Bloglander

Ukranian cultural critique, Brazillian F-1 racing, Asian- and Indian-American weed comedy, and British-German literary conspiracy — how international!

ANONYMOUS
Who wrote the works of William Shakespeare? Certainly not Shakespeare, according to conspiracy theorists over the centuries, and to the makers of Anonymous, who posit that they were done by frustrated (and politically hobbled) playwright Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford (Rhys Ifans). In this version, a hammy actor named Shakespeare (Rafe Spall) sees an opportunity to become rich and famous, and grabs it. This is a sprawling, dramatic story of backstabbing and treachery, wonderfully acted, and intriguing from start to finish. Directed, believe it or not (but that’s another conspiracy theory), by big-budget, mass destruction filmmaker Roland Emmerich. (ES) Rated PG-13

MY JOY
Beautifully shot but so intensely fatalistic that plot is pointless, this film about the soul-crushing injustice in rural Russia in the last century orbits around its ostensible protagonist, a truck driver name Georgy, visiting the bleak lives of various people he comes into contact with. Georgy himself orbits around the film’s central conceit, that there is no escaping. (LB) Unrated

SENNA
Senna documents the racing life of Ayrton Senna, a Formula 1 three-time world champion who died while racing at age 34. The film tells the story of the Brazilian’s rise in the high-adrenaline sport from his arrival in Europe in the late 1970s until his death in 1994. The grainy archive video in the movie underscores the intensity and danger of Senna’s passion. As he himself says, “Pure driving, real racing. That makes me happy.” At Magic Lantern (JO) PG-13

TOWER HEIST
When a group of Central Park high-rise employees discover that the penthouse billionaire has stolen their pensions, they plot to rob it back. The manager (Ben Stiller) enlists an experienced crook (Eddie Murphy) to help them break into the Wall Street titan's apartment and steal his $20 million “safety net.” It's like Ocean's Eleven, but with maids and concierges inexperienced in crime. Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Gabourey Sidibe and Casey Affleck co-star. (LZ) Rated PG-13

A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS
Six years after their Guantanamo Bay adventure, stoner buddies Harold and Kumar have grown apart, replacing each other with new friends. When a mysterious package mistakenly arrives at Kumar's house, he tries to redirect it to Harold but ends up accidentally burning down Harold's father-in-law's prize Christmas tree. Instead of coming clean, Harold and Kumar search New York City for a replacement tree but only get themselves into more trouble. (LZ) Rated R