (“The Cleaner”) and Martin Sheen (“The Departed”) co-star in the insightful R-rated picture, directed by Kasi Lemmons (“Eve’s Bayou”).
At the buck$ office
Robots ruled at the box office last weekend as “Transformers” – based on the Hasbro toy line of mechanical beings that can change their shapes into cars, helicopters, jets and tanks – opened with more than $67 million.
The PG-13 picture, directed by Michael Bay (“The Rock”) and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, grossed an astronomical $152.5 million between its opening on July 2 through July 8. According to the Associated Press, the film also grossed another $93.6 million globally in 28 other countries.
According to AP, the top-10 movies last weekend were:
1. “Transformers” ($67.6 million)
2. “Ratatouille” ($29 million)
3. “Live Free or Die Hard” ($17.4 million)
4. “License to Wed” ($10.4 million)
5. “Evan Almighty” ($8.1 million)
6. “1408” ($7.1 million)
7. “Knocked Up” ($5.2 million)
8. “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” ($4.15 million)
9. “Sicko” ($3.65 million)
10. “Ocean’s Thirteen” ($3.5 million)