Unattributed film synopses indicate movies not yet reviewed by HW staff.

Indicates films of particular interest

Opening

The Book of Eli Denzel Washington–playing the safe keeper of the world’s last Bible–jumps on the post-apocalyptica train in this dark, science-fiction flick optimistically set in 2043.

The Lovely Bones An adaptation of Alice Sebold’s beloved novel about a teenage girl who gets murdered then watches from heaven–which, under the direction of Peter The Lord of the Rings Jackson, looks like a shrooms-induced playground–as her family attempts to move on with their lives.

A Single Man Tom Ford, known more for his line of perfume, helms this well-tailored drama about an English professor (Colin Firth) trying to find hope amidst the death of his longtime partner.

The Spy Next Door An atypical Jackie Chan production: meaning for every cool kung-fu chop, Chan also gives us reason to giggle at his F.O.B. naiveté. Babysitting his girlfriend’s kids provides the laughs, while a Russian terrorist keeps Chan yelping, “Hee-ya!”

Thomas and Friends: Thomas and the Runaway Kite If you’re looking for a way to kill a few hours with a 3-year-old, we’ve got you covered! Watch as America’s favorite anthropomorphic steam locomotive hunts down a kite. Choo-choo!

Continuing

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakq uel In which the alpha rodent-jock, with nerd and knucklehead in tow, enters an American Idol-esque music competition and runs up against a formidable girl-group trio. Hearts squwoon and voices squoar, all without a hint of testosterone anywhere in squight.

Avatar The thing about Avatar is that the director basically created a cartoon. Yes, the proceedings are involving, rousing and occasionally heartbreaking, but so was The Princess and the Frog. But before we pan the thing, the movie gets undeniably exciting in its spear-versus-machine climax. –Ryan Senaga

The Blind Side Sandra Bullock, big haired and feisty, channels Erin Brockovich in this story about a well-to-do white family that takes in a black high schooler from a broken home.

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day An action thriller sporting enough gunplay to make Charlton Heston proud. After a priest gets murdered in Boston, the MacManus brothers (Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus) emerge from seclusion and start shooting shit.

Broken Embraces See review online at [honoluluweekly.com]

It’s Complicated Meryl Streep used to be married to Alec Baldwin–now she’s having an affair with him while entertaining Steve Martin’s advances. Who knew the GILF-flick would become a full-fledged genre? Think Something’s Gotta Give, only with hotter guys.

Daybreakers What if vampirism was a metaphor for human greed and our reckless overconsumption of the Earth’s resources? Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe star in this scary dystopian thriller about a world very much like our own, in which almost everyone is a vampire and we’re running out of blood.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus See review on page 21.

Leap Year Amy Adams travels to Ireland as a kind of modern-day Sadie Hawkins, only to encounter all manner of foibles as she attempts to propose to her boyfriend, played by Matthew Goode.

The Princess and the Frog A twist on Brothers Grimm’s frog-turned-prince fairytale, that has Tiana, Disney’s first black princess, hopping amphibian-style through the French Quarter of New Orleans singing Broadway-style show tunes. In a sea of glitzy 3-D animation, Disney goes vintage with this 2-D throwback.

Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle purists will totally lose their irregularities after seeing what happened to their beloved creation, but in a way, that’s part of this film’s excessive charm. –R.S.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon During a montage, the months go by and we literally watch the seasons change and the paint dry while [Bella] looks forlornly out a window–symbolic of how we feel in the theater during this dreck. –R.S.

Up in the Air George Clooney gives a terrific performance in Jason Reitman’s equally terrific movie. Ryan Bingham lives “up in the air,” spending most of his time traveling, maintaining a cheerless pit-stop apartment and loving his freedom. But, the movie asks slowly and carefully, is Bingham confusing emptiness with freedom? –Bob Green

The Young Victoria An apparently very accurate and historical-like account of the marriage of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert, and of her early years on the throne. Unfortunately, the film leaves the most important question unanswered: We never see the famous prince without his trousers.

Youth In Revolt See review on page 20.

Doris Duke Theatre

They Came to Play (2009) Seventy-five young pianists take center stage in this documentary capturing the struggles and triumphs of the Van Cliburn Foundation’s International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs. Composer Donald Reid Womack, chair of the UH music department, will introduce the film.

Fri 1/15, 7:30pm, $15 for non-museum members; $12 for museum members; $8 for students with identification.

Mine (2009) A documentary that follows New Orleans residents post-Katrina as they search for their lost pets and encounter difficulties gaining custody. Winner of the Audience Award at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival.

Tue 1/19, 1, 4 & 7:30pm.

Movie Museum

The Hurt Locker (2008) A gripping look into the work of the military’s most unrecognized and courageous heroes: the Explosive Ordnance Disposal squad, responsible for defusing roadside bombs in Baghdad. A critics’ darling.

Thu 1/14 , 12:30, 3, 5:30 & 8pm; Sat 1/16 , 1:30, 4, 6:30 & 9pm.

In the Loop (U.K., 2009) A spin-off of the hailed BBC television series The Thick of It, which featured satirical jabs at the British government. This witty romp follows the U.S. government’s attempts to launch a war in the Middle East.

Fri 1/15 & Mon 1/18, 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 6:30 & 8:30pm.

Departures (Japan, 2008) The film’s title refers to all kinds of departures: a failed cellist returning to his home town (where his mother has left him her house); a father who has abandoned his family when his son was 6 years old; a wife who leaves her husband because she is ashamed of his job; and, of course, death…beautifully made, sensitively acted and masterfully directed. –B.G.

Sun 1/17, 12:30, 3, 5:30 & 8pm.

University of Hawaii

2012: Mayan Prophecy and the Shift of the Ages (Mexico, 2008) For the few (or many) who think followers of the Mayan calendar are bat-shit insane, this film provides an alternative outlook on an alternative outlook: that on December 21, 2012, instead of the apocalypse, we can (cue the X-Files soundtrack) await the dawning of the fifth sun.

Sun 1/17, 5pm.