4 DECEMBER

I'm With Lucy (M): Selected. Palace. 90 mins. USA.  Monica Potter, Anthony LaPaglia, David Boreanaz, Gael Garcia Bernal, John Hannah and Henry Thomas.  D: John Sherman (Breathing Room). After being dumped by a guy she thought was perfect, Lucy (Monica Potter) jumps headlong back into the New York City dating pool. After being set up on a series of blind dates, she meets five eligible bachelors, each with his own strong and weak points. There's the jock (Anthony LaPaglia), the lover man (Gael Garcia Bernal), the surgeon (David Boreanaz), the divorced writer (John Hannah), and the rule-abiding office worker (Henry Thomas). Is one of these five very different men the right one for her, or will she have to start all over again? This charming romantic comedy is a comic and truthful look at dating in the big city.

Master And Commander: The Far Side of The World (TBA): National. Fox. USA. Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy, Lee Ingleby, George Innes, Mark Lewis Jones, Chris Larkin, Richard McCabe, Robert Pugh, David Threlfall. D: Peter Wier (Witness). Based on the best-selling novels of Patrick O'Brian, Master And Commander features young Captain Jack Aubrey, whose reputation as a bold, courageous fighter in the Navy is tested when he pits the crew of the H.M.S. Surprise against a much better armed and ruthless privateer, in a battle of wits, skill and courage in a deadly chase that takes him halfway around the world.

Scary Movie 3 (TBA): National. Buena Vista. Comedy. Anna Faris, Charlie Sheen, Regina Hall, Denise Richards, Anthony Anderson, Simon Rex, Jeremy Piven, Eddie Griffin, Timothy Stack, Darrell Hammond, William Forsythe, Camryn Manheim, Peter Boyle, Leslie Nielsen, Pamela Anderson, Jenny McCarthy. D: David Zucker. You're warned in 2003. From the director "Airplane!" comes the final installment of the hilarious Scary Movie trilogy. The story follows Cindy and her newly acquired friends as more strange things occur such as the appearance of crop circles and disturbing video tapes. Now Cindy has to discover the truth behind these mysterious happenings, in order to rid the world of evil... whilst being stalked by several crazy photographers.

11 DECEMBER

Dumb And Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (M): National. 85 mins. Roadshow. Comedy. Eric Christian Olsen, Derek Richardson, Josh Braaten, William Lee Scott, Eugene Levy, Luiz Guzman, Elden Hensen, Michelle Krusiec, Shia LeBouf. D: Troy Miller (Jack Frost). This summer, for every outcast who has tried to fit in, comes the prequel to the worldwide hit Dumb & Dumber, which sees the triumphant return of lovable goofballs Harry and Lloyd in an adventure of truly idiotic proportions. From the very beginning, Lloyd Christmas (Eric Christian Olsen) knew he had a friend for life in Harry Dunne (Derek Richardson). It’s the first day of high school and Harry, who previously has been home schooled by his mother (Mimi Rogers), needs someone to show him the ropes. Lloyd, who conveniently lives in the school’s basement with his adoptive dad/school custodian Ray (Luis Guzman), turns out to be just the guy.

Looney Tunes: Back In Action (TBA): National. Roadshow (WB). Animated/ Live Action. Brendan Fraser, Joan Cusack, Jenna Elfman, Heather Locklear, Timothy Dalton, Bill Goldberg, Robert Picardo, Matthew Lillard (cameo), Steve Martin (cameo).  D: Joe Dante (Innerspace). The story, which begins on a studio backlot and careens all over the map in the time-honored style of the "Looney Tunes," stars Fraser and the familiar, beloved assortment of animated characters led by Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Taz and Tweety, but set in a live-action world where animated and "real" characters interact for maximum comic effect.

Underworld (MA): National. Columbia. 121 mins. Horror. Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, Robby Gee, Erwin Leder, Wentworth Miller, Sophia Myles. D: Len Wiseman. "Underworld" reimagines Vampires as a secretive clan of modern, aristocratic sophisticates whose mortal enemies are the Lycans (werewolves), a shrewd gang of street thugs who prowl the city's underbelly. The balance of power is upset when a beautiful young Vampire and a nascent Lycan - deadly rivals for centuries - fall in love. Len Wiseman directs Kate Beckinsdale and Scott Speedman in a fast-paced, modern-day tale of deadly action, ruthless intrigue and forbidden love, all set against the backdrop of an ancient feud between the two tribes in a timeless, Gothic metropolis.

18 DECEMBER

The Housekeeper (TBA): Selected, Syd. Gil Scrine Films. 2 screen. 91 mins. France. Comedy. C: Chauvel & Valhalla, Syd. Jean-Pierre Bacri, Émilie Dequenne, Brigitte Catillon, Jacques Frantz, Axelle Abbadie, Catherine Breillat. D: Claude Berr (Amen). After his wife leaves him for another man, Jacques hires a housekeeper, Laura, to keep his Paris apartment in order. As he starts increasing her hours and spending more time with her on her days off, Jacques is torn between the pleasure of Laura's company, and the headache that such an intrusion brings to his new domain of singlehood.

Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (Extended Edition) (M): Selected, Dec 18 to 24. Roadshow. Adventure. USA. Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Liv Tyler, Christopher Lee, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom. D: Peter Jackson (Meet The Feebles). The Fellowship has been broken. Boromir (Sean Bean) is dead, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) have gone to Mordor alone to destroy the One Ring, Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) have been captured by the Uruk-hai, and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) have made friends of the Rohan, a race of humans that are in the path of the upcoming war, led by its aging king, Théoden (Bernard Hill). The two towers between Mordor and Isengard, Barad-dúr and Orthanc, have united in their lust for destruction. The corrupt wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee), under the power of the Dark Lord Sauron, and his slimy assistant, Gríma Wormtongue (Brad Dourif), have created a grand Uruk-hai army bent on the destruction of Man and Middle-earth. 

Peter Pan (TBA): National. UIP (Uni). Adventure.  Jeremy Sumpter, Jason Issacs, Ludivine Sagnier, Lynn Redgrave, Olivia Williams, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Richard Briers, Harry Newell, Freddie Popplewell. Rupert SimoneonD: PJ Hogan (Muriel's Wedding). There are no details yet about how this 21st century version might differ (such as maybe having a modern setting) from the book, but here's a brief summary of what Peter Pan is about, regardless. Peter Pan is the boy who won't age, who lives in Neverland with other ageless kids, the Lost Boys. Tinker Bell, a fairy, gives three children (Wendy, John, and Michael Darling) the ability to fly, and soon they're off to Neverland, where they're soon in battle with the evil Captain Hook and his band of pirates...

Quentin And Ruby (TBA): Selected. Sharmill Films. Subtitled- France. 85 mins. Comedy. Gerard Depardieu, Jean Reno, André Dussollier, Richard Berry, Leonor Varela, Ticky Holgado, Aurélien Recoing. D: Francis Veber (The Dinner Game).  

26 DECEMBER 

21 Grams (TBA): Selected. Roadshow. Drama. Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Marc Musso. D: Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amos Perros). Filming from 5 December 2000. Locations:- Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee, USA; New Mexico, USA; Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA; Grants, New Mexico, USA; Milan, New Mexico, USA (hotel and police station).  Explores the emotionally and physically charged existence of a woman (Watts), an ex-con, and the woman's cheating lover (Penn). No it's not what you think:- 21 grams refers to the weight of the soul.

Bright Young Things (TBA): Selected. Icon. Comedy. UK. 97 mins.  Emily Mortimer, Jim Broadbent, Michael Sheen, Peter O'Toole, Richard E Grant, Dan Aykroyd, Stockard Channing & Stephen Fry. D: Stephen Fry. The young hero Adam, needs to get enough money to marry the beautiful Nina. His friends – eccentric, wild, louche and entirely shocking to the older generation, seem one by one to self-destruct, to crash and burn in their endless search for newer and faster sensations. Their world is that of the very young, wild, party-loving creatures known to the press, who follow their every move, as the Bright Young Things.

Brother Bear (TBA): National. Buena Vista. Animation. USA. V: Joaquin Phoenix.  D: Aaron Blaise, Bob Walker. The powerful and playful bond between brothers, and man’s bond with nature, are explored with great drama and comedy in Walt Disney Pictures’ exciting new animated tale of brotherhood, bears and breathtaking outdoor adventure.  Driven by six great new songs from Academy Award^® winner Phil Collins (including a sensational performance by legendary singer Tina Turner on the Collins-composed tune, “Great Spirits”), the film follows the incredible adventures of a young man named Kenai who is transformed into a bear.  From his new perspective, Kenai discovers the world through the eyes of another as he is befriended by a bear cub named Koda, has a hilarious encounter with a pair of misguided moose, and finds himself pursued by his own sibling.  A colorful cast of animals adds to the fun and excitement of this third motion picture created by Disney’s Florida Animation Studio (“Mulan,’ “Lilo & Stitch”).  Phil Collins’ music (his first film effort since “Tarzan”) and score (co-composed with Mark Mancina) gives this film a joyous and entertaining rhythm that highlights the action, comedy and emotion.

Cheaper By The Dozen (TBA): National. Fox. Comedy. Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt (The Green Mile), Hilary Duff (Agent Cody Banks), Tom Welling. D: Shawn Levy. When Tom Baker (Martin) gets a job offer to coach football at Northwestern University in Chicago, he and his wife, Mary (Hunt), move to the big city, which is a big change for them and their 12 children, who range from preschool-age twins Kyle and Nigel all the way up to 22-year-old Anne (Perabo) who has already left home. With the recent publication of her long-in-the-works book, Mary feels demands outside the home taking away as much time as Tom's new job does, so the two are forced to try to find new ways of parenting their massive tribe, but they find their parenting styles aren't always completely compatible.

Dogville (TBA): Selected. Dendy. Denmark (English language). Nichole Kidman, Paul Bettany, Lauren Bacall, Ben Gazzara, James Caan. D: Lars von Trier (Breaking The Waves). Lars von Trier’s latest fable of revenge and cruelty marks the first in his U,S and A trilogy. Set against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains in the 1930s, Nicole Kidman plays Grace, a beautiful fugitive who persuades the townspeople of Dogville, to hide her, however the town’s act of kindness comes at a high price. Shot entirely in a studio with few props, von Trier's style pays homage to Bertold Brecht's theatre as well as televised theatre productions from the 1970s. 

Goodbye, Lenin! (TBA): Selected. Hopscotch. Germany. 121 mins. Daniel Brühl, Katrin Sass, Maria Simon. D: Wolfgang Becker.   From the producer of “Run Lola Run”, with the music composed by Yann Tiersen (Amélie) comes this moving comedy about a staunch, socialist mother in East Germany, who falls into a coma in October 1989 and wakes up eight months later. In the meantime, the Berlin Wall has crumbled, communism has fallen and her daughter is now working at the local Burger King ! Her son, advised by physicians that the shock of the monumental changes may be too much for her, decides to fool her into believing that the old GDR still exists and that communism has triumphed over the West. Although a sharp, political satire, the heart of the story is the tender relationship between mother and son and how he will go to any lengths to protect her.

Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (TBA): National. Roadshow. Fantasy. Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Brad Dourif. D: Peter Jackon (Meet The Feebles). The story of Gandalf and Pippen sets the stage for the battle before Minas Tirith. The Witch King of Angmar leads his forces to destroy the White City while the men of Umbar sail against the Pelagir. When all seems hopeless, the Riders of Rohan arrive, and Aragorn walks the Path of the Dead. Sam and Frodo travel through Mordor even as the last battle is nearing its beginning. The Nazgul fly from battle as the ring nears its destruction. Will Frodo and Sam finish their quest?

Lost In Translation (PG): Selected. UIP (Para). 101 mins. Drama. Anna Faris, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanio Ribisi. D: Sofia Coppola. Bob Harris and Charlotte are two Americans in Tokyo. Bob is a movie star in town to shoot a whiskey commercial, while Charlotte is a young woman tagging along with her workaholic photographer husband. Unable to sleep, Bob and Charlotte cross paths one night in the luxury hotel bar. This chance meeting soon becomes a surprising friendship. Charlotte and Bob venture through Tokyo, having often hilarious encounters with its citizens, and ultimately discover a new belief in life’s possibilities. 

Love Actually (TBA): National. UIP (Uni). Comedy. UK. Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Martin Freeman, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Martine McCutcheon, Chris Marshall, Bill Nighy, Rodrigo Santoro, Rowan Atkinson (cameo). D: Richard Curtis (debut). The film follows 10 separate stories in the two months leading up to Christmas, which each strand climaxing on Christmas Eve. Grant plays a bachelor PM who falls in love on his first day in Downing Street with the girl (McCutcheon) who makes the tea. Thompson will feature as Grant's sister, and Rickman will play her husband. Neeson has a story of his own involving his relationship with a young stepson. Atkinson has a two-scene cameo.

DECEMBER

Bad Santa (TBA): National. Buena Vista (Dimension Films). Comedy. USA. Billy Bob Thornton, Lauren Graham, John Ritter, Bernie Mac, Cloris Leachman, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Lauren Tom. D: Terry Zwigoff (Crumb). It is the height of the festive holiday season and merry shoppers have begun their yearly pilgrimages to their local malls. Among the drove is a pair of con men, on a decadent road trip as Santa and his elf. Rather than spreading good cheer, the duo's motive is to rob each establishment, a strategy that becomes complicated when they encounter a precocious 8-year old that teaches them the true meaning of Christmas.

Father And Son (TBA): Selected. Rialto. Andrej Shetinin, Alexei Nejmyshev, Alexander Rasbash. D: Aleksandr Sokur (Russian Ark). Father (Andrej Shetinin) and Son (Alexei Nejmyshev) live together in a rooftop apartment. They have lived alone for years in their own private world, full of memories and daily rituals. Sometimes they seem like brothers. Sometimes even like lovers. Following in his father's footsteps, Alexei attends military school. He likes sports, tends to be irresponsible and has problems with his girlfriend. She is jealous of Alexei's close relationship with his father. Despite knowing that all sons must one day live their own lives, Alexei is conflicted. Alexei's father knows he should maybe accept a better job in another city, maybe search for a new wife. But who will ease the pain of Alexei's nightmares? Never has love between a father and son been so strong.

The Station Agent (TBA): Selected. Buena Vista. Comedy. Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale, Raven Goodwin, Paul Benjamin, Michelle Williams, Jayce Bartok, Maile Flanagan, Joe Lo Truglio. D: Thomas McCarthy. Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) is a man trying to live life on his own terms. Looking only to be left alone, he takes up residence in an rural town's old train depot. But much like the station agents that occupied small town depots before him, he finds himself reluctantly becoming enmeshed in the lives of his neighbors, especially Olivia (Patricia Clarkson), a forty-year old artist struggling with the break up of her marriage, and Joe (Bobby Cannavale) a thirty-year-old with a talent for cooking and an insatiable hunger for conversation - whether anyone wants to talk to him or not.

Wonderland (TBA): Selected. Hoyts Distribution. USA. Thriller. Val Kilmer, Lisa Kudrow, Kate Bosworth, Dylan McDermott, Josh Lucas, Franky G., Tim Blake Nelson, Carrie Fisher, Eric Bogosian. D: James Cox (Highway). On the afternoon of July 1, 1981, Los Angeles police responded to a distress call at 8763 Wonderland Avenue in Laurel Canyon and discovered a grisly quadruple homicide. Ron Launius (Lucas), Billy Deverell (Nelson), Barbara Richardson (Wagner) and Joy Miller (Garofalo) were found brutally murdered, bludgeoned to death with a pipe, and Launius's wife, Susan (Applegate), was left in critical condition. The police investigation that followed--led by detectives Sam Nico (Levine), Louis Cruz (Frankie G.) and Mike Peters (Gainey)--would unearth a seedy world of drugs and violence, ultimately revealing a motley crew from L.A.'s underbelly including ex-con David Lind (McDermott), nightclub impresario Eddie Nash (Bogosian), and porn legend John Holmes (Kilmer) as well as Holmes's estranged wife Sharon (Kudrow) and his teenage lover Dawn Schiller (Bosworth).