Sunday, February 10, 2008
UPCOMING MOVIES: Critics' recommendations are highlighted in bold.
FEBRUARY14 -- "Jumper" stars Hayden Christensen as a young man who discovers he has teleporting powers, and that a war has existed for thousands of years between "jumpers" like him and their sworn enemies ("sitters"?). With Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane and Rachel Bilson.
14 -- "Definitely, Maybe," a rom-com starring Ryan Reynolds, concerns a soon-to-be-divorced father and his young daughter (Abigail Breslin), who demands to know every detail about how her parents met and fell in love. Isla Fisher and Rachel Weisz co-star.
14 -- "Step Up 2 the Streets" is the high-kicking sequel to the 2006 dance movie "Step Up," and like its predecessor takes place in Baltimore, where the rebellious dancer Andie (Briana Evigan) competes in a high-stakes underground dance competition.
14 -- "The Spiderwick Chronicles" brings yet another beloved children's book to the screen, this time with the story of the Grace family, who discover some strange goings-on when they move to a secluded old house. Sarah Bolger stars as Mallory Grace, with Freddie Highmore as twin brothers Simon and Jared.
15 -- "Nanking," Bill Guttentag's award-winning documentary about the 1937 rape and murder of hundreds of thousands of Chinese by Japanese forces, opens at the Avalon. (The film was produced by Caps owner Ted Leonsis.)
15 -- "George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead" finds the master of the zombie flick back at it in the legendary filmmaker's first independently produced film in more than 20 years. In a neat bit of cinematic who's-your-daddy, this one concerns some film students making a horror film in the woods who begin to experience real-life terrors.
15 -- The 2007 Academy Award-nominated animated and live-action short films make a stop at Landmark's E Street Cinema, so bring your Oscar party ballot!
15 -- "The Violin," from first-time Mexican writer-director Francisco Vargas, tells the story of an elderly peasant (Don Angel Tavira) in 1970s Mexico who leads a double life as an itinerant violin player and soldier in the country's turbulent guerrilla conflicts.
22 -- "Witless Protection" features Larry the Cable Guy (hasn't satellite made him obsolete yet?) in a screwball action-adventure involving a beautiful federal witness and Larry's dimwitted attempts to "save" her from the FBI agents tasked with her protection.
22 -- "Be Kind Rewind" stars Jack Black as a loser in Passaic, N.J., who, when he becomes magnetized at the power plant where he lives, erases all the tapes in his neighborhood video store, then with the store clerk (Mos Def) decides to re-record the movies with their own reenactments. From mind-bendy director Michel Gondry.
22 -- "Steep" is the nonfiction account of the birth of big-mountain skiing and its most graceful and physically fearless champions, including Bill Briggs, Stefano De Benedetti and the sport's inventor, the late Doug Coombs.
22 -- "The Band's Visit" is Israeli director Eran Kolirin's comedy about an Egyptian police band's journey to Israel to play at the opening of an Arab arts center, during which they become lost in a foreign city.
22 -- "The Signal," a horror film, with Internet Movie Database character credits including "deranged people" and "random bodies," is about a transmission that invades cellphones, radios and TVs and turns their users into killers; the story is told in three parts, from three perspectives (what, "Rashomon: The Quickening" was taken?).
22 -- "Charlie Bartlett" stars Anton Yelchin, of TV's late and lamented "Huff," as a high school student who begins to act as a bathroom psychiatrist to his peers and teachers, unlocking all manner of angst, hypocrisy and longing. The coming-of-age comedy co-stars Hope Davis and Robert Downey Jr.
22 -- "Vantage Point" features William Hurt as an American president who is shot while speaking in Spain, and Sigourney Weaver, Forest Whitaker, Dennis Quaid and Matthew Fox as some of the witnesses whose differing views of the event lead to solving the mystery of who's behind it.
25 -- "Michael Haneke: A Cinema of Provocation" opens at the Goethe-Institut. The series will offer a retrospective of the controversial Austrian director's work, including such rarely seen television projects as "The Castle," "Lemmings" and "Fraulein." Through March 24.
29 -- "Chicago 10" is Brett Morgen's part-animated, part live-action, part-documentary about the eight antiwar activists who were arrested at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, and the two attorneys who defended them.
29 -- "City of Men" follows the stunning 2002 film "City of God," which transpired in the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Here, two teenage best friends (Douglas Silva and Darlan Cunha) find their relationship threatened when they turn up on opposite sides of a gang war. (Directed by Paulo Morelli; the original film's director, Fernando Meirelles, produces.)
29 -- "Semi-Pro" stars Will Ferrell in a basketball comedy set in 1976; Ferrell plays the coach of the Flint Michigan Tropics, whose title of losingest team is threatened when their upstart league announces it is folding. With Woody Harrelson, Andre Benjamin and Rob Corddry.
29 -- "The Other Boleyn Girl" stars Scarlett Johansson as Mary Boleyn, who competes with her power-hungry sister Anne (Natalie Portman) for the affections of King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) in 16th-century England.
29 -- "Penelope" features Christina Ricci as a privileged girl who suffers a family curse that can only be overcome when she finds true love. Reese Witherspoon and James McAvoy co-star in this modern-day romantic fairy tale.
MARCHTBD -- "Under the Same Moon" tells the story of a mother and son living on opposite sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, in parallel tales of loyalty, sacrifice and courage.
TBD -- "Married Life," directed by Ira Sachs, is a drama set in the 1940s, when a cheating husband arranges to have his wife killed rather than admit his affair. With Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson and Rachel McAdams.
6 -- The DC Independent Film Festival gets underway, presenting more than 100 animated and live-action shorts and features from around the country. One highlight: Filmmaker Alex Cox ("Walker," "Repo Man") will bring his new comedy, "Searchers 2.0." Through March 16.
7 -- "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" stars Frances McDormand as the title character, a middle-aged London governess who is unfairly sacked, then finds a day-long life of glitz and glamour when she encounters a high-living American actress (Amy Adams).
7 -- "The Bank Job," inspired by true events, depicts a brash bank heist in London in 1971, when robbers tunneled into a bank and made off with jewelry and cash that was never recovered. With Jason Statham and Saffron Burrows.
7 -- "College Road Trip" features Martin Lawrence and Raven as an overprotective father and his daughter, the latter of whom embarks on a college tour with her high school friends even though Dad insists on escorting them.
7 -- "Snow Angels," adapted from the acclaimed novel by Stewart O'Nan, tells two converging stories of love and loss, one about a young man dealing with his parents' divorce, the other about a tragedy involving his cherished former babysitter. Directed by David Gordon Green ("George Washington"), with Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Nicky Katt and Amy Sedaris.
7 -- "Let's Get Lost" is the reissue of Bruce Weber's stunning 1988 documentary about jazz great Chet Baker; the film isn't available on video, so don't miss this chance to see Weber's gorgeous portrait of Baker and 1950s Los Angeles on the big screen.
7 -- The New African Film Festival kicks off at the AFI Silver Theatre. This year's program features a retrospective of the films of Ousmane Sembene, the "grandfather" of African cinema who died last year. Through March 16.
8 -- "Gustafer Yellowgold," a multimedia show by New York artist Morgan Taylor and featuring live songs, stories and animation, arrives for a family matinee at the Avalon.
8 -- Max Linder Cin¿-Concert features six shorts starring silent-era film star Max Linder, whose character "Max" served as an inspiration to Charlie Chaplin. The films will be accompanied by a new score by Gabriel Thibaudeau, and performed live by the chamber ensemble Octuor de France. At the National Gallery of Art.
9 -- "The Sun," Alexander Sokurov's 2005 avant-garde portrait of Japanese emperor Hirohito, will have its Washington premiere at the National Gallery. (The film was never released in the United States, even after the success of Sokurov's 2002 hit "Russian Ark.")
11 -- The DC Environmental Film Festival opens a program that will include "The Lord God Bird," George Butler's documentary about the storied ivory-billed woodpecker, as well as films about naturalist E.O. Wilson, Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai and the environmental footprint of war on the landscape. Through March 22.
14 -- "Blindsight," a documentary about a group of blind students from Tibet who climb Mount Everest, opens at the Avalon.
14 -- "Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who!" is a CGI-animated adaptation of the classic Seuss tale, featuring the voices of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill.
14 -- "Fighting for Life" follows military physicians, nurses and medics on the front lines of the Iraq war, and chronicles their training as "the best medical school no one's ever heard of" at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
14 -- "Sleepwalking" is a drama by Bill Maher (no, not that Bill Maher) about an 11-year-old girl as she comes to grips with her mother's abandonment. With AnnaSophia Robb and Charlize Theron.
14 -- "Never Back Down" is a "teen action drama" in which a troubled new kid in town (Sean Faris) learns to deal with bullies, cliques and his own family troubles through that force for healing and transcendence known as Mixed Martial Arts.
14 -- "Funny Games" finds Austrian director-provocateur Michael Haneke remaking his own 1997 thriller -- about two psychopaths who terrorize a family in their vacation home -- in an American version, this one starring Naomi Watts, Michael Pitt and Tim Roth.
14 -- "The Witnesses," from French filmmaker Andre Techine, concerns a group of young people living it up in 1984 Paris, where they find themselves contending with the outbreak of a mysterious new disease known as AIDS. With Emmanuelle Beart and Julie Depardieu (papa is Gerard).
14 -- "Ingmar Bergman Remembered" continues at AFI with Part II, which will focus on the late director's work in the 1960s and early 1970s, including "Persona" and the TV project "Scenes From a Marriage." Through May 5.
14 -- "The Counterfeiters," nominated for this year's Best Foreign Film Oscar, is the true story of Salomon Sorowitsch, who after being arrested by the Nazis, agrees to help them set up a counterfeit operation to help finance the war effort.
15 -- "Alexandra," Alexander Sokurov's 2007 drama about a Russian soldier in Chechnya who is visited by his grandmother, makes its Washington premiere at the National Gallery.
16 -- "Silvestre Rivueltas: Music for Film" features two films with scores by the Mexican composer, "Redes (The Wave)," by Paul Strand and Fred Zinneman, and "V¿monos con Pancho Villa," by Fernando de Fuentes. Both will be shown at the National Gallery.
21 -- "Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust," about the history of the Holocaust on film -- from denial to documentary to drama -- opens at the Avalon.
21 -- "Military Intelligence and You!" is Dale Kutzera's military satire that takes the form of a mock World War II training film, weaving the fictional story of a military analyst on the hunt for a Nazi fighter base with actual footage from vintage films.
21 -- "Shutter" stars Joshua Jackson and Rachael Taylor as a newly married couple who begin to see ghostly images on their camera while honeymooning in Tokyo. Masayuki Ochiai directs this remake of the 2004 Thai thriller.
21 -- "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns" features Angela Bassett as Brenda, a single mom in Chicago who takes her kids to meet some long-lost family members in Georgia, and who discovers the joys and foibles of family along the way. With Perry in his hit role as the feisty matriarch Madea.
21 -- "Drillbit Taylor" stars Owen Wilson as a soldier of fortune who is enlisted by a group of high school students to help them cope with the school bully.
22 -- "Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind," John Gianvito's experimental adaptation of Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States," will be shown at the National Gallery.
28 -- "Planet B-Boy" is the documentary portrait of break dancing, the hugely influential art form of the 1980s that has enjoyed a resurgence in places as far-flung as Japan, German and South Korea.
28 -- "Priceless" brings French actress Audrey Tautou ("Am¿lie") back to the screen as a scheming young woman whose romantic machinations and mischief transpire against the backdrop of the French Riviera. With Gad Elmaleh as the shy bartender she pursues (when she thinks he's loaded), then dumps.
28 -- "Stop Loss" stars Ryan Phillippe as an Iraq war veteran who returns to his small Texas town a war hero and begins to piece his life back together until he is called back for duty, precipitating questions about loyalty, honor and patriotism.
28 -- "Run, Fat Boy, Run" marks the directorial debut of actor David Schwimmer, here orchestrating a comedy about a serial non-committer (Simon Pegg), who makes one last play for his former fiancee (Thandie Newton) by training for a marathon.
28 -- "21" features Kevin Spacey as the mastermind behind a group of MIT students who travel to Las Vegas to count cards and beat the casinos at their own games; Kate Bosworth and Jim Sturgess ("Across the Universe") play two of his minions and Laurence Fishburne appears as a casino security expert who's on to them.
28 -- "My Brother Is an Only Child" is Daniele Luchetti's adaptation of an Italian novel about two brothers coming of age in Italy during the 1960s and 1970s.
28 -- "Superhero!" finds parody-master David Zucker behind the camera again, this time sending up superhero movies from "Batman" and beyond. With Sara Paxton, Leslie ("don't call me Shirley") Nielsen, Jeffrey Tambor and Brent Spiner.
28 -- "Possession" stars Sarah Michelle Gellar in a thriller about a woman whose husband and brother-in-law are both sent into comas after an accident; when the brother-in-law awakens thinking he's his brother, things get kinda weird. With the fabulous Lee Pace ("Pushing Daisies," "Infamous").
29 -- "In Glorious Technicolor," featuring spanking-new prints of "I've Always Loved You," "Leave Her to Heaven" and "The Barefoot Contessa," will unspool at the National Gallery. Through March 30.
APRILTBD -- "The Fall" stars Lee Pace (still fabulous!) and Catinca Untaru as a bedridden man and young girl who meet in a hospital, where the man beguiles the girl with a fantastical story that begins to weave together fiction and reality. From director Tarsem Singh ("The Cell").
TBD -- "Young@Heart" is a documentary about a group of senior citizens who get together and sing a few standards -- you know, like "Losing My Religion." Filmmaker Stephen Walker catches up with the chorus as they rehearse for a new show, and grapple with the challenging song stylings of Sonic Youth.
TBD -- "The Foot Fist Way" is a taekwondo comedy about a martial arts instructor who goes on a downward spiral after attacking the man who slept with his wife, then makes a pilgrimage to meet his hero, Chuck "The Truck" Wallace.
TBD -- The Korean Film Festival* gets underway at the Freer Gallery with a screening of "Secret Sunshine" by Chang-dong Lee. The comedy-drama, about a woman rebuilding her life after the death of her husband, was a favorite on last year's festival circuit. The festival continues at the Freer and AFI Silver Theatre through TK.
4 -- "Body of War" is Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro's documentary portrait of Iraq war veteran Tomas Young, who after being paralyzed by a bullet to his spine became an antiwar activist. The film chronicles his journey home, as well as debates in Congress about continuing the war.
4 -- "Nim's Island" stars Abigail Breslin as a girl who lives on an isolated island with her scientist father, and begins to correspond with the author of a book she's reading. With Gerard Butler and Jodie Foster, based on the popular children's book.
4 -- "Shine a Light" brings Martin Scorsese and the Rolling Stones together for a documentary about the rock band's performance at New York's Beacon Theatre in 2006.
4 -- "Leatherheads," starring and directed by George Clooney, is a romantic comedy set in the world of 1920s football, where a strait-laced college football coach steals the heart of the girlfriend of the team owner who just hired him. With Renee Zellweger and Jonathan Pryce.
4 -- "Wild Child" features Emma Roberts ("Nancy Drew") as a rebellious Malibu teenager who is sent to a strict English boarding school by her father.
4 -- "May '68 -- Forty Years After" revisits this historical era in France's political history with six French films, including Jean-Luc Godard's 972 "Tout Va Bien," Rene Vienet's 1973 "Can Dialectics Break Bricks?" and Louis Malle's 1989 "May Fools." At the National Gallery of Art's East Building. Through May 31.
5 -- "Jean Eustache -- Art Equals Life," featuring the films of this overlooked French filmmaker, kicks off at the National Gallery. The series will include Eustache's "The Mother and the Whore" (1973), several of his lesser-seen documentary-fiction hybrids and the never-released "Numero Zero." Come see what inspired Jim Jarmusch to dedicate "Broken Flowers" to Eustache in 2005. Through April 13.
11 -- "Alice's House" stars Carla Ribas as a Brazilian manicurist whose life in Sao Paulo is dominated by her three sons, her aging mother and her philandering husband, and is complicated by an encounter with an old flame.
11 -- "The Ruins," based on the bestseller by Scott Smith ("A Simple Plan"), chronicles the journey of a group of friends to the Mexican jungle, where they must survive after discovering something threatening in the ruins of a remote archaeological dig. With Jena Malone, Jonathan Tucker and Shawn Ashmore.
11 -- "Street Kings" stars Keanu Reeves as a veteran Los Angeles cop and recent widower, who must challenge his own department when he's implicated in the execution of a fellow officer.
11 -- "College" is a teen comedy about friends during fraternity orientation week who pull a fast one on their frat brothers after the hazing goes out of control. With Drake Bell, Andrew Caldwell and Kevin Covais.
11 -- "Smart People" stars Dennis Quaid as a widowed literature professor whose life takes a turn when he gets together with a former student (Sarah Jessica Parker) at the same time that his ne'er-do-well brother (Thomas Haden Church) arrives unexpectedly on the scene. Co-starring Ellen Page ("Juno").
11 -- "Killshot," based on the Elmore Leonard book, stars Diane Lane and Thomas Jane as a married couple who become involved with a bumbling con artist (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and his hit-man partner (Mickey Rourke). Directed by John Madden ("Shakespeare in Love").
11 -- "The Visitor" stars Richard Jenkins as a depressed college professor who, while attending a conference in Manhattan, discovers a strange couple living in his pied-¿-terre. The encounter leads him to change his life, adjust his political views and even find incipient love.
11 -- "Prom Night" stars Brittany Snow as a high school student whose senior prom goes terrifyingly awry when a sadistic killer from her past shows up -- without a corsage.
12 -- "Shorts-Courts-Kurz," a selection of French and German short films from the 2008 Clermont-Ferrand and 2007 Filmfest Dresden festivals, screens at the Goethe-Institut. Through TK date.
18 -- "The Rocker," a comedy from director Peter Cattaneo ("The Full Monty"), follows the second chance career of an over-the-hill rock drummer, Robert "Fish" Fishman (Rainn Wilson), who joins his nephew's band, name of A.D.D.
18 -- "Flight of the Red Balloon," a Chinese film from acclaimed director Hsiao-hsien Hou, is about the growing friendship between a Parisian single mother (Juliette Binoche) and the Taiwanese student she hires to babysit her two young children.
18 -- "The Forbidden Kingdom" features martial arts superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li -- together for the first time -- as kung fu veterans in ancient times who help a time-traveling American teenager (Michael Angarano) undertake a dangerous mission.
18 -- "Baby Mama" stars Tina Fey as a mother wannabe who hires a surrogate (Amy Poehler). Also featuring Greg Kinnear, Dax Shepard and Sigourney Weaver.
18 -- "The List" finds Ewan McGregor as an accountant accused of murdering a young woman after a new acquaintance (Hugh Jackman) introduces him to a private sex club.
19 -- "Max Ophuls in Hollywood," a series at the National Gallery of Art's East Building, presents five of the German director's films of the 1940s: "From Mayerling to Sarajevo," "The Exile," "Letter From an Unknown Woman," "Caught" and "The Reckless Moment." Through April 27.
25 -- "Amusement" follows the gruesome tradition of "Saw" horror, in this thriller about three strangers (Katheryn Winnick, Jessica Lucas and Laura Breckenridge) forced to participate in a macabre game by someone with a long-standing grudge.
25 -- Filmfest DC (a.k.a. the Washington, D.C. International Film Festival), now in its 23rd year, will show a wide selection of new films from around the world and have many guest filmmakers in attendance. The fest includes an opening night gala, a closing event and panel discussions. Themes this year include the Cinema of Latin America and Politics on Film. Through May 4.
25 -- "Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay" brings back resolute slackers Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn), who are mistaken for dangerous terrorists.
25 -- "Roman de Gare," a French thriller from director Claude Lelouch ("A Man and a Woman"), stars Fanny Ardant as a successful novelist whose search for inspiration for her next novel brings her into contact with some unsavory characters.
25 -- "Then She Found Me" stars Helen Hunt as a Philadelphia schoolteacher who loses her husband, but finds new direction in her life with the father (Colin Firth) of one of her students.
26 -- "Skinner's Dress Suit" and "Oh, Doctor!," two silent films of the 1920 featuring comic actor Reginald Denny screen at the National Gallery of Art's East Building. Dennis James performs live organ accompaniment.
MAYTBD -- "When Did You Last See Your Father?," a drama from Anand Tucker ("Hilary and Jackie"), stars Colin Firth ( more Colin Firth) as an adult son who must come to terms with his dying father (Jim Broadbent) and their unresolved arguments.
TBD -- "Battle in Seattle," the writing and directorial debut of actor Stuart Townsend, reprises a five-day period in November 1999 when tens of thousands of activists protested the annual World Trade Organization conference. The ensemble cast includes Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Rodriguez and Ray Liotta.
TBD -- "Son of Rambow," a British comedy, centers on a teenager (Bill Milner) brought up in a media-deprived religious sect, who becomes obsessed with the Rambo character in 1982's "First Blood."
2 -- "Fugitive Pieces" tells the bittersweet story of Jakob Beer, a Polish Holocaust survivor who takes much of his life to come to terms with his childhood trauma. The all-star ensemble includes Michael Douglas, Dustin Hoffman, Liam Neeson and Joan Allen.
2 -- "Iron Man" dresses Robert Downey Jr. in a fascinating new light -- make that a high-tech suit -- as Tony Stark, the scientistturned-superhero Iron Man, whose armor protects him in a lifelong war against evil.
2 -- "Made of Honor" goes guy-centric in this romantic comedy, starring Patrick Dempsey as a ladies' man who realizes he's in love with his main gal pal (Michelle Monaghan).
9 -- "Jellyfish," an Israeli film directed by Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen, interweaves the lives of three very different women living in modern-day Tel Aviv.
9 -- "Speed Racer" is "Matrix" filmmakers Larry and Andy Wachowski's live-action version of the animated 1960s TV show. Emile Hirsch plays the race car driver of the title, who finds himself facing archrival Racer X (Matthew Fox).
15 -- "New Films From China," a film series at the AFI Silver, will showcase new works from contemporary China. Through May 19.
16 -- "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" returns to that mystical realm inside the closet, where the four Pevensie children summon Aslan (voice of Liam Neeson) to help them put Caspian (Ben Barnes) on the throne and save Narnia from scheming King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto).
16 -- "A Man Named Pearl," a documentary, visits with self-taught topiary artist Pearl Fryar, whose fanciful creations partly inspired some of those wild hedges in the movie "Edward Scissorhands." At the Avalon.
16 -- "Midnight Meat Train" is a one-way ticket to end-of-the-line hell, courtesy of a serial killer known as the "Subway Butcher" (Vinnie Jones).
16 -- "What Happens in Vegas" finds screwball romance at the blackjack tables when two complete strangers (Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher) wake up to find themselves married and unsure which of them won last night's jackpot.
22 -- "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" restores the 1980s franchise with a new 1950s-set adventure that takes Indiana (Harrison Ford) into New Mexico and the jungles of Peru, on a quest for a mystical skull. Shia LaBeouf plays Indiana's new sidekick and Cate Blanchett is a rival Soviet spymaster.
23 -- "Jean-Luc Godard in the 1960s," an American Film Institute retrospective, showcases works from the seminal French director's still-continuing career, including new prints of "Breathless," "Contempt" and the rarely seen "La Chinoise." Through June 15 at the AFI Silver Theatre.
23 -- "Trumbo" interweaves documentary footage and letter readings by top actors (including Michael Douglas, Liam Neeson and Nathan Lane) to pay tribute to Dalton Trumbo, the screenwriter blacklisted as a communist, who wrote many Hollywood hits under a pseudonym.
30 -- "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," another nerd romance from the producers of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up," follows the comic travails of a heartbroken musician (Jason Segel) as he keeps bumping into the woman (Kristen Bell) who left him for a rock star.
30 -- "Sex and the City" takes up where the popular HBO series left off, with new adventures of the heart for the gal foursome, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon. Jennifer Hudson of "Dreamgirls" plays a new character.
30 -- "Starship Dave" enters the intergalactic love zone with this romantic comedy about a human-form alien (Eddie Murphy) who meets some attractive Earthlings (Gabrielle Union and Elizabeth Banks).
31 -- "Mosfilm: Envisioning Russia" celebrates the prolific Russian film studio Mosfilm, operating since the 1920s. The National Gallery of Art is presenting this 25-film survey, from "Battleship Potemkin" to contemporary films. Through July.
JUNE2 -- "Second Annual Asia-Europe Film Showcase" at the Goethe-Institut features pairings of Asian and European films that focus on the theme of cultures in movement. Discussions follow the paired screenings. Through June 13.
6 -- "Kung Fu Panda," a CGI animation comedy set in ancient China, is about a tubby panda (voice of Jack Black) whose dreams of becoming a martial artist become real when he joins a gang of superstar kung fu animals against the evil Snow Leopard (Ian McShane). The vocal cast includes Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman and Jackie Chan.
6-- "Mongol," Kazakhstan's official submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, tells the epic tale of Genghis Khan (Asano Tadanobu), who evolved from slave to world conqueror during the 12th century.
6 -- "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" stars Adam Sandler as an Israeli commando who fakes his death so he can pursue his real dream -- as a hairdresser in New York City. Judd Apatow ("Knocked Up") wrote the script with Sandler and Robert Smigel.
7 -- "Gabriel Figueroa -- Image Maker," a series at the National Gallery of Art's East Building, presents six features made from the 1940s to the 1960s by the Mexican cinematographer, including "Enamorada," "Macario" and "Nazar¿n." Through June 21.
13 -- "The Happening," another paranormal thriller from M. Night Shyamalan ("The Sixth Sense"), stars Mark Wahlberg as a family man caught up in a worldwide epidemic of airborne toxins that cause people to commit suicide.
13 -- "The Incredible Hulk" unleashes Ed Norton as the latest -- remember Bill Bixby and Eric Bana? -- Dr. Bruce Banner, who transmogrifies into the muscle-bound green Hulk after radiation exposure. William Hurt plays his nemesis, and Liv Tyler is his love interest.
16 -- "Silverdocs," the annual documentary festival sponsored by the American Film Institute and Discovery Channel, returns to the AFI Silver Theatre with 100 features and shorts from around the world and from local filmmakers. The Guggenheim Symposium honoree this year is director Spike Lee. Through June 23.
20 -- "Get Smart," inspired by the 1960s TV comedy created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, stars Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart, the bungling secret agent, and Anne Hathaway as his sidekick, Agent 99. The cast includes Terence Stamp as a supervillain and Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson as Agent 23.
20 -- "Religulous" is TV comedian Bill Maher's iconoclastic documentary about organized religion with guerrilla-style visits to some of the world's holiest sites, including the Vatican, Jerusalem and Salt Lake City. Lest anyone doubt its agenda, it's directed by Larry Charles, who gave us "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan."
22 -- Tatsuya Nakadai in person. The Japanese actor, who appeared in several films by Akira Kurosawa, appears at the National Gallery of Art's East Building to present the screening of one of his works (to be announced).
27 -- "The Love Guru" features "Austin Powers" creator Mike Myers as Pitka, a mystic who helps a hockey pro (Romany Malco) get his game back after losing his wife to an ice skater (Justin Timberlake). Jessica Alba plays the team owner who hires Pitka.
27 -- "Wanted" is a sci-fi thriller -- based on James Millar's graphic novel -- about a working drone (James McAvoy) who's suddenly plucked out of his dead-end job to join a secret society of professional assassins. Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman play the shadowy figures who recruit him.
27 -- "WALL-E," a Pixar-animated feature, is about the love that arises between a futuristic trash-compacting robot WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth Class) and a sweet little search robot called EVE.
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