CinePhillyist

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend.

Patti Smith: Dream of Life
This documentary about the legendary musician screened at the Philadelphia Film Festival earlier this year, but now it's come back for its regular run in local theaters. The reviews are generally pretty good, and Smith is certainly an interesting and talented subject. We'd see it.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse

Happy-Go-Lucky
We can't say we were a big fan of Mike Leigh's insanely melodramatic Secrets & Lies, so we're not really aching to see his latest film, a comedy starring Sally Hawkins as Poppy, an irrepressibly free-spirited school teacher who brings an unsinkable sense of optimism to every situation she encounters. Her positive perspective is tested throughout the film, as her bike is stolen and she signs up for driving lessons with Scott, who turns out to be her nemesis—an angry, uptight cynic. The reviews are overwhelmingly positive, and a life-affirming comedy flush with optimism certainly sounds like good medicine, given the current economic climate, so if you don't have any hang-ups about Mike Leigh, this would probably be a good film to check out.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse

Morning Light
A documentary about fifteen young sailors and the bond formed between them when they compete together in the Transpac, the most revered open-ocean sailing competition in the country. Can't say we find open-ocean sailing competitions interesting in any way, and the few reviews that are in for this film so far are pretty negative. We'll skip it.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse

W.
We'll have a review of Oliver Stone's film about George W. Bush later on today.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: Ritz Five

Rachel Getting Married
Anne Hathaway leaves her cute, clean, Disney image behind to play Kym, an estranged daughter who returns to the family home for her sister's wedding and stirs up long-simmering tensions, causing hilarity and heartbreak. With critically acclaimed director Jonathan Demme at the helm, and a lot of good buzz all around, this seems like a pretty good bet for the weekend, if you're in the mood for some nuanced family drama.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: Ritz Five

Most Likely to Suck: Sex Drive
Yes, it's another teen sex comedy. Sigh. The painfully familiar plot sees an 18-year-old loser setting out with a couple of friends on a cross-country road trip to lose his virginity to a hot girl he met on the internet. The synopsis on Moviefone continues: "But the journey, filled with hilarious misadventures and raunchy escapades, teaches all three more than they expected about life and love." *gag* We're not sure they could have made that sound more terrible. The reviews are mixed enough to confirm our suspicions. We'll keep far away from this one.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: Roxy Theatre, UA Riverview

The Secret Life of Bees
The bestseller that seemed to be on everybody's bookshelves a few years ago finally makes it to the silver screen. The movie stars Dakota Fanning and Jennifer Hudson as two friends who run away from home in order to solve a mystery surrounding one of their mothers. Three sisters take the girls in and teach them to care for and raise bees. Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo, Alicia Keys, and Tristan Wilds co-star. Sounds pretty dull, and the reviews are not so good. We'll skip this one, too.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: Ritz East

Max Payne
Let's face it: movies based on video games are almost never good. And this one in particular is, as of this writing, sitting at an abysmal 0% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. But only nine reviews are in so far, and the ads look really cool! So we're going to remain stubbornly optimistic. The story is about a widowed cop (Mark Wahlberg) hell-bent on delivering justice no matter what the cost as he investigates a string of killings in his city. Mila Kunis and Chris O'Donnell co-star. Wait a minute, Chris O'Donnell?? We hate that guy! Never mind what we said before, this thing is going to suck.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: UA Riverview, The Bridge

Directors in Focus: Nelson Pereira dos Santos
As part of its "Carnaval!: A Celebration of South America," the International House is screening films by critically acclaimed Brazilian director Nelson Pereira dos Santos. On Friday we have The Amulet of Ogum (1974), about a young man whose invulnerability to bullets (thanks to the Candomble gods) lets him rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld. On Saturday is Tent of Miracles (1977), which opens with a visiting American dignitary remarking that one of the greatest Brazilian scientists is a long forgotten janitor. In response, the press and scientific community rush to discover something about the man. It's an exploration of racism in the form of a taut investigative thriller, with a structure similar to that of Citizen Kane. Both films sound very interesting.
Showing at: International House

Most Likely to Rule: Death of a Cyclist
Also on Saturday, the International House will be screening this French film from 1955, as part of their continuing celebration of the Janus Collection, but also in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the protests of May 1968. The film opens with an upper-class professor and his wealthy, married mistress accidentally hitting a cyclist while driving back from a late-night rendezvous. It's a tale of guilt, infidelity and blackmail that is actually a direct attack on 1950s Spanish society under Franco's rule. It's critically acclaimed, and sounds really amazing.
Showing at: International House

Image via Amazon.com