cinema chat: 'Sleepwalk With Me,' 'Trouble With the Curve,' and more at the movies this week
Opening downtown
Winner of a 2012 Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, “Sleepwalk With Me” stars comedian Mike Birbiglia, and is based on his off-Broadway show and bestselling book. It’s also the first movie co-written by Ira Glass and co-produced by “This American Life.” The story: when an aspiring stand-up comedian fails to express his true feelings about his girlfriend and his stalled career, his anxiety comes out in increasingly funny and dangerous sleepwalking incidents. Drew Grant of the New York Observer says, “’Sleepwalk’ holds together as a story that, like a particularly good episode of This American Life, is both laugh-out-loud funny and somewhat melancholic.” “Sleepwalk With Me” opens Friday at the Michigan Theater.
Opening at the cineplex
“Trouble with the Curve” stars Clint Eastwood as Gus Lobel, for decades one of the best scouts in baseball. However, despite his efforts to hide it, age is starting to catch up with him. When the front office of the Atlanta Braves starts to question his judgment, the one person who might be able to help is also the one person Gus would never ask: his daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams). Regardless, she joins him on his latest scouting trip to North Carolina, jeopardizing her own career to save his. Justin Chang of Variety says, “Robert Lorenz's square but sturdy directing debut rests on the wonderfully spiky chemistry between Eastwood and Adams as a testy old scout and his equally strong-willed daughter.” “Trouble with the Curve” opens Friday.
“Dredd 3D,” based on the character from the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD, takes viewers to Mega City, a vast and violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called "judges" who possess the combined powers of judge, jury and instant executioner. Stephen Dalton of the Hollywood Reporter says, “’Dredd 3D’ constantly impresses on a visual level, with a gritty style more akin to cult hits like ‘District 9’ or ‘28 Days Later’ than the standard Hollywood comic-book blockbusters.” “Dredd 3D” opens Friday.
“House at the End of the Street”; finds newly divorced Sarah (Elisabeth Shue) and her daughter Elissa (Jennifer Lawrence) in the house of their dreams in a small, upscale, rural town. But when startling and unexplainable events begin to happen, Sarah and Elissa learn the town is in the shadows of a chilling secret. Years earlier, in the house next door, a daughter killed her parents in their beds, and disappeared—leaving only a brother, Ryan (Max Thieriot), as the sole survivor. Against Sarah's wishes, Elissa begins a relationship with the reclusive Ryan—and the closer they get, the deeper they're all pulled into a mystery more dangerous than they ever imagined. “House at the End of the Street” opens Friday.
“End of Watch” is a riveting action thriller that puts audiences at the center of the chase like never before. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña star as young LA police officers who discover a secret that makes them the target of the country's most dangerous drug cartel. Peter Debruge of Variety says, “Like a knife in the eye, ‘End of Watch’ cuts past the clichés of standard police procedurals, serving instead as a visceral ride-along with two thrill-seeking cops.” “End of Watch” opens Friday.
Special screenings downtown
The Eastern Michigan University Department of Music and Dance and the EMU Foundation proudly present a special screening of “Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037” that follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand from forest floor to concert hall. The Steinway L1037 featured in the film will be on display in the Michigan Theater’s Grand Foyer following the movie during a reception to raise awareness of the Steinway Campaign at Eastern Michigan University. “Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037” plays Sunday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. at the Michigan Theater.
“National Theatre Live: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is based on the international best-selling novel by Mark Haddon. This live on tape production by the National Theatre of Great Britain is Sunday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Michigan Theater. Tickets will be at the door or buy them on line at ums.org/tickets or by calling 734-764-2538.
“Out of Sight,” part of the Motor City Movies: Discovering Detroit Film Series, is directed by Steven Soderbergh. Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard and starring George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, “Out of Sight” plays -Monday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Michigan Theater.
The Agnieszka Holland film series continues tonight with “Europa Europa” at 7:30 and next Thursday with “The Secret Garden.” This series is sponsored by the Copernicus Endowment at the University of Michigan. Admission is free.
See you at the movies!
Russ Collins is executive director of the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. Tune in to the audio version of “Cinema Chat” on WEMU radio (89.1-FM) each Thursday at 7:40 a.m. and 5:40 p.m., or listen to it online at WEMU's web site.
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