Movie Reviews

Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Ian Hendry, John Fraser, Yvonne Furneaux, Patrick Wymark

Repulsion

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Classic Cinema From Around the World will present Repulsion at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St., in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

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The Story: Bored with life as a respectable fox citizen, Mr. Fox reverts to a life of poultry thievery and outwitting local farmers. The Lowdown: Witty, sophisticated comedy, splendid voice acting, brilliant animation and personal filmmaking combine to create perhaps the most pure fun to be had at the movies all year.

Old Dogs

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The Story: A 50-odd-year-old man finds himself saddled with a pair of children he didn't know he had and has to learn how to be a dad. The Lowdown: A pitiful, pathetic, lazy attempt at bilking money out of the market for family-friendly fare during the holiday season.

Zelig

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The Hendersonville Film Society will show Zelig at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.
Starring: Robert Powell, Georgina Hale, Lee Montague, Rosalie Crutchley, Antonia Ellis

Mahler

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Classic Cinema From Around the World will present Mahler at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St., in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

A Serious Man

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The Story: A Midwestern college professor searches for answers as his life spins out of control. The Lowdown: An almost painfully black comedy about the search for meaning where meaning may not exist. Yes, it's a comedy, but the laughs are bitter ones and the tone will be off-putting for some.

The Blind Side

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The Story: Fact-based story of Michael Oher, a poor black kid adopted by an upscale white family. The Lowdown: A manipulative, but effective, uplifting sports drama that benefits from a strong cast, but never escapes a sense of condescension and questionable messages.
Starring: Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Hazel Court, Jack Nicholson

The Raven

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The Hendersonville Film Society will show The Raven at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

An Education

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The Story: A 16-year-old schoolgirl embarks on a romance with a somewhat mysterious 30-plus-year-old man. The Lowdown: A star-making performance from Carey Mulligan, a human and witty screenplay, and beautifully modulated direction make this an unusually accomplished coming-of-age story.

Pirate Radio

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The Story: The story of renegade broadcasters operating from a ship off the coast of Great Britain in 1966. The Lowdown: An altogether splendid period piece about camaraderie and rock music with great performers, a killer sound track and a screenplay that's as warm as it is witty.

2012

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The Story: Roland Emmerich's take on what happens when the Mayan calendar runs out. The Lowdown: Grotesquely overlong and overproduced, but if you want to see the world end without actually being there, it'll probably fill the bill.