The family of Bob Marley has announced the first ever authorized documentary on the singer will be in theaters this April. Magnolia Pictures has teamed with VH1 to obtain the United States rights to Academy award-winning director Kevin McDonald’s documentary “Marley.” “Marley” is being executive produced by Island Records’ founder Chris Blackwell, as well as Bob Marley’s son Ziggy Marley. The documentary will make its world premiere at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival in February, and will premiere in North America, at SXSW this March. “This documentary is the ultimate revelation of my father’s life,” Executive Producer Ziggy Marley told in a statement yesterday (February 6), on what would have been his father’s 67th birthday. “The family is proud to be able to have the world finally experience this emotional journey,” Ziggy Marley said.

In theaters: February 24th, 2012

An unprecedented blend of real-life heroism and original filmmaking, Act of Valor stars a group of active-duty Navy SEALs in a powerful story of contemporary global anti-terrorism. Inspired by true events, the film combines combat sequences, up-to-the minute battlefield technology and heart-pumping emotion for the ultimate action adventure. Act of Valor takes audiences deep into the secretive world of elite, highly trained group of warriors in the modern world. When the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the U.S., a team of SEALs is dispatched on a worldwide manhunt. As the valiant men of Bandito Platoon race to stop a coordinated attack that could kill and wound thousands of American civilians, they must balance their commitment to country, team and their families back home. Each time they accomplish their mission, a new piece of intelligence reveals another shocking twist to the deadly terror plot, which stretches from Chechnya to the Philippines and from Ukraine to Somalia. The widening operation sends the SEALs across the globe as they track the terrorist ring to the U.S.-Mexico border, where they engage in an epic firefight with an outcome that has potentially unimaginable consequences for the future of America.

In theaters: December 23rd, 2011

Set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War that tore the Balkan region apart in the 1990s, In the Land of Blood and Honey tells the story of Danijel (Goran Kosti) and Ajla (pronounced Ayla) (Zana Marjanovi), two Bosnians from different sides of a brutal ethnic conflict. Danijel, a Bosnian Serb police officer, and Ajla, a Bosnian Muslim artist, are together before the war, but their relationship is changed as violence engulfs the country. Months later, Danijel is serving under his father, General Nebojsa Vukojevich (Rade erbedija), as an officer in the Bosnian Serb Army. He and Ajla come face to face again when she is taken from the apartment she shares with her sister, Lejla (Vanesa Glodjo), and Lejla’s infant child by troops under Danijel’s command. As the conflict takes hold of their lives, their relationship changes, their motives and connection to one another become ambiguous and their allegiances grow uncertain. In the Land of Blood and Honey portrays the incredible emotional, moral and physical toll that the war takes on individuals as well as the consequences that stem from the lack of political will to intervene in a society stricken with conflict.

www.inthelandofbloodandhoney.com

In theaters: December 14th, 2011

In 1980, a young scientist named Victor DeNoble was hired by a major tobacco company. Fourteen years later, he was testifying in front of Congress that, despite the sworn testimony of the industry’s chief executives, nicotine was addictive… and the research he did could prove it. Addiction Incorporated tells the true story of how one of the most important whistleblowers of our time dropped a bombshell on one of America’s most powerful industries- a bombshell that still reverberates today. If you think you know the story, if you think you know the science, and if you think you know Big Tobacco’s next steps, this incendiary documentary will prove you wrong on all counts.

For the young dancers at the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions, lifelong dreams are at stake. With hundreds competing for a handful of elite scholarships and contracts, practice and discipline are paramount, and nothing short of perfection is expected. Bess Kargman’s award-winning documentary, First Position, follows six young dancers as they prepare for a chance to enter the world of professional ballet, struggling through bloodied feet, near exhaustion and debilitating injuries all while navigating the drama of adolescence. A showcase of awe-inspiring talent, tenacity and passion, First Position paints a thrilling and moving portrait of the most gifted young ballet stars of tomorrow.

Boys will be boys. And if provoked in the right way, parents will become children. Such is the tale of Carnage, the latest film by infamously exiled Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski, adapted from the Olivier Award- and Tony Award-winning play God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza. Oscar winner Jodi Foster and Oscar nominee John C. Reilly play the Longstreets, parents of a 15-year-old boy who is injured after fighting with a friend and classmate, the son of the Cowans, played by Oscar winners Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz. What starts as a civil meeting between conscientious parents turns into a war of words where no opponent comes out unscathed in this entertaining social satire.

As the film starts, we see the children on the playground from an objective distance. Although both the teens play the aggressor at one point or another, the Longstreet child is left injured, setting the balance of power for the adults. Later, at the home of the Longstreets, the two sets of parents collaborate on a written summary of the playground incident. The victim’s parents encourage a harsher characterization and the Cowans object. With mild dissent, an alternate depiction is inserted and the Cowans prepare to leave until, in a gesture of goodwill, they are invited back for a slice of pie. The forced cordial nature of their interaction is palpable and over the course of the next 80 minutes, minor every-day irritants creep into their conversation, causing each character’s facade to crumble.

The play Le Dieu du Carnage (God of Carnage) first opened in Zurich in 2006 and went on to sold-out runs in Paris, London, and Broadway, signaling the universality of the topics, at least for Western European and American audiences. The play’s success is no doubt due to the nuanced language to convey each character’s contrived niceties. The film adaptation, which maintains the play’s real-time uninterrupted structure, carries over the tenor of the play for a smart, witty, and very discerning examination of social dynamics.

In terms of filmmaking, Carnage is a multi-dimensional technical construct. It is shot in real time and takes place in one location. The characters are also manufactured for extreme effect, pitting the wealthy archetypes of the high-powered May-December couple, the Cowans, against the self-made liberal and genteel Longstreets in a battle of ideals ranging from marriage and child rearing to civic duty. The film is set in a modern-day affluent Brooklyn apartment and, though shot in France, the set looks authentic, save for window views of an elevated subway train. The combination of expert production design and cinematography give the film a very polished and seamless quality as the real-time events unfold.

Foster is particularly amazing as a caricature of an uptight politically correct bleeding heart liberal who is repulsed by Waltz’s unabashed indifference. Reilly shines in the second act, and Winslet steals the final moments of the film. The tour de force cast truly honors the material, and their stage predecessors, which include Ralph Fiennes and Janet McTeer in the UK and Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini, and Marcia Gay Harden on Broadway. All four of the original Broadway cast members were nominated for Tonys in 2009 and Harden walked away with a win.

Did you notice the many mentions of “Oscar” in the first paragraph? They don’t stop there. Production designer Dean Tavoularis, costume designer Milena Canonero, and makeup artist Didier Lavergne also have golden statues. This is a juggernaut of “academic” proportions and will surely be noted as either a major contender or snubbed film in the categories of acting (Jodi Foster is painfully funny), writing (the highly acclaimed Reza co-wrote the adaptation with Polanski), production design, direction, and cinematography.

Overall, this high-brow comedy is an entertaining and well-paced film. The dialogue is the heart of the film and the performances carry it through. However, the film remains a bit standoffish. This is perhaps a reflection of the material and the mask each character presents throughout the film. The characters remain relatively contained, even in their most passionate outbursts, which seem a bit insincere. And although well executed, the locked setting and real-time framework leave the film feeling a bit two dimensional. One of the most difficult parts of translating a play into film is keeping the visuals from looking like a recorded performance of the play. Carnage does an adequate—not stellar—job in that respect. However, indie film and adult audiences will find Carnage enjoyable and insightful.

Limité Rating: 3.5/5

Director: Roman Polanski

Screenwriters: Roman Polanski & Yasmina Reza

Cast: Jodi Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 80 min.

Release Date: December 16

A lot has been made of Shame, the controversial second film—or rather, the second controversial film—from British filmmaker Steve McQueen, way before its release.

A journey into the life of a sex addict named Brandon, played by Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds, 2009) who came to fame in McQueen’s award-winning first feature Hunger (2008), we were told to imagine uninhibited scenes of sex and masturbation, the graphicness of which is odious depending on your sensibilities (more on that later). On another front, there was some concern that the only woman Brandon tries to have an actual relationship with is African-American (Nicole Beharie, The Express, 2008), as black audiences don’t want to see her get “turned out” (for lack of a less pejorative term) or for Brandon to find his soul in between a black woman’s legs, as happens pretty often in cinema (more on this later, as well).

Both of these imaginings are almost just that.

McQueen’s visual artist background shines through in Shame much stronger than it did in Hunger. As a result, Brandon’s addiction is portrayed in a harsh yet aesthetically appealing manner, but visual cues—like his mostly spartan apartment, save for a record player and old albums—and the introduction of Brandon’s sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) lead us to the realization that there’s a lot more going on with him than first realized. Brandon, an accomplished and attractive man, possesses a cold, steely gaze that is mysteriously appealing for the women he picks up, but ultimately reveals a man disconnected from society and himself, as he pays for sex, as well—in person and online. Oh yeah, the scenes are pretty intense, especially in the third act. Yet, they’re not throwaways, but are paramount in showing us what Brandon is fighting against.

By comparison, Sissy is an outgoing, irresponsible up-and-coming singer (see: broke) who wears her emotions on her sleeve, along with “cutting” marks that expose a personally abusive past. The siblings aren’t keen to talking about their childhoods and it’s as if their parents never existed. Their secretive pasts give us reason to believe that Brandon and Sissy may have had some incestuous relationship. (She’s so comfortable being nude/semi-nude around him that your first thought before their familial bond is revealed is that they are sometimes lovers.) It’s perhaps why Brandon seems to view sex, necessary as it is for a release, as a punishment—because the only person he has an actual relationship with, distant as that is, is someone he cannot have. Maybe that’s why he hates having her around.

Oscar-winning producer Iain Canning (The King’s Speech, 2010) notes that both Hunger and Shame share a preoccupation with the body. He explains, “Hunger was about a man who has no freedom; he uses his body to create the only freedom he can … We’re telling the opposite story in Shame—the story of a man who has every freedom, and yet he uses his body to create his own prison.”

As for the second bit of controversy, it is unfounded. Beharie’s character Marianne is a co-worker of Brandon’s who he finally builds up the nerve to ask out after months (maybe even years) of admiring. Her race is unimportant to this and their date is an actual one and the warmest moment in the film. Though their attraction is apparently mutual, it ends in an awkward nature that causes Brandon to lash out at himself and correct the next day. The aftermath sets the tone for the remainder of the movie.

McQueen’s skill as a director has blossomed. His long single-camera scenes are expertly timed and intense angles are well executed. His storytelling techniques, whether you agree with them or not, are signs that McQueen—who’s next set to direct a biopic on Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, as well as Twelve Years a Slave, which is being produced by Brad Pitt and will also star Fassbender—will be working in the business for as long as he wants.

An old screenwriting teacher told me that “every film is a love story.” I approach my writing as such and it works well, but while watching Shame I wondered where the love is. It seems Brandon wants to extend some type of love to the world, but is incapable. Is it his past trauma with Sissy that’s causing an inability to connect to anyone/anything or is he just a lonely, horny fucker?

In a fashion, I see Shame as an unintentional love story to New York City. Maybe because McQueen isn’t from the States, but with cinematographer Sean Bobbitt (TV’s Sense & Sensibility, 2008) he captures the most popular city in the world in a beautiful, but non-obvious fashion—from the backstreets, to the subways, to the restaurants and clubs and the most naughtiest of haunts—as Brandon both sets up and unravels his sexual romps and balance for normality in the cold, yet bright dichotomy in which New York City specializes. Odd, since McQueen never intended to shoot in New York, but lovingly so since the film exposes what Brandon works so hard to hide—the truth about himself.  New York City is raw that way and Shame is unflinching in the same manner.

Limité Rating: 4/5

Director: Steve McQueen

Writers: Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 99 min.

Release Date: December 2

The Descendants is the latest quirky comedy from writer/director Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt). It is based upon the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, which finds Matt King, a white descendant of Hawaiian royalty, dealing with several life-defining scenarios, including his family’s inheritance of Hawaii’s most valuable land; his wife’s coma-inducing boating accident; and the fact that he doesn’t really know—and therefore, cannot handle—his children. His life is further complicated once he learns that his wife was having an affair at the time of her accident, which drives him to embark on an impulse-driven journey to find his wife’s lover, and possibly closure. George Clooney plays King in this coming-of-middle-age comedy that touches on the true meaning of family.

After dramatic Oscar noms and wins for Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005), Syriana (2005), and Michael Clayton (2007), and impending Oscar bait The Ides of March, it’s difficult to remember that Clooney has comedy chops (remember O Brother, Where Art Thou?). He is well cast as King, a responsible lawyer very much in control of his life, until it is made clear that he has no control over anything. The comedy of the piece is often situational and Clooney plays a good “straight man” opposite the odd behavior of his precocious younger daughter Scottie (Amara Miller), the righteous indignation of his defiant teen daughter Alexandra (Shailene Woodley), and the “mystical wisdom” of the occasional surfer dude. Woodley, in particular, holds her own opposite Clooney, portraying a strong Alexandra who asserts her independence while simultaneously reconnecting with her family. Young Miller is refreshing as an awkward pre-tween with no social filter.

The film is not easily categorized. It has elements of family dramedy with a little bit of road movie mixed in. The main storyline follows a coming-of-age plot, though the protagonist is well past puberty. The B plot—of King and crew searching for his wife’s lover—has television comedy sleuth elements. The C plot starts off with the cliché of a rebellious teen who “comes around,” but quickly, however, becomes a rite of passage story for father and eldest daughter. This all mixes together into unpredictable twists and turns, keeping the audience intrigued until the appropriate but not altogether satisfying final conclusion.

From the first line of the film, Hawaiian life is depicted in a realistic, everyday style that gives the characters a middle America quality, endearing them to the audience. Beautiful aerial and marine photography complement the authenticity of locale, along with the inclusion of local music and actors. This immersion in locale and mash-up of genre is purely Payne at work. His signature rings throughout the film, all the while maintaining the integrity of the novel. As with Payne’s other films, The Descendants will resonate with loyal fans, some of whom may find common ground with King. However, the repeated sightings of the comatose wife, dry humor, and motley crew of flawed characters will not win over a large audience.

Limité Rating: 4/5

Director: Alexander Payne

Screenwriters: Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash (based upon the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings)

Cast: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Matthew Lillard, Judy Greer

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 115 min.

Release Date: November 16 (limited)

Martha Marcy May Marlene is a psychological thriller about a young woman’s reintegration with society after escaping a farm-based commune with cult tendencies. Martha, who is renamed Marcy May by the cult in a common indoctrination tactic, escapes the commune physically, but is trapped mentally and emotionally by the cult’s brainwashing. Throughout the story, Martha’s past haunts her present and loosens her hold on reality.

Martha was likely lured to the commune by its sense of family, a contrast to her familial past, and the escape from materialistic society that many idealistic youth crave. Patrick, the charismatic cult leader played by Oscar nominee John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone), preys on her need to be acknowledged until she trusts him unconditionally. After years at the farm, Martha ostensibly goes from captive to captor and uses the moniker Marlene on phone calls with potential new devotees. Inevitably, she becomes disturbed by events at the commune and is rescued by her estranged sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson, Serenity) who is vacationing with her new husband Ted (Hugh Dancy, Adam) at their upscale lake house. Sarah and Ted embody the life and ideology that Martha rejected at the farm, fragmenting Martha’s ability to feel safe. Martha’s inability to act normal in social situations, including a bend towards public nudity and disinterest in their personal privacy, causes a rift between Ted and Lucy’s already unexceptional relationship. Martha is at home at neither place and she suffers the collision of her two worlds in silence, though it affects all around her.

The title role is played by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s younger sister Elizabeth Olsen in her first feature role. Olsen’s performance is stunning. The film hinges on Martha’s perspective and Olsen maintains a sincere performance, guiding the audience through the small bits of information provided in the non-linear narrative. She conveys mounting emotional turmoil without the aid of expository dialogue, a skill not yet mastered by actors with greater experience. She is definitely one to watch and is already on the path to stardom with upcoming features Red Lights with Robert De Niro and Sigourney Weaver and Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding with Jane Fonda and Catherine Keener.

Martha Marcy May Marlene is Sean Durkin’s debut feature film as a writer and director, after producing Two Gates of Sleep (2010) and Afterschool (2008). His short film prequel “Mary Last Seen” (2010) stars Brady Corbett and won the 2010 Cannes Director’s Fortnight PRIX SFR for Best Short. Following the success of the short film, his screenplay for Martha was accepted into the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab. Durkin exhibits a strong penchant for captivating, albeit disjointed, storytelling. In Martha, Durkin integrates elements from well-known historical cults into the fabric of the story, but the film remains both modern and personal. The tone of the film is very sophisticated, contrasting the veiled gentle and caring nature of the cult with the emotionally distant and sterile environment of Martha’s sister’s and brother-in-law’s home. The film’s brilliance is that it doesn’t do any handholding, but it also leaves some gaping holes.

The film was shot by Jody Lee Lipes, who garnered a Spirit Award nomination for lensing Tiny Furniture (2010). The camera is very introspective, keeping with Martha’s emotional point of view using mostly tight shots on Olsen. Most other shots are wide, letting events unfold in the frame. The music, too, is relatively sparse, keeping with the raw aesthetic of the film. The stark contrast between the rustic farm house and the upscale lake house is a credit to both production design and camera style, allowing the audience to clearly infer how different Martha’s two worlds have become.

The best and worst part of this film is that situations are painted in broad strokes and the audience is meant to fill in the details. This often puts the audience in the same emotional state as Martha: confused and bewildered. This also introduces unmotivated events and hanging actions without connection points to the rest of the story, leaving the audience wanting. If the audience is not totally “drinking the Kool-Aid” throughout the film, the ending will serve as a final disappointment rather than a reasonable stopping point. Overall, Martha Marcy May Marlene is an intelligent freshman effort from Durkin with a wonderful performance by Olsen.

Limité Rating: 3/5

Director: Sean Durkin

Writer: Sean Durkin

Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Hugh Dancy, Elizabeth Paulson

Genre: Thriller

Runtime: 120 min.

Release Date: October 21 (limited)

In theaters May 4th, 2012

Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”–the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012.

Official Move Site