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.

 

Paranoia

In the business world, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Based on a 2004 novel of the same name, Paranoia follows Adam Cassidy (Liam Hemsworth), a likable entry-level worker at the Wyatt Corporation, as he tries to work his way up the corporate ladder. The conventional method is cut short, however, after Adam makes an expensive and illegal mistake that costs the company millions. Facing potential legal repercussions, Adam fears his career is at an end. However, the Wyatt Corporation’s ruthless CEO, Nicholas Wyatt (Gary Oldman), sees an opportunity in Adam’s misfortune. In exchange for keeping his job, Adam must spy on Wyatt’s chief corporate rival—and former mentor—Jock Goddard (Harrison Ford).

Suddenly Adam finds himself living the life of his dreams. In order to spy on the top executives of Goddard’s corporation, Adam needs to blend in. This means a corner office, an expensive car, the whole nine yards. But despite having all the trappings of power, Adam finds that Wyatt still pulls all the strings. As Adam infiltrates deeper into Goddard’s organization, he realizes that he must escape from Wyatt’s control before it’s too late.

Written by Barry Levy and Jason Dean Hall and directed by Robert Luketic, Paranoia will be released on August 16, 2013. This Relativity Media thriller also stars Lucas Till, Amber Heard, Embeth Davidtz, Julian McMahon, Richard Dreyfuss, and Josh Holloway.

 

The To Do List

When an overachieving, goodie-two-shoes teen wants to catch up on all the sexual adventures her classmates have been having before she leaves for college, what is she to do? Make a to-do list, of course! In The To Do List, valedictorian Brandy Clark (Aubrey Plaza) has spent her entire school career hitting up books rather than boys, but this summer she wants to make up for lost time. So she does what she knows best: she brainstorms and writes out a list of all the “extra-curricular” activities she’s been missing out on.

However, Brandy soon realizes that she’s out of her element and in over her head. She recruits the help of her best friends (Alia Shawkat, Sarah Steele, Donald Glover, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Johnny Simmons), her older sister (Rachel Bilson), and her burnt-out boss (Bill Hader) to give her some advice. To complete the list by September, the group will need plenty of imagination and very open minds. Loosely based upon writer/director Maggie Carey’s own life, The To-Do List is about a group of friends growing closer and making some very special memories.

Written and directed by Maggie Carey, The To Do List will be released into theaters on August 16, 2013. This CBS Films comedy also stars Andy Samberg, Scott Porter, Connie Britton, and Clark Gregg.

2 Guns

Two undercover operatives. Two competing departments. One big bust. For the past year, DEA agent Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington) and U.S. Naval Intelligence officer Marcus Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) have been tracking the same drug cartel in hopes of bringing down the organization and recovering millions in stolen assets. Both men have come dangerously close to success, but when their efforts suddenly go south, each of them finds himself disavowed by his bureau and scrambling to survive. But there’s a twist—neither knows that the other is an undercover agent!

On the run and forced to partner together, the two distrust each other as much as the criminals they have been hunting. For months they had been investigating each other on suspicion of stealing money from the mob, but now that it appears that the mob has set them up, they must set aside their differences if they want to survive. Onetime enemies Bobby and Stig realize that the only person they can count on is the other. As the clock winds down, the two men of the law must turn to some less-than-lawful skills acquired on the job if they hope to stay out of jail—and the grave.

Written by Blake Masters and directed by Baltasar Kormakur, 2 Guns is set for release on August 16, 2013. This Universal Pictures action crime thriller also stars Paula Patton, Bill Paxton, Edward James Olmos, and James Marsden.