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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 17, 2008

NEW IN TOWN

Max Payne (not reviewed)

DEA agent Max Payne (Mark Wahlberg) and assassin Mona Sax (Mila Kunis) team up to solve a series of murders and get revenge for the death of their family members. The gritty movie is based on a gritty video game. See Review on TBOextra.com. 99 minutes (PG-13; violence including intense shooting sequences, drug content, some sexuality and brief strong profanity)

The Secret Life of Bees

In 1964 South Carolina, a lonely 14-year-old girl (Dakota Fanning) runs off with her caregiver (Queen Latifah) in hopes of learning her family secrets. There is also a running subplot about the registration of blacks as voters in the 1960s. Review, Page 5. 110 minutes (PG-13; thematic material and some violence)

Sex Drive

In a movie with a plot that evokes "The Sure Thing" (1985), a high school senior travels cross-country to hook up with a girl he met online. Review, Page 5. 101 minutes (R; strong crude and sexual content, nudity, profanity, some drug and alcohol use - all involving teens)

W. **½

Oliver Stone's biography of President Bush concentrates on how he transformed himself from a party boy to a born-again Christian and then, against all odds, a two-term president. Also stars Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush and Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney. Review, Page 4. 110 minutes (PG-13; language including sexual references, some alcohol abuse, smoking and brief disturbing war images)

TAMPA THEATRE

A historic film house at 711 Franklin St. in downtown Tampa; (813) 274-8981. Tickets for regular screenings: $9 adults, $8 students with ID, $7 seniors age 55 and older, military and children 12 and younger. Weekend matinees: $7. Admission includes pre-show Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ mini-concert.

Back in Seattle

Stuart Townsend wrote and directed this film about the 1999 riots in Seattle that disrupted the World Trade Organization meetings. The mayor (Ray Liotta), a police officer (Woody Harrelson) and his pregnant wife (Charlize Theron) all find themselves caught up in the chaos. 99 minutes (R; profanity and some violence)

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday and 3, 5:15 and 9:45 p.m. Saturday

When Did You Last See Your Father?

In this British film, Colin Firth stars as writer Blake Morrison, who returns to the village where he grew up to visit his mother and his father (Jim Broadbent), who is dying. In flashbacks, he explores his conflicting feelings for his father. Review, Page 5. 92 minutes (PG-13; sexual content, adult themes and brief strong profanity)

Showtimes: 4, 5:15 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday

Chris & Don: A Love Story

This documentary chronicles the 30-year relationship between British author Christopher Isherwood (whose novel "The Berlin Stories" would later become the film and musical "Cabaret") and his much younger partner, artist Don Bachardy. 90 minutes (Not rated)

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday

STILL IN TOWN

An American Carol (not reviewed)

A right-wing comedy? Well, Michael Moore has been ripe for parody for some time, and so here it is. Kevin Farley (Chris' younger brother) is a filmmaker named Michael Malone who, "A Christmas Carol" style, is visited from three American spirits, including Kelsey Grammer as George S. Patton. (PG-13; rude and irreverent content, profanity and brief drug references)

Appaloosa

Ed Harris both stars and directs in this film about a sheriff (Harris) and his deputy (Viggo Mortensen) who are charged with cleaning up a lawless town. Most of that lawlessness is led by a bad guy (Jeremy Irons) and his posse. Renee Zellweger also is onboard as the woman who sits back in her room and frets about whether the menfolk are going to survive the big gun fight. 114 minutes (R; for some violence and profanity)

Blindness

When a city is ravaged by a virus that causes blindness on contact, a doctor's wife (Julianne Moore), who is the only one not affected, attempts to help the victims. Based on a novel by Jose Saramago. See Review, Page 6. 120 minutes (R; violence including sexual assaults, profanity and sexuality/nudity)

Beverly Hills Chihuahua (not reviewed)

A pampered dog from Beverly Hills (voiced by Drew Barrymore) ends up lost in Mexico and needs the help of some local, colorful dogs to find her way back home. And might she also find romance with a dog voiced by Andy Garcia? You bet she might. 91 minutes (PG; some mild mature themes)

Body of Lies **½

A CIA operative (Leonardo DiCaprio) goes to Jordan to track down a spy, making an uneasy alliance with the head of the agency's head of Jordanian covert operations (Russell Crowe). 128 minutes. (R; strong violence including torture, profanity)

Burn After Reading ***

The Coen Brothers (Ethan and Joel) follow up their Oscar-winning "No Country For Old Men" with this comedy about two gym employees (Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand) who find a disc containing classified national security information. When they try to bribe the disc's owner, CIA agent Osborne Cox (John Malkovich), things go horribly wrong. Oh, and George Clooney's character is building something in his basement. 96 minutes (R; pervasive profanity, some sexual content and violence)

City of Ember **

In this futuristic thriller, people living in an underground city called Ember must escape before their generator fails and the lights go out. 99 minutes. (PG; mild peril and adult themes)

The Dark Knight ****

It's hard to come up with a reason to not see this movie, unless sequences of "some menace" disturb you. It's one of Heath Ledger's last films. The creative team is the same as the one on the excellent "Batman Begins," with the exception that they've upgraded from Katie Holmes to Maggie Gyllenhaal. Just go. 232 minutes (PG-13; intense sequences of violence and some menace)

The Duchess

Keira Knightley is back in a period film, which comes as a shock to absolutely no one. This time around, she portrays Georgiana, The Duchess of Devonshire, a beautiful, smart and witty woman caught up in a lover's quadrangle in 18th Century England. 110 minutes (PG-13; sexual content, brief nudity and adult themes)

Eagle Eye *½

Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan portray two strangers who are thrown together when a mysterious woman threatens both them and their families, and then uses modern technology to stalk them, eventually turning them into wanted fugitives. (PG-13; profanity and intense sequences of action and violence)

The Express (not reviewed)

A drama based on the life of Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy as a running back for the Syracuse Orangemen. Rob Brown stars, with Dennis Quaid as his coach. 130 minutes. (PG; mature themes, violence and profanity involving racism, brief sensuality)

Fireproof (not reviewed)

In this Christian-themed movie, a firefighter and his wife (Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea) hold off their divorce for 40 days in order to follow a plan - called the "Love Dare" - to perhaps save their marriage. 122 minutes (PG; mature themes and some peril)

Flash of Genius

Set in the 1960s and based on a true story, Greg Kinnear plays the man who claims to have invented the intermittent windshield wipers, only to have the design ripped off by Ford Motor Co. He ends up in a legal battle that lasts for many years, putting his home life and career in jeopardy. 119 minutes (PG-13; brief strong profanity)

Fly Me To The Moon **

In this animated 3D movie, three house flies stow away aboard the Apollo 11 flight to the moon. The film features the voices Ed Begley Jr., Kelly Ripa, Christopher Lloyd and real-life astronaut Buzz Aldrin. 84 minutes (G)

Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk (not reviewed)

Robert Redford narrates this IMAX movie that takes audiences on a river-rafting adventure down the Colorado River with a team of explorers committed to bringing awareness to global water issues. 40 minutes (not rated)

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (not reviewed)

Based on Toby Young's memoir, Simon Pegg plays a British writer hired by a fashionable New York City magazine to cover celebrity culture - a job he bungles in just about every way possible. Kirsten Dunst plays a bemused colleague, and Jeff Bridges plays his unamused boss. 110 minutes (R; profanity, some graphic nudity and brief drug material)

The House Bunny **½

Anna Faris, who has had funny supporting roles in a lot of bad movies ("Just Friends," "My Super Ex-Girlfriend"), this time stars in one. She is a Playboy bunny who, after getting kicked out of the Playboy Mansion, lands a gig being the house mother to a sorority of brainy-but-unpopular girls. 97 minutes (PG-13; sex-related humor, partial nudity and brief strong profanity)

Igor **

In this animated film, all mad scientists in the land of Malaria are set to compete in the annual competition to see who is the greatest among them. Each has a servant named Igor - and this film centers on one Igor (John Cusack) who is weary of servant work and decides to invent on his own. So it's a monster movie comedy, but also a celebration of the human spirit! Like "Monsters Inc.," but different! (PG; mature themes, scary images and mild profanity)

Kilimanjaro: To the Roof of Africa (not reviewed)

Showing at MOSI's Imax Dome, this film follows five trekkers up the 55-mile climb of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. During the 10-day expedition, the trekkers are challenged on their endurance and ability to adjust to the extreme climate changes.

Lakeview Terrace *½

Samuel Jackson is a Los Angeles Police Department officer who begins terrorizing the cute, interracial couple (Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington) who just moved in next door in his suburban neighborhood. Who will win? And will Washington get a scene where she gets to turn the tables and go from scared victim to butt-kicker? We hope so. 110 minutes (PG-13; intense themes, violence, sexuality, profanity and drug references)

Mamma Mia! **

Bride-to-be Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) searches for her real father. But the important thing here is that the movie, like the musical it is based on, is filled with tunes from '70s pop icons ABBA. Singing along is encouraged. 108 minutes (PG-13; some sex-related comments)

Miracle at St. Anna **

Spike Lee returns with an epic. This one begins with a man arrested for murder in 1983. As the investigation into the case proceeds, we learn the man was an American World War II soldier in Italy who became involved with a mysterious incident while trapped behind enemy lines with his unit. 160 minutes (R; strong war violence, profanity and some sexual content/nudity)

My Best Friend's Girl (not reviewed)

Jason Biggs plays a nerdy loser (now there's a shocking casting choice) trying but failing to win the affection of super-cute hottie Kate Hudson (and there's another). So the nerd guy hires a mean dude (Dane Cook) to be so terrible to her that he (the nerd) looks good in comparison. But - oh, no! - it backfires and she falls for the mean dude. Didn't Kate Hudson used to be in big movies? 101 minutes (R; strong profanity, sexual content and some nudity)

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist ***

When Nick (Michael Cera) meets Norah (Kat Dennings) at a club, she asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend for a few minutes. This leads them into a long night of adventure and romance and, we assume, some cool music. 90 minutes (PG-13; mature themes including teen drinking, sexuality, profanity and crude behavior)

Nights in Rodanthe **

A doctor (Richard Gere) stops at a North Carolina inn while on a trip to see his estranged son. When he meets the innkeeper (Diane Lane), sparks fly. Based on the novel by Nicolas Sparks ("The Notebook," "A Walk to Remember," "Message in a Bottle"), so you know what to expect. 97 minutes (PG-13; some sensuality)

Religulous ***

Comedian and culture commentator Bill Maher hosts a documentary in which he speaks with various religious leaders and devotees about why they believe in God, which he doesn't. 101 minutes (R; some profanity and sexual material).

Righteous Kill *½

Two New York City detectives (Robert De Niro and Al Pacino) work on recent murder case that leads them to open an old case from many years ago, leading them to suspect they may have put the wrong person behind bars. 100 minutes (R; pervasive profanity, some sexuality and brief drug use)

Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys (not reviewed)

Perry's sixth film follows the fate of two families, one wealthy and one middle class, headed by two strong women (Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard) who find their lives entwined because of scandals involving their adult children. (PG-13; sexual references and brief violence)

Quarantine (not reviewed)

A television reporter and her cameraman get trapped in a quarantined building in Los Angeles where an unknown virus is leading people to viciously attack one another. 89 minutes (R; bloody, violent and disturbing content, terror and profanity)

The Women

In this remake of the 1939 film from George Cukor, a wealthy New Yorker (Meg Ryan) loses her husband to another woman, causing her to be the talk of all her society friends. But expect the women to bond over their common problems with men. A star-studded cast includes Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen, Carrie Fisher and Cloris Leachman. 114 minutes (PG-13 for sex-related material, profanity, some drug use and brief smoking)

Listing compiled from Tribune wires and staff reports; Associated Press critics' ratings are out of four stars.

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