Friday, May 27, 2005

Ae Fond Kiss . . .

Director: Ken Loach Language: English Currently showing

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Turning down the polemics and bleakness, Ken Loach directs a love story involving a Pakistani DJ and a Scottish music teacher, set in Glasgow. For Roisin (Eva Birthistle) and Casim (Atta Yaqub), it's love at first sight and they immediately move in together, though Casim neglects to tell his new girlfriend that his parents have already chosen a nice Pakistani bride for him. As the weeks go by, Casim's family problems multiply. Being an emancipated woman, Roisin has trouble understanding the baggage that comes with family ties and tradition, but she tries.(Kaori Shoji)

The Butterfly Effect

Director: Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber Language: English Currently showing

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As a young boy, Evan (Ashton Kutcher) suffered from memory blackouts. Following the advice of his psychiatrist, he kept a daily journal. Several years later, as Evan reads through it, he finds himself traveling back in time and re-living the experiences. Desperately wanting to change the dark past, he uses this opportunity to change his fate. However, as the title of this psychological thriller implies, the consequences of his actions are disastrous.

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Famous

Director: John Pasquin Language: English Currently showing

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Sandra Bullock is back as agent Gracie Hart in this sequel to the 2000 original. After successfully solving a case involving the Miss Universe beauty pageant and becoming a runnerup in the contest in the process, Hart has become so widely known that it interferes with her own field of work. Reluctantly she becomes the "face of the FBI," doing PR for the bureau by appearing in TV shows and writing a book. However, when the current Miss Universe and the pageant emcee are abducted, she goes undercover again to hunt down the kidnappers.

Surf Adventures -- O Filme

Director: Arthur Fontes Language: Portuguese Currently showing

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This documentary about the lives of top Brazilian surfers, including Andorea Lopes, Eraldo Gueiros and Picuruta Salazar, showcases not only their breathtaking skills, but also spectacular scenery at some of the world's best beaches. Also included are an interview with six-time world record-holder Kelly Slater and footage of various championships. Inspired by the documentary "The Endless Summer," the director and producers who made this film are also surfers.

Too Beautiful to Lie

Director: Hyeong Jun Bae Language: Korean Currently showing

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This romantic comedy is about a con artist (Kim Ha Neul) on parole meeting the man of her dreams on a train. The encounter starts off awkwardly, though, when the grifter mistakes the young man (Kang Dong Wan) for a pervert. A humorous chain of events eventually forces her to make a visit to his home. As she is greeted by his family, her old conning habits kick in. Despite further complications, the two eventually fall in love. Ha Neul won the Bang Sang Award for best actress in South Korea for her role in this film.

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