2008. 5.16 NOW PLAYING
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (All)Fantasy, Family / 145 min. / English
See full review, left.
Penelope (12)
Comedy, Fantasy / 89 min. / English
Penelope (Christina Ricci) seems to have it all: She’s got money to burn and a lineage that practically makes her royalty. But poor Penelope also has something she’d rather do without: the ears and snout of a pig. In this modern-day fairy tale, Penelope’s family is afflicted by a curse that can only be broken by true love. In an attempt to break the curse, Penelope’s parents unsuccessfully try to match her with a series of eligible blue-blooded bachelors. But then a mischievous tabloid reporter hires a down-and-out gambler, Max (James McAvoy), to court Penelope. Much to Max’s surprise, he falls for Penelope — just in time to get exposed as the schemer that he really is. Heartbroken, Penelope runs away to the big city, where she meets some friends who teach her about inner beauty.
To Each his Own Cinema (15)
Drama / 114 min. / Multilingual
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, 35 leading international auteurs have worked together to create an engaging compilation of 33 three-minute films. The project, the brainchild of festival president Gilles Jacob, was created to celebrate Cannes’ birthday and to honor cinema itself. The directors were asked to express “their state of mind the moment they were first inspired by film.” The audience doesn’t learn the name of the person behind the camera until the end of each short in this experimental collection. Thus, the audience is left guessing who created the art on screen.
Priceless (15)
Comedy / 104 min. / French
Directed by Pierre Salvadori, this delightful French comedy features “Amelie” star Audrey Tautou as Irène, an attractive, sexy gold-digger. Irène is only interested in men with money — lots and lots of it. Her radar for rich men, however, gets jumbled when she encounters Jean (Gad Elmaleh) at an elite resort in the south of France. After spending a wonderful day with Jean, Irène discovers that he is actually a hotel employee, not a guest. Furious, Irène wants nothing more to do with him, despite Jean’s pleading efforts. But eventually, Jean finds his way into Irène’s life again.
Speed Racer (12)
Action, Sport / 129 min. / English
The version of “Speed Racer” now in theaters is hardly the cutely clunky Japanese cartoon of the 1960s. This version, written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, transfers the antiquated anime into slick, futuristic live action against a whole lot of computer-generated imagery. Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is an instinctive and fearless race car driver by blood. Pops Racer (John Goodman) runs a racing business, and his brother Rex (Scott Porter) was a dynamo on the track until his tragic demise. When a corporate bigwig threatens Speed’s future, he teams up with Taejo Togokhan (Rain) and the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) in hopes of saving the sport he loves.
Persepolis (12)
Animation, Drama / 95 min. / French, English, Persian, German
Based on Marjane Satrapi’s best-selling graphic novel, this film presents a deeply personal coming-of-age tale about finding one’s place in the world. In 1970s Iran, young, outspoken Marjane (voiced by Chiara Mastrojanni) has to witness repressive tyranny in her country. Fearful that Marjane’s strong will may get her in trouble, her loving but overly protective family decides to send her abroad to Vienna to give her a better life. There, Marjane faces racial prejudice due to her Middle Eastern roots. Upon her return to Iran, the tyrannical pressures of society force her to leave her country once again. After realizing that she and her homeland have changed too much, can Marjane find where she truly belongs?
Iron Man (12)
Action, Fantasy / 125 min. / English
Tony Stark is a techno-genius playboy who has built his vast fortune peddling weapons of mass destruction. Unbeknownst to Stark, his weapons find their way into the hands of terrorists, who then attack him during a business trip in Afghanistan. Faced with the reality of his company’s work while held captive by terrorists, Stark plans his escape, then atones for his sins by assuming a superhero identity. Later, Stark’s weapons find their way into the wrong hands again, and it’s up to Iron Man to save the day in all his irreverent glory.
Talk to Me (15)
Biography, Drama / 118 min. / English
In the 1960s, the United States experienced a social revolution. In the nation’s capital, radio personality Ralph Waldo “Petey” Greene, Jr. (Don Cheadle) was the voice of social consciousness. An ex-con, Petey purported to “tell it like it is” through his wit and social commentary. With the help of his girlfriend, Vernell (Taraji Henson), and his by-the-book co-worker at the radio station, Dewey, (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Petey manages to add soul to a turbulent era.
More information is available on the Web sites listed below
Art Reon www.artreon.co.kr
Broadway Cinema www.bc5.co.kr
Cine City www.icinecity.co.kr
Cinecube www.cinecube.net
Cinus www.cinus.co.kr
City Cinema www.citycinema.co.kr
CJ CGV www.cgv.co.kr
Daehan Cinema www.daehancinema.co.kr DongSoong Art Center idsartcenter.co.kr
Hanil Cinema www.hanilcinema.co.kr
Kino Cinema www.kinocinema.co.kr
Lotte Cinema www.lottecinema.co.kr
Lumiere Cinema www.lumiere.co.kr
Megabox www.megabox.co.kr
Myungbo Cinema www.myungbo.com
Primus Cinema www.primuscinema.com Seoul Cinema www.seoulcinema.com
Sponge House www.spongehouse.com
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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