Opening Films

by INLANDER STAFF & r & & r & THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY & r & & r & Painter-turned-director Julian Schnabel's third film finally hits Spokane. It's based on the true story of magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric), who suffered a stroke in his early 40s, leaving him paralyzed, but with his brain and left eye still fully functioning. Based on his memoir -- and using plenty of narration -- it's about how he communicated via blinking, and what was going on inside his head, revealing both good and bad, and mixing his distressing situation with flashbacks and fantasies. (ES) Rated PG-13





RUN FAT BOY RUN


David Schwimmer's feature directorial debut misses the mark, but it's not his fault. The story of a nice-guy loser (Simon Pegg) who panics and literally runs away from his pregnant bride-to-be (Thandie Newton) on their wedding day, and years later still pines for her -- even vows to run a marathon to win her back -- has a scattered script by Pegg and Michael Ian Black. The actors give their all, but it's only funny in starts and stops. Schwimmer's direction is competent; he just needs better material. (ES) Rated PG-13





STOP-LOSS


After serving a tour of duty in Iraq, soldiers from Texas are unexpectedly called back to active duty after believing they were about to be discharged from service. The story of three friends and their families is directed by Kimberly Peirce, who made another brilliant film about Texas, Boys Don't Cry. (LB) Rated R





SUPERHERO MOVIE


Like Scary Movie and Date Movie, but with, you know, superheroes. Tracy Morgan better have got paid a stupid amount of money for this... (LB) Rated PG-13





21


A based-on-fact, Hollywoodized story about the fellow (Kevin Spacey) who masterminded, along with a group of sharp MIT students, a plan to take Vegas for large sums of money. They succeed, they get caught, things go awry, then turn bad. Fresh from his lead role in Across the Universe, Jim Sturgess -- playing the leader of the group -- puts on a solid American accent and acts convincingly frightened when casino heavy Laurence Fishburne turns tough on him. (ES) Rated PG-13