Weekend Movie Guide 03/18: The British Are Coming - To Take Our Aliens!

Hollywood's alien invasion continues, and the British are coming along for the ride! The sci-fi road-trip comedy Paul stars Edgar Wright's favorite funnymen, Simon Pegg & Nick Frost, a CGI alien voiced by Seth Rogen and appearances from every comedian under the sun, including Kristen Wiig, Jane Lynch, Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Joe Lo Truglio, Bill Hader & Blythe Danner. Furthering the film's comedic cred, Greg Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland) directs, with Pegg & Frost pulling double duty (quadruple duty?) as writers.

Jordan Scott (Tony's daughter & Ridley's niece) continues the British Invasion with Cracks. Set at a boarding school, the psychosexual teen drama looks like bits of Black Swan & Heavenly Creatures, with gorgeous photography. Speaking of gorgeous, models rarely get more super than Waris Dirie. Desert Flower dramatizes her life story, which took her from the deserts surrounding Mogadishu to the runways of London. Those high stakes are cakewalk compared to her struggle as a homeless, hungry illegal immigrant, as she lives in the shadow of childhood abuse and genital mutilation.

Lighten the mood with Win Win. Fox Searchlight's festival darling boasts the second appearance of Jeffrey Tambor this week, as well as the second Darren Aronofsky semblance. This time it's The Wrestler getting the teenage treatment, with real-life high school wrestling champ Alex Shaffer tagging with Paul Giamatti & Amy Ryan. Another Fox release, the Chinese period anthology The Butcher, The Chef and The Swordsman is being sold as a straight mythical-historical action film, although early reviews suggest it's more loud slapstick. Call it Chinese Michael Bay.

To see something even further off the beaten path, check out our weekly Film Calendar of specialty theatres, revival houses and midnight movies. See you at the movies!

Wide Release

• Limitless (Showtimes)
  
• The Lincoln Lawyer (Showtimes)
  
• Paul (Showtimes)

Limited Release

• Battleship Potemkin (Restored) (Nuart Theatre)
  
• The Butcher, The Chef and The Swordsman (AMC Burbank Town Center 8) (AMC Century City 15)
  
• Cracks (Laemmle's Playhouse 7) (Laemmle's Sunset 5) (Laemmle's Town Center 5)
  
• Desert Flower (Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex)
  
• The Desert of Forbidden Art (w/ filmmakers at all screenings except 9:30pm shows on Friday & Saturday) (Laemmle's Music Hall 3)
  
• Monogamy (Laemmle's Playhouse 7) (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
  
• The Music Never Stopped (Laemmle's Playhouse 7) (Laemmle's Sunset 5) (Laemmle's Town Center 5)
  
• Win Win (AMC Century City 15) (Arclight Hollywood) (The Landmark)
  
• Winter in Wartime (Laemmle's Royal Theatre)

Featured Trailers
Paul

Cracks

Desert Flower

Win Win

The Butcher, The Chef and The Swordsman

That's all for this week. Even though they didn't make final cut, Variety reports The Baker & Candlestick Maker have filed a suit for a cut of the royalties.