Mini movie reviews

OPENING THIS WEEK

Bright Star - In telling the story of the final years in the brief life of poet John Keats, "Bright Star" very easily could have been a stuffy, period costume drama. Instead, writer-director Jane Campion has fashioned a fascinating mix of contradictions. Her film is at once gritty and ethereal, grounded and romantic, quaint and contemporary. Those appealing contrasts extend to the casting choices, as well, with the pale, reserved Ben Whishaw playing off the vibrant, assured Abbie Cornish. One of the smartest moves Campion made was to focus on a short, pivotal period for Keats, rather than trying to construct a comprehensive (and potentially cursory) biopic. "Bright Star" follows the three-year relationship that began in 1818 between the writer and Fanny Brawne, his next-door neighbor in Hampstead, North London. It's a gorgeous, sensual film (shot by cinematographer Greig Fraser), with pastoral touches reminiscent of Terrence Malick - and similar to his work, it actually might be too quiet at times. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) 119 min. PG. Ciné: 4:45 and 7:15 p.m. daily starting Friday.

Capitalism: A Love Story - How do you make a movie about the country's current economic crisis and actually get people to see it? Two obstacles most obviously arise: illustrating such a potentially dry subject in a compelling way, and persuading audiences to pay money for information they can get at home - and feel depressed about - for free. Having Michael Moore as our guide certainly helps. Twenty years after he took on General Motors with his powerful debut "Roger & Me," the proud provocateur is taking aim at the same sorts of targets with his latest documentary. It's vintage Moore, reflecting both the filmmaker's fondness for manipulation and his strengths as a showman. With a big assist from his crack team of archivists, he juxtaposes 1950s footage of wholesome guys and gals extolling the virtues of capitalism with all-too familiar shots of contemporary hardship. But we also see home movies of a young, towheaded Moore, excitedly visiting Wall Street from his home in Flint, Mich., which will become even more relevant when Moore returns to the economic vortex in the film's final, dramatic moments. In making the argument that capitalism is evil, Moore is all over the place, and he doesn't even make the vaguest attempt at finding balance journalistically. But at least he's equal opportunity, blaming politicians on both sides of the aisle for allowing the influence of Wall Street to lead us into the troubles we're in today. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) 127 min. R. Ciné: 4:30 and 7 p.m. daily starting Friday.

Metropolitan Opera Encore "Tosca" - Beechwood: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday only.

This is It - "High School Musical" director Kenny Ortega, who was collaborating with the singer on a series of London concerts, culls a concert film and cinematic memorial (with some sequences in 3-D) from the hundreds of hours of footage taped during Jackson's rehearsals for the shows. (Rene Rodriguez, McClatchy Newspapers) 121 min. PG. Beechwood: 4:15, 7 and 9:40 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 1:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday; Carmike: 12:45, 1:45, 3:20, 4:20, 5:55, 7, 8:30 and 9:40 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 11:10 p.m. Friday and 12:15 a.m. Saturday.

LEAVING TOWN

Fame - 107 min. PG. Carmike: 1:45 p.m. today only.

G.I. Joe - 118 min. PG-13. Georgia Square: 4:10 and 10:05 p.m. today only.

Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince - 153 min. PG. Georgia Square: 4 and 9:50 p.m. today only.

I Can Do Bad All By Myself - 113 min. PG-13. Carmike: 4:10, 7 and 9:45 p.m. today only.

Jennifer's Body - 102 min. R. Georgia Square: 5:20, 7:40 and 10 p.m. today only.

NOW SHOWING

Amelia - Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank tries for a third with this glossy, award-baiting biopic of Amelia Earhart, who disappeared in 1937 while trying to fly solo around the world. Co-starring Richard Gere as her husband and Ewan McGregor as her lover. Directed by Mira Nair ("The Perez Family," "Monsoon Wedding"). (Rene Rodriguez, McClatchy Newspapers) 111 min. PG. Beechwood: 4:05, 7:05 and 9:45 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 1:05 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

Astro Boy - The computer-animated adventures of a boy robot (voiced by Freddie Highmore) and his scientist creator (Nicolas Cage). (Rene Rodriguez, McClatchy Newspapers) 94 min. PG. Carmike: 1:45, 4:30, 7:10 and 9:30 p.m. daily starting Friday; Beechwood: 5:10, 7:30 and 9:55 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 12:30 and 2:50 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in 3-D - Based on the classic 1978 children's book by Ron and Judi Barrett, the feature-length animated film version takes the relatively simple premise of a town with bizarre weather patterns that involve food precipitation to create something entirely new. Rather than present the story as a tall tale related by an old man to his grandchildren, filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (creators of MTV's short-lived 2003 series "Clone High") brought the concept up to date by taking the most well-remembered elements of the original book and fashioning them into a sharply written satire of modern big-budget disaster films that would make Mel Brooks proud. It's one of the best movies I've seen all year and certainly the funniest. Five stars out of five. (Andrew Shearer, staff) 90 min. PG. Carmike: 1, 3:15 and 5:30 p.m. daily starting Friday.

Couples Retreat - This is what life might have been like if the guys from "Swingers" had grown up, moved to the suburbs and turned into lame, sitcommy clichés. Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn team up again, on screen and on the script (along with Dana Fox), for this broad comedy about four couples who go on a tropical vacation together. In theory, they're all there to support their friends Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell) as they try to save their marriage through the couples' counseling the resort offers. Little do they know they'll get sucked into agonizing therapy sessions that reveal their own rifts. One and a half stars out of four. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) 107 min. PG-13. Beechwood: 4:10, 7:05 and 9:45 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 1:20 p.m. Friday-Sunday; Carmike: 1:20, 4:35, 7:05 and 9:35 p.m. daily starting Friday.

The Devil Wears Prada - 109 min. PG-13. Tate Theatre: 8 p.m. Thursday only.

The Final Destination - 82 min. R. Georgia Square: 5:

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