Bright Star
Starring Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw. With Kerry Fox, Paul Schneider & Edie Martin.
The lovely Bright Star, which details the romance between poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne in the waning years of Keats' short life, is, as one might expect, about love in the face of poverty and one's yearning creativity. The two lovers, played by Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish, meet-cute on a sunny day in 1818 Hampstead and immediately take to one another after she gives him fashion tips. In the early 19th century, telling someone that they'd look better in blue velvet was about as good as pick-up lines got. Kenneth Turan, writing in the Los Angeles Times, says "Bright Star is one of the most deeply moving romantic films in memory." Praise also from Claudia Puig, in USA Today, "With its gorgeously framed shots and superb craftsmanship, Bright Star is a thing of beauty." RATED: PG for thematic elements, some sensuality, brief language and incidental smoking.
Where the Wild Things Are
Starring Catherine Keener, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, and Forest Whitaker.
Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are has been expanded from a nine-sentence, 37-page-long children's book filled mostly with his drawings ("the easiest prereview homework ever," Lisa Kennedy of the Denver Post remarked) to a full-length movie. And most -- but hardly all -- critics suggest that director Spike Jonze's transition enhances the enchantment of the original. Claudia Puig in USA Today calls it "a movie of surprising depth, poignancy and energy." Manohla Dargis of the New York Times describes it as an "intensely original and haunting movie." Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal says that Sendak's tale "has grown into a movie that feels vast in scope, yet remarkably intimate and tender." Joe Neumaier in the New York Daily News adds the descriptors "terrific, captivating." But Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times, while calling the creation of the fantastical characters in the movie "a considerable technical achievement," concludes that the movie feels long "and there were some stretches during which I was less than riveted." RATING: PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language.
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
Starring John C. Reilly, Ken Watanabe, Josh Hutcherson, Chris Massoglia, Ray Stevenson, Patrick Fugit, Orlando Jones, Willem Dafoe, and Salma Hayek.
16-year-old Darren was like most kids in his suburban neighborhood. He hung out with his best friend Steve, got decent grades and usually stayed out of trouble. But when he and his buddy stumble upon a traveling freak show, things begin to change inside Darren. That's the exact moment when a vampire named Larten Crepsley turns him into something, well, bloodthirsty. Newly undead, he joins the Cirque Du Freak, a touring sideshow filled with monstrous creatures from a snakeboy and a wolfman to a bearded lady and a gigantic barker. As Darren flexes his newfound powers in this dark world, he becomes a treasured pawn between the vampires and their deadlier counterparts. And while trying to survive, one boy will struggle to keep their brewing war from devouring what's left of his humanity. RATING: PG-13 for sequences of intense supernatural violence and action, disturbing images, thematic elements and some language
Couples Retreat
Starring Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Faizon Love, Kali Hawk, Jean Reno, and Jean Reno.
The comedy follows four Midwestern couples who embark on a journey to a tropical island resort. While one of the couples is there to work on their marriage, the other three set out to jet ski, spa and enjoy some fun in the sun. They soon discover that participation in the resort’s couples therapy is not optional. Suddenly, their group-rate vacation comes at a price. What follows is, well, probably not quite what the producers hoped for. Elizabeth Weitzman wrote, in the New York Daily News, "You'll have a few laughs, for sure. Just don't expect to enjoy yourself as much as everybody on screen." In the Chicago tribune, Michael Phillips had a shorter description. "The results are boring boring." It goes downhill from there, to, "It is absolutely, inexcusably terrible," as reviewed by Rene Rodriguez in the Miami Herald. RATING: PG-13 on appeal for sexual content and language.
For showtimes, visit Anacortes Cinemas Web site.