MOVies
F R I D AY j an u ar y 3 — T H U R S D AY j an u ar y 9 M ovie summaries by M at t hew St af fo r d
Michael Almereyda’s ‘Skinningrove’ is just one of the highlights of the Sundance Short Films Festival, opening Friday at the Rafael. All Is Lost (1:45) Robert Redford in a oneman tour de force about a mariner guiding his damaged yacht though the stormy, shark-infested Indian Ocean with only a map and a sextant. 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; Louis C.K. and Robert De Niro costar. l Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2:00) Ron Burgundy is back and as fatuous as ever as he heads to New York and stardom on the country’s first 24-hour news channel; Will Ferrell stars, of course. l Big (1:44) An impatient 13-year-old grows up fast when he sprouts into Tom Hanks overnight, falls in love and takes the toy industry by storm. l Croatian Children’s Animation (1:30) Program of witty, dazzling puppet, claymation, cutout and hand-drawn shorts by students at Croatia’s renowned Children’s Animation School. 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 and kingdom from her frosty powers; Kristen Bell and Josh Gad vocalize. l The Great Beauty (2:22) Felliniesque satirical dramedy about an aging writer’s bittersweet adventures in beautiful, bizarre Rome. 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 as Samantha the robot. l
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; Lenny Kravitz costars. 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 Metropolitan Opera: Falstaff (3:20) Live from New York it’s Verdi’s tuneful look at the fallen yet unbowed Shakespearean knight, rediscovered here in the mid 20th century. l National Theatre London: The Habit of Art (2:35) Alan Bennett’s acclaimed drama about the troubled friendship between W.H. Auden and Benjamin Britten, presented direct from London’s West End in big-screen high definition. 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; Bruce Dern and Will Forte star. l Philomena (1:37) Stephen Frears docudrama about an unwed mother’s attempts to track down her long-lost son; Judi Dench stars. 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 Short Films from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival (1:33) Eight short subjects from last year’s fest make up a cinematic smorgasbord of cartoons, comedies, documentaries and dramas from around the globe. l A Touch of Sin (2:05) Daring, edgy Cannes Film Fest fave focuses on four downtrodden Chinese victimized by their country’s ravenous, exploding economy. l Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas (1:45) The rambunctious grandma is back and riding herd on her ungrateful kinfolk, Yuletide style. l Walking the Camino (1:24) Award-winning documentary follows six pilgrims as they trek Spain’s ancient 500-mile Camino de Santago Trail in search of spiritual awakening. 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 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
All Is Lost (PG-13) American Hustle (R)
Rafael: Fri-Sat, Mon-Thu 8:45 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 3:45, 7 Playhouse: Fri-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 1, 4:10, 7:20, 10:25 Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Fairfax Fri-Sat 1:15, 4:10, 7:05, 9:50 Sun-Thu 1:15, 4:10, 7:05 Rowland: PG-13 Fri-Wed 11:35, 2:20, 5:05, 7:55, 10:40 *Big (PG) Regency: Sun 2 Wed 2, 7 Sequoia: Sun 2 Wed 2, 7 *Croatian Children’s Animation (NR) Rafael: Wed 6:30 47 Ronin (PG-13) Rowland: Fri-Wed 4:40; 3D showtimes at 11, 1:50, 7:30, 10:15 Frozen (PG) Lark: Fri 11:45, 2:30, 5:15, 8 Sat 5:15, 8 Sun 10:15, 1, 3:45, 6:30 Mon, Tue, Thu 3:45, 6:30 Wed 3:45 Rowland: Fri-Wed 11:10, 4:30, 9:50; 3D showtimes at 1:45, 7:10 The Great Beauty (Not Rated) Rafael: Fri 4:30, 7:30 Sat-Sun 1:15, 4:30, 7:30 Mon, Wed, Thu 7:30 Grudge Match (PG-13) Playhouse: Fri-Sat 12:45, 3:30, 6:30, 9:15 Sun 12:45, 3:30, 6:30 Mon-Thu 3:30, 6:30 Rowland: Fri-Wed 11:30, 2:15, 5, 7:50, 10:30 *Her (R) Regency: Fri-Sat 1, 4:10, 7:15, 10:20 Sun-Thu 1, 4:10, 7:15 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Fairfax: 12, 3:30, 7 Larkspur Landing: Fri, Mon-Thu 3D showtime at 7:30 PG-13 Sat-Sun 3:45; 3D showtimes at 12:15, 7:30 Marin: Fri-Sun 4:30; 3D showtimes at 1, 8 Mon-Thu 4; 3D showtime at 7:30 Rowland: Fri-Wed 3:35, 10:35; 3D showtimes at 12:05, 7:05 Inside Llewyn Davis (R) Regency: Fri-Sat 11:30, 12:50, 2:10, 3:30, 4:50, 6:10, 7:30, 8:50, 10:15 Sun-Thu 11:30, 12:50, 2:10, 3:30, 4:50, 6:10, 7:30 Sequoia: Fri-Sat 11:20, 1:55, 4:35, 7:20, 10:30 Sun 11:20, 4:35, 7:20 Mon, Thu 4:30, 7:45 Wed 4:30 The Metropolitan Opera: Falstaff (NR) Lark: Wed 6:30 *National Theatre London: Lark: Sat 1 The Habit of Art (NR) Saving Mr. Banks (PG-13)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (PG)
*Short Films from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival (NR) *A Touch of Sin (Not Rated) Walking the Camino (Not Rated) The Wolf of Wall Street (R)
Fairfax Fri-Sat 12:30, 3:40, 6:45, 9:35 Sun-Thu 12:30, 3:40, 6:45 Larkspur Landing: Fri, Mon-Thu 7, 9:50 Sat-Sun 1:15, 4:10, 7, 9:50 Regency: Fri-Sat 12:40, 4, 7, 10:10 Sun-Thu 12:40, 4, 7 Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12:15, 4:15, 6:50, 9:30 Sun-Thu 12:15, 4:15, 6:50 Marin: Fri-Sat 1:15, 4:15, 7:20, 10:15 Sun 1:15, 4:15, 7:20 Mon-Thu 4:15, 7:15 Rowland: Fri-Wed 11:25, 2:10, 4:55, 7:40, 10:20 Rafael: 6:45 Rafael: Fri 3:45, 6:30, 9:05 Sat 1, 3:45, 6:30, 9:05 Sun 1, 3:45, 9:05 Mon, Tue, Thu 6:30, 9:05 Wed 9:05 Rafael: Fri 4:15 Sat-Sun 2:15, 4:15 Fairfax: 12:10, 3:55, 7:35 Larkspur Landing: Fri, Mon-Thu 8 Sat-Sun 12, 4, 8 Playhouse: Fri-Sun 12, 4, 7:45 Mon-Thu 4, 7:45 Regency: Fri-Sat 11:45, 1:45, 3:45, 5:45, 7:45, 9:45 Sun-Thu 11:45, 1:45, 3:45, 5:45, 7:45 Sequoia: Fri-Sat 11, 2:45, 6:45, 9:50 Sun 11, 2:45, 6:45 Mon, Thu 4, 7 Wed 2:45, 6:45 Rowland: Fri-Wed 11:20, 3:10, 7, 10:45
Oscar Isaac gets bohemian in ‘Inside Llewyn Davis,’ now at the Regency.
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 3- january 9, 2014 Pacific Sun 21