Movies This Week

Jenn is trying to recuperate from one fabulous film festival before diving deep into another one, so I'm pinch-hitting on Movies This Week. Austin has a surprising number of new movies opening on Friday, at least for September -- and most of them look very promising, especially for September (generally kind of a lame month for new films).

Also, as we've probably told you a million times, Fantastic Fest opens next Thursday. If you don't have a badge, you can still buy tickets to the gala screenings at the Paramount -- these movies are twice as enjoyable if you watch them with a thousand other film lovers.

Here's what's opening today (if I forgot anything, feel free to comment):

Alpha and Omega -- The tagline for this animated family film is "A Pawsome 3D Adventure." I have no comment ... and since it didn't screen for press, we have no review.

Catfish -- Since this film premiered at Sundance, it's generated a lot of interest and controversy. The marketing campaign promotes the idea of a "big secret" and encourages people to say nothing about the film. If you want to hear what I have to say about it, read my review. (wide)

How desperate is Hollywood for box-office money? Not only was Avatar re-released a couple of weeks ago, now The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is getting a re-release as well. But I'm liking the fact that the Winnebago Man travels over to Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar this week, and is getting some other screenings at various Alamos, so check their schedule to see all the options for seeing it.

Meanwhile, here's what's opening in Austin this week -- sadly, none of these movies screened for press, so we have no reviews. We've been watching aGLIFF movies instead, and urge you to do the same through Sunday.

Anton Chekhov's The Duel -- A Chekhov book is adapted for the big screen by director Dover Koshashvili (Late Marriage). (Arbor)

Everyone Else -- Vacationing on the Mediterranean tests a German couple's relationship (pictured above, courtesy The Cinema Guild). (Arbor)

Next week is aGLIFF, and in less than three weeks Fantastic Fest starts. It's hard to focus on anything else, but just for you, we have the latest releases in Austin.

The American -- As much a meditation as a movie, Clooney's latest is a character study wrapped up in a retro-thiller wrapper.  If you need big booms and quick-cut editing, this is not the film for you. However, if you like cerebral old-school thrillers chock full of symbolism, it's the film you need to see this weekend.  Read my review for more. (wide)

Dogtooth (pictured above)-- Only a two-day run, but this SXSW cautionary tale of over protective parents shielding their children from the world needs to be seen by cinephiles and anyone with an opinion on modern society, but be warned, this is one fractured fairy tale. (Alamo Ritz)

Going the Distance -- Long distance rom-com between real life exes Drew Barrymore and Justin Long.  Can they meet each other halfway? Directed by Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes, The Kid Stays in the Picture) and written by Geoff LaTulippe, who's only other credit is a film in development called Breathers: A Zombie's Lament. Now that makes me want to see this. Read Elizabeth's review for more. (wide)

So happy to see Get Low expand to more theaters this week, and Winnebago Man is getting another week at both Alamo Drafthouse Ritz and South Lamar. As a matter of fact, Austin theaters don't have a lot of changes in their arthouse film offerings this week, other than one new movie, and good for them. I was surprised to see Avatar coming back to theaters. Guess it hasn't been such a great summer for big movies if they have to pull that back out, huh? Last week there were a lot of new releases -- this week, not so much.

Animal Kingdom (pictured above) -- Tourism Australia won't be endorsing this gritty, depressing crime family drama about a young man caught between his estranged family and the law co-starring Guy Pearce and Joel Edgerton. Written and directed by David Michod,  who wrote the short film Spider that played with The Square earlier this year and at SXSW in 2009. Read my review for more. (Arbor)

The Last Exorcism -- Nearly brilliant thriller with strong horror themes, but ultimately dimished by eventual use of cliched devices, the director of SXSW 2008 selection A Necessary Death brings us another documentary style drama that is sure to get people talking. Read my review for more. (wide)

This week's big news is that Landmark is closing the legendary Dobie Theater after Sunday's shows. A lot of reminiscing has been going on, most of which is about memories predating the theater's Landmark days, back when it was an independent theater. Our own Jette was interviewed about it on News 8 Austin after her post waxing nostalgic earlier this week. Surprisingly, two new films are opening there today, and a whole lot of films opening or returning to Austin big screens.

Cairo Time -- Described on IMDb as a "A romantic drama about a brief, unexpected love affair that catches two people completely off-guard," its stars (Patricia Clarkson, Alexander Siddig) are the main attraction for me. (Dobie)

Farewell -- Looking up this French spy thriller, I was surprised to see the likes of Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds) as "Femme jogging" and an international cast, it makes me wonder if it's worth seeing. Since it's the same director who directed Kruger in Joyeux Noël, an acclaimed film with an international cast, it certainly piques my interest. (Arbor)

Life During Wartime -- Todd Solondz (Palindromes, Welcome to the Dollhouse) wrote and directed this dark comedy about families and secrets in a manner I suspect only Solondz can make equally horrifying funny and beautiful. Ciaran Hinds as a convicted pedophile? Wow. (Dobie)

Wow, apparently that special Scott Pilgrim screening with the director and cast last night was nutcluster. We were going to cover the event, but couldn't bear the idea of waiting in an hour-long (at least) line in triple-digit weather. I hope it lives up to the hype. We were able to get to other films opening in town this week, though, including a few lesser-known films you might enjoy.

The Dry Land --  Uneasy homecoming of a Texas vet, starring America Ferrera and Wilmer Valderrama written/directed by former Austinite Ryan Piers Williams.  Read Don's review. (Arbor)

Eat Pray Love -- Adapting the best-selling book about a woman travelling the world in search of herself has more people talking than Under the Tuscan Sun.  Elizabeth can tell you how faithful and effective the adaptation was (or was not). (wide)

The Expendables --  Such a man-cave movie there's even a man-cave in this romanticized actioner featuring some of the hottest action stars around (past and present).  Check out Debbie's review. (wide)

It seems to be a bit of a boys' club in theaters this week, with kidnappers, cops and internet moguls (all male). But upon closer look, you can find a lot of diversity in movies opening in Austin today. I'm still hoping to make it up to the Arbor to see SXSW selection Winter's Bone, which has been doing very well. Whatever films I end up seeing, I'm going to enjoy the cool air conditioning as my home A/C is struggling in the afternoons with these triple-digit temps. What are the new releases in town, you ask? Just look below.

Aisha -- Bollywood remake of Jane Austen's Emma (or as some younger folks might know it, Clueless). (Cinemark Tinseltown 17)

The Disappearance of Alice Creed -- Brilliant beginning to an overambitious thriller that doesn't completely succeed. Worth watching if only to dissect where it went wrong (and I mean that in a good way). Read my review for more. (Lamar)

Don Seenu -- All I can tell you about this Bollywood film is it's a comedy. (Cinemark Tinseltown 17)

Flipped -- Nostalgic saccharine variation on Boy Meets Girl directed by Rob Reiner, based on a children's book. Read my review for more. (wide)

Two films stand out among the opening films this week: a documentary on the nuclear age, and a Korean war drama. This has been a really light summer for blockbusters, hasn't it?

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore -- I am not so crazy a cat lady I had to watch this. In fact, I made a point not to. But I've heard not-so-bad things about this kid film. Don saw it, want to know what he thought about it? Read his review. (wide)

Charlie St. Cloud -- Zac Efron vehicle about a young man who hangs out with his brother's ghost. OK. Well, maybe Debbie can explain it; read her review for more. (wide)

Countdown to Zero -- Doc about the history of the atomic bomb from origin to current affairs. I suspect this will be rather chilling, considering mutually assured destruction isn't so effective in the era of suicide bombers. (Arbor)

Dinner for Schmucks -- The irony is I had Francis Veber's 1998 comedy The Dinner Game in my Netflix queue, and immediately returned it back in April when I was attending a fest and had no time. Why? Because now I can't make any comparison to the remake starring Paul Rudd and Steve Carell with the more revealing title than the French original. We didn't review this, so do tell us how it turned out.

It hasn't been a great summer this year for big summer blockbusters, but if you look closely, it's been a great simmering summer for the arthhouse films, at least in Austin. Exit Through the Gift Shop is still holding on at the Dobie, and The Secret in Their Eyes is back. Micmacs is still doing well at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar, and the Grease Sing-A-Long has five new screenings peppered into the South Lamar schedule through Wednesday. Here's what's opening this week:

The Kids are All Right -- This tale of an "alternative" family is too self-aware and overloaded with self-concious acting in the first half, despite having some of the best actors available today. Still, by the end it's the kids that won me over. Elizabeth can tell you more in her review. (wide)

Salt -- Angelina Jolie as a spy fighting to clear her name after a defector accuses her of treason. The heavily marketed film also includes acting heavyweights Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Andre Braugher, which makes this potentially one of the more watchable films of the summer. But two questions remain; is Evelyn Salt a double agent, and is Salt really watchable? Elizabeth's review can answer one of those questions. (wide)

The Secret in Their Eyes -- This brilliant, complex, Oscar-winning thriller returns to Austin. If you love nuanced performances wrapped in layered stories, this is a must-see. Read Don's review for more. Then go see it. (Dobie)

At first I thought only a couple films were opening in Austin this week, but I was mistaken. The diversity couldn't be greater, from standard family fare to existentialism, and more Swedish thrillers. And guess what? We've seen most of 'em, to help you decide which ones to catch now, or later.

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky -- I'm not up for yet another Coco Chanel flick, but Mads Mikkelsen is in it. Chris Greenhalgh adapted his novel Coco & Igor for director Jan Kounen. I need to read Debbie's review, and I recommend you do, too. (Arbor)

Daddy Longlegs -- As part of the SXSW Presents series, Alamo hosts a limited run of the latest film from the Safdie brothers. The semi-autobiographical story features Ronnie Bernstein (director of Frownland, which played SXSW 2007) as a father trying to get his annual two-week visitation time with his kids to work. The movie played Cannes in 2009 and then Sundance in 2010. We don't have a review; go read Roger Ebert's instead. (Alamo Ritz)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo -- This SXSW selection may be out on DVD (read Jette's review), but it's back in theaters. I highly recommend seeing it before checking out the sequel, The Girl Who Played With Fire, which opens this weekend. (Dobie)