After Earth

 

Danger is real, but fear is a choice. Father-and-son duo Will and Jaden Smith are at it again in After Earth, M. Night Shyamalan’s futuristic thriller about man’s return to the Earth after years of abandonment.

It has been a thousand years since mankind was forced off of the Earth by cataclysmic events, and the Earth’s ecosystem has evolved to become one of the most dangerous in the galaxy. So when teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his father Cypher (Will Smith) crash land on Earth, it doesn’t take them long to realize the enormity of what they’re up against. With his father in critical condition, Kitai must lead the journey to the nearest signal post in order to call for help. Facing an uncharted world whose plant and animal life has evolved to fight off the threat of humans, Kitai has to grow up quickly—or die. Father and son must learn to trust each other if they hope to get off the planet alive.

 

 

Written by Gary Whitta and M. Night Shyamalan and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, After Earth will be released on May 31, 2013. This Columbia Pictures (Sony) sci-fi film is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and some disturbing images.

 

Tiger Eyes

The death of a parent can take a dramatic toll on a child. In Tiger Eyes, 17-year-old Davey’s (Willa Holland) life is turned upside down when she loses her father and is forced to move from New Jersey to New Mexico with her mother and siblings.

Torn away from her home and her father, Davey no longer knows who she is or what to do. Her perspectives rapidly shift, and what used to seem important quickly becomes trivial. With her new home life deteriorating, Davey takes to exploring the surrounding wilderness. There she meets Wolf (Tatanka Means), a mysterious young Native American man, who sees past her pain and into the true woman lying beneath. With Wolf’s help, Davey pulls back from the brink of despair to find life and love waiting on the other side.

Notably, Tiger Eyes is the first major motion picture adaptation of a Judy Blume novel; the author, who has sold over 82 million books in 41 countries, is known for her more down-to-earth style of young adult novels than the standard fantasy fare. Written by Lawrence and Judy Blume and directed by Lawrence Blume, Tiger Eyes will see a limited theatrical release on June 7, 2013. This Freestyle Releasing drama also stars Amy Jo Johnson, Cynthia Stevenson, Elise Eberle, and Russell Means. Rated PG-13 for thematic material including a violent incident and some teen drinking.

Haute Cuisine

In a profession dominated by men, can a talented woman come out on top? Haute Cuisine stars Catherine Frot as Hortense Laborie, a renowned chef from Perigord who has been given the culinary opportunity of a lifetime. Based on a true story, this French-language film explores one woman’s indomitable spirit in the face of steep opposition.

No one is more shocked than Hortense when the President of France himself appoints her to be his personal cook. She quickly makes a name for herself among the snobbish and male-only kitchen staff as both an arrogant taskmaster and a rabble-rouser. It takes all her efforts to keep the “old guard” staff in line. They are indignant at being led by a woman, and the fact that she is a rural chef only adds fuel to the fire. But despite the frequent confrontations in the kitchen, Hortense’ dishes please President Mitterand (Jean d’Ormesson, making his film debut at age 87). As the chefs battle for influence over the President’s tastes, Hortense begins to see the promises that power holds—and the dangers that lie therein.

Written by Christian Vincent and Etienne Comar and directed by Christian Vincent, Haute Cuisine will be released into limited theaters on August 16, 2013. This Weinstein Company comedy/drama also stars Arthur Dupont, Hippolyte Girardot, Jean-Marc Roulot, and Philippe Uchan.

 

Nymphomaniac

Nymphomaniac tell the story of one woman’s wild adventures from birth to age 50. When Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard) finds Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) beaten and abandoned in an alleyway, he brings her home and tends to her wounds. While he takes care of her, Joe begins to recount her life story, in great detail and with many branching associations. A self-described nymphomaniac, Joe has had a wild life indeed, filled with adventure, pleasure, and pain.

Following Antichrist and Melancholia, Nymphomaniac forms the final part of Lars von Trier’s “trilogy of depression.” “The movie is what you think it is,” explains actor Shia LeBeouf. “There’s a disclaimer at the top of the script that basically says we’re doing it for real.” Featuring unsimulated sex acts and other stunts, Nymphomaniac pushes the envelope of what’s accepted in modern cinema.

Written and directed by Lars von Trier, Nymphomaniac will be released later in 2013 (exact date to be announced. This Magnolia Pictures drama also stars Stacy Martin, Jamie Bell, Christian Slater, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe, Connie Nielsen, Mia Goth, Udo Kier, Jean-Marc Barr, Caroline Goodall, Kate Ashfield, Saskia Reeves, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Hugo Speer, Felicity Gilbert, Michaël Pas, Jesper Christensen, Jens Albinus, Nicolas Bro, Cyron Melville, Shanti Roney, Omar Shargawi, Tania Carlin, Severin von Hoensbroech, and Peter Gilbert Cotton.

What Maisie Knew

Divorce can be an ugly thing, especially for a child caught in the middle. In What Maisie Knew, one young girl navigates her parents’ bitter custody battle with innocence and charm. This contemporary version of Henry James’ classic novel highlights the toll that divorce and neglect can take on a child—and the life-affirming grace that a child can bring to a parent.

Six-year-old Maisie (Onata Aprile) is caught between a rock and a hard place. Neither her father, aging rock star Beale (Steve Coogan), nor her mother, contemporary art dealer Susanna (Julianne Moore), have ever cared about her well-being. Their custody battle is just one more fight for superiority in a divorce that has become a clash of wills. As Beale and Susanna raise the stakes for their daughter, Maisie must find a way to coexist or risk losing a parent. Lauded as giving “the most remarkable performance ever seen by a child this age,” Maisie shows that there’s light in even the darkest of situations.

Written for the screen by Nancy Doyle and Carroll Cartwright, and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, What Maisie Knew will see a limited theatrical release in New York  and Los Angeles on May 3, 2013 and May 17, 2013 respectively. This Millennium Films drama also stars Alexander Skarsgard and Joanna Vanderham. Rated R for some language.

 

A Green Story

Dying is a funny thing. Most people hurry through life in a headlong rush against death, but only on death’s doorstep are we forced to reflect upon what we’ve been doing. In A Green Story, aging business mogul Van Vlahakis (Ed O’Ross) contemplates his rise to riches and future legacy when he is diagnosed with cancer.

Fifty years ago, Van (born Eftichios) left his native Greece for America, with only 22 dollars and a dream to his name. Hoping to carve a better life for his family in the land of free enterprise, Van founded Earth Friendly Products, a company that manufactures environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Over time, Van’s company grew to become a top U.S. giant. As Van reflects on his early life (played by George Finn), he realizes how much he helped himself and, through his company, thousands of others to achieve their dreams.

A Green Story is an uplifting tale of self-improvement and the success of the American dream. Reflecting on all the good he’s done, Van decides to push himself one last time to close a massive deal that will cement his company’s global success.

Written and directed by Nika Agiashvili, A Green Story will be released into theaters on May 24, 2013. This Indican Pictures drama also stars Shannon Elizabeth, Annabella Sciorra, Malcolm McDowell, Roger Bart, Alexis Georgoulis, and Billy Zane.

Before Midnight

Before Midnight is the third installment in Richard Linklater’s acclaimed “Before” series. In Before Sunrise, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Selene (Julie Delpy) meet on a train in Europe and spend one romantic evening together in Vienna. Nine years later in Before Sunset, the two run into one another on the French leg of Jesse’s book tour. Now, in Before Midnight, almost two decades after their first fateful meeting in Vienna, Selene and Jesse find each other in Greece and spend another enchanted day together.

By now, Selene and Jesse are in their early 40s. So many things have changed since they first met, and yet so many things have stayed the same. Richard Linklater’s idiosyncratic series explores adulthood in a way that no other movie has attempted, examining three snapshots in time filmed contemporaneously nine years apart. Selene and Jesse may be separated by years and continents, but a single meeting can hold a world of depth.

Written by Academy Award nominees Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, and Ethan Hawke, and directed by Richard Linklater, Before Midnight will see a limited theatrical release in LA and NY on May 24, 2013. This Sony Pictures Classics drama also stars Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, Ariane Labed, Athina Rachel Tsangari, Xenia Kalogeropoulou, Walter Lassally, Yannis Papadopoulos. Rated R for sexual content/nudity and language.