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Kam Williams Special to The Skanner News
Published: 15 September 2011
 The Weird World of Blowfly, a musical bio-pic retrospective about R&B legend Clarence Reid
 

BIG BUDGET FILMS

I Don't Know How She Does It (Unrated) Sarah Jessica Parker stars in this tale of female empowerment based on Allison Pearson's best-seller of the same name about a finance executive's struggle to juggle caring for kids with being the family's sole breadwinner after her architect husband (Greg Kinnear) loses his job due to downsizing. Cast includes Pierce Brosnan, Kelsey Grammer, Jane Curtin and Seth Meyers.  

Straw Dogs (R for rape, sexuality, graphic violence and pervasive profanity) Grisly remake of Sam Pekinpah's 1971 thriller about a married screenwriter (James Marsden) and actress (Kate Bosworth) who encounter escalating hostility from resentful local yokels after relocating from Hollywood to her backwoods hometown in the South. With James Woods, Alexander Skarsgard, Laz Alonso, Rhys Coiro and Dominic Purcell.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

3 (Unrated) Midlife crisis drama, set in Berlin, about a philandering husband (Sebastian Schipper) and wife (Sophie Rois) who renew their vows in a ceremony after 20 years of marriage, unaware that they are both carrying on a steamy love affair with the very same man (Devid Striesow). Directed by Tom Twyker (Run Lola Run), and with Angela Winkler, Alexander Horbe and Annedore Kleist. (In German and English with subtitles)

Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace (Unrated) Middle East documentary about the secret behind-the-scenes negotiations which made the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel possible. With appearances by President Jimmy Carter, Henry Kissinger, Wolf Blitzer and Zbigniew Brzezinski.

Berlin 36 (Unrated) Master Third Reich drama recounting the real-life ordeal of Gretel Bergmann (Karoline Herfurth), the German, high-jump record holder who Hitler prevented from participating in the 1936 Olympics because of her Jewish heritage while replacing her with an Aryan cross-dresser (Sebastian Urzendowsky). Cast includes Axel Prahl, August Zimer and Maria Happel. (In German with subtitles)

Drive (R for profanity, nudity and graphic violence) Crime thriller about a stuntman moonlighting as a getaway car driver (Ryan Gosling) who discovers that a contract has been taken out on him following a bank heist gone wrong. With Ron Perlman, Albert Brooks and Carey Mulligan.

Granito (Unrated) Guatemalan documentary chronicling how archival film footage of interviews conducted with the country's dictator back in 1982 later came to serve as critical evidence in the strongman's prosecution for his crimes against humanity. (In Spanish with subtitles)

Happy, Happy (R for sexuality and graphic nudity) Musical bed comedy about a couple (Henrik Rafaelsen and Maibritt Saerens) with infidelity issues whose relationship comes apart at the seams when they move next-door to another miserably-married couple comprised of a repressed nymphomaniac (Agnes Kittelsen) and a latent homosexual (Joachim Rafaelsen). With Ram Shihab Ebedy, Oskar Hernaes Brandso and Heine Totland. (In Norwegian with subtitles)

Jane's Journey (Unrated) Eco-documentary about primatologist Jane Goodall who abandoned her celebrated career as a chimp-whisperer a quarter-century ago in order to devote all of her energy to preserving the planet for future generations.  

Prince of Swine (Unrated) Courtroom comedy about a feminist attorney (Nell Ruttledge) who compromises her own values in order to bring down a sleazy movie producer (John Klemantaski) accused of groping aspiring starlets. With Angel Marin, Amber Holley and Carly Cylinder.

Restless (PG-13 for sensuality and mature themes) Melancholy drama about the bittersweet romance which blossoms between a terminally-ill teenager (Mia Wasikowska) with a zest for life and a maudlin orphan (Henry Hopper) who likes to attend funerals for fun. With Ryo Kase, Schuyler Fisk and Luisa Strus.   

The Weird World of Blowfly (Unrated) Musical bio-pic retrospective about R&B legend Clarence Reid, who not only wrote hits for everyone from Sam & Dave to KC & the Sunshine Band but also donned a flamboyant costume periodically to perform off-color tunes in nightclubs as his bawdy alter ego, Blowfly.  

The Whale (G) Orca documentary, narrated by Ryan Reynolds, revolving around the exploits of Luna, a young killer whale who befriended residents of Vancouver Island after becoming separated from his family.

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