Film Clips: Jack & Jill & J. Edgar

Jack and Jill went up the Mill and the Cross to fetch The Skin I Live In.

Image


OPENING FRIDAY
11-11-11 (R ) When a grieving American author reunites with his estranged father and brother in Spain, he grows increasingly convinced that the world is on the verge of a disaster involving the number “11.”

THE GREENING OF WHITNEY BROWN (PG) When her father loses his job, wealthy city princess Whitney Brown relocates with her parents (Aiden Quinn and Brooke Shields) to the family farm, where circumstances are humble, not to mention pastoral. Forced to adapt to a new school, rural surroundings, and a new grandfather (Kris Kristofferson), Whitney trades her entitled attitude for some real “horse sense.” At the AMC North Dekalb 16.

IMMORTALS (R ) Stylish director Tarsem Singh helms this Greek sword-and-sorcery epic in which the hero Theseus (Henry Cavill, star of the next Superman movie) challenges an evil king (Mickey Rourke) who seeks to overthrow the gods.

J. EDGAR 2 stars (R ) Spending half the film under competent but distracting old-age make-up, Leonardo DiCaprio plays an obsessive, petty J. Edgar Hoover over nearly 50 years, most of them as the power-hungry head of the FBI. DiCaprio unquestionably commits to his performance of Hoover as a closeted, power-hungry bureaucrat and blackmailer, but the film, directed by Clint Eastwood, fails to find a compelling story about Hoover’s abuses of power. Armie Hammer steals the picture with scarcely any dialogue as Hoover’s longtime companion Clyde Tolson, who radiates a half-amused ease with himself and his bond to Hoover. — Holman

JACK AND JILL (PG) Adam Sandler stars as identical twins Jack and Jill who are more alike than Jack would like to admit. When the abrasive, single Jill pays a visit to Jack’s happily situated family, it soon becomes clear that she has no plans to leave. Katie Holmes co-stars as Jack’s docile, peacemaking wife, with a cameo by Al Pacino.

LIKE CRAZY (PG-13) Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones star in this romance about star-crossed college students who become separated when she loses permission to stay in the United States. Featuring Jennifer Lawrence.

THE MILL AND THE CROSS (NR) Rutger Hauer plays 16th century painter Pieter Bruegel in Lech Majewski’s elaborate exploration of Bruegel’s painting “The Way to Cavalry.” Supporting actors include Michael York and Charlotte Rampling as the Virgin Mary.

THE SKIN I LIVE IN 3 stars (R ) In a creepy change-of-pace performance, Antonio Banderas plays a driven plastic surgeon who keeps a beautiful young prisoner (Elena Anaya) in his tasteful Toledo home. Beloved Spanish director Pedro Almodovar comfortably shifts from the splashy melodrama of his previous films to elements of psychological horror, although the beautifully photographed revenge tale avoids shocks in favor of twists and themes involving how people shape their identities. If not one of Almodovar’s most emotionally resonant films, The Skin In Live In proves to be fascinatingly skin-crawling. — Holman

DULY NOTED
BERLIN 36 (2009) On the eve of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, high jumper Gretel Bergmann awaits a ruling whether or not she, as a Jew, can compete with the German Olympic team. Nov. 7-13. Cinefest Film Theatre, Georgia State University, 66 Courtland St., Suite 240. 404-413-1798. www2.gsu.edu/~wwwcft.

BRONZELENS FILM FESTIVAL (NR) The second annual BronzeLens Film Festival serves as a showcase for the African-American film community, provides networking opportunities as well as a program of documentaries, feature films and music videos, including the comedy We the Party and the Kenny Leon documentary The Start of Dreams. Nov. 10-13. The Atlanta Mariott Marquis, 265 Peachtree Center. bronzelensfilmfestival.com

BURIED ALIVE FILM FESTIVAL (NR) This celebration of low-budget, independent horror cinema includes “Georgia Fever Dreams,” the world premiere of four local shorts, as well as the grindhouse anthology film Chillerama. Nov. 11-13. Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave. buriedalivefilmfest.com/

DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995) (R) Denzel Washington plays Easy Rowlins, a black private detective in 1940’s Watts, in this adaptation of Walter Mosely’s novel. Don Cheadle gives a stellar supporting role as Easy’s violent sidekick, Mouse. Dark Streets and Dangerous Dames: Film Noir. Wed., Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m. Emory Cinematheque. 205 White Hall, 301 Dowman Drive, Emory University. Free. filmstudies.emory.edu/home/events/film-series/emory-cinematheque.html