Movie Reviews

The Story: In Britain, an ancient Roman attempts to win back the honor of his family by recovering -- with his British slave -- a golden eagle that was lost in battle years earlier by his father. The Lowdown: A well-crafted historical epic that's too devoid of charisma from its leads and also on the…

The Story: A documentary and concert film about teen pop star Justin Bieber. The Lowdown: A mostly harmless movie that's completely dependent on your appreciation of Beiber and modern pop music.

The Story A philandering plastic surgeon uses a wedding ring as part of his pick-up routine -- until he falls in love and has to invent a soon-to-be-ex-wife for his girlfriend's benefit or be branded a pig. The Lowdown: Unfunny, unromantic and flat in the extreme. All the tired Sandler schtick is there, but the…

The Story It's Romeo and Juliet with garden gnomes. The Lowdown: Really, what more do you need to know? Well, it's pretty lame, too.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Lola at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, at Phil Mechanic Studios (109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

The Asheville Film Society will screen City Lights Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of the Carolina Asheville, and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther. Hanke is the artistic director of the Asheville Film Society.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show The Night Visitor at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb.13, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville).

The Story A collection of the short films -- live action and animated -- that are up for Oscars this year. The Lowdown: An entertaining -- though occasionally uneven -- set of movies that are well-worth seeing overall.

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen From Dusk Till Dawn Thursday, Feb. 10, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of the Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.

The Story: A college freshman finds out her new roommate is a bit unhinged. The Lowdown: Hokey, predictable nonsense of the "crazy roommate" genre.

The Story Some people you won't give a hang about try to find their way out of a murky cave system before it floods completely. The Lowdown: Alternately tedious and unintentionally funny, with better than average 3D. If ever a subterranean adventure needed some lost-world dinosaurs, this is it.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Four Sons at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Vivre Sa Vie at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4, at Phil Mechanic Studios (109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

The Asheville Film Society will screen The Night of the Hunter Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of the Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen The Brood Thursday, Feb. 3, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of the Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.

The Story A year in the lives of an aging, but devoted, middle class British couple and their circle of friends. The Lowdown: Penetrating character study on the nature of happiness, marked by fine performances and a deep sense of compassion and humanity.

The Story Grim study of a dying man in search of redemption -- and a secure future for the children he's going to leave behind. The Lowdown: Part realistic grit, part mystical wondering, and all unrelentingly downbeat, yet it's hard to ignore the quality of the filmmaking and impossible to ignore the power of Javier…

The Story A young seminary student gets a lesson in faith from a stint in exorcism school. The Lowdown: A good cast can't save a tepid exorcist yarn and a weak leading man from being possessed by a case of humdrummery.

The Story: A hitman begins training the son of his best friend. The Lowdown: Your standard actioner that's fine while onscreen, but is ultimately pointless and never as clever as it thinks it is.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present High and Low at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, (at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen A Nightmare on Elm Street Thursday, January 27, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of the Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.