Reel to reel | Week of December 26, 2013

0

All is Lost

Robert Redford is brilliant in his role as a nameless man who must survive after his sailboat sinks, leaving him lost at sea. Rated PG-13. At SIE Film Center.

American Hustle

When the FBI decides to recruit con artists to infiltrate the Jersey mob and crooked powerbrokers, things get interesting in a hurry in this well-acted film starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper. Rated R. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) has traded his old anchor job in for a modern cable news position. He is joined by his original team; Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), street reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sports reporter Champ Kind (David Koechner). If you laughed at the original, you’ll laugh at this one as well. Rated PG-13. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

Austenland

This film is a romantic comedy about a woman who is obsessed with the famed writer Jane Austen. It stars Keri Russell. Rated PG. At Boedecker.

Blue Is the Warmest Color (La vie d’Adèle)

Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos) is a young woman whose longings and ecstasies and losses are charted across a span of several years. At 15, she is approaching adulthood and dreams of experiencing her first love. A handsome male classmate falls hard for her, but an unsettling erotic reverie upsets the romance before it begins. Adèle imagines that the mysterious, blue-haired girl she encountered in the street slips into her bed and possesses her with overwhelming pleasure. That blue-haired girl is a confident older art student named Emma (Léa Seydoux), who will soon enter Adèle’s life for real, making way for an intense and complicated love story. Rated NC-17. At SIE Film Center. — Landmark Theatres

The Book Thief

This film tells the story of a spirited and courageous young girl who transforms the lives of everyone around her when she is sent to live with a new family in World War II Germany. Young Liesel (Sophie Nélisse) embarks upon a journey marked by discovery, courage, friendship — and the power to triumph over the most daunting obstacles. Rated PG-13. At Century and Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

The Broken Circle Breakdown

An intensely moving portrait of a relationship from beginning to end, propelled by a soundtrack of footstomping bluegrass, The Broken Circle Breakdown is a romantic melodrama of the highest order. When an unexpected tragedy hits a new family, everything they know and love is tested. At Boedecker.

Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey stars in Dallas Buyers Club as real-life Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof, whose free-wheeling life was overturned in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. Rated R. At Esquire and Colony Square. — Landmark Theatres

Desert Runners

A diverse cast of non-professional runners attempt to complete the most difficult ultramarathon race series on Earth. Their dramatic journey takes them across the world’s most picturesque yet brutal landscapes, pushing their bodies, hearts and spirits through a myriad of external and internal obstacles. This film delves into the mindset of ultra-athletes, and the complex ways in which human beings deal with both heartbreak and triumph. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Edward Scissorhands

Johnny Depp plays an odd boy with scissors instead of hands who befriends a young misfit girl in suburbia. Did I mention he enjoys sculpting shrubbery? A holiday classic for the slightly off-kilter. Rated PG-13. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres.

47 Ronin 3D

Kai (Keanu Reeves) joins forces with 47 samurai who have been outcast by the evil dude who killed their former master. They face big obstacles and trials that would do in most fighters as they attempt to restore order to their world. And it’s in 3-D. Rated PG-13. At Colony Square, Century and Twin Peaks.

Frozen

When the snow queen traps a tiny kingdom in eternal winter, Anna and Kristoff, accompanied by Sven the reindeer and a comical snowman that has trouble keeping his head, set out to end the spell. Rated PG. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

The Great Beauty

Gorgeously photographed in Rome and Tuscany, The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza) is a dazzling, lyrical and at times surreal dramatic comedy, like a modernday La Dolce Vita. The magnetic Toni Servillo plays dapper journalist Jep Gambardella, slick and soulful, who has been a permanent fixture in Rome’s literary and social circles since the legendary success of his one and only novel. When his 65th birthday coincides with a shock from the past, Jep finds himself taking stock of his life. At SIE Film Center

Grudge Match

You’re never too old to make fun of yourselves, and that’s what this film is really about. Sylvester Stallone and Robert DeNiro play two retired boxers who are talked into getting back in the ring to settle an an old score. Rated PG-13. At Twin Peaks, Century and Colony Square.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Another entertaining installment in the Lord of the Rings series. This one has a giant dragon guarding treasure. Rated PG-13. At Century, Twin Peaks and Colony Square.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Jennifer Lawrence dazzles in this adventure sequel. Rated PG-13. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

Inside Llewyn Davis

The Coen brothers craft this story of a homeless young folk singer trying to create a name for himself in the Greenwich Village of the 1960s. Rated R. At Mayan and Century.

Nature Double-Feature: Fuzzy Baby Animals & Microworlds

Fuzzy Baby Animals features an assortment of animals in cute, cuddly, infant form. Spectacular visuals are coupled with furry little critters to create a riveting, heart-melting picture the entire family will enjoy. Microworlds examines the patterns, cycles and daily rituals that are repeated on every scale, both in nature and in the lives of all creatures, from the earthworms in our backyards to the alien beauty of a garden snail. (Run time for both combined is one hour). At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Nebraska

After receiving a sweepstakes letter in the mail, a cantankerous father (Bruce Dern) thinks he’s struck it rich, and wrangles his son (Will Forte) into taking a road trip to claim the fortune. Shot in black and white across four states, Nebraska tells the stories of family life in the heartland of America. Rated R. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

Philomena

The unparalleled Dame Judi Dench brings to life the story of a woman who gave away the child she conceived out of wedlock for adoption in the United States and her search, decades later, to find that son with the help of a BBC reporter. Rated PG-13. At Century, Esquire and Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Dress up, memorize your lines and have fun with this cult classic. Rated R. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres.

Saving Mr. Banks

Inspired by a true story, this film tells the tale of how Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) was finally able to convince the very difficult writer P. L. Travers (Emma Thompson) to allow him to bring her book Mary Poppins to the big screen. Rated PG-13. At Twin Peaks, Colony Square and Century.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Ben Stiller stars in the second film version of author James Thurber’s classic. It’s a tale of a man who escapes his ordinary life by day-dreaming his way into fantasy worlds filled with adventure. But when his real world gets threatened, he and his co-worker, played by Kristen Wiig, get caught up in a wilder adventure than Mitty ever could have imagined. Rated PG. At Twin Peaks, Century and Colony Square.

12 Years a Slave

In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man, is abducted and sold into slavery. Rated R. At Colony Square and Mayan. — Landmark Theatres

Walking with Dinosaurs 3D

In this prehistoric adventure, Patchi, a little dinosaur in a world of big, mean dinosaurs, still manages to triumph and become the hero. Fun story, but the real delight of this film is the amazing portrayal of dinosaurs in their natural habitat looking more realistic than ever before. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Martin Scorsese directs Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Jean Dujardin in this adaptation of 1990s banker gone bad Jordan Belfort’s memoir. Rated R. At Twin Peaks, Century and Colony Square.

Additional films showing at SIE Film Center include: The Punk Singer; White Reindeer; Le Joli Mai; White House Down; Royal Shakespeare Company: Richard II starring David Tennant; The Phantom Carriage; Is the Man Who is Tall Happy?