Wednesday, August 8 2012, 03:28 PM MDT
Recommended Films: Aug 3-9, 2012
Reviews of Films showing in Salt Lake City this week
by Ryan Painter
Mainstream
1. The Dark Knight Rises (PG-13)
2. The Avengers (PG-13)
3. Prometheus (R)
4. The Amazing Spider-Man (PG-13)
5. Brave (PG)
Family
1. Brave (PG)
2. Ice Age: Continental Drift (PG)
3. Madagascar 3 (PG)
4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (PG)
5. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (PG)
Art House
1. Beats of the Southern Wild (PG-13)
2. Moonrise Kingdom (PG-13)
3. Safety Not Gauranteed (R)
4. The Queen of Versailles (PG)
5. To Rome with Love (NR)
Total Recall
3 out of 5 Stars
Director • Len Wiseman
Starring • Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel
Rated • PG-13
Recommended to • Those looking for a fun, but mostly mindless, sci-fi flick.
Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), a factory worker, looks to escape the monotony of his life by visiting Rekall, a company that provides virtual experiences, only to learn that he might not be the man he thinks he is.
The only thing that really connects 2012’s “Total Recall” with the Arnold Schwarzenegger’s film from 1990 is that they are both inspired beyond Philip K. Dick’s short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale.” Well, that and the fact that they both feature a woman with three breasts (which makes absolutely zero sense in the 2012 film). Whereas the 1990 film was a wild and often bizarre ride, 2012’s film takes itself very seriously as it attempts to graft an action film onto a dystopian drama. It doesn’t exactly work, but we do get to see Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel and Farrell shoot guns and blow stuff up for 118 minutes and that’s not all bad.
The Queen of Versailles
4 out of 5 Stars
Director • Lauren Greenfield
Starring • Jackie Siegel and David Siegel
Rated • PG
Recommended to • Those searching for a darkly comedic look at the world of the 1% and how their greed pushed the world’s economy into the abyss.
David Siegel made billions of dollars by feeding off the real estate bubble. When the bubble burst Siegel and his wife, Jackie, were left to watch their fantasy world turn into a nightmare, sort of.
“The Queen of Versailles” is a glorious celebration of greed as a cancer. It would be hilarious if it weren’t true. Actually, it’s still pretty hilarious in a dark sort of way. Jackie Siegel is the poster girl of trophy wives; a real rags-to-riches story about how excess can distort a person’s sense of reality as the world fall down around them. David Seigel plays a creepy version of Ebenezer Scrooge who locks himself in his office when everything goes south. It’s a train wreck of epic proportions that needs to be seen.
Dark Horse
3 out of 5 Stars
Director • Todd Solondz
Starring • Jordan Gelber, Selma Blair and Christopher Walken
Rated • N R
Recommended to • Fans of Todd Solondz’s brand of black comedy.
Abe (Jordan Gelber) is trapped in his thirties and his parents’ basement. He sees the beautiful and deeply troubled Miranda (Selma Blair) as a way to escape his meaningless existence and justify his action figure collection. Life rarely goes as planned.
Todd Solondz has made a name for himself by being one of the most cynical and celebrated voices in independent filmmaking. “Dark Horse” isn’t nearly as “Welcome to the Dollhouse” or as toxic as “Happiness” (that’s a compliment), but it is still effectively evocative.
(Copyright 2012 Sinclair Broadcasting Group)
by Ryan Painter
Mainstream
1. The Dark Knight Rises (PG-13)
2. The Avengers (PG-13)
3. Prometheus (R)
4. The Amazing Spider-Man (PG-13)
5. Brave (PG)
Family
1. Brave (PG)
2. Ice Age: Continental Drift (PG)
3. Madagascar 3 (PG)
4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (PG)
5. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (PG)
Art House
1. Beats of the Southern Wild (PG-13)
2. Moonrise Kingdom (PG-13)
3. Safety Not Gauranteed (R)
4. The Queen of Versailles (PG)
5. To Rome with Love (NR)
Total Recall
3 out of 5 Stars
Director • Len Wiseman
Starring • Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel
Rated • PG-13
Recommended to • Those looking for a fun, but mostly mindless, sci-fi flick.
Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), a factory worker, looks to escape the monotony of his life by visiting Rekall, a company that provides virtual experiences, only to learn that he might not be the man he thinks he is.
The only thing that really connects 2012’s “Total Recall” with the Arnold Schwarzenegger’s film from 1990 is that they are both inspired beyond Philip K. Dick’s short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale.” Well, that and the fact that they both feature a woman with three breasts (which makes absolutely zero sense in the 2012 film). Whereas the 1990 film was a wild and often bizarre ride, 2012’s film takes itself very seriously as it attempts to graft an action film onto a dystopian drama. It doesn’t exactly work, but we do get to see Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel and Farrell shoot guns and blow stuff up for 118 minutes and that’s not all bad.
The Queen of Versailles
4 out of 5 Stars
Director • Lauren Greenfield
Starring • Jackie Siegel and David Siegel
Rated • PG
Recommended to • Those searching for a darkly comedic look at the world of the 1% and how their greed pushed the world’s economy into the abyss.
David Siegel made billions of dollars by feeding off the real estate bubble. When the bubble burst Siegel and his wife, Jackie, were left to watch their fantasy world turn into a nightmare, sort of.
“The Queen of Versailles” is a glorious celebration of greed as a cancer. It would be hilarious if it weren’t true. Actually, it’s still pretty hilarious in a dark sort of way. Jackie Siegel is the poster girl of trophy wives; a real rags-to-riches story about how excess can distort a person’s sense of reality as the world fall down around them. David Seigel plays a creepy version of Ebenezer Scrooge who locks himself in his office when everything goes south. It’s a train wreck of epic proportions that needs to be seen.
Dark Horse
3 out of 5 Stars
Director • Todd Solondz
Starring • Jordan Gelber, Selma Blair and Christopher Walken
Rated • N R
Recommended to • Fans of Todd Solondz’s brand of black comedy.
Abe (Jordan Gelber) is trapped in his thirties and his parents’ basement. He sees the beautiful and deeply troubled Miranda (Selma Blair) as a way to escape his meaningless existence and justify his action figure collection. Life rarely goes as planned.
Todd Solondz has made a name for himself by being one of the most cynical and celebrated voices in independent filmmaking. “Dark Horse” isn’t nearly as “Welcome to the Dollhouse” or as toxic as “Happiness” (that’s a compliment), but it is still effectively evocative.
(Copyright 2012 Sinclair Broadcasting Group)
