reel to reel | Week of Dec. 1, 2011

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Arthur Christmas

Arthur Christmas is not a perfect gift, but it does feature enough holiday cheer and silly fun to make it more entertaining than 10 lords a-leaping. It helps that the film has a warm message about how tradition should never be sacrificed for efficiency’s sake. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Rick Bentley/MCT

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey

The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet — the heart and soul of Elmo — Kevin Clash. At Denver FilmCenter/ Colfax. — Boedecker Theater

Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Raised and trained in the rigorous Tibetan monastic tradition, Trungpa came to the West and shattered preconceived notions about how an enlightened teacher should behave. He openly smoked, drank and had intimate relations with students — yet his teachings are recognized as authentic, vast and influential. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater

The Descendants

From Alexander Payne, creator of the Oscar-winning Sideways, comes a humorous and tragic journey for Matt King (George Clooney), a distracted husband and back-up parent to two girls who is forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a lifethreatening boating accident. At Century and Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

Drive

Breakout Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, the Pusher trilogy) throttles into the fast lane with the precision-crafted action caper Drive, winner of the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Fados

A musical mode born out of early 19th century Lisbon, and characterized by long, ornate, emotionally heavy ballads lamenting lost loves and shattered dreams, the “Fado” began to experience a stunning and unpredicted resurgence in the early 21st century. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater

Grassroots

The story of a grassroots campaign for Seattle’s city council that centered on a public transportation campaign led by a man frequently spotted in a polar bear costume. At International Film Series.

Happy Feet Two

In this sequel to the 2006 animated film, a dancing penguin must help his young son find his rhythm while also setting things right in Antarctica. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

Hugo

See full review Page 37. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Rene Rodriguez/MCT

Immortals

When a power-hungry king rampages across ancient Greece in search of a legendary weapon, a brave young stonemason assembles a band to stop him. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

Inni

Inni is Sigur Rós’s second live film following 2007’s hugely celebrated Heima. Whereas that film positioned the enigmatic group in the context of their Icelandic homeland, providing geographical, social, and historical perspectives on their otherworldly music, with uplifting results, Inni focuses purely on the band’s performance, which is artfully and intimately captured by French- Canadian director Vincent Morisset. At

Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

J. Edgar

Director Clint Eastwood’s film, featuring a valiant performance from Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar), is a subtle and muted portrayal of a mysterious figures. Molded by his smothering mother (Judi Dench), Hoover ran the FBI from 1935 until his death in 1972. Between Eastwood’s objective stance and DiCaprio’s bold acting, you’re in capable hands here. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Michael Phillips/TMS

Jack and Jill

A successful advertising executive with a beautiful wife and kids dreads the annual Thanksgiving visit of his passive-aggressive twin sister. Rated PG. At Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

Janie Jones

Rocker Ethan Brand (Alessandro Nivola) and his band are on the comeback trail when a former flame (Academy Award nominee Elisabeth Shue) drops a bomb in his lap: their 13-year-old daughter, Janie Jones (Academy Award nominee Abigail

Breslin). At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Le Havre

A young African refugee is thrown by fate into the path of a well-read bohemian working as a shoe-shiner, who, with innate optimism and the unwavering solidarity of his community, stands up to the officials pursuing the boy for deportation. At Boedecker Theater and Chez Artiste. — Boedecker Theater

Like Crazy

A love story is both a physical and emotional tale, one that can be deeply personal and heartbreaking for an audience to experience. Director Drake Doremus’ film Like Crazy beautifully illustrates how your first real love is as thrilling and blissful as it is devastating. At Century and Mayan. — Landmark Theatres

Live Opera: Don Giovanni

Mozart’s ultimate bad boy meets his match in Anna Netrebko. Starring Peter Mattei as the philandering Don, with Bryn Terfel as his sidekick Leporello. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater

Martha Marcy May Marlene

A young woman rapidly unravels amidst her attempt to reclaim a normal life after fleeing from a cult and its charismatic leader. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

Melancholia

In this beautiful movie about the end of the world, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) celebrate their marriage at the home of her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), and brother-in-law John (Kiefer Sutherland). Despite Claire’s best efforts, the wedding is a fiasco, with family tensions mounting and relationships fraying. Meanwhile, a planet called Melancholia is heading directly towards Earth. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres

The Metropolitan Opera: Rodelinda

Live broadcast of Handel’s Rodelinda from The Met on Dec. 3 only. At Century.

Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris, a new romantic comedy from writer/director Woody Allen, tells the story of a family that travels to the picturesque French capital on business. Rated PG-13. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres

The Mill and the Cross

Rutger Hauer and Michael York star in this story of Pieter Bruegel’s epic painting “The Way To Calvary.” From among the more than 500 figures in Bruegel’s canvas, The Mill and the Cross focuses on a dozen characters whose life stories unfold and intertwine in a panoramic landscape populated by villagers and red-caped horsemen. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater

Moneyball

Director Bennett Miller’s Moneyball is based on the true story of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane, played remarkably by Brad Pitt. Somewhat of a renegade, Beane bucked the norm and employed a new statistical way of analyzing players. Rated PG-13. At Colony Square. — Michael Phillips/TMS

The Muppets

See full review Page 37. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Moira Macdonald/MCT

My Week With Marilyn

Marilyn Monroe, at the height of her pinup popularity, is making a movie with Laurence Olivier. Behind the scenes she is a complete mess — doped up, paranoid and insecure. Monroe finds solace in one of Olivier’s young assistants, Colin Clark (the film is based on his memoir). Rated R. At Century. — Tom Horgen/MCT

NYICFF Kid Flix Mix

A kaleidoscopic showcase of the best short film and animation from around the world, for ages 3 to 6. Program includes films from around the world. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater

NYICFF Party Mix

A selection of the most entertaining, thought-provoking and visually stunning short films for ages 7 to 14. Program includes films from around the world. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater

Puss in Boots

This is no mere Shrek sequel. There is sex appeal in every syllable, swagger in every line. And even kids get the joke of a voice that sensual and grand coming out of a kitty so small. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Roger Moore/TMS

The Revenge of the Electric Car

In 2006, thousands of new electric cars were purposely destroyed by the same car companies that built them. Today, less than five years later, the electric car is back — with a vengeance. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

The Skin I Live In

Ever since his wife was burned in a car crash, Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio

Banderas), an eminent plastic surgeon, has been obsessed with creating a new skin with which he could have saved her. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

The Swell Season

In 2008, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova earned two Academy Awards for their musical collaboration in the film Once. As fiction blurred with reality, they fell in love, recorded an album, and went on a world tour. The Swell Season is much more than a music documentary. It is a volatile and intimate portrait of a romance that fractures in the face of life on the road and personal tragedy. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Tabloid

Stranger than fiction, in 1977 Joyce McKinney, former beauty queen with a genius IQ, made the front pages of the British tabloid newspapers in a surreal tale of gun-point abduction, manacled Mormons, oddball accomplices, bondage modeling, magic underwear and dreams of celestial unions. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater

Tower Heist

After the staff workers at an upscale Central Park condo discover the billionaire in the penthouse has stolen their retirement money, they conspire to take back what’s theirs. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn

In the first half of the conclusion to the Twilight series, human Bella and vampire Edward wed and conceive a child, with dangerous unforeseen consequences. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

West Side Story

Winner of 10 Oscars, this Bernstein and Sondheim rewrite of the bard’s starcrossed lovers is now 50 years old. You won’t notice that Natalie Wood isn’t actually singing the songs. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater

World AIDS Day: We Were Here

We Were Here documents the “Gay Plague” in the early 1980s. It illuminates the profound personal and community issues raised by the AIDS epidemic as well as the broad political and social upheavals it unleashed. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society