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In this quirky dark comedy inspired by a real life story you will hardly
believe is actually true, astonishing revelations about a top-secret wing
of the U.S. military come to light when a reporter encounters an enigmatic
Special Forces operator on a mind-boggling mission. Reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan
McGregor) is in search of his next big story when he encounters Lyn Cassady
(George Clooney), a shadowy figure who claims to be part of an experimental
U.S. military unit. According to Cassady, the New Earth Army is changing the
way wars are fought. A legion of "Warrior Monks" with unparalleled
psychic powers can read the enemy's thoughts, pass through solid walls, and
even kill a goat simply by staring at it. Now, the program's founder, Bill
Django (Jeff Bridges), has gone missing and Cassady's mission is to find him.
Intrigued by his new acquaintance's far-fetched stories, Bob impulsively decides
to accompany him on the search. When the pair tracks Django to a clandestine
training camp run by renegade psychic Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey), the reporter
is trapped in the middle of a grudge match between the forces of Django's
New Earth Army and Hooper's personal militia of super soldiers. An eye-opening
and often hilarious exploration of the government's attempts to harness paranormal
abilities to combat its enemies, inspired by Jon Ronson's non-fiction bestseller
of the same name. Official
Web Site Roger Ebert's Chicago Sun-Times review... |
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Set in 1960s and 1970s England, The Damned United tells the confrontational
and darkly humorous story of Brian Clough's doomed 44-day tenure as manager
of the reigning champions of English football, Leeds United. Previously managed
by his bitter rival Don Revie (Colm Meaney), and on the back of their most
successful period ever as a football club, Leeds was perceived by many to
represent a new aggressive and cynical style of footballan anathema
to the principled yet flamboyant Brian Clough (Michael Sheen, Frost/Nixon),
who had achieved astonishing success as manager of Hartlepool and Derby County,
where he built teams in his own vision with trusty lieutenant Peter Taylor
(Timothy Spall). Taking the Leeds job without Taylor by his side, with a changing
room full of what in his mind were still Don's boys, would lead to an unheralded
examination of Clough's belligerence and brilliance over 44 days. Official
Web Site Roger Ebert's Chicago Sun-Times review... |

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A little girl who is sent with her sister to an orphanage in the heart of
France, who waits in vain every Sunday for her father to come for her…
A cabaret performer with a weak voice who sings to an audience of drunken
soldiers… A humble seamstress, who stitches hems at the back of a provincial
tailor's shop… A young, skinny courtesan, to whom protector Étienne
Balsan (Benoît Poelvoorde) offers a safe haven, amongst the idle and
decadent… A woman in love who knows she will never be anyone’s wife,
refusing marriage even to Arthur 'Boy' Capel (Alessandro Nivola), the man
who returned her love… A rebel who finds the conventions of her time
oppressive, and instead dresses in her lovers' clothes… This is the story
of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (Audrey Tautou, Amélie),
who begins her life as a headstrong orphan, and through an extraordinary journey
becomes the legendary couturier who embodied the modern woman and became a
timeless symbol of success, freedom and style. Official
Web Site Kenneth Turan's Chicago Sun-Times review... |

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| The electric guitar has dominated popular music for the last half century. Anyone who has ever plugged into an amp understands its power. So does the average stadium crowd. But if you have too much exposure to amateurs, you might forget the incredible range of expression that the creation pioneered by Les Paul can achieve in the hands of masters. Director Davis Guggenheim, well-known for his Academy Award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, deepens our appreciation for going electric by bringing together three virtuosos from different generations: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, The Edge of U2 and Jack White of The White Stripes. It Might Get Loud weaves together their stories to reveal how each of them developed a unique sound. Unlike rock 'n' roll documentaries that focus on backstage drama, this one concentrates on the music, giving us intimate access to the creative process. What's more, we see each musician play new work that has yet to be released. You don't need to be an aficionado to enjoy the pleasure of this company. The film might not affect how you play, but it will change how you listen. Official Web Site |
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| An extraordinary life of adventure, celebrity and continuing mystery comes to light in Amelia, a vast, thrilling account of legendary aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart (two time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank). After becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, Amelia was thrust into a new role as America's sweetheartthe legendary "goddess of light," known for her bold, larger-than-life charisma. Yet, even with her global fame solidified, her belief in flirting with danger and standing up as her own, outspoken woman never changed. She was an inspiration to people everywhere, from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (Cherry Jones) to the men closest to her heart: her husband, promoter and publishing magnate George P. Putnam (Richard Gere), and her long time friend and lover, pilot Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). In the summer of 1937, Amelia set off on her most daunting mission yet: a solo flight around the world that she and George both anxiously foresaw as destined, whatever the outcome, to become one of the most talked-about journeys in history. Directed by Mira Nair (The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding). Official Web Site |

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The new dramatic comedy from the Coen Brothers (Burn After Reading, Fargo)
is the story of an ordinary man's search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson
Airplane is on the radio and "F-Troop" is on TV. It is 1967, and
Larry (Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university,
has just been informed by his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) that she is leaving
him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous colleagues, Sy (Fred
Melamed), who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry.
Larry's unemployable brother Arthur (Richard Kind) is sleeping on the couch,
his son Danny (Aaron Wolf) is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew
school, and his daughter Sarah (Jessica McManus) is filching money from his
wallet in order to save up for a nose job. While his wife and Sy blithely
make new domestic arrangements, and his brother becomes more and more of a
burden, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larry's chances
for tenure at the university. Also, a graduate student seems to be trying
to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue
him for defamation. Plus, the beautiful woman next door torments him by sunbathing
nude. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different
rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous
person—a mensch—a serious man? Official
Web Site Michael Phillips's Chicago Tribune review... |

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Written and directed by Academy Award winner Jane Campion (The Piano),
Bright Star is a riveting drama based on the three-year romance between
19th century poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish),
which was cut short by Keats' untimely death. London, 1818a secret love
affair begins between 23-year-old English poet John Keats and the girl next
door, Fanny Brawne, an outspoken student of fashion. This unlikely pair started
at odds; he thinking her a stylish minx, she unimpressed by literature in
general. But when Keats's younger brother falls ill John and Fanny are drawn
together. Keats, touched by Fanny's efforts to help care for his brother,
agrees to teach her poetry. By the time Fanny's alarmed mother (Kerry Fox)
and Keats's best friend Charles Armitage Brown (Paul Schneider) realize their
attachment, the relationship had an unstoppable momentum. Official
Web Site Ed Johnson-Ott's NUVO review... |

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From Ricky Gervais, the award-winning creator and star of the original BBC
series "The Office" and HBO's "Extras," comes a romantic
comedy which takes place in an alternate reality where lyingeven the
concept of a liedoes not exist. Everyonefrom politicians to advertisers
to the man and woman on the streetspeaks the truth and nothing but the
truth with no thought of the consequences. But when a down-on-his-luck loser
named Mark (Gervais) suddenly develops the ability to lie, he finds that dishonesty
has its rewards. In a world where every word is assumed to be the absolute
truth, Mark easily lies his way to fame and fortune. With the entire world now hanging on his every word, there is only one thing
Mark has not been able to lie his way into: the heart of the woman he loves
(Jennifer Garner). Co-starring Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan, Rob Lowe and Tina Fey. Official
Web Site Roger Ebert's Chicago Sun-Times review... |
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An Education is the story of a teenage girl's coming-of-age set in
1961 London, a city caught between the drab, post-war 1950s and the glamorous,
more liberated decade to come. Jenny (Carey Mulligan) stands on the brink
of becoming a woman: a brilliantly witty and attractive 16-year-old whose
suburban life is about to be blown apart by the utterly unsuitable 30-something
David (Peter Sarsgaard). Urbane and witty, David manages to charm her conservative
parents Jack (Alfred Molina) and Marjorie (Cara Seymour). David introduces
Jenny to a glittering new world of classical concerts and late-night suppers
with his attractive friend and business partner, Danny (Dominic Cooper) and
Danny's girlfriend, the beautiful but vacuous Helen (Rosamund Pike). Just
as Jenny's family's long-held dream of getting their brilliant daughter into
Oxford seems within reach, Jenny is tempted by another kind of life. Written
by Nick Hornby (About a Boy, High Fidelity) and directed by Lone Scherfig
(Italian for Beginners). Official Web Site |
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| Set in Harlem in 1987, Precious is a vibrant, honest and resoundingly hopeful film about the human capacity to grow and overcome. Claireece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) is a 16-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. She's pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her mother (Mo'Nique), a poisonously angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is a place of chaos, and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write. Precious may sometimes be down, but she is never out. Beneath her impassive expression is a watchful, curious young woman with an inchoate but unshakeable sense that other possibilities exist for her. Threatened with expulsion, Precious is offered the chance to transfer to an alternative school, Each One/Teach One. In the literacy workshop taught by the patient yet firm Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins a journey that will lead her from darkness, pain and powerlessness to light, love and self-determination. Winner of three awards at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, including the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. Co-starring Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd and Lenny Kravitz. Official Web Site |
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| Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and Kathy Bates star in The Blind Side, which depicts the remarkable true story of All-American football star Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron). A homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, Oher is taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential on and off the football field. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle. Official Web Site |
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| In the new comedy from director/co-writer Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre), Michael Angarano stars as Benjamin, a teenager being home-schooled by his eccentric mother (Jennifer Coolidge). A loveable loner, Benjamin's passion for writing leads him on an offbeat and hilarious journey as his story first gets ripped off by legendary fantasy novelist Ronald Chevalier (Jemaine Clement), and then is adapted into a disastrous movie by the small town's most prolific homespun filmmaker. Official Web Site |
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| Viggo Mortensen leads a stellar cast (including Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall and Guy Pearce) in the epic, post-apocalyptic tale of the survival of a father (Moretensen) and his young son (newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee) as they journey across a barren America that was destroyed by a mysterious cataclysm. A masterpiece of adventure, The Road is adapted from author Cormac McCarthy's (No Country for Old Men) beloved, best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which boldly imagines a future in which men are pushed to the worst and the best that they are capable ofa future in which father and son are sustained by love. Directed by John Hillcoat (The Proposition). Official Web Site |