Movies This Week: Joyful Iron Contraband Pariah Carnage
Along with a number of new-to-Austin movies in theaters this week, on Sunday you can see The Best Damned Shorts Show over at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz that showcases local filmmakers and includes a Q&A. In addition, Alamo is teaming up with Lights. Camera. Help., the festival for films about nonprofits, for the Reel Change Film Frenzy this weekend. Ten nonprofit groups are teaming up with ten film crews for a weekend film challenge, and you can watch the resulting shorts on Sunday night at Alamo on South Lamar.
On Monday night, you can catch a sneak preview of Steven Soderbergh's movie Haywire at Alamo Village and support Texas film, since ticket proceeds benefit the 2012 Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund. And on Wednesday, also at Village, AFS Doc Nights screens Jennifer Fox's My Reincarnation, about Buddhist spiritual scholar/teacher Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche.
Movies We've Seen:
Carnage (pictured at top) -- Two sets of parents meet for what was intended to be a cordial meeting about their kids but unsurprisingly, it doesn't remain that way. Jette says in her review that she "could see the interactions between these couples could get overly dramatic and even ugly, but I had no idea it would be so damned funny." (Regal Arbor, Violet Crown, Cinemark Tinseltown, Regal Metropolitan)
The Divide -- This apocalyptic SXSW 2011 selection starts off with a very impressive bang in the opening scenes, but quickly dissolves into a grisly mess as a group of survivors struggles with their own humanity. Or not. Rod saw it and in his review, says it "has a definite edge to it and I appreciated it." (Alamo Lamar)
Joyful Noise -- Competitive choirs are not exactly a new comedy concept, and this time it takes two leads (Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah). Are there any saving graces? Mike says yes in his review -- he found it "a family-friendly comedy in the same vein as Footloose with a wholesome message that doesn't get in the way of the fun." (wide)
Pariah -- As a teenager struggles to come of age, the pressure mounts for her to be what's expected, not what she is. Don says in his review, "It's entirely authentic, a vibrant and moving coming of age story." (Regal Arbor)
Contraband -- This actioner certainly has a great cast (Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, Giovanni Ribisi) but does this tale of a smuggler forced out of retirement hold up? J.C. says it's a fun action film despite the fact that it "doesn’t have enough faith in its viewers to know where all of the chess pieces are placed before the action begins." Look for his review this weekend. (wide)
The Iron Lady -- The latest award-seeking missile in the form of English biopic features Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher. Elizabeth saw it and says it's done in a "less than cohesive manner, but the acting by Meryl Streep and Jim Broadbent shines through." Read her review on Saturday to find out more. (wide)
Other Films Opening in Austin:
Beauty and the Beast 3D -- The lamentable practice of rendering previously released films into 3D continues, and another Disney animated feature gets the 3D treatment. Yawn. (wide)
8 Murders a Day -- Documentary on the drug war in Juarez, Mexico, including how the murder rate went from one a day in 2007 to 8 a day today. (Regal Metropolitan)