A beautiful princess born in a faraway kingdom is destined by a terrible curse to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep which can only be awakened by true love’s first kiss. This classic makes wondrous use of Tchaikovsky’s same-titled ballet score. Academy Award Nominations: Best Scoring of a Musical Picture. (1 hr. 15 min.)
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GUNDAM SEED DESTINY is a spinoff from the popular GUNDAM SEED anime series, which is one of the most popular franchises in the history of the genre. The events take place after an uneasy peace has broken out between the warring Earth Alliance and ZAFT organizations. The crew aboard the battleship Minerva arrives for talks with the ZAFT organization as this second TV movie in the series begins. But the heroic Shinn Asuka finds himself conflicted as the meeting progresses, and it’s not long before hostilities between the Alliance and ZAFT are simmering to the surface once again.
Fans of actor-director Tom McCarthy’s highly praised debut, THE STATION AGENT, will not be disappointed by his second film, a gentle drama about illegal immigration. At 62, Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is sleepwalking through his quiet life as an economics professor in Connecticut. A conference for work forces him to return to New York City, where he finds something unexpected in his nearly forgotten Manhattan apartment: a pair of illegal immigrants is renting his place from a dishonest man, and they’re just as shocked by his presence as he is by theirs. But Walter’s kindness prevails, and he allows Syrian immigrant Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and his Senegalese love Zainab (Danai Gurira) to stay. Tarek and Walter form an unlikely bond over Tarek’s talent for playing the djembe drum, and soon Walter is spending his spare time with the couple. When Tarek is unjustly arrested, deportation hangs over the young man’s head and Walter is determined to help. The arrival of Tarek’s mother (Hiam Abbass) adds another element to the trouble, but she provides unexpected companionship for Walter as he crusades for her son’s freedom.
THE STATION AGENT was a pleasant surprise for everyone who saw it, and while THE VISITOR revisits some of the same themes (particularly loneliness), it doesn’t feel like a retread. In his first two films as writer and director, McCarthy has displayed an impressive touch with both quietly funny dialogue and complex characters. All the actors deserve credit for their emotional performances, but Jenkins adeptly carries the film on his shoulders. Until THE VISITOR, he has been a prolific character actor, perhaps most recognizable as the dearly departed dad on SIX FEET UNDER. But as magnetic as he has been in small roles, the depth of his talent becomes even more obvious in this remarkable lead performance. (1 hr. 48 min.)
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BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER* begins with director/screenwriter Christopher Bell praising a trio of his childhood heroes: Hulk Hogan, Sylvester Stallone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. His worship of these iconic he-men led to Bell’s efforts in the weight room, but he was always eclipsed in athletics by his brothers: older brother Mike “Mad Dog” Bell excelled on the football field and later in pro wrestling, while younger brother Mark “Smelly” Bell reigned in powerlifting events. While Christopher Bell remained staunchly anti-steroid, his brothers grew larger, thanks to a variety of performance enhancers. With this documentary, Christopher Bell explores not only his own family’s steroid use, but how the issue reflects on America as a whole and the country’s desire to be the best.
For a subject that is so close to the director and his family, BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER* is remarkably balanced. Though Bell narrates his own film à la Michael Moore, this documentary manages to present both sides of the issue with clarity and passion. In addition to discussing steroids, BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER* is a fascinating chronicle of men’s body-image issues, which usually take a back seat to those of women. It’s an impressive debut, and film fans may be curious to see if Bell can create another documentary that may not be so personal. (1 hr. 46 min.)
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The small western town of Amnesty gets a splattering of blood when Mobius, a killer out for revenge, must deal with the arrival of Clem and her crew.
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