Tumbo Mtoto Mwanamke ("The Tummy Teller")

Tumbo Mtoto Mwanamke ("The Tummy Teller") (Not Rated; 93 min., English subtitles)

Originally released to Europe as the awkwardly translated "The Paunch Feeler," this Bram Van Paesschen vehicle is a quasi-documentary that tells the story of Idihi, an East African woman who has the delightful responsibility of traveling from village to village and telling pregnant women the gender of their soon-to-be-born children. The film artfully depicts Idihi's elegant dance around the women, pressing against their bellies and singing songs that describe how the baby is reacting. Baby girls, she posits, linger close to the spine in fear while boys fight off any prodding to protect their mother. At the same time, plague is drifting through East Africa and her home village, claiming children and old alike, breaking spirits and families in its wake. After a few days of weakness, Idihi realizes that she is not "suffering the plague." Rather, she is "suffering a child." As her belly grows, she becomes frustrated that she cannot tell the sex of her own baby and the implications for her business. She resolves to prepare for either gender, weaving clothes for a girl and a boy on her loom at home, etc. Van Paesschen's story and direction are convincing until the cloyingly sentimental ending (Spoiler Alert: She has twin boy and girl), which cancels all the tension built throughout the movie. In effect, Idihi's character and story have gone nowhere--save for the fact that she has two kids, a new respect for her gift, and has revived the spirit of life in her dying village. Still, the cinematography of the East African landscape is worth the price of admission. Limited release.

Graphic birthing scenes.

Legal Beagle

Legal Beagle (PG; 92 min.)

Based on a true story, Peter Jackson writes and directs this "tail" about zealous public defender Taylor Oppenheimer (Michael Badalucco) who is always out to win the war at any cost. After a client (Michael Cera) is arrested for (allegedly) throwing wood at a car in residential areas, Taylor crafts the perfect defense, but his plans are shattered when, in a mind-blowing scene, his client has a panic attack in court that stalls the case for two months. Taylor learns that he must also fight the battles and begins his quest to have the client's miniature dachsund comfort him through the trial as a companion animal. Jackson resorts to some stereotypical dog humor (growling at the prosecutor, lifting a leg on the prosector, etc.), but the greater social message is well-taken--particularly with the classic film noir cinematography. In his first true role since Return to Mayberry, Ron Howard plays Taylor's law professor mentor, and Mare Winningham makes a very brief appearance as Taylor's lady friend.

Some scenes may scare small children.

Julie vs. Julia

Julie vs. Julia (R; 93 mins.)

In this well-paced horror offering, young housewife Julie Powell (Amy Adams) decides to cook every recipe in popular celebrity chef Julia Child's (Meryl Streep) book and write a blog about it. Soon Powell is forced to defend her family and home against the furious Child, who doesn't understand--nor want to understand--what a blog is. Child's husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) attempts to explain the technology to her, but she remains unclear on how a blog is different from a normal website.

Streep's portrayal of the maniacal Child is uncanny, and it has been reported that she insisted on remaining in character on set, and even through post-production when she was no longer involved in anything related to the film. Indeed, at times Streep's character almost suffers for its accuracy, as in one climactic scene where the unhinged Child forces Powell's husband (Chris Messina) to eat a bouillabaisse she has prepared despite his terrified protests that he is not hungry. The scene builds a sinister mood that is undercut when Child warbles "bon appétit!" in her distinctive, high-pitched voice. Regardless, the film is adept at inching the suspense ever upward, and audiences will startle along with Powell as she wonders if every 6'2" curly-haired woman she encounters could be the hulking chef bent on destroying her family.

Cleaver-related violence; adult situations.

Red Flag

Red Flag (R; 107 min.)

Everyman Lawrence Healey (Edward Norton) had everything: a home, a car, a live-in girlfriend. One day, his mailman (Robin Williams) misdelivers a piece of mail to Healey that will change everything. Upon reading the letter, Healey loses himself to a dark and deadly magical power that brings him to kill those listed in the letter. With some lay detective work and clues provided by a seemingly maniacal mailman, Healey's girlfriend Jane (Anne Hathaway) learns the history of the letter and that her name is next on the list. David Lynch directs this edge-of-your seat, closing-your-eyes film about a race to return a cursed letter to the sender. Can Jane get the letter in the mail before the mailman comes? Williams delivers both the mail and a stellar performance in his role that will surely reap many nominations come awards season.

Horrific thematic elements, disturbing images, language, and some drug references.

Feline Airline

Feline Airline (R; 193 mins.)



This promotional poster was used in theaters across North America to herald the domestic release of Feline Airline. The film was originally scheduled for release on January 16, 2009, but fell victim to coincidence and bad timing when Flight 1549 crash landed into the Hudson River the previous day. Vivendi was forced to delay the release in order to remove all scenes featuring the character Sully, a wise-cracking cat-pilot. The movie finally debuted on July 25, 2009 to generally positive reviews. (Perceptive viewers can still catch a glimpse of Sully in the background of the catnip scene.)