MOVies
F R I D AY jan u ary 1 0 — T H U R S D AY jan u ary 1 6 Movie summaries by M at t hew St af fo r d l
The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box
(1:38) A Victorian Era teen loses himself in a darkly majestic hotel rife with magic, mystery and deadly secrets. l American Hustle (2:18) Docudramatic look at the Abscam scandal of the seventies stars Amy Adams and Christian Bale as grifters blackmailed by the FBI into taking down a New Jersey politico. l Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2:00) Ron Burgundy is back as he heads to New York and stardom on the country’s first 24-hour news channel; Will Ferrell stars, of course. l August: Osage County (1:59) Dysfunctional family shenanigans as acid-tongued, newly widowed cancer patient Meryl Streep takes on daughter Julia Roberts and sundry other well-meaning types. l Child’s Pose (1:52) An affluent Bucharest architect stops at nothing to keep her deadbeat son out of jail in C.P. Netzer’s incisive dramedy. l The Don Juans (1:44) Saucy Jiri Menzel comedy about an opera director’s attempts to produce Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” in a Czech village. l Eat Sleep Die (1:40) Insightful portrait of two East European emigrants struggling to survive in a small Swedish village. l 47 Ronin (2:07) Outcast samurai Hiroyuki Sanada joins forces with multiracial warrior Keanu Reeves to bring down an evil and powerful lord. l Frozen (1:42) The kingdom of Arendelle is trapped in an eternal winter, so Anna sets off to find her sister Elsa, who has isolated herself to protect her family from her frosty powers. l Gabrielle (1:44) Film fest fave about the budding romance between two members of a Montreal choir for disabled adults. l The German Doctor (1:34) A postwar Argentine family strikes up a self-delusional friendship with incognito Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele. l The Great Beauty (2:22) Felliniesque satirical dramedy about an aging writer’s bittersweet adventures in Rome. l The Great Passage (2:13) Quirky Japanese romantic comedy about a bookworm’s inability to express himself to the object of his affections. l Grudge Match (1:54) Retired boxers Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro return to the ring to determine once and for all which one is top palooka. l Her (1:59) Lonesome social-network nerd Joaquin Phoenix falls truly, madly, deeply for his new computer operating system; Spike Jonze directs Amy Adams, Rooney Mara and Scarlett Johansson. l The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2:41) Bilbo Baggins is back, joining 13 dwarves and a wizard in their quest to reclaim a lost kingdom; Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee and Orlando Bloom star. l The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2:26) Jennifer Lawrence is back as Games top dawg Katniss Everdeen, whose victory lap is met with angry, violent rebellion. l In Bloom (1:42) Touching portrait of two teenage girls coming of age in war-torn post-Soviet Georgia. l Inside Llewyn Davis (1:44) Joel and Ethan Coen’s dark dramedy about a Dylan-era Greenwich Village folksinger hustling his way up the show biz ladder; Carey Mulligan, John Goodman and Oscar Isaac star. l The Legend of Hercules (1:38) The son of Zeus endures slavery, bloodshed and gladiator school as he muscles his way to glory. l Lone Survivor (2:01) Four Navy SEALs head to Afghanistan to take out Taliban leader Ahmad Shah and find themselves outmanned and outgunned; Mark Wahlberg stars.
l Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2:26) Biopic of the late, great freedom fighter follows Mandela through 27 years of imprisonment, the end of apartheid and the presidency of South Africa; Idris Elba stars. l More Than Honey (1:31) Swiss documentary about the precipitous decline of global bee colonies and how their disappearance augurs a frightful tomorrow. l
National Theatre London: 50 Years On Stage
Join Britain’s greatest thespians (Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith and 94 others) at a 50th birthday party for the acclaimed National Theatre, featuring excerpts from “Antony and Cleopatra,” “Guys and Dolls” and everything in between. l Nebraska (1:54) Alexander Payne dramedy follows a cantankerous old coot and his estranged son on a Midwestern road trip to claim a million-dollar grand prize. l Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (1:30) More suburban demonic mishegoss as a teenage doofus gets himself possessed by a spook. l The Past (2:10) Acclaimed Iranian drama about the looming divorce between a French woman and her estranged Iranian husband. l Philomena (1:37) Stephen Frears docudrama about an unwed mother’s attempts to track down her longlost son; Judi Dench stars. l The Princess Bride (1:38) William Goldman’s hip fairy tale hits the big screen with swordplay, ogres and beautiful princess intact. l Ride Along Action comedy follows two cops on an unexpectedly wild night cruising the mean streets of Atlanta; Ice Cube stars. l The Rocket (1:35) Poignant Australian film about an outcast child determined to win a rocket-launching competition in postwar Laos. l Saving Mr. Banks (2:05) Behind-the-scenes look at Mary Poppins’ long and tumultuous journey from page to screen; Tom Hanks stars as Walt Disney, Emma Thompson as curmudgeonly adversary P.L. Travers. l The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1:54) James Thurber’s timeless tale of a nebbish everyman with a penchant for chronic daydreaming stars Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine and Sean Penn. l Two Lives (1:37) Liv Ullman stars in the story of an East German spy whose double life with a happy Scandinavian family spirals out of control at the end of the Cold War. l Wajma—An Afghan Love Story (1:25) Sundance award winner about the clandestine love affair between a college student and a charming Kabul waiter. l Walesa, Man of Hope (2:07) Andrzej Wajda’s epic biopic of the shipyard worker-turned-Polish Solidarity icon. l Walking the Camino (1:24) Award-winning documentary follows six pilgrims as they trek Spain’s ancient 500-mile Camino de Santago Trail. l Walking with Dinosaurs 3D (1:27) Return with us now to the thrilling three-dimensional days of yore when enormous reptiles ruled the Earth and even an underdog dino could make his mark on prehistory. l The Wall (1:48) A vacationing Austrian finds herself marooned in the Alps behind an enormous transparent wall in Julian Polsler’s existential chiller. l White Lies (1:36) Period drama looks at three generations of Maori women struggling to survive in Euro-dominated 19th century New Zealand. l The Wolf of Wall Street (2:45) Leo DiCaprio stars as Jordan Belfort, the securities-fraud king of the 1990s; Martin Scorsese directs Matthew McConaughey, Spike Jonze, Rob Reiner and Fran Lebowitz.
k New Movies This Week
* The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box (NR) American Hustle (R)
Rafael: Sat-Sun 12 Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12:20, 3:25, 6:40, 9:55 Sun-Thu 12:20, 3:25, 6:40 Larkspur Landing: Fri, Mon-Thu 6:30, 9:35 Sat-Sun 11:40, 3:20, 6:30, 9:35 Marin: Fri-Sat 12:45, 3:55, 7, 10:05 Sun 12:45, 3:55, 7 Mon-Thu 3:55, 7 Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:10, 12:45, 2:20, 3:55, 5:35, 7:20, 8:50, 10:25 Playhouse: Fri 3:45, 6:45, 9:30 Sat 12:15, 3:45, 6:45, 9:30 Sun 12:15, 3:45, 6:45 Mon-Thu 3:45, 6:45 Rowland: Fri-Wed 12:40, 3:50, 7, 10:05 Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Fairfax: Fri-Sat 1:15, 4:10, 7:05, 9:50 Sun-Thu 1:15, 4:10, 7:05 Northgate: (PG-13) Fri-Wed 10:55, 1:50, 4:35, 7:40, 10:30 Rowland: Fri-Wed 11:05, 4:45, 10:20 * August: Osage County (R) Fairfax: 12:30, 3:40, 6:45, 9:35 Sun-Thu 12:30, 3:40, 6:45 Marin: Fri-Sat 1:15, 4:30, 7:30, 10:15 Sun 1:15, 4:30, 7:30 Mon-Thu 4:30, 7:30 Regency: Fri-Sat 1:15, 4:20, 7:10, 10 Sun-Thu 1:15, 4:20, 7:10 * Child’s Pose (NR) Rafael: Sun 6:30 * The Don Juans (NR) Rafael: Fri 6:30 Sun 4 * Eat Sleep Die (NR) Rafael: Sat 4 Wed 6:30 47 Ronin (PG-13) Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:05; 3D showtimes at 1:55, 4:50, 7:45, 10:30 Frozen (PG) Lark: Fri-Sat 5:15, 8 Sun 1:45, 4:30, 7:15 Mon, Wed 4:30, 7:15 Tue, Thu 4:30 Northgate: Fri-Wed 2:15, 7:30; 3D showtimes at 11:25, 4:45 Rowland: Fri-Wed 11:10, 4:35, 7:10; 3D showtimes at 1:50, 9:50 * Gabrielle (NR) Rafael: Fri 4 * The German Doctor (NR) Rafael: Sat 8:45 The Great Beauty (NR) Rafael: Fri-Sun 4:30, 7:30 Mon-Thu 7:30 * The Great Passage (NR) Rafael: Tue 8:15 Grudge Match (PG-13) Northgate: Fri-Wed 4:05, 10:20 Her (R) Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12, 3:30, 7, 9:45 Sun-Thu 12, 3:30, 7 Regency: Fri-Sat 1, 4:10, 7:20, 10:15 Sun 4:20, 7:20 Mon-Thu 1, 4:10, 7:20 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:45, 6:50; 3D showtimes at 3:20, 10:15 Rowland: Fri(PG-13) Wed 4:10; 3D showtimes at 12:35, 7:40 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (PG-13) Northgate: Fri-Wed 12:25, 3:50, 7:10, 10:25 * In Bloom (NR) Rafael: Fri 8:45 Inside Llewyn Davis (R) Marin: Fri-Sat 1, 4:15, 7:15, 9:45 Sun 1, 4:15, 7:15 Mon-Thu 4:15, 7:15 Regency: Fri-Sat 11:30, 2:10, 4:50, 7:35, 10:10 Sun-Tue, Thu 11:30, 2:10, 4:50, 7:35 Wed 11:20 * The Legend of Hercules (PG-13) Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:20, 4:30; 3D showtimes at 2, 7:15, 9:45 Rowland: FriWed 11:55, 5; 3D showtimes at 2:30, 7:30, 10 * Lone Survivor (R) Cinema: Fri-Wed 1, 4, 7, 9:50 Regency: Fri-Sat 1:20, 4:25, 7:30, 10:20 SunThu 1:20, 4:25, 7:30 Rowland: Fri-Wed 11, 1:45, 4:30, 7:20, 10:10 Sequoia: Fri 4:15, 7:15, 10:10 Sat 1:15, 4:15, 7:15, 10:10 Sun 1:15, 4:15, 7:15 MonThu 4:15, 7:15 * Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (PG-13) Northgate: Fri-Wed 12:40, 6:55 * More Than Honey (NR) Rafael: Sat 2 National Theatre London: 50 Years On Stage (NR) Lark: Sat 1 Nebraska (R) Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:30, 1:20, 4:10, 7, 9:50 * Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:45, 11:50, 1, 2:10, 3:15, 4:25, 5:30, 6:40, 7:50, 8:55, (R) 10 Rowland: Fri-Wed 1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:50, 10:15 * The Past (NR) Rafael: Fri 3:45, 6:30, 9:10 Sat-Sun 1, 3:45, 6:30, 9:10 Mon-Thu 6:30, 9:10 Philomena (PG-13) Northgate: Fri-Wed 12:05, 2:35, 5:05, 7:35, 9:55 Playhouse: Fri 4:15, 7, 9:20 Sat 12:30, 4:15, 7, 9:20 Sun 12:30, 4:15, 7 Mon-Thu 4:15, 7 * The Princess Bride (PG) Regency: Sun 2 Wed 2, 7 Sequoia: Sun 2 Wed 2, 7 * Ride Along (PG-13) Northgate: Thu 8, 10:30 * The Rocket (NR) Rafael: Mon 8:45 Saving Mr. Banks (PG-13) Larkspur Landing: Fri, Mon-Thu 7, 9:50 Sat-Sun 1:15, 4:10, 7, 9:50 Regency: Fri-Sat 12:40, 4, 7, 10:05 Sun-Thu 12:40, 4, 7 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (PG) Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12:15, 4:15, 6:50, 9:30 Sun-Thu 12:15, 4:15, 6:50 Larkspur Landing: Fri, Mon-Thu 7:20, 10 Sat-Sun 11, 1:40, 4:30, 7:20, 10 Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:40, 1:35, 4:20, 7:25, 10:05 Rowland: Fri-Wed 2, 7:35 * Two Lives (NR) Rafael: Thu 6:30 * Wajma—An Afghan Love Story (NR) Rafael: Sun 2 Tue 6:15 * Walesa, Man of Hope (NR) Rafael: Thu 8:45 Walking the Camino (NR) Rafael: Sat-Sun 2:30 Walking with Dinosaurs (PG) Northgate: Fri-Wed 12, 4:40, 9:30; 3D showtimes at 2:25, 7:05 * The Wall (NR) Rafael: Wed 8:45 * White Lies (NR) Rafael: Sat, Mon 6:30 The Wolf of Wall Street (R) Fairfax: 12:10, 3:55, 7:35 Larkspur Landing: Fri, Mon-Thu 8 Sat-Sun 12, 4, 8 Playhouse: Fri, Mon-Thu 4, 7:45 Sat-Sun 12, 4, 7:45 Regency: 11:45, 3:45, 7:45 Rowland: Fri-Wed 12, 4, 7:55 Sequoia: Fri 4, 7:45 Sat 12:15, 4, 7:45 Sun 7:45 Mon, Tue, Thu 4, 7:45 Wed 3
Showtimes can change after we go to press. Please call theater to confirm schedules. CinéArts at Marin 101 Caledonia St., Sausalito • 331-0255 | CinéArts at Sequoia 25 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley • 388-4862 | Cinema 41 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera • 924-6505 | Fairfax 9 Broadway, Fairfax • 453-5444 Lark 549 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur • 924-5111 | Larkspur Landing 500 Larkspur Landing Cir., Larkspur • 461-4849 Northgate 7000 Northgate Dr., San Rafael • 800-326-3264 | Playhouse 40 Main St., Tiburon • 435-1234 Rafael Film Center 1118 Fourth St., San Rafael • 454-1222 | Regency 80 Smith Ranch Rd., Terra Linda • 479-5050 Rowland 44 Rowland Way, Novato • 800-326-3264 january 10 - january 16, 2014 Pacific Sun 17