Hanna — Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a teenager raised and trained by her father (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA operative, to become a highly skilled assassin. But when she’s sent on a deadly mission across Europe, Hanna takes to an English family and starts longing for a normal life. She must first solve the puzzle of her mysterious past, however. Joe Wright (Atonement) directs this tense actioneer; Cate Blanchett also stars.
Attack the Block — When aliens attack a South London neighborhood, a teen gang pulls together to protect their turf by any means necessary. But extraterrestrials prove far more formidable than anyone they ever jumped on the streets.Cast: Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway, John Boyega, Alex Esmail
Director: Joe Cornish
The Princess of Montpensier — Aristocrat Marie de Mézières (Mélanie Thierry) loves the dashing Duke Henri de Guise (Gaspard Ulliel), but her father (Philippe Magnan) forces her to marry a prince she doesn’t know (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet). With her new husband at war, Marie’s passion for Henri grows stronger than ever. Bertrand Tavernier directs this historical drama set against a backdrop of religious conflict in 16th-century France.
Mr. Nice — Rhys Ifans stars as privileged drug smuggler Howard Marks, who graduated from Oxford to become a top importer of marijuana into Britain in the 1960s. Marks poses as an MI5 agent to elude prison, and later campaigns for cannabis legalization. Bernard Rose directs this fascinating biopic that co-stars Chloe Sevigny as Marks’s wife, Judy, and David Thewlis as Marks’s Irish republican contact, Jim McCann.
Elvira’s Haunted Hills — Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) is traveling to Paris for a performance, accompanied by her servant Zou Zou (Mary Jo Smith). The two women stop to spend the night at the creepy castle of Lord Vladimir Hellsubus (Richard O’Brien), a man plagued by a terrible curse. It seems that the spirit of Vladimir’s first wife looms large over the estate, and Vladimir’s second wife (Mary Scheer) is none too happy about her lingering presence.
Submarine — When he learns that his mother is on the verge of deserting his father for a dance instructor, young Welsh teen Oliver (Craig Roberts) resolves to do whatever it takes to save his parents’ marriage before the end of summer. Meanwhile, the offbeat lad also schemes to seduce pushy pyromaniac Jordana (Yasmin Paige) with nothing but the power of his mind. Richard Ayoade directs this quirky coming-of-age comedy based on a novel by Joe Dunthorne.
X-Men: First Class — In this exciting prequel to the X-Men series, Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr — the future Professor X and Magneto — are best friends dedicated to harnessing their powers and promoting the education of fellow mutants during the turbulent 1960s.
Beautiful Boy — This heartrending drama stars Michael Sheen as Bill Carroll, who is contemplating separating from his wife, Kate (Maria Bello), when the unimaginable happens: Their 18-year-old son, Sam (Kyle Gallner), commits mass murder at his university before killing himself. While coping with their grief, Bill and Kate must deal with the insatiable media, other parents furious at them for their son’s actions and their own questions about their culpability.
The Trip — Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, the stars of the 2005 comedy Tristram Shandy, reunite with director Michael Winterbottom for this mockumentary about a pair of actors — handily named Steve and Rob — who embark on a foodie road trip across England. Mostly improvised and highlighting the duo’s penchant for dueling impressions of famous actors, the film follows them as they test their friendship while sampling the best restaurants in Northern England.
The Robber — Having developed a taste for the adrenaline that comes from the thrill of the chase, Austrian marathon runner Johann Rettenberger (Andreas Lust) turns his disciplined mind and world-class athletic talents to a new hobby: robbing banks in broad daylight. But for how long can the fleet-footed thief keep outrunning the police? Franziska Weisz co-stars in this drama based on a true story, directed by Benjamin Heisenberg.
Baaria — Over the course of the 20th century, three generations of a family face tumultuous personal and political events as their lives unfold in the Sicilian town of Bagheria — referred to as Baarìa by many locals. Acclaimed writer-director Guiseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso, Malena) based his intimate comedy epic on his own experiences growing up in this village. Francesco Scianna, Margaret Madè, Raoul Bova, Laura Chiatti and Monica Bellucci co-star in this Golden Globe nominee.
Bridesmaids — Named her best friend’s maid of honor, down-on-her-luck Annie’s competition with a fellow bridesmaid, the wealthy and beautiful Helen, threatens to destroy the wedding. Meanwhile, a local cop takes a liking to Annie.
Bad Teacher — Cameron Diaz stars as Elizabeth Halsey, a scheming and coarse-tongued middle school teacher who gets dumped by her wealthy boyfriend and rebounds by sinking her claws into a handsome substitute teacher (Justin Timberlake).
Sucker Punch — Gambler and hustler Ray Davidson is scraping hard when he meets street fighter Charles Buchinsky, who has all the talent Ray needs to get rich quick. After cleaning up on their first bout, Ray finds himself deep in debt — and in danger of worse.
Captain America: The First Avenger — Marvel launches another super franchise with this action-packed origin story, which follows Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as he volunteers for a secret experiment during World War II. Transformed into a superhero named Captain America, Steve goes after the Axis. With his perfect physique and heightened reflexes — and his sidekick, Bucky (Sebastian Stan) — Steve battles the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), a super soldier created by Italian fascists.
An Invisible Sign — When a puzzling disease devastates her beloved father, math prodigy Mona Gray deals with the pain by isolating herself from the rest of the world and turning for comfort to the reliable world of mathematics. But when she later teaches math to troubled grade school kids, Mona discovers that her gift can be a route back from her long emotional exile. Marilyn Agrelo directs and Jessica Alba stars in this adaptation of the book by Aimee Bender.
The Countess — Blaming her advancing age for a failed romance with a younger man, 16th-century Hungarian countess Erzebet Báthory begins murdering virgin girls and bathing in their blood, believing that the grim ritual will restore her youthful beauty.Cast: Julie Delpy, Daniel Brühl, William Hurt, Anamaria Marinca
Director: Julie Delpy
Moby Dick — William Hurt stars as the fiery Capt. Ahab in this star-studded TV miniseries based on Herman Melville’s classic novel about 19th-century whalers. Determined to kill the white beast that chomped off his leg, Ahab leads his crew on a wild chase.Cast: William Hurt, Ethan Hawke, Charlie Cox Eddie Marsan, Gillian Anderson, Billy Boyd, Raoul Trujillo, Donald Sutherland
Wishful Drinking — Most know Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia from the Star Wars films, but in this one-woman stage performance, she reveals a more personal story. Raised in a family of movie stars, Fisher went on to battle drugs, alcohol, depression and more.
Snuff Box — Brit Matt Berry and Yank Rich Fulcher play a hangman and his assistant, respectively, in this exceedingly dark BBC comedy series. With much of the action taking place at “a gentleman’s club for hangmen,” the lads run into awkward situations aplenty.
Hamlet at Elsinore — The BBC’s landmark 1964 production of Shakespeare’s tragedy features an all-star cast, many of whom were not yet famous at the time of production, and marks the first time since 1910 that a film of the play was shot on location at Elsinore, Denmark.
Robot Chicken: S5 — This offbeat stop-motion series returns with even more irreverent animation that knows no bounds when it comes to going “too far.” Highlights include parodies of Saving Private Ryan, Malcolm X and Catch Me If You Can.
Ken Burns: Prohibition — Ken Burns’s fascinating multipart documentary examines the history of alcohol in America, including the events leading up to the passage of the 18th Amendment, the social and legal effects of prohibiting alcohol, and the repeal of Prohibition.
Tibet in Song — Ngawang Choephel’s documentary delves into the determination and fortitude of the Tibetan people to save their cultural identity of music in contemporary Tibet. Calling their centuries-old land “an ocean of music and dance,” those who can still relate the meaning of this description fight to not let folklore die in the face of Chinese-sponsored pop culture. Choephel brings the struggle to light and features the beauty of his homeland’s song.
The People vs George Lucas — Building a balanced but spirited case without taking sides, Swiss filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe sets up the decades-old conflict between Star Wars director (and writer and producer) George Lucas and his legions of passionate fans. A “participatory documentary,” the film includes the usual mix of interviews but blends them with various fan films that were submitted online, resulting in an unusually democratic final cut.
How the States Got Their Shapes — Brian Unger hosts this clever road documentary series blending history, politics and geography to show how America’s states got their current borders. Each episode focuses on a unique regional history, tracing shifts in U.S. demographics and culture.
Magic Trip — Using found footage captured by author Ken Kesey (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), filmmakers Alison Ellwood and Alex Gibney re-create the writer’s infamous 1964 road trip to New York’s Tomorrowland. And what a long, strange trip it was. While riding high on LSD in a brightly painted school bus, Kesey’s inner circle of Merry Pranksters explore the limits of the mind and the possibilities of drug-addled imagination.
Hot Coffee — Filmmaker Susan Saladoff directs this documentary that examines the case of Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants the so-called “hot coffee lawsuit” in which a woman sued the fast-food giant after she spilled her coffee and burned herself. Looking past the scathing negative publicity of the trial, Saladoff examines the insidious reasons why McDonald’s invested heaps of money to sway public opinion against the plaintiff.
