ANNA KARENINA
Leo Tolstoy’s novel of love and infidelity comes to life thanks to director Joe Wright. A unique narrative device illuminates the theatrical behavior of randy Russian nobles who can’t help trying to sleep with each other’s spouses. Rated R. At Esquire. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
ARGO
Ben Affleck’s latest directing project (in which he also stars) is based on true events from the Iranian revolution in 1979. Militants storm the U.S. embassy and take 52 Americans hostage. Rated R. At Esquire.
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
In a forgotten but defiant bayou community, a 6-year-old girl exists on the brink of orphanhood. Buoyed by her childish optimism, she believes that the natural world is in balance with the universe until a fierce storm changes her reality. At SIE FilmCenter. — Denver Film Society
BEWARE OF MR. BAKER
Ginger Baker’s first memory was running after a train that carried his father off to death in WWII. From his music to his life, at the expense of family and fortune, the world’s greatest drummer would never be left behind on the tracks again. At SIE FilmCenter. — Denver Film Society
BILL W.
Bill W. tells the story of William G. Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Interviews, recreations and rare archival material reveal how Bill Wilson, a hopeless drunk near death, found a way out of his own addiction and then forged a path for countless others to follow. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres
BROKEN CITY
The mayor of New York City (Russell Crowe) hires a former cop (Mark Wahlberg) to spy on his wife. The private eye uncovers a scandal much larger than an extramarital affair. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
CHASING ICE
Acclaimed National Geographic photographer James Balog was once a skeptic about climate change. But through his Extreme Ice Survey (EIS), he discovers undeniable evidence of our changing planet. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres
DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE MUST TRAVEL
An intimate portrait and vibrant celebration of one of the most influential women of the 20th century, who has influenced fashion, beauty, publishing and culture. Vreeland edited several magazines, popularized the Met’s Costume Institute and advised Jackie Onassis. Rated PG-13. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
DJANGO UNCHAINED
Quentin Tarantino does to slave owners what he did to Nazis in Inglourious Basterds, taking therapeutic cinematic revenge upon them with Django, a freed slave turned bounty hunter. He and his partner, Dr. King Schultz, attempt to rescue Django’s wife from Calvin Candie and his head slave. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
DREAMSCAPE
Have you ever had a dream that you couldn’t wait to tell everyone? Then you tell a lame-ass dream story that nobody wanted to hear anyway. Now imagine someone made a movie about the same thing. Mile High Sci-Fi will be ripping the 1984 sleeper hit Dreamscape, starring the least sexiest Quaid, “Dennis,” and the least sexiest Capshaw, “Kate.” At SIE FilmCenter. — Denver Film Society
GANGSTER SQUAD
In the violent underground of 1940s Los Angeles, Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) calls the shots with the police firmly in his pocket. But some cops can’t be controlled, and John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling) form a group of tough, civic-minded police determined to protect their city from crime. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS
The Brothers Grimm fairy tale is the latest victim of the ever-expanding quest to produce a gritty reboot of every franchise or concept in history. Rising action stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton are the titular siblings, on a mission to exterminate witches from the planet. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
A HAUNTED HOUSE
In the vein of the Scary Movie series he helped create, Marlon Wayans stars in this parody of found-footage haunted house films like Paranormal Activity and The Devil Inside. Rated R. At Twin Peaks.
HELLO I MUST BE GOING
A recent divorcée, demoralized and uncertain of her future, moves in with her parents and begins an affair with a 19-year-old actor that jumpstarts her passion for life. Blythe Danner co-stars in this modern, honest, humorous and unconventional love story. Rated R. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY 3D
Peter Jackson goes back for an Unexpected Journey that produces expected results, as this adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s original tale of hobbits and wizards is every bit as good as the Lord of the Rings series (and is, in some ways, even better). Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE
How To Survive A Plague is the story of the efforts that turned AIDS into a mostly manageable condition — and the improbable group of men and women who, with no scientific training, infiltrated government agencies and the drug industry and helped identify promising new compounds. At SIE FilmCenter. — Denver Film Society
HYDE PARK ON HUDSON
In June 1939 the King and Queen of England stay overnight at President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s country estate Hyde Park in upstate New York. This was the first-ever visit of a reigning English monarch to America. At Century and Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres
THE IMPOSSIBLE
See full review. At Century, Colony Square and Mayan.
IN ANOTHER COUNTRY
Legendary actress Isabelle Huppert stars in the first English film from South Korean master Hong Sang-soo. Three French women visit a Korean resort town and encounter a flirtatious director, a lovestruck lifeguard and far too much soju in an effortless, laugh-out-loud comedy that plays like a lost French New Wave classic. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
THE LAST STAND
The most wanted drug kingpin in the U.S. has escaped jail and is headed straight for the border with Mexico. But first he’s got to get through Summerton Junction, where the sheriff is waiting for him. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
LES MISERABLES
Hugh Jackman gives his all as Jean Valjean, the unluckiest bread thief in history. Russell Crowe’s relentless Javert and Anne Hathaway’s Fantine are also great. Unfortunately, director Tom Hooper filmed this adaptation of the beloved stage classic in extreme close-up, making for a hideous, excruciating endeavor. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
LIFE OF PI 3D
A storm ravages a boat carrying a zookeeper’s family and menagerie, and the only survivors are the family’s son, Pi, and a Bengal tiger, Richard Parker. Shot in 3-D, the film is a visual feast and is almost certain to receive a Best Picture nomination. Rated PG. At Century and Colony Square. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
LINCOLN
This is all about the creation of the penny. OK, kidding. This is Daniel Day-Lewis proving he’s the best there is (maybe ever) at embodying the emancipatory president as he works to get the 13th Amendment through a divided Congress in the midst of war. Rated PG-13. At Century and Colony Square. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
MAMA
Five years after they disappeared, sisters Victoria and Lilly are found in a half-collapsed cabin in the woods. But when they come back to civilization to live with their uncle and his girlfriend, the girls don’t come alone. Based on a short film by the director, Andres Muschietti. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE
At a lonely ranch in the desert, The Master rules over a coven of enslaved women with the help of his trusty helper, Torgo. For The Best of RiffTrax Live. At Century.
THE MASTER
The Master unfolds the journey of a Navy veteran who arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future — until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader. At SIE FilmCenter. — Denver Film Society
MOVIE 43
The biggest ensemble cast in the history of ensemble casts carries this comedy about three kids searching for a banned video. The film’s 12 segments were directed by 12 different people, including Elizabeth Banks and Bob Odenkirk. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
NOT FADE AWAY
Inspired by the Rolling Stones, three friends form a rock band in what is both a coming of age story and a tribute to the ’60s. At Colony Square.
OPERA: LA BOHEME — ROYAL OPERA HOUSE
Rolando Villazon leads a top-tier cast in John Copley’s definitive production of traditional opera at its best. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
PARENTAL GUIDANCE
A grandfather and his wife face new challenges when they babysit their three grandchildren while the parents are away, and they find they must adjust their methods when faced with the problems of a younger generation. Rated PG. At Century and Twin Peaks.
PARKER
Jason Statham stars as a criminal with a troubling past but a strict code of ethics who finds a perfectly valid reason to fire a gun a bunch of times. Rated R. At Century.
PLEASANTVILLE
A brother and sister from the 1990s are sucked into their television set and suddenly find themselves trapped in a 1950s-style television show. Here they have loving parents, old fashioned values and an overwhelming amount of innocence and naivete. Part of the For Breaking the Fourth Wall series. At SIE FilmCenter. — Denver Film Society
QUARTET
The rumor circling the halls at Beecham House is that the home is soon to play host to a new resident. Word is, it’s a star. For Reginald Paget, Wilfred Bond and Cecily Robson, this sort of talk is par for the course. But they’re in for a special shock when the new arrival turns out to be none other than their former singing partner. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres
THE REVISIONARIES
The highly politicized Texas State Board of Education periodically rewrites teaching and textbook standards for its nearly 5 million schoolchildren, influencing the whole nation’s textbooks. Don McLeroy, an avowed young-earth creationist, leads the Religious Right charge, challenged by a group of academics. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
The longest-running midnight movie of all time stars Tim Curry as the kinky yet endearing “transsexual from Transylvania” Dr. Frank N. Furter. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres
RUST AND BONE
Academy Award-winning actress Marion Cotillard gives a tour-de-force performance in Rust and Bone that rivals anything she has done before. She plays Stéphanie, a whale trainer at a marineland on the French Riviera who suffers a devastating injury. Rated R. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN
How is it possible that a musician could bomb with two albums in the U.S., disappear into obscurity for years and then be resurrected as a successful, inspirational hero in a totally different country? Searching for Sugar Man tells the uplifting, almost unbelievable true mystery of Rodriguez. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres
THE SESSIONS
Based on the autobiographical writings of journalist and poet Mark O’Brien, The Sessions tells the story of a man confined to an iron lung who is determined — at age 38 — to lose his virginity. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
When Pat is released from court-mandated institutionalization after beating his wife’s lover, he meets Tiffany, a young widow struggling with grief. Although the film has the trappings of drama, everything is sanitized and clichéd enough to make this a feel-good romance between attractive people. Rated R. At Century and Colony Square. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
SUNSET BOULEVARD
Billy Wilder’s biting, cynical black comedy about Hollywood in decay stars screen legend Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, a proud, unstable silent luminary who takes in a penniless screenwriter (William Holden). At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres
THIS IS 40
Judd Apatow’s latest writing and directing effort depicts the marriage of two of the characters from Knocked Up. Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann play a couple struggling through marriage in this emotional comedy. Rated R. At Century.
THE WAITING ROOM
America’s health care system is broken and nowhere is it more evident than in The Waiting Room. A composite 24-hour period at Highland Hospital in Oakland offers a raw, intimate and even uplifting look at how patients, staff and caregivers cope with disease, bureaucracy and hard choices. At SIE FilmCenter. — Denver Film Society
ZERO DARK THIRTY
Have you heard about the time we shot Osama bin Laden? Have you ever wondered the painstaking decade of research that went into that moment? Well, you’re in for a treat, as director Kathryn Bigelow walks you through the events prior to the raid by focusing on Maya (Jessica Chastain), the investigator who broke the case open. Rated R. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
