In Cinemas this week (6 Mar. – 12 Mar.)

Watchmen

In a gritty and alternate 1985 the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown, but after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so discover a deeper and far more diabolical plot.

Cast:
Malin Akerman (Laurie Jupiter / Silk Spectre II)
Billy Crudup (Dr. Manhattan / Jon Osterman)
Matthew Goode (Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias)
Jackie Earle Haley (Walter Kovacs / Rorschach)

Director: Zack Snyder
Writer: David Hayter, Alex Tse
Runtime: 163 min
Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy
Rating: 18
Language: English
Production Year: 2009

Marley & Me

A tale of a couple embarking on the adventure of marriage, career, family, and the world’s worst dog. At least that’s how writer and newlywed John comes to describe his blonde lab, Marley, when he takes the puppy home and finds that the fluff-ball has an uncanny ability to eat and/or destroy just about anything. As years go by, John and his wife, Jennifer, contemplate having babies and moving across the country, while Marley grows into 100 lbs. of funny, wild, completely untrainable canine companionship — as well as one of the most important people in the family.

Cast:
Owen Wilson (John Grogan)
Jennifer Aniston (Jennifer Grogan)
Eric Dane (Sebastian)
Kathleen Turner (Ms. Kornblut)

Director: David Frankel
Writer: Scott Frank, Don Roos
Runtime: 111 min
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rating: K
Language: English
Production Year: 2008

The Reader

Middle aged German barrister Michael Berg recollects to himself his lifelong acquaintance with Hanna Schmitz, a relationship with whom he never disclosed to anyone close to him. Michael first met Hanna in 1958, when he was fifteen, she thirty-six. The two had a turbulent summer long love affair, dictated by Hanna that their encounters would begin with him reading to her followed by lovemaking. Michael next encountered Hanna in 1966, when Michael, now a law student, attended the Nazi war crimes trial of five female former S.S. concentration camp guards, one of whom is Hanna. Through listening to the testimony, Michael comes to the realization that he is in possession of information which could save Hanna from a life in prison, information which she herself is unwilling to disclose. In deciding what to do, Michael is torn between his differing views of justice.

Cast:
Ralph Fiennes (Michael Berg)
Kate Winslet (Hanna Schmitz)
Jeanette Hain (Brigitte)
David Kross (Young Michael Berg)

Director: Stephen Daldry
Writer: David Hare, Bernhard Schlink
Runtime: 124 min
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: 15
Language: English
Production Year: 2008

Yes Man

Carl Allen’s life is going nowhere – the operative word being "no" – until he signs up for self-help program based on one simple covenant: say yes to everything…and anything. Unleashing the power of "YES" begins to transform Carl’s life in amazing and unexpected ways, getting him promoted at work and opening the door to a new romance. Bit his willingness to embrace every opportunity might just become too much of a good thing.

Cast:
Jim Carrey (Carl Allen)
Zooey Deschanel (Allison)
Bradley Cooper (Peter)
John Michael Higgins (Nick)

Director: Peyton Reed
Writer: Nicholas Stoller, Jarrad Paul
Runtime: 104 min
Genre: Comedy
Rating: K
Language: English
Production Year: 2008

Hotel For Dogs

When 16 year old Andi and her younger brother, Bruce, find themselves in a foster home with a strict "no pets" policy, Andi has to use her quick wit to help find a new home for their dog, Friday. The kids stumble upon an abandoned hotel and begin transforming it into the perfect home for Friday – as well as all the strays in the city. In no time, the kids have transformed the old hotel into something truly magical: a home for both the dogs and for themselves. But they have also aroused the suspicions of the police who want to know – who let the dogs in?

Cast:
Emma Roberts (Andi)
Jake T. Austin (Bruce)
Don Cheadle (Bernie)
Lisa Kudrow (Lois Scudder)

Director: Thor Freudenthal
Writer: Jeff Lowell, Robert Schooley
Runtime: 100 min
Genre: Comedy, Family
Rating: K
Language: English
Production Year: 2009

Revolutionary Road

It’s 1955. Frank and April Wheeler, in the seventh year of their marriage, have fallen into a life that appears to most as being perfect. They live in the Connecticut suburbs with two young children. Frank commutes to New York City where he works in an office job while April stays at home as a housewife. But they’re not happy. April has forgone her dream of becoming an actress, and Frank hates his job – one where he places little effort – although he has never figured out what his passion in life is. One day, April suggests that they move to Paris – a city where Frank visited during the war and loved, but where April has never been – as a means to rejuvenate their life.

Cast:
Leonardo DiCaprio (Frank Wheeler)
Kate Winslet (April Wheeler)
Michael Shannon (John Givings)
Ryan Simpkins (Jennifer Wheeler)

Director: Sam Mendes
Writer: Justin Haythe, Richard Yates
Runtime: 119 min
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: 15
Language: English
Production Year: 2008

Valkyrie

At the height of WW2, a group of high-ranking German officers hatched a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, and seize power of the military command in order to end the war. The operation was codenamed “Valkyrie”, for the emergency plan that was meant to be used in case of a revolt against the Nazi government. This plan had been modified by the conspirators to ensure their success, but for various reasons the plot failed when finally carried out on 20 July 1944.

Cast:
Tom Cruise (Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg)
Kenneth Branagh (Major-General Henning von Tresckow)
Bill Nighy (General Friedrich Olbricht)
Tom Wilkinson (General Friedrich Fromm)

Director: Bryan Singer
Writer: Christopher McQuarrie, Nathan Alexander
Runtime: 121 min
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Rating: 12
Language: English
Production Year: 2008

The Pink Panther 2

Inspector Jacques Clouseau, the legendary French Officer of the Law, who single-handedly saved the priceless Pink Panther Diamond, has been working outside the museum where the diamond is on display writing parking tickets for the last 6 months. Chief Inspector Dreyfus assigned this duty to his bumbling and inept police officer to get him out of his hair. Recently, treasures from around the world have been stolen by the Tornado, and an international dream team of detectives is being assembled to capture him. Chief Inspector Dreyfus is ordered to assign Clouseau to the dream team. As soon as Clouseau joins the team, the Pink Panther Diamond is stolen by the Tornado. Now Clouseau must not only capture the Tornado, but save the diamond again.

Cast:
Steve Martin (Insp. Jacques Clouseau)
Jean Reno (Ponton)
John Cleese (Chief Inspector Dreyfus)
Andy Garcia (Vicenzo)
Alfred Molina (Pepperidge)

Director: Harald Zwart
Writer: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
Runtime: 92 min
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family
Rating: K
Language: English
Production Year: 2009

The Day the Earth Stood Still

A representative of an alien race that went through drastic evolution to survive its own climate change, Klaatu comes to Earth to assess whether humanity can prevent the environmental damage they have inflicted on their own planet. Klaatu himself already has a negative opinion of humans, and when detained by the United States Secretary of Defense, and barred from speaking to the United Nations, he decides they shall be exterminated so the planet can survive.

Cast:
Keanu Reeves (Klaatu)
Jennifer Connelly (Helen Benson)
Kathy Bates (Regina Jackson)
Jaden Smith (Jacob Benson)

Director: Scott Derrickson
Writer: David Scarpa, Edmund H. North (1951 screenplay)
Runtime: 103 min
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rating: 12
Language: English
Production Year: 2008

Mirrors

In New York, the former NYPD detective Ben Carson is hired to work as night watch of the remains of the Mayflower Department Store that was partially destroyed by fire many years ago. When he goes to the rounds in his first night, he finds that the mirrors are impeccably clean and his colleague explains that the former night watch was obsessed by the mirrors. After a couple of nights, Ben sees weird images in the mirrors, but due to the lack of credibility of his past, his ex-wife Amy believes he has hallucinations as a side effect of his medication. When his younger sister Angie is found brutally murdered in her bathtub, Ben discovers that there is an evil force in the mirror that is chasing him and jeopardizing his family.

Cast:
Kiefer Sutherland (Ben Carson)
Amy Smart (Angela Carson)
Paula Patton (Amy Carson)
Cameron Boyce (Michael Carson)

Director: Alexandre Aja
Writer: Alexandre Aja, Grégory Levasseur
Runtime: 110 min
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Rating: 18
Language: English
Production Year: 2008

Vicky Christina Barcelona

Two girlfriends Vicky and Christina visit Barcelona for their summer. Vicky is practical and traditional in her approach to love and commitment, and is engaged to the reliable but unromantic Doug. Cristina, on the other hand, is spontaneous and unsure of what she wants in life. She is just out of a relationship and wants to get over the bad time she had making a 12-minute film about Love. At an art exhibition, they notice the artist Juan Antonio. They both become enamored with him, unaware that his ex-wife, Maria Elena, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture.

Cast:
Scarlett Johansson (Cristina)
Penélope Cruz (Maria Elena)
Javier Bardem (Juan Antonio)
Rebecca Hall (Vicky)

Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Runtime: 93 min
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rating: 12
Language: English, Spanish
Production Year: 2008

Bolt (Greek)

Bolt, an American White Shepherd, has lived his whole life on the set of his action TV show, where he believes he has superpowers. When separated from the studio by accident, he meets a female alley cat named Mittens and a hamster named Rhino. Along the way, he learns that he doesn’t have superpowers and that the show is not real.

Voices:
Katerina Tsavalou
Demetris Starovas
Smaragda Karidi
Chris William

Director: Byron Howard, Chris Williams
Writer: Dan Fogelman, Chris Williams
Runtime: 103 min
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Rating: K
Language:Greek
Production Year: 2008

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

On the day that Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, elderly Daisy Williams nee Fuller is on her deathbed in a New Orleans hospital. At her side is her adult daughter, Caroline. Daisy asks Caroline to read to her aloud the diary of Daisy’s lifelong friend, Benjamin Button. Benjamin’s diary recounts his entire extraordinary life, the primary unusual aspect of which was his aging backwards, being born an old man who was diagnosed with several aged diseases at birth and thus given little chance of survival, but who does survive and gets younger with time.

Cast:
Brad Pitt (Benjamin Button)
Cate Blanchett (Daisy)
Julia Ormond (Caroline)
Tilda Swinton (Elizabeth Abbott)

Director: David Fincher
Writer: Eric Roth
Runtime: 166 min
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Rating: 12
Language: English
Production Year: 2008

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

Chloe is a Beverly Hills Chihuahua who is just so pampered, with clothes, jewelery, and a life style anyone would die to have. Her owner, Vivian, has to go away on a business trip and leaves her party girl niece, Rachel, to watch Chloe. When they go to Mexico, Chloe is kidnapped and put into a dog fight… she is then saved by another dog, Delgado, who is going to help her get back to Beverly Hills. But when the man who runs the dog fights finds out that Chloe is worth something, he sends his Doberman dog, Diablo, after her. Rachel, the land scaper, Sam, and his dog, Pepi who is also in love with Chloe, are on the hunt to find her and get her home safe and sound.

Cast:
Drew Barrymore (Chloe – voice)
Piper Perabo (Rachel Ashe Lynn)
Andy Garcia (Delgado – voice)
George Lopez (Papi – voice)

Director: Raja Gosnell
Writer: Analisa LaBianco, Jeffrey Bushell
Runtime: 91 min
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family
Rating: K
Language: English
Production Year: 2008

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (Greek)

The sequel to 2005’s “Madagascar”, in which New York Zoo animals, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo, still stranded on Madagascar, start to leave the island. All of a sudden, they land in the wilderness of Africa, where Alex meets the rest of his family, but has trouble communicating with them after spending so much time at the Central Park Zoo.

Voices:
Gerasimos Gennatas
Diamantis Karanastasis
Katerina Girgis
Thanos Kalliris

Director: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
Writer: Etan Cohen
Runtime: 89 min
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family
Rating: K
Language:Greek
Production Year: 2008

High School Musical 3

As seniors in high school, Troy and Gabriella struggle with the idea of being separated from one another as college approaches. Along with the rest of the Wildcats, they stage a spring musical to address their experiences, hopes and fears about their future.

Cast:
Zac Efron (Troy Bolton)
Vanessa Hudgens (Gabriella Montez)
Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay Evans)
Lucas Grabeel (Ryan Evans)

Director: Kenny Ortega
Writer: Peter Barsocchini
Runtime: 112 min
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Romance
Rating: K
Language: English
Production Year: 2008