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The fall tradition of releasing prestige films continues tomorrow as Resident Evil: Extinction opens wide. Milla Jovovich stars as the beneficent Alice, a latter-day Tess of the d'Urbervilles who is charged with the stygian task of killing armies of the undead--and the joke is now over. Anyone dumb enough to see the latest chapter of this awful series probably didn't notice anyway. At least there's nudity. But not from Ali Larter. Dang!
Into the Wild actually is a prestige film and I'd be shocked if it didn't get significant attention at Oscar-time. Sean Penn has crafted a cinematic Mont Blanc so rich in detail and epic in scope that it's hard to walk out of the theater without feeling a little wanderlust. Emile Hirsch's performance is daring and brutal and, amazingly, almost overshadowed by the wonderful supporting turns of Hal Holbrook, Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker.
The lyrical western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford arrives in theaters after a lengthy and troubled post-production. Reviews, however, have been overwhelmingly positive. Personally, I value the opinion of a critic over that of some suit at Warner Brothers. Casey Affleck is getting serious notice for his role as Ford and may finally redeem the Affleck name. The iconic Pittis cast perfectly as the iconic James.
The seemingly never-ending flow of Jane Austen product continues this weekend with The Jane Austen Book Club. Since all of Austen's books have already been made into movies several times over, writer/director Robin Swicord has taken the meta approach and created a movie about people reading those books. I'm still expecting a happy ending, though, and probably some dancing. Also, Mr. Darcy will make an appearance in some form.
Pair the sexy Jessica Alba with hotty comedian Dane Cook and what do you get--a movie I have no intention of seeing. Still, I'm sure a few sad souls will venture into Good Luck Chuck and have their spirits summarily crushed. Thankfully, the unfunny Cook (who was actually funny in the great Windy City Heat) seems well on his way to a brief film career. As for Alba, has she ever had a large role in a movie that was even quasi-decent? No.
Amanda Bynes, however--now that's a different story. No, wait. Same story. Her latest aspiring to at least be mediocre movie is Sydney White. Get this--it's a "modern retelling of Snow White set against students in their freshman year of college in the Greek system." Stupid. Moreover, it's rated PG-13 so don't expect to see a nude Bynes giving any blumpkins. Frankly, an episode of Greek is better than this crap. And it's free.
In very limited release, Tata Amaral's Antonia is receiving strong reviews and should appeal to fans of world cinema. Set in Sao Paulo, the film follows four young women who form their own hip-hop group and try to break into the city's male-dominated, often violent musical culture. Expect a healthy dose of the melodrama, struggle and triumph endemic to the genre, and look for the killer version of Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly."
Tickets & Showtimes
Resident Evil: Extinction
Into the Wild
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The Jane Austen Book Club
Good Luck Chuck
Sydney White
Antonia
Previews
Resident Evil: Extinction
Into the Wild
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The Jane Austen Book Club
Good Luck Chuck
Sydney White
Antonia
Photos courtesy of Paramount Vantage and Lions Gate
