Chile Pages
CENTS
Junior high can be a battle between popular girls and everyone else. In Cents, Sammy Baca (Julia Flores), a seventh-grade outcast math whiz, devises a plan to raise millions of dollars for a charity drive that rockets her to local fame, simultaneously roping in and alienating the queen bees of the school. It’s a complex tale simply told about trust, intelligence, goals, ethics, and the relationships between mothers and daughters. Shot in Albuquerque, Cents was written, directed, and produced by Albuquerque resident Christopher Boone. 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, only. Not rated. 90 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Jennifer Levin)
DARK PLACES Rated R. 113 minutes. Violet Crown. See review, Page 50.
DO I SOUND GAY? This witty documentary by David Thorpe explores the “gay voice,” or what it means to “sound gay.” George Takei and Dan Savage are among the people he interviews. Not rated.
77 minutes. Jean Cocteau Cinema. (Not reviewed)
FANTASTIC FOUR
Just 10 years ago, the “first family” of Marvel comics hit the big screen and quickly fizzled out. After one sequel, it was surpassed in quality by the likes of The Dark Knight and Iron Man. This reboot by Josh Trank (Chronicle) introduces a darker tone and doesn’t promise to be much better (the studio is refusing to let critics run reviews until after the movie has opened — an honor typically reserved for D-grade horror). Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, and Jamie Bell play the quartet. Rated PG-13. 100 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown; DreamCatcher. (Not reviewed)
THE GIFT
Jason Bateman (Arrested Development) takes a break from humor for a Fatal Attraction kind of tale, about bromance rather than romance. He plays Simon, a man who moves into a new home, and an old friend named Gordo (Joel Edgerton) worms his way back into his life. When Simon cuts off the friendship and past secrets are exposed, things take a dark turn. Rated R. 108 minutes. Regal DeVargas; Regal Stadium 14; DreamCatcher. (Not reviewed)
IRRATIONAL MAN Rated R. 96 minutes. Regal DeVargas. See review, Page 52.
JELLYFISH EYES
Animation and live action blend together in weird ways in this debut feature by visual artist Takashi Murakami. The film centers on children in a small town who are able to summon up strange creatures. Not rated. 101 minutes. In Japanese with subtitles. Jean Cocteau Cinema. (Not reviewed)
PAOLO COELHO’S BEST STORY
It’s his life story, and it reinforces the belief that a writer’s best work is not his life but the stories he puts on paper. Daniel Augusto’s messy biopic samples three periods of the Brazilian author Paolo Coelho’s career, and flits about between them like a writer with adult ADD, without providing much insight. We get the rebellious adolescent Paolo in the ‘60s, flirting with suicide, passionate to become a writer, and generally behaving like a jerk; we get the adult Paolo in the ‘80s, a successful rock songwriter and tortured soul still dreaming of becoming a serious writer; and we get the old Paolo in 2013, now a literary superstar, “the only living author more translated than Shakespeare,” revisiting a life-changing pilgrimage in Spain to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The
Alchemist, though he’s still a bit of a jerk. Julio Andrade plays the older Paolos, and his younger brother Ravel plays the teen edition. The most affecting performances come from Enrique Diaz as Paolo’s much-despised father, and Fabiana Gugli as his sunny, supportive wife. Not rated. 112 minutes. In Portuguese and Spanish with subtitles. The Screen, Santa Fe. (Jonathan Richards)
PERFORMANCE AT THE SCREEN
The series of high-definition screenings continues with a double feature of flamenco performances with the choreography of the legendary Antonio Gades, both from Madrid’s Teatro Real: Gades’ 1974 Bodas de Sangre and his 1963
Suite Flamenca. 11:15 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 8, only. Not rated. 111 minutes. The Screen. (Not reviewed)
RICKI AND THE FLASH
Every once in a while, Meryl Streep takes a break from high drama and lets her hair down In this comedy, written by Diablo Cody and directed by Jonathan Demme, she plays a musician who didn’t make it as a rock star, and returns home to her family. Kevin Kline co-stars. Rated PG-13. 102 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
THE RUNNER
Nicolas Cage continues to zigzag through his career, this time toning down the bug-eyed, wild-haired maniac to give a restrained performance about a well-meaning politician who struggles to handle a sex scandal during the aftermath of the 2010 BP oil spill. Sarah Paulson, Peter Fonda, and Wendell Pierce co-star. Rated R. 85 minutes. The Screen.
(Not reviewed)
SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE
Aardman Animations created Shaun the Sheep as a foil for its beloved Wallace and Gromit in the 1995 short film A Close Shave. Shaun, who is equal parts cute and crafty, proved so popular that he spun off into his own delightful TV show, and now his first movie. The tomfoolery centers around Shaun and his flock
heading to the big city, trying to blend in, and avoiding their farmer. Rated PG. 85 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
SLINGSHOT
Dean Kamen, best known as the inventor of the Segway Human Transporter, says his “vapor compression distiller” can wipe out 50 percent of all human disease. Using the same amount of electricity as a hair dryer, the machine can produce a thousand liters of pure water every day — from any kind of polluted water. The big challenge is getting the machines to the people who need them around the world. This is a fascinating, multidimensional profile of Kamen, who holds more than 440 patents, including those for the iBot stairclimbing wheelchair and a portable dialysis machine. Director Paul Lazarus hosts aQ & A session at all weekend screenings. Not rated. 88 minutes. Center for Contemporary Arts. (Paul Weideman)