reel to reel | Week of Sept. 1, 2011

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4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days

Drama about a woman who helps her friend arrange an illegal abortion in 1980s Romania. Aside from the frank and shocking subject matter, the film is striking in its long takes, controlled camera and astonishing ear for natural dialogue. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

30 Minutes Or Less

A pizza-delivery guy (Jesse Eisenberg) is kidnapped by dim-witted criminals (Danny McBride and Aziz Ansari) and forced to help them rob a bank. Rated R. At Flatiron, Century, and Twin Peaks. — Rene Rodriguez

Apollo 18

On a top-secret moon mission in 1973, two astronauts uncover a deadly secret that explains why NASA never went back. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

Art of the Steal

Don Argott’s gripping documentary chronicles the long, dramatic struggle for control of the Barnes Foundation, a private collection of art valued at more than $25 billion. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Attack the Block

From the producers of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Attack the Block follows a gang of tough inner-city kids who try to defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures, turning a South London apartment complex into an extraterrestrial warzone. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Bad Teacher

Cameron Diaz gets in touch with her bad self as the world’s worst teacher, an alcoholic, drugusing party animal who tries to seduce a wealthy new substitute (Justin Timberlake). At Flatiron and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

Bellflower

Best friends Woodrow (Evan Glodell) and Aiden (Tyler Dawson) spend all of their free time building Mad Max-inspired flamethrowers and muscle cars in preparation for a global apocalypse, anticipating the day their imaginary gang, Mother Medusa, will reign supreme. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatre

Buck

Buck Brannaman is a true American cowboy and sage on horseback who travels the country for nine grueling months a year helping horses with people problems. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatre

Captain America: The First Avenger

Steve Rogers is a scrawny guy who is transformed into a World War II super-soldier in Captain America: The First Avenger, the latest comic book adaptation to invade theaters. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron and Century. — Detroit Free Press/MCT

Cars 2

Anthropomorphic automobiles head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix in this sequel to the 2006 animated film Cars. Rated G. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Cafe of Forgotten Dreams, a breathtaking new documentary from the incomparable Werner Herzog, follows an exclusive expedition into the nearly inaccessible Chauvet Cave in France, home to the most ancient visual art known to have been created by man. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Colombiana

A woman who witnessed the murder of her parents as a child has grown up to be an assassin and hunts the mobster responsible for their deaths. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

Conan the Barbarian

Take away much of the myth, most of the sorcery and all of the humor of the 1982 John Milius- Arnold Schwarzenegger version of the swordand-sorcery epic Conan the Barbarian, and you’ve got an idea of what the new Conan is like. Rated R. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Roger Moore/MCT

Cowboys & Aliens

Jon Favreau directs this Western about an amnesiac (Daniel Craig) in 1873 who stumbles into an Arizona town ruled by a ruthless rancher (Harrison Ford) who doesn’t take kindly to strangers. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Rene Rodriguez

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Think Eat Pray Love for guys. This comedy centers on a happily married Cal (Steve Carell), whose world unravels when he finds out his high-schoolsweetheart wife (Julianne Moore) is cheating on him and wants a divorce. Suddenly Cal must learn to navigate the treacherous waters of the dating pool. Rated PG-13. At Century and Colony Square. — Rene Rodriguez

The Debt

Two retired Mossad agents receive shocking news about a mission they were presumed to have accomplished decades before, and they might need to finish the job. Rated R. At Century and Colony Square. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

The Devil’s Double

Summoned from the front line to Saddam Hussein’s palace, Iraqi army lieutenant Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper) is thrust into the highest echelons of the “royal family” when he’s ordered to become the fiday — or body double — to Saddam’s son, Uday Hussein (also Dominic Cooper). At Esquire and Mayan. — Landmark Theatre

Don’t be Afraid of the Dark

See full review on Page 53. Rated R. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

El Bulli: Cooking in Progress

Gereon Wetzel’s stunning documentary captures the creative process of Ferran Adrià — oft-named the best chef in the world — as the avant-garde master and his team retire to their Barcelona kitchen-laboratory to create the menu for El Bulli’s final season in business. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Flypaper

Tripp Kennedy (Patrick Dempsey) ambles into a bank near closing time, just as two different gangs unwittingly converge to rob it. A shootout erupts, and Tripp tackles the smart, pretty teller, Kaitlin (Ashley Judd), to protect her. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Fright Night

In this remake of the 1985 film, a popular student trying to enjoy his senior year in high school discovers that his new neighbor is a vampire and must find a way to vanquish him. Rated R. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

The Future

When 30-something couple Sophie (writer/director Miranda July) and Jason (Hamish Linklater) decide to adopt a stray cat, their perspective on life changes radically, literally altering the course of time and space and testing their faith in each other and themselves. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

A Good Old Fashioned Orgy

A group of 30-something friends throw an end-ofsummer bacchanal. At Flatiron. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

Griff the Invisible A shy, awkward office worker who moonlights as a superhero has his world shaken up by a quirky young woman. At Chez Artiste — Los Angeles Times/MCT

The Guard

Two policemen must join forces to take on an international drug-smuggling gang — one, an unorthodox Irish policeman and the other, a straitlaced FBI agent. At Mayan and Century. — Landmark Theatres

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

In the new film, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is still hunting Horcruxes, which contain amounts of Voldemort’s (played by Ralph Fiennes) soul. The so-called Elder Wand, stolen from the crypt of Harry’s mentor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), must be put into the right hands. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century and Colony Square. — Michael Phillips

The Help

Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Octavia Spencer star in this adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel as women in 1960s Mississippi who form an unlikely bond that shatters societal mores of the era. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century and Colony Square. — Rene Rodriguez

Horrible Bosses We’ve all had them. We’ve all had to suffer their indignities — or else just quit our jobs. But three friends come up with an alternative to dealing with their monstrous bosses with the help of an ex-con. Rated R. At Flatiron. — Rene Rodriguez

The Interrupters

In Chicago’s CeaseFire organization, reformed gang members protect their community from harm through a unique, dangerous and controversial method — by insinuating themselves personally into conflicts. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Landmark Theatres

The Kingdom of Survival

The Kingdom of Survival explores modern skepticism in America, challenges the status quo and uncovers provocative links between survivalist philosophy, ecumenical spirituality, radical political theory, and outlaw culture. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Littlerock

A sleepy-eyed exurb of Los Angeles is seen through the eyes of two young Japanese tourists, stranded there with a broken rental car. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Midnight in Paris

A lark, a souffle, a delightful shaggy-dog story with Owen Wilson as its shaggy hero. What’s he doing in a Woody Allen movie about a B-list screenwriter who time-travels from the present to the Jazz Age? Disarming the audience with his wistful joie de vivre, that’s what. Rated PG-13. At Century and Mayan. — Carrie Rickey

One Day

MOVIE REVIEWS from Page 55 This movie follows a man and woman’s relationship over 20 years, revisiting them each year on the exact day that they first entered each other’s lives. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/ MCT

Opera: Eugene Onegin

Eugene Onegin is a selfish hero who lives to regret his blasé rejection of a young woman’s (Tatyana’s) love and his careless incitement of a fatal duel with Lensky, his best friend. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater

Our Idiot Brother

See full review on Page 53. Rated R. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Roger Moore/MCT

Rashomon

Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, director/co-writer Akira Kurosawa (The Seven Samurai, Ran) reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the same story: the murder of a man and the rape of his wife. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatre

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Genetic experiments on primates lead to them developing intelligence and eventually battling humans for supremacy. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

The Repo Man

Lacking role models and a purpose, baby-faced delinquent Otto (Emilio Estevez) finds a code of honor and a higher calling when he hooks up with a band of contemporary “knights” — the repo men. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax­. — Denver Film Society

Sarah’s Key

Sarah, a 10-year-old girl, is taken with her parents by the French police as they go door-to-door arresting Jewish families. To protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in a bedroom cupboard — their secret hiding place — and promises to come back for him when they are released. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

Senna

Brazilian Formula One racing legend Ayrton Senna’s story, charting his physical and spiritual achievements on the track and off, his quest for perfection, and the mythical status he has since attained. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

Serenity

When the renegade crew of Serenity agrees to hide a fugitive on their ship, they find themselves in an action-packed battle between the relentless military might of a totalitarian regime that will destroy anything — or anyone — to get the girl back. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

Shark Night

A group of college students expecting a weekend of fun at a Louisiana lake island cabin find themselves terrorized by sharks. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

The Smurfs

A Smurfs movie was probably inevitable. But doesn’t this feel as if it’s arriving a decade late? Rated PG. At Flatiron and Twin Peaks. — Rene Rodriguez

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World

A retired secret agent who has her hands full with a new baby and twin step-kids is called back into action to battle a supervillain and gets help from her family. Rated PG. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

The Tree

The exquisite Charlotte Gainsbourg (I’m Not There) stars in French filmmaker Julie Bertuccelli’s mystical drama of loss and rebirth in the Australian countryside. At Chez Artiste. — Boedecker Theater

The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the family’s eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

The Whistleblower

Kathy (Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz) is an American police officer who takes a job working as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia. Her expectations of helping to rebuild a devastated country are dashed when she uncovers a dangerous reality of corruption, cover-up and intrigue. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres