Twilight of the Bad Lieutenant

There's a film for you whether you're on Team Edward, Jacob, Herzog, Almodóvar or Sokurov.

“My Dear Enemy”
Touted as a career-best work for Korean co-writer/director Lee Yoon-ki, this talky relationship drama plays out as an urban road movie for a one-time couple who spend a day verbally sparring amidst the bustle of inner-city Seoul. After interrupting her ex’s trip to a betting parlor, Heui-su (Jeon Do-yeon) demands that her former boyfriend Byeong-woon (Ha Jeong-woo) repay her the $2,600 he racked up in debt during their relationship and accompanies him around town as he attempts to collect what he owes. Constantly bickering, the tightly wound pair burn some rubber in search of a loan that will see their association dissolved permanently. In Korean with subtitles.
Opens in New York.

“Planet 51″
Penned by Joe Stillman, the scribe behind the first two “Shrek” films, this role reversal riff on “E.T.” finds American astronaut Charles T. Baker (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) a long way from home when he crash-lands on the eponymous space rock, populated by little green men living in an idyllic suburban setting. It is, however, not ideal for Baker, who’s perceived as an alien invader and must somehow escape before the government hunts him down. Johnson is joined by a supporting voice cast including Justin Long, Gary Oldman, Jessica Biel, John Cleese and Seann William Scott.
Opens wide.

“Pyaar Impossible”
Translating to “Love Impossible,” the latest from Bollywood powerhouse Yash Raj Films is said to be loosely inspired by Richard Curtis’ “Notting Hill,” centering on a star-crossed relationship between the hottest girl in college (Priyanka Chopra, a former Miss World) and the nerd who she’s teamed up with for a class project (Uday Chopra, son of studio founder Yash Chopra, and of no relation to his co-star). This “Beauty and the Geek” love story is the first live-action film from actor-turned-director Jugal Hansraj, who previously helmed Disney’s foray into Bollywood animation, “Roadside Romeo.” In Hindi with subtitles.
Opens in limited release.

“Red Cliff”
Hollywood action fans might have embraced John Woo as one of their own after “Hard Target” and the pure popcorn nonsense that was “Face/Off,” but let’s be honest, his English-language films don’t hold a candle to the films he made in his native China. It’s welcome news then that Woo has delivered this mouthwatering slice of ultra-violent, hyper-stylized Chinese history, slimmed down from its international running time of four hours to a more manageable two-and-a-half for American audiences. Woo adapts Guanzhong Luo’s historical epic about a final alliance of rebel kingdoms that gather at Red Cliff to stand defiant against dastardly Prime Minister Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi) and the mighty Imperial horde. In Chinese with subtitles.
Opens in New York on November 18th, expanding into limited release on November 25th.

“Staten Island”
“The Negotiator” screenwriter James DeMonaco makes his directorial debut on this thriller that stars Ethan Hawke as an average Joe just trying to make ends meet when he turns to crime after learning he’s about to become a father. He makes the mistake of robbing the safe of a low-level mob boss (Vincent D’Onofrio), who plots his revenge as he puts what funds he has left to use as an advocate for the Staten Island Forest, where he hopes to leave a mark on the community. Seymour Cassel co-stars in this thriller produced by Luc Besson.
Opens in New York and Los Angeles.

“The Sun”
Four years after premiering in Berlin, the third installment in Russian auteur Aleksandr Sokurov’s ambitious tetralogy — “quadrilogy” isn’t actually a word, despite what that “Alien” box set would have us believe — of intimate portraits taken of defeated leaders at the twilight of their power finally sees a U.S. release. This time, Sokurov captures Japanese Emperor Hirohito (Issei Ogata) quietly contemplating the daunting, nigh unthinkable prospect of defeat and post-war occupation as the sun sets on the once proud and mighty empire. In Japanese with subtitles.
Opens in New York on November 18th, opens in Los Angeles on November 27th.

“The Twilight Saga: New Moon”
This is second base, so to speak, for Stephenie Meyer’s smoldering yet sexless teen romance with a new director (“The Golden Compass”‘ Chris Weitz), but the same ol’ intense, amorous hand-holding. Kristen Stewart reprises her role as Bella Swan, who begins this new installment devastated by the abrupt departure of Edward (Rob Pattinson) and finds herself drawn to her best platonic pal Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), which inadvertently pulls her into the age-old conflict between vampires and werewolves. A love triangle forms, but so long as Edward can show Jacob a picture of Stewart’s “Panic Room” days when she looked like an androgynous Macaulay Culkin, we’re certain that’ll dampen his enthusiasm.
Opens wide.

“The War on Kids”
The feature documentary debut from musician/filmmaker Cevin D. Soling examines the failings of the education system in America by taking a broad view that the system itself is what’s broken. With an eye towards the parents, teachers and administrators, Soling details how key factors such as the politicizing of the issues in public schools, the reactionary nature of the media and the rampant opportunism of the pharmaceutical industry have hijacked education in America, leaving the kids in the classrooms shortchanged on their future.
Opens in New York.

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