Jessica Biel joins Kristin Scott Thomas and Colin Firth in Noel Coward's Easy Virtue

Weekly Film Listings - June 18-24

Not all film updates were available at press time. Please check with theatres to confirm titles and times.

OPENING

Away We Go - (Odeon) Sam Mendes (American Beauty) directs a wry dramedy about an immature couple (The Office’s John Krasinsky and SNL’s Maya Rudolph) who start to grow up when the impending birth of their first child prompts a quirky road trip. Starts Fri.

The Proposal - (Capitol/SilverCity) Sandra Bullock is the bossy boss of office assistant Ryan Reynolds. The fact that they kind of hate each other makes it perfect when they have to get married in order to solve Sandra’s visa problems—and also help keep Ryan employed. This is a promising romantic comedy. Starts Fri.

Year One - (Capitol/SilverCity) Harold Ramis directs Jack Black and Michael Cera in a goofy comedy about neolithic slackers who have some crazy adventures. Starts Fri.

★★★ X-Men Origins: Wolverine - (Roxy, 9:00) The great Hugh Jackman gets a lot of screen time in which to slash with his claws and do other anti-social stuff with a host of other mean-minded mutants.

CONTINUING

★★½ Adoration - (Odeon) The latest from Atom Egoyan (Ararat) is a complicated, typically cerebral drama involving a high school student who presents a provocative—but fictional—family history to his fellow students, an act with wide-reaching consequences.

★★½ Angels & Demons - (Capitol/SilverCity) Combining apocalyptic antimatter and a vengeful secret sect known as the Illuminati, this sequel to the wildly lucrative Da Vinci Code is fast paced but repetitive as Tom Hanks once again penetrates religious secrets to unearth all-too-human (and nasty) truths.

★★★½ Drag Me to Hell - (Odeon) Before Spider-Man, writer-director Sam Raimi was an auteur of horror flicks and he returns to his roots with this ghastly—and hilarious—riff on the old “gypsy curse” trope.

★★ The Hangover - (Capitol/SilverCity/Uni 4/Caprice) Las Vegas provides the setting for this wild, energetically vulgar (but rather flat-footed) comedy about four friends on a bachelor bender—unfortunately, when they wake up the next morning there is lots of chaos but no groom.

Imagine That - (Odeon/SilverCity) Eddie Murphy seems desperate to continue his long string of turkies with this family-friendly comedy about a failing business executive who finds that the secret to success lies in entering the fantasy world of his 8-year-old daughter.

★★½ Land of the Lost - (Odeon/SilverCity/Uni 4/Caprice) Will Ferrell plays a wacky scientist who gets sucked into a “time vortex” and ends up in a prehistoric era being pursued by dinosaurs. Very silly, but Ferrell is in top form. Ten-year-old boys will be thrilled.

My Life in Ruins - (Odeon) Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) actually heads to Greece for this comedy about a female travel agent who discovers the bittersweet wonder of romance while on tour.

★★ Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian - (SilverCity/Roxy, 7:15) Ben Stiller reprises his role as a hapless yet brave security guard, in a noisy and less-than-charming comedy sequel.

★★★★ Star Trek - (Odeon/SilverCity/Star) Another “origins” flick, this one showing us younger versions of James Kirk, Spock, and all the other inter-galactic icons who call the USS Enterprise home.

★★¼ The Taking of Pelham 123 - (Odeon/SilverCity/Uni 4) It’s boring remake time, as Denzel Washington plays a NYC subway manager dragged into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a very bad guy (John Travolta). See review. ★★½ Terminator: Salvation - (Capitol/SilverCity) It might be time terminate this reboot of the increasingly tired series about killer cyborgs and an imminent global apocalypse.

★★★½ Up - (Capitol/SilverCity/Uni 4/Caprice/Star) The latest Pixar triumph is this animated feature about a crusty old geezer who, when faced with the prospect of being forced into a care home, literally floats off into a series of wacky adventures in South America. Not Pixar’s best, but still an admirably original combination of hilarity and heart.

SCREENINGS

Movie Monday - screens ★★★★ Milk. Sean Penn won a well-deserved Oscar for his performance as Harvey Milk, the 1970s-era San Francisco elected official who was murdered mostly because he was gay. Showtimes are 6:30 pm MONDAYS. 2326 Trent. By donation. 595-FLIC. moviemonday.ca

CINECENTA

★★★★ Fellini’s Amarcord -(Wed.-Thurs., June 17-18: 7:00, 9:25) The title means “I remember,” and this wryly tender and highly fabulistic memoir by Italy’s most renowned filmmaker is set during his adolescence in the mid-’30s.

★★½ I Love You, Man -(Fri.-Sat., June 19-20: 7:10, 9:15) Paul Rudd is very effective in this almost-good comedy about a happy guy, about to be married, whose quest to find a best man for the wedding creates unexpected turbulence with his fiancée.

17 Again -(Sun.-Mon., June 21-22: 7:00 only) More time-shifting frivolity here, in this case featuring a 30-something loser who goes back to high school with a chance to redo his life.

Tulpan -(Tues.-Thurs., June 23-25: 7:10, 9:15) Fresh from Kazakhstan (via Cannes, where it won a big award) comes this comedy-drama about an earnest camel herder who is having trouble wooing the gal of his dreams. By all reports this is a truly fine film!

IMAX

★★★★ Africa: The Serengeti - (10am, 1:00, 4:00, 7:00)

★★½ Journey to Mecca -(11am, 2:00, 5:00, 8:00)

★★★½ Ocean Oasis - (noon, 3:00, 6:00)