reel to reel | Week of July 14, 2011

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Hannah and Simon have been a couple for 20 years. They live in Berlin, side by side in combative harmony. They are attractive, modern, mature, childless, cultivated, down-to-earth. Affairs, wanting children, moving in together, miscarriage, fleeing and returning; this anchorwoman and art technician have put a lot behind them, but they don’t have so much ahead of them anymore. That is until both, without knowing about the others’ actions, fall in love with the same man, Adam. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax.— Denver Film Society

7 Minutes in Heaven

Galia, a young woman from Jerusalem, and her boyfriend Oren board a local bus. The bus explodes, leaving Oren in a coma and Galia with severe burns and memory loss; she lacks memory of the day of the terrorist attack and the days leading up to it. The film begins one year later, upon Oren’s death. As Galia undergoes physical and mental therapy, she attempts to stitch together the shattered fragments of her life and soul. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

All About Love

A sharp and funny exploration of the complex world of adult relationships, All About Love takes a rare look at the lives of queer women and their specific challenges when it comes to creating a family. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

August

August tells the story of two former lovers, Troy and Jonathan, who reunite after a long ago painful breakup. After spending several years in Spain, Troy returns to Los Angeles and decides to phone Jonathan and meet for coffee. A seemingly innocent rendezvous turns into an attempt to revive passions past. Only this time it’s not that simple, as Jonathan has a new beau, Raul, and is trying to make the right decision a second time around. 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). Rated R. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Rene Rodriguez

Beginners

Beginners imaginatively explores the hilarity, confusion and surprises of love. Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna only months after his father, Hal, has passed away. This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father, who — following 44 years of marriage — came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized and wonderfully tumultuous gay life. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

A Better Life

Carlos is a gardener living in East L.A. who performs landscaping work for wealthy clients across town. As he tries to make ends meet, he struggles to keep his son Luis away from gangs and immigration agents. At Mayan. — Landmark Theatres

A Boy Called Dad

When he becomes a father at the tender age of 14, Robbie’s life quickly spirals out of control. Feeling angry and neglected by his own dad, he kick-starts a series of events that will catapult him at great speed into adulthood. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Buck

Buck Brannaman, a true American cowboy and sage on horseback, travels the country for nine months a year helping horses with people problems. Buck follows Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. At Chez Artiste. — Landmark Theatres

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

Danny Greene: The Rise and Fall of the Irishman

Danny Greene: The Rise And Fall Of The Irishman is a documentary on the life and death of Cleveland’s legendary gangster and his battle with the Italian mob. Clint O’Connor of The Plain Dealer wrote: “Feeding America’s appetite for mob stories with a grisly slice of Cleveland’s criminal past, [this documentary] spotlights the gangster whose life was famously extinguished by a car bomb in a Lyndhurst parking lot.” At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

The First Grader

In a small, remote, primary school in the Kenyan bush, hundreds of children jostle for a chance at a free education newly promised by the Kenyan government. One applicant creates a stir — Maruge, an old Mau Mau veteran in his 80s. After having fought for the liberation of his country, Maruge is desperate to learn how to read at this late stage of his life — even if it means sitting in a classroom alongside 6-year-olds. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater

Florent: Queen of the Meat Market

Preceded by a fabulous Drag Brunch hosted by Annie’s Cafe starting at noon in our Henderson’s Lounge (included in ticket price)! For 23 years, Florent, the legendary all-night eatery in the city’s Meat Packing District, was prime stomping ground for a surprising mix of A-list celebrities, tourists, families and club kids, and it played an important role in LGBT activism and culture. Featuring Julianne Moore, Isaac Mizrahi, Diane Von Furstenberg, Michael Musto, Joey Arias and a parade of other famous (and infamous) faces! At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Green Lantern

This adaptation of the DC Comics series about a human recruited by aliens to wield a ring that gives him superpowers looks, well, a little ridiculous. Then again, Thor didn’t seem all that promising either, and look how that one turned out. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Rene Rodriguez

Gun Hill Road

After three years in prison, Enrique (Esai Morales) returns home to the Bronx to find the world he knew has changed. His wife, Angela (Judy Reyes), struggles to hide an emotional affair, and his teenage son, Michael (Harmony Santana), explores a sexual transformation well beyond Enrique’s grasp and understanding. Unable to accept his child, Enrique clings to his masculine ideals while Angela attempts to hold the family together by protecting Michael. Still under the watchful eye of his parole officer (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.), Enrique must become the father he needs to be or, once again, risk losing his family and freedom. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle

Sometimes, it takes a strange night to put everything else into focus. And that’s exactly what happens to Harold and his roommate, Kumar, when they set out to get the best stoner fix money can buy: White Castle hamburgers. At Denver Film Center/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

The Harry Potter series concludes as the battle between good and evil wizards erupts into an all-out war. With Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter and Robbie Coltrane. At Flatirons, Twin Peaks, Century and Colony Square. — Los Angeles Time/MCT

Heartbeats

Xavier Dolan’s sexy and stylish Heartbeats is a comic exploration of a romantically obsessed menage-a-trois. Part farce, part exploration of the complexity of love and desire, Heartbeats centers on two close friends, Francis (Xavier Dolan) and Marie (Monia Chokri), who find themselves fighting for the affections of the same striking young man. At Denver FilmCenter Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Horrible Bosses

See full review on Page 37. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

The Human Resources Manager

The human resources manager of Jerusalem’s largest bakery is stuck in a job he hates. But when one of his employees, a foreign worker, is killed in a suicide bombing, the bakery is accused of indifference, and he is sent to the victim’s hometown in Romania to make amends. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Lady Vengence

After being wrongfully convicted of kidnapping and murdering a young child, a beautiful young woman (Lee Young-ae) is imprisoned for 13 years and forced to give up her own daughter. While in prison she gains the respect and loyalty of her fellow cellmates, all the while plotting her vendetta on the man responsible (Oldboy’s Choi Min-Shik). Upon her release she sets in motion an elaborate plan of retribution, but what she discovers is a truth so horrifying, even revenge doesn’t seem punishment enough. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Larry Crowne

This Tom Hanks directed (and co-produced and co-written) rom-com is the neediest movie of the year, and one of the phoniest. Julia Roberts plays a washed-up community college instructor. Tom Hanks plays a washed-up, laid-off divorcee who returns to school and winds up in guess who’s class. The problem here is the script, cowritten by Nia Vardalos of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame.PG-13. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Michael Phillips

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 Mayan, Century and Flatiron. — Carrie Rickey

Monte Carlo

Three girls go on vacation to Paris, where one is mistaken for a famous British heiress. Instead of telling the truth, the girls decide to go with the flow and see how the other half lives. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Rene Rodriguez

Mr. Popper’s Penguins

Jim Carrey stars in this adaptation of the 1939 Newbery Award-winning children’s book about a house painter who starts breeding trained penguins and takes his animal act on the road, creating a national sensation. Rated PG. At Flatiron and Colony Square. — Rene Rodriguez

NEDs

Set in 1970s Glasgow confident, studious and optimistic John McGill is just about to start sec ondary school. His friendship with middle-class Julian highlights his impoverished and dysfunctional family background. Scared, resentful, full of rage, he makes a decision and joins a gang of NEDs (Non-Educated Delinquents), taking to the savage life of the streets with a vengeance. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater

Opera: Cosi fan tutte

This witty tale of deception and girlfriend-swapping, paired with Mozart’s radiant score, has made audiences laugh and sigh for centuries. Jonathan Miller’s ever-popular production updates the 18th century to today — for while fashions and technology may have changed since Mozart’s time, love is as complicated as ever! At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater

Photos of Angie

This haunting yet hopeful documentary tells the story of Angie Zapata, a transgender teen who was murdered in rural Greeley in 2008. The film moves between the trial of her killer, Angie’s brief life and self-discovery told through family and friends, and the fruition of national hate crime legislation with Angie’s case very much in the foreground as it was the first time that a transgender murderer was successfully prosecuted under hate crime laws. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Rejoice and Shout

Rejoice and Shout traces the evolution of gospel through its many musical styles — the spirituals and early hymns, the four-part harmony-based quartets, the integration of blues and swing into gospel, the emergence of soul, and the blending of rap and hip-hop elements. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Romeos

Lukas, 20, is right in the midst of male puberty — medically triggered — for he was in fact born a girl. Full of the zest for life, he enters big-city life. Here Lukas experiences his first real flirt — with the cheeky, daredevil and outwardly attractive Fabio. Fabio embodies all that Lukas lacks: disproportionately positive self-confidence and highly erotic masculinity. But Lukas, whose female attributes are still unaltered, is just about to express his desires. At Denver FilmCenter/ Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Spork

Junior high isn’t easy for anyone — especially if you’re a frizzy-haired, pink-cheeked hermaphrodite like Spork. Neither a spoon, nor a fork, but rocking elements of both utensils, Spork could use a little smidgen of magic to make her life sparkle. When her new-best-friend neighbor Tootsie Roll breaks her leg and can’t compete for the cash prize in the junior talent show, Spork gets schooled in the freshest of early ’90s booty-poppin’ moves by Tootsie and her pals. A litany of fellow outcasts step it up along the way to give Spork the edge she needs, including a girl named Chunk and Justin Timberlake-obsessed Charlie. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Super 8

Joe, the young teenage son of a local cop, is making a zombie movie with his friends in their hilly Ohio steel town. One night while filming a scene on the train platform, an Air Force train derails before their very eyes, some strange boxcar cargo making its presence known. Then the strangeness starts. Rated PG-13. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Michael Phillips

Third Star

James has terminal cancer and wants to make the most of this life. He invites his three closest friends to join him on a camping trip to West Wales. With no other skills for the outdoor life,

except making tea, the journey will test their strength, their friendship and their belief in what makes life worth living. At Boedecker Theater. ­— Boedecker Theater

Throw Down Your Heart

A film crew follows the well-known banjo player Bela Fleck on his travels to Africa tracing the origins of the instrument. At Boedecker Theater. — Boedecker Theater

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

In this third installment, we learn that the NASA space program was a cover-up that allowed the crew of Apollo 11 to explore the alien ruins on the dark side of the moon. Michael Bay continues to offer up soulless and frenetic trash. PG-13 At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Michael Phillips

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 eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres

The Trip

When Steve Coogan is asked by The Observer to tour the country’s finest restaurants, he envisions it as the perfect getaway with his girlfriend. But when she backs out on him, he has no one to accompany him but his best friend and source of eternal aggravation, Rob Brydon. As the brilliant comic duo, freestyling with flair, drive each other mad, the ultimate odd couple realize a rich amount about not only good food, but the nature of fame, relationships and their own lives. At The Mayan. — Landmark Theatres

Trollhunter

The government says there’s nothing to worry about — it’s just a problem with bears making trouble in the mountains and forests of Norway. But local hunters don’t believe it, and neither do a trio of college students who want to find out the truth. Thursday only at Mayan. — Landmark Theatres

We Were Here

We Were Here is the first documentary to take a deep and reflective look back at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco. It explores how the city’s inhabitants were affected by, and how they responded to, that calamitous epidemic. Though a San Francisco-based story, We Were Here extends beyond San Francisco and beyond AIDS itself. It speaks to our capacity as individuals to rise to the occasion, and to the incredible power of a community coming together with love, compassion and determination. At Denver FilmCenter/Colfax. — Denver Film Society

Winnie the Pooh

The whimsical red-shirted bear and his pals in the Hundred Acre Wood embark on various adventures. With the voices of Jim Cummings, Craig Ferguson, Tom Kenny and John Cleese. Rated G. At Flatirons, Twin Peaks, Century and Colony Square. — Los Angeles Times/MCT

Zookeeper

See full review Page 37. Rated PG. At Flatiron, Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — Los Angeles Times/MCT