Cinema preview

This preview is for films which open today, 16th May.

The Air I Breathe
Ensemble piece based on a chinese proverb which break life down into four elements: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. Looks like a Crash-esque style film with intersecting plotlines. An interesting crash features Kevin Bacon (a doctor who has to save the love of his life), Julie Delpy, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, Sarah Michelle Gellar (a pop-star who falls prey to a crime boss), Forest Whitaker, Kelly Hu and a small role for the beautiful Kari Wuhrer, who doesn't get the roles she deserves. Looks interesting.
IMDb rating: 7.6, my predicted rating: 4/5
http://www.theairibreathemovie.com

Terror's Advocate
Fascinating sounding documentary about lawyer Jacques Verges, who has made his name defending solid upstanding citizens such as, err, Klause Barbie, Djamila Bouhired, Tariq Aziz and Khieu Samphan. Don't know who they are? Click the links and give yourself an education! Directed by Barbet Schroeder.
IMDb rating: 7.1, my predicted rating: 4/5
http://www.lavocatdelaterreur.com

Charlie Bartlett
Slightly darker than average teen comedy about a rich kid who becomes an unofficial psychiatrist to his fellow students. Charlie himself is played by Anton Yelchin, who will soon be seen as Chekov in JJ Abrams' Star Trek and Kyle Reese in Terminator 4. Certainly a young actor to watch. Bartlett's principal is Robert Downey Jr, currently raking in the dollars with Iron Man. Sounds like a film in Ferris Bueller's Day Off territory. Directorial debut for Jon Poll, who is best known as an editor.
IMDb rating: 7.5, my predicted rating: 4/5
http://charliebartlett-themovie.com

RFK Must Die: The Assassination Of Bobby Kennedy
Documentary about the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Would never have guessed from the title! Apparently, it implicates three CIA agents in the murder.
IMDb rating: 7.7, my predicted rating: 4/5
http://www.rfkmustdie.com

Heartbeat Detector
French drama about a psychologist, Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell And The Butterfly), brought in by a large pharmaceutical company to investigate one of its executives who may have links to the Nazis. Quite lengthy at 143 minutes, but it's picked up a few awards and the subject is intriguing, so might be worth a look.
IMDb rating: 6.4, my predicted rating: 3/5

La Antena
Silent, black and white, Argentinian film about a man, Mr TV, who hypnotizes people through his television broadcasts. One for fans of German expressionism, it seems!
IMDb rating: 7.8, my predicted rating: 3/5
http://www.laantena.ladoblea.com

Smart People
Romantic comedy-drama in which a widowed professor finds new love and receives a visit from his adopted brother. Doesn't sound especially entertaining, but the cast (headed by Dennis Quaid) includes actress of the moment, Ellen Page. Also stars Thomas Haden Church and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Or is is Sarah Michelle Prinze? That's what we're supposed to call her now, apparently. I'm all for loving your man (or rather, I'm all for you loving your man), but taking Prinze as a surname is taking things too far, dammit!
IMDb rating: 6.9, my predicted rating: 3/5
http://www.smartpeoplemovie.co.uk

Outpost
British horror in which a group of mercenaries find a long-hidden secret in an east European WW2 bunker. Doesn't seem like anything particularly original or special, but I'm sure i remember something about the makers mortgaging their houses to put it together, so they deserve some credit for having the balls to put everything on the line to get their movie made.
IMDb rating: 6.0, my predicted rating: 3/5
http://outpostthemovie.com

Caramel
French romantic comedy centered around the lives of five Lebanese women and a Beirut beauty salon. Mark Kermode's film of the week on Five Live.
IMDb rating: 7.3, my predicted rating: 3/5
http://caramelmovie.co.uk

Shutter
Dismal looking horror starring Joshua Jackson. Another unwarranted remake of a Japanese original. Tellingly, it wasn't screened to US critics before release.
IMDb rating: 4.6, my predicted rating: 2/5
http://www.shutter-movie.com