More than Money II

More than Money II (PG-13; 99 min.)

Paul Giamatti reprises his award-winning role as "the reluctant Wall Street insider" Biff Brookstone. As the owner of The Dead Cat Bounce Bakery and Day Spa, Biff becomes privy to some hot tips and insider chatter. As in the original, Biff loses his soul to money and begins leveraging all of his assets--including his established bakery--to catch the tide before all the boats rise. Screenwriter James Cameron takes us on Biff's journey from bull to bear, ultimately recapturing his love of baking (and the buy-and-hold strategy) as a broken man. Some of the financial scenes are sluggish and flat, and the Rope-like adherence to one-camera, continuous-shot cinematography was surely inappropriate for this film. Sofia Coppola takes the reins as director of the sequel and renews her role as Biff's oft-jilted love interest.

Brief strong language and some sensuality.

Sister Marguerite's Mouth

Sister Marguerite's Mouth (PG; 145 mins.)

Fox Searchlight Pictures delivers this satisfying though somewhat plodding update of the Sondheim stage classic about a nun (Laura Linney) who's not afraid to take the Lord's name in vain. The profanities fly when she and her Mother Superior (Glenn Close) are forced to drive cross-country together to retrieve the convent's runaway pet cat, but they discover they have more in common than they ever thought possible. Though the two principals shine, the cat is a distracting MacGuffin, with much of the dialogue wasted on pointless debates over the feline's lustrous coat and its propensity to eat tuna.

Brief nudity; strong language.

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.

Mr. Persistence

Mr. Persistence (PG-13; 96 mins.)

A career-minded woman (Jenna Elfman) discovers she is falling for her handsome stalker (Paul Rudd) in this heartwarming romantic thriller. Rudd's character is a perfect study in haplessness and violence, an unstable Chaplinesque figure who wears a top hat and overcoat in mid-August. Elfman is soon swept off her feet, literally and figuratively, by the windowless van-driving lothario, but it seems that her Mr. Right can't do anything right. In one scene that will delight viewers young and old (but may also be deeply upsetting to children and the elderly), Rudd attempts to kill Elfman's pet rabbit, but accidentally cooks up a delicious friccassee. Eerie sepia-toned flashbacks do little to advance the story, but all in all this film serves as a reminder that sometimes we need to pursue love and our selected female projects at all costs.

Tobacco use, coarse language.

Hindenburg

Hindenburg (Not Rated; 112 min.)

In the mold of the epic romance Titanic, this film tells the story of cabin boy Werner Franz (Rupert Grint) and his short-lived romance with Irene Doehner (Miley Cyrus) on the final flight of the Hindenburg. Cyrus offers the first quality performance of her career, but Grint is wholly unconvincing if his intent was to reveal the youthful lust between the two leads. Frankly, his eros comes off as philia, and director Uwe Boll's love scenes are, while honest, quite uncomfortable. Still, Patrick Stewart is brilliant in his portrayal of the conflicted Captain Ernst Lehmann. Pop critics will argue that the cinematic construct is ruined by "knowing what is going to happen," but the Movie Maestros commend Boll's choices to craft a story within the confines of history and to end the movie so abruptly.

Disaster-related peril and violence, extended male frontal nudity, sensuality, and brief language.

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.)

Ag: Down on the Farm

Ag: Down on the Farm (PG; 121 minutes)

Brought to you by the same production company that brought you Salsa Sissies: The Call of the Mild, Ag is a coming-of-age biopic that follows the lives of two high-school boys. Jim (Danny Garcia) must overcome an ever-discouraging ag teacher (Woody Harrelson) to achieve his dreams of conquering the inherent limitations of animal husbandry. Tweeter (Zac Efron) must overpower the caustic memory of his father's deadly machinery accident to cultivate the largest Mongkut Hybrid cucumbers grown in the Western world. Soon, the two young men find that their challenges and goals aren't that different. Though initally criticized as a "rip-off" of last year's 4H, Ang Lee directs a tale that is both crude and heartwarming.

Strongly implied drug use, cartoonish violence, adult situations.

Expats

Expats (R; 97 mins.)

An American shop owner (David Morse) who refuses service to a haughty, chain-smoking French tourist (Gerard Depardieu) gets a violent lesson in international relations in this taut psychological thriller. Suddenly, he's beset on all sides by angry Frenchmen and genuinely fears for his life. The explosive climax will have you whispering "vive le difference!" in the theatre. Andy Griffith is a scene-stealer as Morse's lecherous landlord, though a subplot about a property dispute arising from an improperly recorded deed drags a bit. Directed by Michael Bay.

Brief nudity, mild violence.