This week's premiere
photo: Tatrafilm
Girl with a Pearl Earring (Dievča s perlou) - Drama by Peter Webber. Beautiful women have long been major sources of artistic inspiration. But we so rarely know who these women actually were. This movie tries to tell the story of one of them at least: the subject of Johannes Vermeer's iconic portrait. Appropriately, the young and beautiful Scarlett Johansson plays the beautiful young woman, Griet, a teenager from the country who becomes a servant in the great painter's house. Vermeer (Colin Firth) eventually notices and becomes quite taken by her, which causes problems with his wife (Essie Davis) and his benefactor (Tom Wilkinson). Well, at least a timeless painting came out of it.
Other movies playing
photo: SPI International
Alexander (Alexander Veľký) - Historical epic by Oliver Stone. You can always count on Oliver Stone to stir up some sort of controversy. With this film, it has centered on the sexuality of the titular protagonist (Colin Farrell). A group of Greek businessmen, apparently in denial about what historians widely accept as common sexual practice among the ancient Greeks, took great offense when they heard that Stone dealt frankly with Alexander's bisexuality. The businessmen calmed down once the movie opened, however, as reports from viewers stated that the depiction of the great Greek leader's sexuality wasn't really that frank at all. As it turns out, the most shocking thing about the movie is a casting choice: Are we actually supposed to believe that Angelina Jolie, 29, could be the mother of Colin Farrell, who is one year her junior? As it turns out, the Greek businessmen had another reason to calm down: With a frequency that almost equals the historical acceptance of ancient Greek bisexuality, audiences have fled from Alexander.
photo: Screen Gems
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (Resident Evil: Apokalypsa) - Action horror by Alexander Witt. There are really only three reasons to see this movie: You love the video game, you love zombie movies, or you love Milla Jovovich. For those of us who fit into one or more of these categories, it's a pretty good time; for those who don't, it's a waste. As an example of the zombie genre, it's truthfully not that great. But c'mon: the walking dead, corporate greed, gore, and Milla Jovovich. How can you go wrong?
Prepared by Jonathan Knapp
