Kam Williams Reviews Movies Opening Oct. 17, 2014

PHOTO: Still photo from Dear White People

BIG BUDGET FILMS

The Best of Me (PG-13 for sexuality, violence, brief profanity and some drug use) Romance drama based on the Nicholas Sparks best-seller of the same name and revolving around the reunion of a couple of high school sweethearts (James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan) for the first time in years when they return to their hometown for a friend’s funeral. With Liana Liberato, Luke Bracey and Caroline Goodall.

The Book of Life (PG for mild action, rude humor, mature themes and scary images) Animated adventure about a young man (Diego Luna) who finds himself torn between fulfilling his family’s expectations and following his heart. Ensemble voice cast featuring Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, Christina Applegate, Ice Cube, Danny Trejo, Ron Perlman and Cheech.

Dear White People (R for profanity, sexuality and drug use) Social satire following the diverging fates of four African-American students (Tyler James Williams, Brandon P. Bell, Tessa Thompson and Teyonah Parris) attending an Ivy League college where a riot breaks out in the wake of a ghetto-themed, blackface party thrown at a lily-white fraternity house. With Kyle Gallner, Dennis Haysbert and Peter Syvertsen. Read Kam's full review of Dear White People here.

Fury (R for sexuality, graphic violence, grisly images and pervasive profanity) Brad Pitt stars in this World War II flick, set in Germany in April of 1945, as the hard-nosed commander of a Sherman tank leading an urgent rescue mission behind enemy lines. With Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena and Scott Eastwood. (In English and German with subtitles)

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Algorithms (Unrated) Inspirational documentary highlighting exploring India’s little-known world of competitive chess for the blind.

America the Beautiful 3 (Unrated) Latest installment in Darryl Roberts’s series of incendiary documentaries indicts pop culture’s sexualization of today’s youth.

Birdman (R for sexuality, brief violence and pervasive profanity) Midlife crisis dramedy about a washed-up matinee idol’s (Michael Keaton) attempt to stage a comeback on the Broadway stage. With Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Edward Norton and Zach Galifianakis.

Camp X-Ray (R for profanity and brief nudity) Unlikely-buddies drama about a prison guard (Kristen Stewart) at Guantanamo Bay who fails to follow protocol by befriending a suspected terrorist (Peyman Moaadi) detained there for eight years. With Cory Michael Smith, Tara Holt, Marco Khan and John Carroll Lynch.

The Culture High (Unrated) Pot doc debating the pros and cons of making marijuana legal. Featuring commentary by Snoop Doggy Dogg, Sir Richard Branson and Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

Felony (Unrated) Aussie crime drama, set in Sydney, revolving around three police detectives (Joel Edgerton, Jai Courtney and Tom Wilkinson) involved in the cover-up of a cop’s culpability in a car accident that left a kid riding a bike in a coma. With Melissa George, Sarah Roberts and Rosie Lourde.

A Matter of Faith (PG for mature themes) Christian-oriented drama about the Born Again father (Jay Pickett) of a college freshman (Jordan Trovillion) who decides to intervene when his daughter (Harry Anderson) becomes influenced by a biology professor pushing the theory of evolution as the only explanation for the origins of life. Support cast includes Jay Pickett, Chandler Macocha and Clarence Gilyard, Jr.

Private Violence (Unrated) Domestic abuse documentary highlighting the case of a female cop from Oklahoma who was abducted by her estranged husband and beaten for four days while being held captive in the cab of his truck.

A Requiem for Syrian Refugees (Unrated) Black & white expose’ detailing the day-to-day ordeal of traumatized refugees trying to survive as they flee the violence of the Syrian civil war. (In Kurdish with subtitles)

Rudderless (R for profanity) William H. Macy makes his directorial debut with this bittersweet drama revolving around a grieving advertising executive (Billy Crudup) who forms a rock band in order to play songs written by his recently-deceased son. With Macy, Anton Yelchin, Laurence Fishburne, Selena Gomez, Felicity Huffman and Jamie Chung.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown (R for profanity, explicit sexuality, graphic violence and grisly images) Remake of the 1976 slasher flick about a copycat who embarks on a murderous rampage 65 years after a hooded serial killer terrorized the same town. Co-starring Addison Timlin, Gary Cole, Edward Herrmann and Denis O’Hare.

Watchers of the Sky (Unrated) Reverential retrospective revisiting the legal career of Ralph Lemkin (1900-1959), the attorney credited with coining the term “genocide” and laying the groundwork for the Nuremburg trials of Nazi war criminals.

Young Ones (R for profanity and violence) Futuristic sci-fi, set in a dire dystopia with a dwindling amount of water and other natural resources where we find a resourceful teen (Nicholas Hoult) willing to go to great lengths to provide for his thirsty and starving family. With Elle Fanning, Michael Shannon and Kodi Smit-McPhee.