Cinemas - What’s still showing - 13/2/09

Feb 13 2009 by Michael Green, Chester Chronicle

THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX (15)

BERND Eichinger dramatises Stefan Aust’s book on the Baader Meinhof gang, a Red Army faction determined to destroy American imperialism, who operated in West Germany during the 1970s. Starring Bruno Ganz as the police chief intent on bringing the gang to justice. Showing at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold from Tuesday-Thursday.

STAR RATING: ***

BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA (U)

THE pampered pooch of the title finds itself stranded in the middle of Mexico with no obvious way of getting back home.

STAR RATING: **

BODY OF LIES (15)

RIDLEY Scott directs Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio in this tense thriller based on the book by David Ignatius. A CIA operative is sent to Jordan to find a high-ranking terrorist and hires a former journalist to help. Showing at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold from Friday-Monday.STAR RATING: **

BOLT (PG)

OFTEN resembling a canine Truman Show, this Disney animated feature has pint-sized acting dog Bolt (voiced by John Travolta) believing he really is a mutt with superpowers like the character he plays in a hit TV series. Convinced his on screen owner, Penny (Miley Cyrus) has been kidnapped, Bolt ends up on the streets of Manhattan, increasingly puzzled as to why his powers have deserted him.

STAR RATING: ***

BRIDE WARS (PG)

BY the book chick flick, starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway as best friends who declare war on each other when they announce they are getting married on the same day.

STAR RATING: **

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (12A)

DELIBERATELY arty take on the whimsical F Scott Fitzgerald short story, with Brad Pitt as a man who is born old and grows into childhood. Cate Blanchett play his love interest – at least when their ages tally.

STAR RATING: **

FROST/NIXON (15)

MICHAEL Sheen has unfairly lost out on an Oscar nomination as David Frost but Frank Langella has been honoured for his portrayal of Richard Nixon in this recreation of a slice of TV history from director Ron Howard.

STAR RATING: ****

HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU (12A)

AN AMAZING cast has been assembled for this Valentine’s friendly rom com. Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connolly, Drew Barrymore, Ben Affleck, Justin Long, Bradley Cooper and Kris Kristofferson all crop up during the merry-go-round of relationship dramas.

STAR RATING: ***

NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST (12A)

MICHAEL Cera follows up his excellent performance in Juno with a less satisfying but still creditable outing in a teen rom com in which he and Kat Dennins spend the night wandering around New York looking for a secret gig by their favourite band.

STAR RATING: **

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (18)

WE had Dolph Lundgren as The Punisher in 1989, Thomas Jane taking over in 2004 and now unknown Ray Stevenson in 2009. The first two films attempted to tell revenge stories. This one is nothing more than a video game.

STAR RATING: *

THE READER (15)

YET another stunning performance from Kate Winslet dominates this Stephen Daldry film based on the acclaimed book set in post World War Two Germany, where a young man encounters the older woman with whom he had an affair 10 years earlier – only to discover she faces war crime charges.

STAR RATING: ***

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (15)

KATE Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are reunited for the first time since Titanic but for a defiantly anti-romantic picture directed by Winslet’s husband Sam Mendes. Often downbeat, it perfectly captures the stifling atmosphere of the 50s.

STAR RATING: ***

ROLE MODELS (15)

SURPRISINGLY witty and character-filled comedy about two slackers who trash a truck and are forced to do community service by mentoring two young lads - one a wise-cracker, the other a nerdy role playing geek.

STAR RATING: ***

Great cast includes Tom Cruise and Kenneth Branagh.

STAR RATING: ***

COMING SOON

February 20: GRAN TORINO (Clint Eastwood)

February 27: NEW IN TOWN (Renee Zellweger)