First fest

The Company We Keep

We’re not even a month into 2011, and San Diego already has film-festival fever. Kicking off Thursday, Jan. 27, the San Diego Black Film Festival will screen more than 100 features, documentaries, shorts and videos during its four-day run. The movies will screen at UA Horton Plaza, while the panels, meet-and-greets, ceremonies and parties will be held on the second floor of the mall, in at the space formerly occupied by Robinsons/May.

Probably the biggest change to this year’s lineup is what’s now known as the Big 8, eight pictures highlighted as the fest’s must-see movies. They include Shaft or Sydney Poitier, a documentary about representations of black masculinity in comic books between 1965 and 1977, and The Company We Keep, a romantic comedy about a successful woman running her own record label who can’t find time to also have a life. There’s also the opening-night film, The Three Way, and Dog Jack, a Civil War-era drama narrated by Lou Gossett Jr. about an escaped slave who joins the Union army with his dog (that’d be Jack) in hopes of freeing his mom and sis from the plantation he left behind. Also, while you’re planning your festival schedule, you should check out the short Jackpot, from director Tony Ducret.

Needless to say, the SDBFF wouldn’t be the same without the Shaft Superfly Party, which goes down at 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, and is bookended by an industry party on Thursday and the awards gala on Saturday. A pass for just the films is $75, or you can spend as much as $500 for the VIP treatment, which includes all the parties and skipping any lines you might find in front of you. A list of films, showtimes and ticket information can be found at sdbff.com.

Meanwhile, in Carlsbad, LunaFest, which features 10 short films by, for and about women, has a local date scheduled. The fest will run at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, at La Costa Spa and Resort in Carlsbad. I’m curious about Getting a Grip, a doc about Fannie barnes, San Francisco’s first female cable car operator, and I’ve seen and enjoyed Touch, a sweet, touching little film about two women who start talking while waiting for a train. Tickets are $25, and a chunk of the proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Fund. Read about all the shorts at lunafest.org.

OPENING

Barney’s Version: Paul Giamatti won a Golden Globe for this epic look at a man who drinks and smokes and marries his way through life. It goes on too long, though, and stays a little too faithful to Mordecai Richler’s novel.

Biutiful: Javier Bardem gives a tremendous performance as Uxbal, a single father in Barcelona desperately trying to keep his head above water while facing his own mortality. See our review on Page 20.

Bhutto: A documentary about Benazir Bhutto, whose 2008 assassination derailed elections in Pakistan and changed what could have / would have / should have happened in the region. Especially poignant in light of the recent events in Arizona.

Dhobi Ghat: A Bollywood romcom about the intersecting lives and loves of young people in Mumbai.

From Prada to Nada: Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility gets a Latina twist in this version, which finds rich, spoiled sisters left penniless when their dad dies.

The Mechanic: In this remake of the ’72 muscle movie, Jason Statham is a hitman with ethics, and Ben Foster is his murdered mentor’s son. Together they’re gonna go medieval on somebody’s ass.

Outside the Law: A drama about the underground Algerian effort to get out from under France’s thumb during WWII.

The Rite: An American priest heads to the Vatican to learn the ways of exorcism from Anthony Hopkins, who must have his eye on a really nice boat to appear in a movie like this.

ONE TIME ONLY

Mothra: They haven’t made a bug zapper yet that can take on Mothra. Part of the ongoing Schlockfest, it screens at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Central Library, Downtown. Free.

Cara de Queso: Part of the San Diego Latino Film Festival’s Jewish Latino showcase, this Argentinean film is about four young boys spending the summer at a Jewish country club. It screens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, at UCSD’s Price Center Theater.

My Cousin Vinny: Ostensibly, this was Joe Pesci’s movie, as he plays a green New York lawyer trying to defend Ralph Macchio and his buddy from a murder rap in Alabama. But it was Marisa Tomei who took home an Oscar for playing his smart, mouthy girlfriend. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Pearl Hotel in Point Loma. Free.

Heather Henson’s Hand Made Puppet Dream: As part of the Adult Puppet Cabaret, Heather Henson (daughter of Jim) presents her second collection of puppet-oriented short films. Event starts at 7, and the films roll at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.

Babe: A pig movie that’s so great you might think about giving up bacon. For about two seconds. Screens at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, at the Lagoon Discovery Center in Carlsbad.

Chloe: In Atom Egoyan’s latest, Julianne Moore hires hooker Amanda Seyfried to tempt her husband, Liam Neeson. But it isn’t long before it’s the ladies who are getting familiar with each other. Screens at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, at the Center in Hillcrest. Free.

Red: Cinema Under the Stars has winterized its digs and is kicking off a new series with this action-comedy. Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren are retired CIA agents until someone tries to have them killed because they know too much. Screens at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, and 5:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at CUTS’ Mission Hills location.

Army of Darkness: Bruce Campbell in the middle ages, facing down demons with a chainsaw and a shotgun. Of course, it’s at midnight, Saturday, Jan. 29, at the Ken Cinema.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind: After his alien encounter, Richard Dreyfuss goes nuts for mashed potatoes. Screens at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 31, at the Encinitas Library. Free.

Jack Goes Boating: Phillip Seymour Hoffman steps behind and in front of the camera, starring in his own directorial debut about two working class couples in NYC. Screens at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 31, at the Central Library, Downtown. Free.

The Social Network: Status update? It’s screening at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, at the Pearl Hotel in Point Loma. Free.

NOW PLAYING

The Illusionist: Director Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville) animates a script from French cinema titan Jacques Tati about an aging magician and the young woman he unintentionally takes under his wing.

Summer Wars: An animated Japanese film about a young man invited into the home of his high-school crush under false pretenses and what goes down when an artificial-intelligence cyberterrorist threatens to take down the global infrastructure. Ends Jan. 27 at the Ken Cinema.

The Company Men: Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones and Chris Cooper are all downsized from the same company and have to sort out what to do with themselves in the new economy.

Inspector Bellamy: Gerard Depardieu is the famous French inspector, who can’t even take a vacation without running into a mystery.

No Strings Attached: Can Natalie Portman keep things purely physical with Ashton Kutcher and avoid getting all emotionally attached? Probably not.

The Way Back: Based on a true story, Peter Weir’s new film was made entirely outside of the studio system. Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell and several other interchangeable actors escape from a Siberian prison during WWII and walk more than 4,000 miles to India.

Another Year: Mike Leigh’s film is about the ease with which longtime married couple Gerri (Ruth Sheen) and Tom (Jim Broadbent) navigate a turning of the seasons, while everyone else goes through enormous upheavals. Most affected is Mary, Gerri’s alcoholic co-worker, played by Lesley Manville in an excellent performance.

The Dilemma: Ron Howard’s new film stars Vince Vaughn as a dude who learns his best friend’s wife is getting some on the side. This one irked LGBT groups for calling electric cars “gay.”

The Green hornet: Seth Rogen in a superhero movie written by Seth Rogen and the other guy who wrote Superbad. Directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). In 3-D. That’s a lot to take in.

Blue Valentine: Michelle Williams is just amazing as one half of a couple (along with Ryan Gosling) whose marriage has fallen apart.

Country Strong: Gwyneth Paltrow can actually sing, but it’s up to you to decide if you want to see her trying to be an up-and-coming country star.

Season of the Witch: Nic Cage and Ron Perlman are medieval knights tasked with transporting a woman the church suspects to be a witch. A very, very hot witch.

Somewhere: Sofia Coppola lets the camera linger on Stephen Dorff, a disengaged movie star who suddenly finds himself caring for the 11-year-old daughter he never sees. It’s slow and at times intriguing, but it’s tough to care about the existential condition of a famous actor.

Whales: Apologies in advance for this terrible joke: You’ll have a whale of a time at this IMAX flick. Screens at 7 p.m. Fridays at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park.

Casino Jack: Kevin Spacey is the lead in this fictional take on the fall of lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Gulliver’s Travels: Jack Black continues his shark-jumping. So does 3-D.

Little Fockers: Another one? Fock!

Rabbit Hole: Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart are a couple struggling with the death of their young son, eight months later. He’s all about celebrating the boy’s life while she just wants it to disappear.

True Grit: The Coen brothers adapt Clinton Portis’ novel, with Jeff Bridges playing Rooster Cogburn, the part that earned John Wayne his only Oscar.

The Fighter: For some, the acting of Christian Bale and Melissa Leo in David O. Russell’s working-class boxing movie is authentic and real. For others, it’s scenery-chewing.

The King’s Speech: Though he should have taken a walk to the podium this year, Colin Firth will probably win an Oscar for playing King George VI, the monarch who led his people into WWII despite his almost-crippling stammer. Geoffrey Rush is great as his speech therapist.

I Love You Phillip Morris: Jim Carrey is as rubber-faced as ever, playing a gay conman who meets the love of his life, Ewan McGregor, in prison.

Tron: Legacy: Disney’s big-budget, 28-years-later follow-up is far more style than substance, as Sam (Garrett Hedlund), the son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), enters the grid to rage against the machine. The light cycles are cooler than ever, but the story gets more and more ridiculous as the film progresses.

Yogi Bear: Going 3-D in today’s world just proves that Yogi is, in fact, smarter than the average bear. He’s voiced by Dan Aykroyd, while Boo-Boo gets Justin Timberlake’s pipes.

Black Swan: Natalie Portman has to find both sides of herself as a ballerina obsessed with playing the lead in Swan Lake in the new one from Darren Aronofsky. Well-directed, beautifully shot, completely bonkers.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader: The franchise is reborn after Disney stopped making the films. There’s something quasi-religious about that, right?

The Tourist: Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp team up to kill a bunch of bad guys and rake in piles of money at the box office. 

Burlesque: Can Cher help small-town girl Christina Aguilera become the best burlesque dancer in L.A.? Yes.
Tangled: Disney’s take on Rapunzel is surprisingly terrific. Mandy Moore is the singing princess, Zachary Levi the dashing thief, and they’re both upstaged by an animated horse. And for once, the 3-D contributes to the movie.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The first half of the two-part final installment assumes viewers know exactly what’s going on as the film opens. It’s as slow as the first half of the epic book it’s based upon, but fans of the Potter franchise won’t want it to end—because when it does, they have to wait until July 2011 to watch the final battle between Harry and Voldemort.

127 Hours: Danny Boyle changes pace once again. Instead of the frenetic energy of Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours is pretty much a one-man show, with James Franco playing Aron Ralston, a hiker forced to cut off his own arm to survive.

Galapagos: An IMAX look at the islands and the animals that made Charles Darwin famous. We’re most fond of the blue-footed boobie. At the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park.

Inside Job: Matt Damon narrates Charles Ferguson’s exhaustive documentary about which people, exactly, were responsible for the recent global finance crisis.

The Social Network: David Fincher’s new film about the early days of Facebook is more entertaining than 99.9 percent of status updates.

The Ultimate Wave Tahiti: The latest IMAX entry at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park follows super surfer Kelly Slater as he does his thing on some massive waves.

Hubble: Leonardo DiCaprio lends his pipes to this IMAX film, which uses CGI and real footage to take a close look at saturn’s rings. Just stay away from Uranus. At the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: The camp classic continues its ongoing run, Fridays at midnight at La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas.