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The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 20, 2009

NEW IN TOWN

The Class

French film "Entre Les Murs" centers on a teacher who teaches an ethnically diverse class in a tough Parisian neighborhood. Nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. 128 minutes. (PG; profanity)

Duplicity**½

Clive Owen and Julia Roberts star as corporate spies who decide to join forces and steal a valuable formula from their corporate bosses. But is it possible, or even desirable, to set aside their inherent paranoia and trust each other enough to fall in love? The two leads shine, but Paul Giamatti as a corporate chief executive is who you'll remember. 125 minutes. (PG; some profanity and sexual content).

I Love You, Man ***

In this "bromance," an introverted real estate agent (Paul Rudd) goes on a series of man dates to find a best man for his wedding. He eventually settles on a guy (Jason Segel) who is his exact opposite, but their budding friendship begins to annoy his fiance (Rashida Jones). Formulaic concept is helped somewhat by unusual topic - the inner workings of male relationships. 105 minutes. (R; pervasive profanity including crude and sexual references).

Knowing

It's yet another "history mystery" adventure for Nicolas Cage. This time, he is a teacher who begins to suspect that his family is somehow involved in predicting future events when a time capsule containing such predications is uncovered at his son's elementary school. The movie is directed by Alex Proyas, who gave us "I, Robot" in 2004. 122 minutes. (PG-13; for disaster sequences, disturbing images and brief strong profanity).

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.

Wendy and Lucy

A down-on-her-luck young woman, Wendy (Michelle Williams), travels across the country with her dog, Lucy, in search of a better life in Alaska. Things go wrong when her car breaks down in Oregon, but Wendy develops an unlikely friendship with a security guard (Walter Dalton). 80 minutes. (R; for profanity).

Showtimes: 3:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., Saturday; 3:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., Sunday; 7:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday

STILL IN TOWN

Animalopolis (not reviewed)

Making its Tampa debut at the IMAX Dome Theater at the Museum of Science and Industry, this film takes viewers up close and personal with a variety of wildlife, including bears, cheetahs, lions, crabs and the often-overlooked cape buffalo. The 12 segments are light-hearted and funny, so don't expect a "when animals attack" sort of thing. (Not rated)

Confessions of a Shopaholic *½

In the sort of plot device common in piffling romantic comedies, a spendthrift woman (Isla Fisher, a saucier version of Amy Adams) procures employment as a financial advice columnist. She also meets a rich Manhattanite (Hugh Dancy, disheveled in the manner of Hugh Grant in his "Bridget Jones" period). Will her irresponsible monetary policy undermine her happiness? Based on Sophie Kinsella's book and directed by P.J. Hogan ("Muriel's Wedding"). 100 minutes. (PG; mild profanity and mature themes)

Coraline **½

The Neil Gaiman book, recently adapted into a stunning graphic novel with art by P. Craig Russell, tells an unsettling story of a girl who walks through a door in her family's new home and finds herself in an alternative version of reality. Example: her parents now have buttons for eyes, and they'd like her to have some, too. Dakota Fanning voices the title character. Direction is handled by Henry Selick ("A Nightmare Before Christmas") and is stop-motion, animated 3D. 100 minutes. (PG; mature themes, scary images, profanity and suggestive humor)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button***½

Based on one of F. Scott Fitzgerald's stranger little short stories, this film is about a man (Brad Pitt) who is born old and grows younger. This makes things hard enough, but it's especially difficult when he falls in love with a woman (Cate Blanchett) who, like the rest of us, ages normally. The film reunites Pitt with "Fight Club" director David Fincher. 167 minutes (PG-13; brief war violence, sexual content, profanity and smoking)

Defiance **

Based on a true story, "Defiance" follows three Jewish brothers (Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell) as they escape into the forest of what is now Belarus during World War II to flee the Nazis. They eventually became a rallying point for fellow Jews, building a militia of more than 1,000. 137 minutes. (R; violence and profanity)

Doubt ***

John Patrick Shanley adopted his own play for this big screen adaptation (he also directs). Philip Seymour Hoffman portrays a priest accused by a nun (Amy Adams, who apparently can do anything) of having an improper relationship with a boy at the school where they both work. But the real fireworks come in the scenes between Hoffman and Meryl Streep, who is even better than her usual terrific self as the nun in charge of the school. 104 minutes. (PG-13; mature themes)

Fired Up!**

Utilizing the time-honored romantic devise of deception, two star football players (Nicolas D'Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen) feign an interest in becoming cheerleaders because they anticipate a number of successful carnal encounters at summer cheer camp (given the favorable female to male ratio). Aimed at teens, obviously. 90 minutes. (PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, partial nudity, profanity and teen partying)

Friday the 13th (not reviewed)

An axe-wielding murderer with a questionable taste in hockey masks and soiled shirts unleashes a bloody rampage at isolated and heretofore idyllic Camp Crystal Lake. For reason revealed in the film's suspenseful third act, he has reached the unfortunate conclusion that children who enjoy camp, particularly those who are attractive and popular, must pay with their lives. A remake of the popular 1980 slasher film. 97 minutes. (R; strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, profanity and drug material)

Frost/Nixon ***½

Frank Langella is mesmerizing as Richard Nixon in this Ron Howard film about the 1977 interviews between British talk show host David Frost and the former president. While on one level this complex film is about the enormous political pressure on both men and the importance of the interview, it's also about the price of ambition, as well as the corroding affects of guilt and pride. This is clearly one of the best films of the year and among Howard's finest accomplishments as a director. Peter Morgan wrote the film, adapting it from his own play. Michael Sheen is terrific as Frost, but it is Langella you will not forget. 122 minutes (R; profanity)

Gran Torino **½

Now in his late 70s, Clint Eastwood shows no signs of slowing down. In this film, which he also directed, Eastwood stars as Walter Kowalski, a widower living in Detroit who is upset with the changes in his old neighborhood (I.e., minorities moving in). But when he befriends one of the young boys, he finds his world view changing. There's nothing revelatory here, and the cast other than Eastwood is unproven, but the movie's message is welcome. 116 minutes. (R; profanity and violence)

He's Just Not That Into You **

How does one turn a hit self-help book into a movie? Flesh out the book's better romantic scenarios and then hire big names such as Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly and that Macintosh computer guy (Justin Long) to play the parts. The set up is a bit like "Love Actually" (interconnecting stories of romance, this time in Baltimore) but the reality is a bit more "St. Elmo's Fire." 129 minutes. (PG-13; sexual content and brief strong profanity)

Hotel For Dogs**

Two big-hearted kids take in nine stray dogs and house them in a vacant home, which leads to comic complications (and, one would think, a visit from animal control). Here's the surprise: Don Cheadle and Lisa Kudrow are in this film. 100 minutes (PG; brief mild mature themes, profanity and crude humor)

The International ***

In a plot sure to delight conspiracy theorists, an Interpol agent (Clive Owen, ruggedly handsome in the Sean Connery way) goes to extreme lengths to prove a financial institution's involvement in nefarious criminal activities. An ambitious assistant district attorney (Naomi Watts, who was in "King Kong" for unexplainable reasons) joins the crusade, adding a dash of preternatural beauty. Director Tom Tykwer ("Run Lola Run") provides the expected stunning visuals and complex action sequences. 118 minutes (R; sequences of violence and profanity)

Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience *½

Combines live concert footage with biographies of each Jonas Brother. For those who question this cinematic endeavor, remember that teenage girls love the Jonas Brothers. And Imax means they appear bigger. And 3-D means they appear closer. Makes sense, now, yes? 76 minutes. (G)

Last Chance Harvey **

Dustin Hoffman stars as a rumpled, middle-aged American disappointed by life until he travels to London for his daughter's wedding and meets a woman (Emma Thompson) who shares his propensity for shyness and also finds herself interested in him. Autumnal romance stars two talented actors, but succumbs to the same sappy sentimentality of most Hollywood romance films. 92 minutes. (PG-13; brief profanity)

Milk ***½

Sean Penn delivers yet another great performance as Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay politician. This film, which marks a return to mainstream movies by director Gus Van Sant, follows the final seven years of Milk's life, as he rises from obscurity to winning office and dying at the hands of an assassin in 1978. 128 minutes. (R; profanity, sexual content and brief violence)

Paul Blart: Mall Cop *

Slammed by reviewers but loved by theater patrons, this comedy was the surprise hit of January - usually a month in which studios dump movies not expected to that well. A shopping mall guard (Kevin James) swings into action when the mall is overrun by a gang of criminals. The movie is directed by Steve Carr ("Daddy Day Care," "Dr. Doolittle 2"). 87 minutes. (PG; violence, mild crude and suggestive humor, profanity)

The Pink Panther 2*½

Steve Martin returns for a sequel to the 2006 film that annoyed fans of the original "Pink Panther" series. This time, Inspector Clouseau joins an international team of crack investigators to track down a thief of historical artifacts. The film is as wafer-thin as the 2006 version, with the only difference being John Cleese is wasted as Clouseau's boss rather than Kevin Kline. 92 minutes. (PG; suggestive humor, brief mild profanity and action)

Push (not reviewed)

In a plot that sounds taken directly from an "X-Men" comic, which wouldn't be so bad if we didn't already had three "X-Men" movies, a group of young people (including Chris "Human Torch" Evans and Dakota Fanning) with special abilities (moving objects with the mind, seeing the future) seek to elude a government agency that wants to use them as weapons or, failing that, destroy them. 111 minutes. (PG-13; intense sequences of violence and action, brief strong profanity, smoking and a scene of teen drinking)

The Reader ***

Ralph Fiennes portrays a young lawyer who gets the shock of his life when he sees his former lover - a woman (Kate Winslet) twice his age who aided him in post-World War II Germany - once again, only now she is defending herself in the Nazi war crimes trials. The title comes for the fact that she liked him to read books to her when they were lovers, before she mysteriously disappeared. 123 minutes. (R; scenes of sexuality and nudity)

Revolutionary Road **

Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio reunite for the first time since "Titanic" for this film about a young married couple experiencing the ennui of living in suburban Connecticut in the 1950s. He works a job he hates in the city, she stays at home and feels increasingly trapped by her idyllic life. Hardly new material, and the pacing by director Sam Mendes ("American Beauty") is deliberate. But both stars offer outstanding performances. 119 minutes. (R; profanity and some sexual content/nudity)

Slumdog Millionaire***

Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is an Indian boy from the Mumbai slums who makes it onto the India version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." He is one question away from winning the 20 million rupee prize when the show breaks for the night, and he is arrested on suspicion of cheating. Over the course of the night, he tells police his life story and each part reveals about he knew answers for the show. 120 minutes (R; violence, disturbing images and profanity)

Taken **½

A former spy (Liam Neeson) must use all of his skills and training to help his 17-year-old daughter (Maggie Grace) when she is kidnapped while on holiday in France. Neeson is better than the material, but it has enjoyable moments. The film was written by Luc Beeson, writer of the "Transporter" movies and director of "The Fifth Element" and "La Femme Nikita." 94 minutes (PG-13; intense sequences of violence, disturbing themes, sexual content, drug references and profanity)

Tyler Perry's Madea Goes To Jail (not reviewed)

Tyler Perry continues his frenzied movie-making pace, once again playing Medea, the grandmother with anger issues. This time her antics land her in jail, where she becomes the protector of a prostitute (Keisha Knight Pulliam) who is the secret love of a successful assistant district attorney (Derek Luke) who is engaged to someone else. 103 minutes. (PG-13; mature themes, drug content, violence and sexual situations)

Under the Sea 3D ***½

IMAX film playing at the Museum of Science and Industry provides a detailed glimpse into the life aquatic along the coastal regions of southern Australia and New Guinea, among other exotic locales. Jim Carrey provides narration. 40 minutes. (G)

The Uninvited (not reviewed)

Poor Anna. The teen (played by Emily Browning) has been in an institution since her mother died, and she's now coming back home. Unfortunately, her Dad now has a beautiful but mean fiance (Elizabeth Banks) who she instantly dislikes. Even more unfortunate, ghosts start showing up and telling Anna that her stepmom-to-be is a killer. 87 minutes (PG-13; violent and disturbing images, mature themes, sexual content, profanity and teen drinking)

Watchmen**

Directed by Zack Snyder ("300"), this adaptation of the famed graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons proves the point Moore has tried to make for years: the fluid nature of graphic novels allows for more complex storytelling than the more constrained world of film. The film looks great and the actors are up for it - especially Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian - but the second half gets bogged down as the film attempts to bring together the novel's many thematic elements and plot strands, leading to confusion for some and boredom for many. 163 minutes. (R; strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and profanity)

The Wrestler***½

An aging professional wrestler (Mickey Rourke) gets one last chance at being a star. Meanwhile, he attempts to heal the relationship with the daughter he abandoned (Evan Rachel Wood) and pursue one with a stripper (Maria Tomei). Both Rourke (for best actor) and Bruce Spingsteen (for best original song, "The Wrestler") won Golden Globes. The film is directed by acclaimed independent filmmaker Daniel Aronofsky ("Pi," "Requiem for a Dream"). 115 minutes (R; violence, sexuality/nudity, profanity and drug use)

Kevin Walker

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

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