MOVies
F R I D AY march 1 — T H U R S D AY march 7
Movie summaries by Matthew Stafford Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (1:34) Documentarians Dmitry Vasyukov and Werner Herzog examine a year in the life of an inaccessible Siberian village practically untouched by the modern (post-18th century) world. l Identity Thief (1:51) Denver ad exec Jason Bateman’s savings and self spiral out of control when Miami grifter Melissa McCarthy taps into his virtual-plastic soul. l Jack the Giant Slayer (1:55) Turns out there’s an entire race of giants at the top of the beanstalk, all of them mean, ugly and absolutely ravenous. l KanZeOn (1:26) Japanese meditation on modern and medieval Buddhist thought through song, story, performance and ritual. l Karma (1:30) A Tibetan Buddhist nun travels across the Himalayas to Kathmandu in search of spiritual sustenance. l The Last Exorcism Part II (1:29) Sequel to the 2010 chiller finds Ashley Bell in New Orleans, dazed, confused and possessed by that same damned demon. l Life of Pi (2:05) Ang Lee’s adaptation of the Yann Martel novel about an Indian teenager’s challenging odyssey: navigating across the Pacific in a life raft with a hyena, an orangutan and a Bengal tiger. l Lincoln (2:29) High-pedigree look at the 16th president’s four tumultuous years in office features a screenplay by Tony Kushner and stars Daniel Day-Lewis under the direction of Steven Spielberg. l The Metropolitan Opera: Parsifal (5:45) Catch Wagner’s spiritual-erotic Arthurian epic (five-plus hours!) live from New York in all its high-def big-screen glory. l The Metropolitan Opera: Rigoletto (3:35) Verdi’s tuneful tragedy gets a ring-a-ding-ding update to Rat Pack-era Vegas in the Met’s compelling new production. l Les Miserables (2:38) All-star adaptation of the Victor Hugo musical extravaganza stars Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert and Anne Hathaway as the lovely Fantine. l Mindfulness and Murder (1:30) Copturned-monk Father Ananda tackles the case of the monastery murder. l The Mourning Forest (1:37) Cannes Film Fest fave explores big themes among the lovely, inspirational tea-growing landscapes near Kyoto. l Olo, the Boy from Tibet (1:48) True tale of a Tibetan lad’s experiences in the strange land of India. l Oz: The Great and Powerful (2:07) Fantastical Sam Raimi prequel about the young wizard’s arrival in Oz stars Michelle Williams as Glinda and James Franco in the title role. l Paleyfest Featuring the Walking Dead (2:00) The cast of the hit zombie TV show fields questions and screens exclusive, seldomseen footage. l Quartet (1:38) The cozy elegance of a retired musicians’ home is torn asunder when an exwife/diva arrives to open old wounds; Dustin Hoffman directs Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay and Michael Gambon. l Safe Haven (1:55) Lasse Hallström drama about a woman with a haunted past who l
Alan Arkin in ‘Argo,’ the Academy’s choice for the best picture of 2012. Amour (2:05) Critically acclaimed French drama stars Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva as an elderly Parisian couple battling the realities of old age. l Argo (2:00) Ben Affleck directs and stars in the true-life story of the Iran hostage crisis and an unbelievable covert operation to rescue six American prisoners. l Banff Mountain Film Festival Sample the best stuff from the celebrated fest’s 2012 lineup of films about adventure, exploration, mountaineering and the environment. l Dark Skies (1:35) Yet another mysterious disembodied force targets yet another clean-cut suburban family; this time the victim is Keri Russell. l Digital Dharma (1:30) Portrait of Gene Smith, the Mormon/Buddhist/pacifist who spearheaded a mission to preserve 20,000 volumes of Tibetan literature and knowledge. l Django Unchained (2:45) Quentin Tarantino über-Western about a slave-turned-bounty hunter (Jamie Foxx), his still-enslaved wife (Kerry Washington) and the plantation owner (Leo DiCaprio) who stands in their way. l Escape from Planet Earth (1:29) Cartoon comedy about a dashing extraterrestrial astronaut, his nerdy brother and their dangerous mission to violent, crazy faraway planet Earth. l Evening with Crystal Pite The Nederlands Dans Theater presents an evening of stunning, innovative movement from the acclaimed choreographer. l Forrest Gump (2:20) Ponderous, simplistic portrait of one unexceptional man’s life and times actually won the Best Picture Oscar in 1995; Tom Hanks stars. l The Gatekeepers (1:36) Thought-provoking documentary features six former heads of the Israeli Secret Service discussing their mixed feelings about the agency’s often controversial counterterrorism methods. l A Good Day to Die Hard (1:38) Rogue cop John McClane teams up with his CIA-agent son to halt a global nuclear showdown, Russian Mafia be damned; Bruce Willis stars, of course. l The Great Pilgrim (1:38) Cinematic retelling of the life of Xuanzang, the Tang Dynasty monk who brought Buddhist texts and teachings from India to China. l
k New Movies This Week
Amour (PG-13)
Rafael: Fri 3:15, 6:15, 9 Sat 12:15, 3:15, 6:15, 9 Sun 12:15, 3:15, 9 Mon, Wed-Thu 6:15, 9 Tue 9 Argo (R) Fairfax: Fri-Sat 1:20, 4:10, 7, 9:40 Sun-Thu 1:20, 4:10, 7 Larkspur Landing: Fri 5, 7:45, 10:30 Sat-Sun 11:15, 2:15, 5, 7:45, 10:30 MonThu 6:30, 9:20 Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:10, 2, 4:50, 7:35, 10:30 k Banff Mountain Film Festival (Not Rated) Rafael: Mon, Tue 7 Dark Skies (PG-13) Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:40, 2:15, 4:45, 7:20, 9:45 Rowland: 12:15, 2:45, 5:15, 7:40, 10:20 k Digital Dharma (Not Rated) Rafael: Sat 6:15 (director Dafna Yachin in person) Django Unchained (R) Regency: 12:30, 4:10, 7:50 Escape from Planet Earth (PG) Northgate: Fri-Wed 11, 3:25; 3D showtimes at 1:15, 5:40, 7:55, 10:10 Rowland: 11:45, 4:40; 3D showtimes at 2:20, 7:10, 9:35 Thu 11:45, 4:40; 3D showtime at 2:20 k Evening with Crystal Pite (Not Rated) Rafael: Sun, Tue 6:30 k Forrest Gump (PG-13) Regency: Wed 2, 7 Sequoia: Wed 2, 7 The Gatekeepers (PG-13) Regency: Fri-Sat 11:25, 1:55, 4:30, 7:10, 9:40 Sun-Thu 11:25, 1:55, 4:30, 7:10 A Good Day to Die Hard (R) Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:55, 2:25, 5, 7:25, 9:55 Rowland: 12:05, 2:35, 5:05, 7:30, 10 Thu 12:05, 2:35, 5:05 k The Great Pilgrim (Not Rated) Rafael: Sun 1:30 Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (Not Rated) Rafael: Fri 3:45 Identity Thief (R) Larkspur Landing: Fri 7:30, 10:10 Sat-Sun 11:30, 2:10, 4:45, 7:30, 10:10 Mon-Thu 7, 9:40 Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:45, 2:30, 5:15, 8, 10:35 k Jack the Giant Slayer (PG-13) Cinema: Fri-Sun 11, 4:25; 3D showtimes at 1:45, 7:10, 9:50 Mon-Wed 4:25, 9:50; 3D showtimes at 1:45, 7:10 Thu 4:25; 3D showtimes at 1:45, 7:10 Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12:45, 3:30, 6:15, 8:45; 3D showtimes at 1:30, 4:25, 7:15, 9:45 Sun-Thu 12:45, 3:30, 6:15; 3D showtimes at 1:30, 4:25, 7:15 Marin: Fri 4:40, 10:10; 3D showtime at 7:30 Sat 11:20, 4:40, 10:10; 3D showtimes at 2, 7:30 Sun 4:40; 3D showtimes at 2, 7:30 Mon-Thu 4:30; 3D showtime at 7:30 Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:45, 1:35, 4:25, 7:15, 10:05; 3D showtimes at 12:10, 3, 5:55, 8:40 Rowland: 11:30, 4:55; 3D showtimes at 2:10, 7:35, 10:25 k KanZeOn (Not Rated) Rafael: Sun 6:15 (director Neil Cantwell in person) k Karma (Not Rated) Rafael: Sat 4 k The Last Exorcism Part II (PG-13) N orthgate: Fri-Wed 10:45, 1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:50, 10:15 Rowland: 12:25, 2:55, 5:25, 7:55, 10:15 Life of Pi (PG) Fairfax: Fri-Sat 3D showtimes at 1, 3:50, 6:40, 9:20 Sun-Thu 3D showtimes at 1, 3:50, 6:40 Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:45, 4:35, 10:35; 3D showtimes at 1:40, 7:40 Lincoln (PG-13) Regency: 12:10, 3:35, 7 Sequoia: Fri-Sat 4, 7:15, 10:30 Sun 12:45, 4, 7:15 Mon-Tue 4, 7:15 Thu 4 k The Metropolitan Opera: Parsifal Lark: Sat 9am Marin: Sat 9am Regency: Sat 9am Sequoia: Sat (Not Rated) 9am The Metropolitan Opera: Rigoletto Lark: Wed 6:30 Marin: Wed 6:30 Regency: Wed 6:30 Sequoia: (Not Rated) Wed 6:30 k Mindfulness and Murder (Not Rated) Rafael: Sat 8:45 Les Misérables (PG-13) Northgate: Fri-Wed 12:35, 4:10, 7:45 k The Mourning Forest (Not Rated) Rafael: Sun 4 k Olo, the Boy from Tibet (Not Rated) Rafael: Sat 1:30 k Oz: The Great and Powerful (PG-13) Fairfax: Thu 9pm; 3D showtime at 9:01pm Northgate: Thu 9:05pm, 12:05am; 3D showtimes at 9pm, 12:01am Rowland: Thu 9:01pm, midnight; 3D showtimes at 9pm, 12:01am k Paleyfest Featuring The Walking Dead Regency: Thu 8 Sequoia: Thu 8 (Not Rated) Quartet (PG-13) Playhouse: Fri 4:15, 7:10, 9:40 Sat 1:30, 4:15, 7:10, 9:40 Sun 1:30, 4:15, 7:10 Mon-Thu 4:15, 7 Rafael: Fri 4, 6:30, 8:45 Sat-Sun 1:30, 4, 6:30, 8:45 Mon-Thu 6:30, 8:45 Safe Haven (PG-13) Larkspur Landing: Fri 7:15, 10 Sat-Sun 11, 1:45, 4:30, 7:15, 10 MonThu 6:45, 9:30 Marin: Fri 4:10, 7, 9:45 Sat 7, 9:45 Sun 1:30, 4:10, 7 Mon-Tue, Thu 5, 7:40 Regency: Fri 11, 1:40, 4:25, 7:20, 10:10 Sat 4:25, 7:20, 10:10 Sun-Tue 11, 1:40, 4:25, 7:20 Wed 11 Thu 11, 1:40, 4:25 Side Effects (R) Fairfax: Fri-Sat 1:40, 4:40, 7:10, 9:45 Sun-Wed 1:40, 4:40, 7:10 Thu 1:40, 4:40 Larkspur Landing: Fri 5:15, 7:55, 10:25 Sat-Sun 11:45, 2:30, 5:15, 7:55, 10:25 Mon-Thu 7:15, 9:45 Regency: Fri-Sat 11:05, 1:50, 4:35, 7:30, 10:15 Sun-Tue, Thu 11:05, 1:50, 4:35, 7:30 Wed 11:05, 1:50 Silver Linings Playbook (R) Fairfax: Fri-Sat 1:10, 4, 6:50, 9:35 Sun-Thu 1:10, 4, 6:50 Lark: Fri, Sat, Mon, Tue 5:15, 8 Sun 2:30, 5:15, 8 Wed 3:30
tries to make a new life for herself in an idyllic North Carolina village. l Side Effects (1:45) Steven Soderbergh thriller follows the unraveling life of a successful Manhattan couple after they partake of a new anti-anxiety wonder drug; Catherine ZetaJones and Jude Law star. l Silver Linings Playbook (2:02) David O. Russell comedy about a down-and-outer’s attempts to rebuild his life after losing his wife and his job and moving in with his parents; Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence star. l Snitch (1:35) Angry dad Dwayne Johnson tracks down and turns in a top-shelf drug dealer to reduce his recreationally mellow teenage son’s three-strikes 10-year prison sentence. l Stand Up Guys (1:35) Alan Arkin, Christopher Walken and Al Pacino as very old buddies trying to recapture their glory days of sex, drugs and criminal malfeasance.
l Thangka (1:52) Tibetan dramedy about a master painter and his ongoing search for a worthy successor. l 21 and Over (1:33) A hapless honors student’s 21st birthday goes gonzo thanks to two fun-loving friends and a night of drugs, booze and graphic nudity. l Wagner and Me Actor-wit Stephen Fry grapples with the complex legacy of musical genius (and proto-fascist?) Richard Wagner. l Warm Bodies (1:37) Zombie comedy about the unusual romance between an undead slacker and a totally alive knockout. l When the Iron Bird Flies (1:36) Documentary focuses on the 1959 migration of thousands of refugees from Tibet to join the Dalai Lama in exile. l Zero Dark Thirty (2:37) Kathryn Bigelow’s brutal docudrama about an elite team of ops and agents and their decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden. Y
Tsering Dolkar in ‘Kharma,’ just one of the movies showing at the International Buddhist Film Festival at the Rafael this weekend.
Snitch (PG-13) Stand Up Guys (R) k Thangka (Not Rated) k 21 and Over (R) k Wagner and Me (Not Rated)
Warm Bodies (PG-13) k When the Iron Bird Flies (Not Rated)
Zero Dark Thirty (R)
Thu 4:30 Marin: Fri 4:30, 7:15, 10:10 Sat 11, 1:45, 4:30, 7:15, 10:10 Sun 1:45, 4:30, 7:15 Mon-Thu 4:45, 7:30 Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:50, 1:30, 4:20, 7:10, 9:50 Playhouse: Fri 4, 6:50, 9:30 Sat 1:10, 4, 6:50, 9:30 Sun 1:10, 4, 6:50 Mon-Thu 4, 6:50 Rowland: 11:30, 2:15, 5, 7:45, 10:30 Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:05, 1:50, 4:40, 7:30, 10:20 Rowland: 11:35, 2:25, 5:10, 7:50, 10:30 Regency: Fri 12, 2:35, 5:10, 7:40, 10:05 Sat 5:10, 7:40, 10:05 Sun-Tue, Thu 12, 2:35, 5:10, 7:40 Wed 12, 2:35 Rafael: Sun 8:45 Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:55, 1:10, 3:30, 5:50, 8:10, 10:30 Rowland: 12, 2:30, 4:50, 7:20, 9:50 Lark: Thu 7:30 (SFO’s Clifford Cranna in person) Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:20, 1:55, 4:30, 7:05, 9:40 Rafael: Fri 7 (director Victress Hitchcock and author Anam Thubten in person) Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:50, 3:20, 7, 10:25 Sequoia: Fri 3:40, 7, 10:25 Sat 12:15, 3:40, 7, 10:25 Sun 12:15, 3:40, 7 Mon-Tue, Thu 3:40, 7 Wed 2:30
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