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(03/04/13 4:00am)
"Life of Pi" (2012) has a particularly simple plot: a boy, left alone with just his thoughts and a tiger, is stranded in the middle of the ocean. The protagonist, named Piscine but who goes by "Pi" (Irrfan Khan), spent most of his childhood on his father's zoo in India. When he turns 16, Pi's father (Adil Hussain) decides to sell the animals and moves to Canada, and the family travels by boat to make the journey. A giant storm hits, and Pi is separated from his family and left alone, stranded on a lifeboat with just a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena and a tiger. Axel Hufford
(02/25/13 4:00am)
Directed by: Dustin HoffmanWith: Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly98 minutesRated PG-13
(02/18/13 4:00am)
Michael Haneke's "Amour," which features French actors Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, follows the tender love story of an elderly Parisian couple as they are nearing the end of their lives. The film depicts the two struggling with the most basic human abilities, such as health upkeep and mobility. However, "Amour" also asks life's larger questions, such as what love and companionship mean when death is imminent. "Amour" ultimately explores these questions with the perspective that though each individual's journey is short, the strength of love is timeless. Laura Sim
(02/11/13 4:00am)
While Steven Spielberg's historical drama "Lincoln" (2012) hit theaters last November, the film has continued to rivet audiences with its sweeping tale of the American Civil War. Inspired by Doris Kearns Goodwin's biography of Lincoln, "Team of Rivals," "Lincoln" recounts the 16th president's remarkable efforts to pass the 13th Amendment, a heated reform that would entirely abolish slavery throughout the nation. In the film, Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) struggles with his personal and political demons in the midst of this war-ridden era with the help of his wife, Mary Todd (Sally Field). Laura Sim
(02/04/13 4:00am)
"Hyde Park on Hudson" is an account told through the eyes of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's distant cousin and eventual lover (Laura Linney) of a momentous weekend in 1939 that saw the unprecedented visit by the reigning British monarch, George VI (Samuel West), to the president's home in upstate New York. In the backdrop of this visit, "Hyde Park on Hudson" explores Britain's nearing involvement in Wold War II and the personal problems that Roosevelt (Bill Murray) must endure. Gordon Reed
(01/14/13 4:00am)
Quentin's Tarantino's "Django Unchained" is an antebellum-era "spaghetti" western with quite a bit of humor and violence, like most of the director's films. The story follows a slave named Django (Jamie Foxx) on a quest to find his sold-off wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington). His partner on this journey is Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a German bounty hunter who promises Django his freedom in exchange for help finding the Brittle brothers, a trio of murderers. The mission leads Django and Schultz to "Candyland," a plantation owned by the evil Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Kelsey Sipple
(01/07/13 4:00am)
Based on the beloved musical, "Les Miserables" is the story of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a convict paroled after serving nineteen years in jail for stealing a loaf of bread. When he breaks his parole, he is hunted mercilessly by Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe) for the next two decades. In the meantime, Valjean keeps a promise he made to raise a child named Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), and soon finds his destiny intertwining with that of France's as a rebellion looms in the distance. Varun Bhuchar
(11/12/12 4:00am)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Denzel Washington, the action-filled drama "Flight" (2012) follows the story of airline pilot Whip Whitaker, who miraculously saves a plane from crashing and killing its passengers. However, once an investigation begins into the malfunctions of the plane, troubling news surfaces that Whip had been drinking and using drugs during the flight and could be held accountable for the accident. Whip is then forced to come to terms with his addiction, revealing just how difficult the road to recovery can be for addicts. "Flight" also stars Don Cheadle and John Goodman. Laura Sim
(11/05/12 4:00am)
The 3-D, black-and-white stop-motion film "Frankenweenie" (2012), directed and produced by Tim Burton, follows the basic plotline of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" but adds that unmistakable stop-motion comedy-horror family vibe that made Burton famous. Young Victor Frankenstein's (Charlie Tahan) attempts at going from nerd-chic to jock-cool backfire when his first baseball game leads to the death of his dog Sparky. Victor manages to reanimate the dog, but his classmates soon figure out his formula and begin to bring back to life pets of their own that unleash chaos upon the town fair. "Frankenweenie" features additional voice acting from Martin Short, Martin Landau and Winona Ryder, and it explores the power of a boy's love for man's best friend. Luke Katler
(10/29/12 3:00am)
"Cloud Atlas" (2012), written and directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, follows multiple storylines to explore how the past, present and future intertwine to influence one another. The ensemble cast includes Tom Hanks, Hugh Grant, Halle Berry and Jim Sturgess. Every storyline in this epic adventure has a different genre but shares common themes and ideas with the others. Those who are trapped fight for their freedom, characters with the power to positively change their world battle their inner demons and the film's artists and great thinkers struggle to keep their work and ideas from being taken away. Adapted from David Mitchell's 2004 novel of the same name, "Cloud Atlas" follows the lives of individuals throughout the centuries. Kelsey Sipple
(10/22/12 2:00am)
"Argo" (2012), Ben Affleck's latest director-actor project, follows the 1980 joint CIA and Canadian secret service mission to rescue six American diplomats from revolutionaries in Tehran, Iran. Based loosely on Tony Mendez's account of the historical rescue, the film follows the events of the Iran hostage crisis in 1979. In order to get the diplomats back, Affleck, in his role as Mendez, devises a plan to pose as a Canadian film production crew working on a film in Iran. However, when the crew lands in Iran, the plan quickly begins to unravel. Affleck chooses to bring to the front a part of the Iran hostage crisis little known, focusing on the six diplomats and not the 52 Americans in captivity.Ashley Ulrich
(10/15/12 2:00am)
"Seven Psychopaths" is a crazy and star-studded comedy about a struggling writer named Marty, played by Colin Farrell, looking for the inspiration to finish a screenplay. Directed by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, "Psychopaths" also features Marty's friend Billy (Sam Rockwell), an eclectic and unsuccessful but lovable actor with a bad habit of dog theft. When Billy steals the prized shih tzu of a gang-associated maniac, Billy and Marty both get into a very bad but hysterical predicament, fueling the storyline of this sure-to-be successful black comedy. Marty gets more than enough inspiration for his screenplay, even if the situation gets him and his friends into a whole lot of trouble. Julian Danziger
(10/08/12 2:00am)
"Arbitrage," the directorial debut of Nicholas Jarecki, who also wrote the screenplay, follows billionaire CEO Robert Miller (Richard Gere) as his life spirals out of control. Miller tries to complete the sale of his company in an attempt to cover up huge losses, but when he kills his mistress in a car crash, his business, his marriage and his life threaten to come tumbling down around his ears. As the lies pile up, he must fight off a wife (Susan Sarandon) who suspects his affair, a daughter (Brit Marling) who uncovers his doctored financial records and a detective (Tim Roth) in relentless pursuit of a murder indictment. Kyle McGoey
(10/01/12 2:00am)
"A flaw in the romantic imagination" is how Woody Allen defined nostalgia in "Midnight in Paris"w (2011). This week, we see an attempt to trump such quixotism with the premiere of the BBC's "Call the Midwife," a British export that premiered last night.
(10/01/12 2:00am)
Daniel Barnz's new film presents the inspirational tale of two women insistent on repairing a damaged educational system and improving students' lives. "Won't Back Down" follows Jamie (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Nona (Viola Davis), two mothers on their quest to reinvigorate their children's' failing inner-city school. However, a corrupt and uncompromising bureaucracy headed by the president of the teacher's union (Holly Hunter), and the school's principal (Bill Nunn) hinders their efforts. The film was inspired by the true circumstances surrounding the use of the parent trigger law in Los Angeles in 2010, with which parents could legally petition under-performing public schools to institute an administrative and staffing overhaul. Luke Katler
(09/24/12 2:00am)
The saying "out with the old, in with the new" does not translate well into the arts recently, we've instead been seeing a preference for balance between both the new and the old.
(09/24/12 2:00am)
Set in post-World War II America, Paul Thomas Anderson's newest film offers a stark portrait and study of men searching for belonging and purpose during a time that promised little of either. Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a young Navy soldier, returns home from the war and is faced with a future of uncertainty and unsettlement until he meets the charismatic leader of "The Cause," Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Dodd leads a faith-based organization that is beginning to establish waves of popularity in America. "The Master" documents Quell's transition from a wayward drifter to a cult leader's right-hand man and converges on the drama in the mysterious relationship between the two men. Katie Tai
(09/17/12 2:00am)
Best known as the directors of "Little Miss Sunshine" (2005), Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris return to the quirky realm of indie movies with "Ruby Sparks." The film centers on Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano), a writer who published his first book at 19 but has been unable to write anything since. Inspired by his therapist, Calvin writes a few pages about a woman named Ruby Sparks, with whom he slowly falls in love. To his surprise, the next morning, Ruby Sparks played by Zoe Kazan, who also wrote the script appears in his kitchen in her underwear, and Calvin finds that he has done the unimaginable: He has created his ideal women out of thin air. Calvin discovers that anything he writes about Ruby comes true, and he must face the difficult choice of whether to let Ruby decide for herself what she wants. Katie Sinclair
(09/17/12 2:00am)
An article published in The New York Times last Friday titled "Shock Me if You Can" questioned whether art can still shock its viewers. For example, D.H. Lawrence's novel "Lady Chatterley's Lover" was read in secret in 1928, but people are now seen reading "50 Shades of Grey" at the beach, on the plane anywhere in public.
(09/10/12 2:00am)
In light of the impending election season, the world of the arts outside of Hanover has taken a political turn and will likely continue to do so over the next few months. The recently released documentary "2016: Obama's America" (2012), by Dartmouth alumnus Dinesh D'Souza '83, ranked fourth on its opening weekend, even beating out "Premium Rush" (2012) starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. From films to books, politics have taken over.