ANNA KARENINA
Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel of love and infidelity comes to life thanks to director Joe Wright. A unique narrative device illuminates the theatrical behavior of the randy Russian nobles who can’t seem to help trying to sleep with each other’s spouses. In the end, it’s a costume drama, with a Masterpiece Theatre feel, but fans of the novel and the genre will enjoy this version. Rated R. At Century and Esquire. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
ANY DAY NOW
Set in the 1970s, this audience-pleasing drama is both hilarious and heartbreaking. Rudy is a drag queen whose outrageous exterior hides a lonely but lovable interior. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres
ARGO
Ben Affleck’s latest directing project (in which he also stars) is based on true events from the Iranian revolution in 1979. Militants storm the U.S. embassy and take 52 Americans hostage, but six Americans escape to the home of a Canadian ambassador. A CIA agent comes forward to get them out of the country before they’re found. Rated R. At Century and Colony Square.
BROOKLYN CASTLE
The remarkable and improbable story of I.S. 318 in Brooklyn, where 65 percent of the student body lives below the poverty level, yet it has the highest-ranked junior high chess team in the nation. The film’s heart lies in the journey of each of the students on the team. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
CHASING ICE
Acclaimed National Geographic photographer James Balog was once a skeptic about climate change. But through his Extreme Ice Survey, he discovers undeniable evidence of our changing planet. At Century. –– Landmark Theatres
CHICKEN WITH PLUMS
From the creators of Persepolis, this is the story of Nasser Ali Khan, one of the most renowned musicians of his day. Since his beloved violin was broken, he has lost all taste for life and decides to confine himself to bed to await death. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
CHRISTMAS IN ACIDLAND
Fun for the whole family, with an extra dose of fun for the ironically inclined, this is a time-tripping harvest of quaint seasonal snippets and some bizarre holiday media detritus. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
DEADFALL
Set in the snowy wilds of northern Michigan, this crime thriller abounds in action chases and gripping tension. Too-close siblings Addison and Liza are on the run from a casino heist gone wrong when their car crashes, stranding them in the wilderness. At Mayan. –– Landmark Theatres
THE DOORS: HOLLYWOOD BOWL
Fans
now can watch for the first time this digitally remastered and
carefully restored version of what is considered to be the best Doors
performance captured on film. With interviews of the band, it will
appeal to fans old and new. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
ET: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
Enjoy
it the way we did the first time — the original theatrical version
before CGI changes and rifles-becoming-radios redux. Rated PG. At
Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
THE FITZGERALD FAMILY CHRISTMAS
In
this personal and entertaining piece of Americana, Ed Burns weaves an
ensemble story of adult siblings dealing with the desire of their
estranged father to return home for Christmas for the first time since
he walked out on his family 20 years ago. At Boedecker. — Boedecker
Theater
GRAND ILLUSION
It’s
a WWI POW camp for French man-of-the-people pilot Jean Gabin and
aristocratic staff observer Pierre Fresnay after they’re shot down by
equally aristocratic German Erich von Stroheim. This 1930s French film
is one of the world’s great classics. At SIE FilmCenter. — Denver Film
Society
THE GUILT TRIP
Before setting off on one of the biggest trips of his life, Andy Brewster makes a quick stop at his mom’s house and unexpectedly picks her up to join on his personal adventure. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
HITCHCOCK
Lurking behind Alfred Hitchcock — cinema’s “master of suspense” and the extraordinary film icon known for orchestrating some of the most intense experiences of menace and intrigue audiences have ever seen — was a hidden side: his creatively explosive romance with his steadfast wife and filmmaking collaborator, Alma Reville. At Mayan and Century. –– Landmark Theatres
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY 3D
See full review. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
HOLY MOTORS
Over the course of a day, Monsieur Oscar travels by limousine around Paris to a series of nine “appointments,” transforming into new characters or incarnations at each stop. At SIE FilmCenter. –– Landmark Theatres
JACK REACHER
The tough-as-nails main character of 17 Lee Child crime thriller novels is brought to the screen in this film, an adaptation of the book One Shot. The 6-foot-5 protagonist, portrayed by the 5-foot-7 Tom Cruise, uncovers a plot to frame an Army veteran. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
KILLING THEM SOFTLY
Amped-up violence meets political and economic commentary in this adaptation of George Higgins’ novel Cogan’s Trade, directed by Andrew Dominik. Brad Pitt plays chill hit man Jackie Cogan, who has been hired to catch three guys who have decided to rob a Mob-protected card game. Rated R. At Century.
A LATE QUARTET
Set in iconic New York City and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken and Catherine Keener as members of a world-renowned string quartet who, despite their passion for music, struggle to stay together when their patriarch is diagnosed with a terminal illness. The repercussions hit the group deeper than they could imagine, with power struggles and illicit affairs. Rated R. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
LAY THE FAVORITE
Beth Raymer is an intense, excited, beautiful girl with a huge heart who gives up stripping in Florida to realize her dream: to become a cocktail waitress in Las Vegas. When she doesn’t land a job, she lucks into meeting Dink, an idiosyncratic sports gambler who sees potential and ability under Beth’s bubbly exterior. At SIE FilmCenter. –– Denver Film Society
LIFE OF PI 3D
A storm ravages a boat carrying a zookeeper’s family and menagerie, and the only survivors are the family’s son, Pi, and a Bengal tiger, coyly named Richard Parker. The film follows the odd couple’s lifeboat as Pi devises ways to stay alive and tame his beastly companion. Shot in 3-D, the film is a visual feast and is an almost certain to receive a Best Picture nomination. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
LINCOLN
This is all about the creation of the penny. OK, kidding. This is Daniel Day-Lewis proving he’s the best there is (maybe ever) embodying the emancipatory president as he works to get the 13th Amendment through a divided Congress in the midst of war. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
LOVE ACTUALLY
Billed as “the ultimate romantic comedy,” Love Actually involves more than a dozen main characters, each weaving his or her way into another’s heart over the course of one particularly eventful Christmas. At SIE FilmCenter. — Denver Film Society
MILE HIGH SCI-FI: FREE SECRET APOCALYPSE FILM!
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and Mile High Sci-Fi wants to send you out into the big explosion with a smile on your face, so they’re showing a film that is so great, you won’t know what it is until it rolls. Dec. 20 only. At SIE FilmCenter. — Denver Film Society
MONSTERS, INC. 3D
This Pixar feature returns to the silver screen in 3D. Sully and Mike have to figure out what to do with a little girl named Boo who has followed them back into the world of monsters. Rated G. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
With 25,000 lights on the roof, the SWAT team taking siege outside, and an exploding turkey on the dining room table, the Griswold family celebrates the holiday in true National Lampoon style. Rated PG-13. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres
PLAYING FOR KEEPS
A has-been soccer star tries to turn his life around by reconnecting with his son. As coach of his son’s soccer team, though, he catches the eye of a fleet of soccer moms. Rated PG-13. At Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
THE REVISIONARIES
In Austin, Texas, 15 people influence what is taught to the next generation of American children. Once every decade, the highly politicized Texas State Board of Education rewrites the teaching and textbook standards for its nearly 5 million schoolchildren. At SIE FilmCenter. –– Denver Film Society.
RISE OF THE GUARDIANS 3D
Childhood legends such as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny team up with Jack Frost to protect the imagination and beliefs of children. Rated PG. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
The longest-running midnight movie of all time stars Tim Curry as the kinky yet endearing “transvestite from Transylvania” Dr. Frank N. Furter. At Esquire. — Landmark Theatres
A ROYAL AFFAIR
The epic historical romance A Royal Affair is based on the true story of an ordinary man who wins a queen’s heart and starts a revolution. The 18th century drama centers on the intriguing love triangle between young but strong Queen Caroline Mathilda, her deranged Danish King Christian VII and the royal physician, a man of enlightenment and idealism. At Mayan. –– Landmark Theatres
ROYAL OPERA HOUSE’S THE NUTCRACKER
Choreographed by Peter Wright after Lev Ivanov, Herr Drosselmeyer sets in motion the events that will see his beloved nephew freed from the enchantment of the evil Mouse King by the resourceful Clara. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
THE SESSIONS
Based on the poignantly optimistic autobiographical writings of California-based journalist and poet Mark O’Brien, The Sessions tells the triumphant story of a man confined to an iron lung who is determined — at age 38 — to lose his virginity. At Mayan. –– Landmark Theatres
SKYFALL
While Daniel Craig has provided some entertaining moments as the world’s most famous fictional spy, James Bond purists have grumbled that Craig’s two films departed too greatly from the 22-film tradition of the womanizing spy-hero. Skyfall is a return to form for 007. Action, beautiful dames, interesting gadgets and snappy one-liners abound in this thriller. No surprises there. Rated PG-13. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks. — The Reader of Omaha, Neb.
TALES OF THE NIGHT
A hit at the Berlin Film Festival, Tales of the Night blends history with fairytale as viewers are whisked off to enchanted lands full of dragons, werewolves, captive princesses, sorcerers and enormous talking bees, all bursting with color and kaleidoscopic backgrounds. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
THIS IS 40
Judd Apatow’s latest writing and directing effort takes us back to Knocked Up, kind of, as it depicts the marriage of two of the characters from the earlier film. Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, Apatow’s real-life spouse, play a couple struggling through marriage in this emotional comedy. Rated R. At Century, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
TRUE WOLF
Born in captivity, Koani could only be a captive wolf. She becomes an educational ambassador for wolves and wilderness. At Boedecker. –– Boedecker Theater
TRAILER WAR
Unleashed from the vaults of the Alamo Drafthouse, a selection of the best, strangest and most amazing coming attraction trailers in the world. From the high-flying, explosive metal mayhem of Stunt Rock to Thunder Cops’ disembodied flying head chaos, each three-minute masterpiece is like a beckoning portal to another dimension. Part of the Watching Hour series. At SIE FilmCenter. –– Denver Film Society.
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN – PART 2
In the ending to this romantic epic, the Cullens seek the help of other vampire clans to save newborn Renesmee from the Volturi. Rated PG-13. At Colony Square and Twin Peaks.
