It’s a big week at the box office this weekend, so without further ado, let’s talk about what’s opening up today.
First at bat is Rango, which stars (the voices of) Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, and Abigail Breslin. The film is an animated PG venture that follows Rango (Depp), an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt – a lawless outpost in the Wild West in desperate need of a new sheriff. Gore Verbinski is at the helm of this picture, and both the stars say they chose it for (basically) two reasons – the director and the fact that it’s kid-friendly.
Next up is The Adjustment Bureau. Starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, this George Nolfi-directed picture tells the story of rising politician David Norris (Damon) who falls for Elise (Blunt), a ballet dancer. Mysterious forces, however – the agents of Fate itself – work to keep the lovers apart. Sounds scandalous!
If you’re in the mood for lighter fare, check out Take Me Home Tonight. This comedy stars Topher Grace, Anna Faris, and Dan Fogler, and is set over Labor Day Weekend in 1988. The film sets on aimless college grad Matt Franklin (Grace), who dives into a huge party in hopes of finally winning over his high school crush. If you ask me, the plot description sounds a lot like Can’t Hardly Wait.
Also out this weekend is Kevin Smith’s much-hyped Red State. The indie-promoted which used crowd-sourced money for promotion, features Michael Parks, Melissa Leo, and John Goodman. It follows a group of teens who accept an online invitation for group sex, who soon encounter Pastor Abin Cooper, his followers, and their sinister agenda.
Up next: Beastly. Starring Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four), Vanessa Hudgens, and Mary-Kate Olsen, this Daniel Barnz-directed movie follows Manhattanite Kyle Kingson (Pettyfer), a young, wealthy, beautiful and cruel person who picks the wrong classmate to prank when Kendra (Olsen) casts a spell that turns him into everything he despises. Banished to Brooklyn and informed that the only way to break the curse is to find someone who will love him as he is, a fateful encounter with Lindy (Hudgens), he looks to literally and figuratively change his life.
Also out this weekend is indie-fave at Sundance, Happythankyoumoreplease. Directed by and starring Josh Radnor from the TV hit How I Met Your Mother, this film takes a look at the lives and loves of six friends in New York City (sound familiar?), and how their existence is changed when struggling writer Sam (Radnor) finds himself the unlikely guardian of a boy who becomes separated from his family while taking the subway. Malin Akerman and Zoe Kazan also star.
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives comes out today as well, with limited release in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul and starring Thanapat Saisaymar, this film takes a look at a farmer, struggling with a kidney disorder, who opts to spend his last days in a house in the jungle, where real-world and supernatural visitors call on him. Sounds ominous, but it also sounds kind of interesting.
Next! I Saw The Devil, starring Byung-hun Lee and Min-sik Choi. Thie movie was directed by Jee-woon Kim and will see a limited release to Los Angeles and New York City. When a secret agent’s pregnant wife becomes the latest victim of a serial killer, the agent blurs his line between good and evil in pursuit of revenge.
Finally, Abel, opening to limited release. Starring Christopher Ruiz Esparza, Karina Gidi, and Jose Maria Yazpik, Abel was directed by Diego Luna. The film follows a devoted mother (Gidi) who, as an alternative to sending her troubled son to a psychiatric hospital in Mexico City, allows him to live out a fantasy: That he is the head-of-household since his father left to find work in the U.S. (Trailer NSFW due to language/subtitles).
Categories: Movies
Posted by
Jena on
3/4/2011 8:53 AM