Movies opening this week in theaters:
- INTO THE WOODS (Walt Disney Pictures / PG / Wide)
- UNBROKEN (Universal Pictures / PG-13 / Wide)
- BIG EYES (The Weinstein Company / PG-13 / Wide)
- THE GAMBLER (Paramount Pictures / R / Wide)
- AMERICAN SNIPER (Warner Bros. / R / Limited)
Synopses, details, critical reception, trailers, clips and more after the jump.
INTO THE WOODS
Official Synopsis
"Into the Woods" is a modern twist on several of the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy)-all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife (James Corden & Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them.
Film Details
- Starring: Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Johnny Depp, Daniel Huttlestone, Lilla Crawford, Tracey Ullman, Lucy Punch, Christine Baranksi
- Director: Rob Marshall
- Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Musical
- Running Time: 124 min.
- Rating: PG for thematic elements, fantasy action and peril, and some suggestive material
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 71% (65 fresh, 26 rotten, score: 6.7/10).
- Metacritic: 70 out of 100 (26 positive, 5 mixed, 0 negative).
Trailers, Clips, Posters and More
UNBROKEN
Official Synopsis
Academy Award (R) winner Angelina Jolie directs and produces Unbroken, an epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis "Louie" Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII-only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. Director Jolie began shooting some of the most dramatic and challenging scenes on Wednesday, October 16, on location far out at sea in Moreton Bay, Australia, with Zamperini (O'Connell) and his fellow airmen-Phil (Domhnall Gleeson) and Mac (Finn Wittrock)-having impossibly survived being adrift in the open Pacific for several weeks. Working with cameras on a floating rig in choppy waters and braving the elements, with actors dieting for months to appear as depleted as their characters, Jolie completed a successful first day of a location shoot that promises to be rigorous and uniquely challenging. Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand's ("Seabiscuit: An American Legend") enormously popular book, Unbroken brings to the big screen Zamperini's unbelievable and inspiring true story about the resilient power of the human spirit. Starring alongside O'Connell, Gleeson and Wittrock are Garrett Hedlund and John Magaro as fellow POWs who find an unexpected camaraderie during their internment, Alex Russell as Zamperini's brother, Pete, and in his English-language feature debut, Japanese actor Miyavi as the brutal camp guard known only to the men as "The Bird." The film is produced by Jolie, as well as Matthew Baer (City by the Sea), Erwin Stoff (The Day the Earth Stood Still) and Clayton Townsend (This Is 40). Leading the accomplished behind-the-scenes crew is 10-time Oscar (R)-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall). Academy Award (R) winners Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men) rewrote the screenplay from earlier drafts by William Nicholson (Les Misérables) and Richard LaGravenese (HBO's Behind the Candelabra).
Film Details
- Starring: Jack O'Connell, Takamasa Ishihara, Domhnall Gleeson, Jai Courtney, Garrett Hedlund, Finn Wittrock
- Director: Angelina Jolie
- Genre: Drama, Biography
- Running Time: 137 min.
- Rating: PG-13 for war violence including intense sequences of brutality, and for brief languag
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 51% (50 fresh, 49 rotten, score: 6.1/10).
- Metacritic: 60 out of 100 (22 positive, 16 mixed, 0 negative).
Trailers, Clips, Posters and More
BIG EYES
Official Synopsis
Directed and produced by Tim Burton, BIG EYES is based on the true story of Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz), who was one of the most successful painters of the 1950s and early 1960s. The artist earned staggering notoriety by revolutionizing the commercialization and accessibility of popular art with his enigmatic paintings of waifs with big eyes. The truth would eventually be discovered though: Keane's art was actually not created by him at all, but by his wife, Margaret (Amy Adams). The Keanes, it seemed, had been living a lie that had grown to gigantic proportions. BIG EYES centers on Margaret's awakening as an artist, the phenomenal success of her paintings, and her tumultuous relationship with her husband, who was catapulted to international fame while taking credit for her work.
Film Details
- Starring: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Krysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman, Danny Huston, Terence Stamp
- Director: Tim Burton
- Genre: Drama, Biography
- Running Time: 105 min.
- Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong language
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 70% (54 fresh, 23 rotten, score: 6.6/10).
- Metacritic: 64 out of 100 (17 positive, 8 mixed, 3 negative).
Trailers, Clips, Posters and More
THE GAMBLER
Official Synopsis
Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) is a risk taker. Both an English professor and a high-stakes gambler, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster (Michael Kenneth Williams) and offers his own life as collateral. Always one step ahead, Bennett pits his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring (Alvin Ing) and leaves his dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy mother (Jessica Lange) in his wake. He plays both sides, immersing himself in an illicit, underground world while garnering the attention of Frank (John Goodman), a loan shark with a paternal interest in Bennett’s future. As his relationship with a student (Brie Larson) deepens, Bennett must take the ultimate risk for a second chance.
Film Details
- Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, John Goodman, Brie Larson, Michael Kenneth Williams, George Kennedy
- Director: Rupert Wyatt
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Running Time: 111 min.
- Rating: R for language throughout, and for some sexuality/nudity
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 51% (27 fresh, 27 rotten, score: 6.0/10).
- Metacritic: 57 out of 100 (14 positive, 10 mixed, 4 negative).
Trailers, Clips, Posters and More
AMERICAN SNIPER
Official Synopsis
U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the SEAL creed to “leave no man behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya Renae Kyle (Sienna Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind.
Film Details
- Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, E.R. Ruiz, Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Max Charles
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Genre: Drama, Biography, War, Action
- Running Time: 132 min.
- Rating: R for strong and disturbing war violence, and language throughout including some sexual references
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 69% (34 fresh, 15 rotten, score: 6.6/10).
- Metacritic: 71 out of 100 (17 positive, 6 mixed, 0 negative).