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living navigating the minds of other peo- ple, sharing their dreams and stealing ideas in an elaborate psychological gam- bit known as “extraction.” Cobb has worked mostly with businesses engaged in super-complicated corporate espio- nage. But rather than steal an idea, a cli- ent named Saito (Ken Watanabe) hires Cobb to plant one in the mind of Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy), the would-be heir to an energy conglomerate, in a proc- ess called “inception.” It’s a tough job, and Cobb proceeds to assemble a crack team of dream-weavers to help him pull it off, including a wily forger named Eames (Tom Hardy), a chemist named Yusuf (Di- leep Rao) and a young architect named Ariadne (Ellen Page). (PG-13, 148 minutes) Contains sequences of violence and action. Area theaters.
BBBTHE KARATE KID
The new “Karate Kid” brings fresh life and perspective to the classic tale of perse- verance and cross-generational friend- ship. As Dre Parker, who with his mother, Sherry (Taraji P. Henson), has just moved to Beijing, Jaden Smith brings a soulful, searching sense of vulnerability to a kid who comes under attack from bullies on his first day in town. After a particularly brutal beat-down, Dre is defended by his apartment house caretaker, a quiet intro- vert named Mr. Han (Jackie Chan). When Han — who turns out to be a kung fu mas- ter — goes up against the kids who have been terrorizing Dre, he does so largely with defensive moves that wind up literal- ly tying the belligerents into knots. While the filmmakers invite viewers to wince and cheer during the film’s increasingly painful fight scenes, they make sure to soften the blows with wise tutorials in self-discipline, respect and balance. (PG,
132 minutes) Contains bullying, martial- arts action violence and some mild profani- ty. At the Movies at Montgomery Mall and University Mall Theatres.
BBBTHE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT — A.H.
This is the perfect midsummer movie, a comedy about a flawed-but-functional family that captures the drama of growth and separation in all its exhilaration and heartache. Eighteen-year-old Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and her little brother, Laser (Josh Hutcherson), are pretty typical teens growing up in Southern California today: They’re good kids, even if they roll their eyes at their overprotective mother. Actually, make that mothers: Joni and La- ser have two moms, one a doctor named Nic (Annette Bening), the other a dreamer named Jules (Julianne Moore). They’ve clearly formed a close, healthy family, which makes it all the more disruptive when Laser persuades Joni to find their biological father, Paul, a bedroom-eyed underachiever. Paul is the last guy anyone would consider a threat, but when Joni and Laser undertake to find out about him, his presence shakes the family. (R, 106 minutes) Contains strong sexual con- tent, nudity, profanity and teen drug and alcohol use. At AFI Silver Theatre.
BBBKNIGHT AND DAY
Roy Miller (Tom Cruise) is, in his own words, good at what he does. A master of hand-to-hand combat who can put a bul- let exactly where he wants it, he’s also unfailingly polite. It’s no wonder June Ha- vens (Cameron Diaz) falls for him when they meet on a flight. He’s cute, charm- ing, smart and almost freakishly compe- tent. Too bad that trouble, in the form of gun-toting government agents and an
ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT,. “
JOAQUIN PHOENIX HAS BLOWN OPEN A DOOR ON CELEB CULTURE. HE MUST BE CALLED
THE BRANDO OF HIS GENERATION.” - Joshua Rothkopf, TIME OUT NEW YORK
“RIVETING, UNFLINCHINGLY HONEST, SCARY,
ARTFUL AND FASCINATING. GRADE A-.” - Owen Gleiberman, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
“IF THE MOVIE IS A FAKE, THE FILMMAKERS DESERVE OSCARS FOR CREATIVITY.
The movie feels utterly real and transparent and leaves an indelible impression.” - Rene Rodriguez, MIAMI HERALD
JOAQUIN PHOENIX — A.H.
arms dealer’s ruthless henchmen, is fol- lowing him — and now her — all over the globe. The film follows Roy and June as they bounce from country to country, all while Roy is trying to protect a nebbishy inventor and keep his top-secret invention out of the wrong hands. As an ordinary woman caught up in a world of jet-setting espionage, Diaz makes a delicious co- medic and romantic foil to Cruise’s Roy. Yes, at first she’s a little freaked out by the people dropping like flies all around him, but she soon shows herself to be a capable partner. (PG-13, 109 minutes) Con- tains action violence, mild obscenity and brief suggestive humor. At University Mall Theatres.
BTHE LAST AIRBENDER — A.H.
Noah Ringer plays the title role of Aang, a messianic child with the power to manip- ulate all four elements. Meant to be something akin to the young Dalai Lama, Aang is still an avatar in training. Having run away from the monastery where he was being groomed for his role, Aang left before he had mastered control of water, earth and fire. His only real expertise is in the “bending” of air. That means he can stir up mini-tornadoes with his hands, and blast people with puffs of strong wind. Katara and Sokka (Nicola Peltz and Jackson Rathbone), a teenage earthbend- er and her brother, team up with Aang to do battle with firebender Zuko. Zuko is hoping to capture Aang so that his peo- ple, known as the Fire Nation, can sup- press the Earth, Air and Water tribes. He has been banished by his father, the Fire Lord Ozai (Cliff Curtis), until he returns with the prize. (PG, 95 minutes) Contains martial arts and mildly violent action. At University Mall Theatres.
BBBTHE LAST EXORCISM — M.O.
The exorcism that ignites Daniel Stamm’s unnerving new chiller is supposed to be a simple hoax performed by a dishonest Protestant preacher who hopes to expose the church’s ancient practice as fraud. The Rev. Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) has misplaced his faith. Yet the cocky rev- erend still bristles when someone asks if he’s a fraud. Marcus sees value in the service he provides his Deep South com- munity — that is, until a news story crosses his desk regarding a young boy who is suffocated to death by an amateur exorcist. He invites a camera crew to ru- ral Louisiana where Louis Sweetzer (Louis Herthum) fears his timid teenage daugh- ter, Nell (Ashley Bell), is possessed. Mar- cus intends to fake Nell’s exorcism for the camera’s benefit, poking a hole through the ancient religious task. Needless to say, things don’t go as planned. (PG-13, 87 minutes) Contains disturbing violent con- tent and terror, sexual references and the- matic material. Area theaters.
BBB1⁄2 LEBANON — M.O.
This Israeli film, based on the life of writ- er-director Samuel Maoz, reinstates the terrible intimacy of battle, giving a zoomed-in view of combat through the plight of four inexperienced soldiers dur- ing the start of the first Lebanon war in 1982. All the action takes place inside a tank, giving the oppressive feeling that the four young men (plus occasional visi- tors) are performing their duties while folded into a sofa bed. The only view of the outside world is through an often ob- structed periscope. The group’s first task seems straightforward enough coming from the no-nonsense commanding offi- cer. When the gunner, Shmuel, sees a car coming, he needs to fire two warning
shots then blow the thing up. But Shmuel is a bit of a delicate flower — a conflicted novice with frozen fingers and a gag re- flex — and his inability to follow orders leads to the first of many disasters. (R, 94 minutes) In Hebrew and Arabic with Eng- lish subtitles. Contains grisly war violence, strong language and brief nudity. At Land- mark’s E Street Cinema.
B1⁄2 LOTTERY TICKET — Sean O’Connell
A long Fourth of July weekend is all that stands between recent high school gradu- ate Kevin (played by rapper Bow Wow) and a $370 million dollar jackpot. Owner of the winning ticket, Kevin can claim his prize once the next workday begins, but until then he has to contend with the oth- er inhabitants of his housing project, in- cluding a gold digger, a muscley ex-con and a wealth of questionably intentioned friends. Most people in such a quandary would, perhaps, hide in a closet at a friend’s house. But co-writers Erik White (who also directs) and Abdul Williams have the young man make decisions far beyond the potential for suspended dis- belief. Disclosing his new wealth to the whole neighborhood? Check. Taking mon- ey from a loan shark with a brigade of Bentleys in a dark warehouse? Check. Getting busy with an unabashed gold dig- ger who wants to be his “baby mama”? Yes, check. (PG-13, 95 minutes) Contains sexual content, language including a drug reference, violence and brief underage drinking. Area theaters.
BB1⁄2 MACHETE
As capital-m Machete, Danny Trejo makes a ferocious first impression as a Mexican
continued on next page
THE#1 MOVIE IN AMERICA!
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The Acclaimed New Film ANTON CORBIJNFrom Director CASEY AFFLECK
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THE AMERICAN
ScreenplayROWAN JOFFEBy
THE WASHINGTON POST • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2010
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