Movie Reviews

The Story: A young aspiring writer -- and wannabe cross-dresser -- shares an apartment with an older male escort, who becomes a very peculiar mentor. The Lowdown: By turns sad and funny, this character comedy is not going to suit everyone, but for those willing to read between the lines, it pays amazing dividends.

The Story: Todd Solondz's self-described "quasi-sequel" to Happiness examines the lives of the original film's characters -- about 10 years later -- and their attempts to deal with the past. The Lowdown: A strange, dark, disturbing film of considerable power -- but one that's only for a pretty select audience who don't shy away from…

The Story: After being captured and sent to a nature reserve far from home, a pair of wolves must make their way back to their families. The Lowdown: Bargain-bin animation and hackneyed scripting combine for an achingly dull kiddie flick.

The Story: A high-school girl whose reputation is damaged by a fabricated story finds that the new attention it brings is not without its benefits -- to herself and others. The Lowdown: The comedy surprise of the year, in which Emma Stone becomes a bona-fide star. Funny, perceptive, sweetly subversive and subversively sweet.

The Story: Five people are trapped in an elevator. One of them is the devil -- and he's up to no good. The Lowdown: Reasonably nonsensical horror from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan. Short on scares, and even at a bare 80 minutes, it feels padded.

The Story: A Boston bank robber must deal with pressure from the law, his loyalties to his family and friends, and romantic entanglements with a former hostage. The Lowdown: A slick, taut, solid crime thriller, with a bit of heart and intelligence thrown in, as well.

Flight of the Cardinal plays at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 21, at the Fine Arts Theatre.

The Story: More zombie horror with Milla Jovovich in leather. The Lowdown: It's pretty much the same as the last couple entries in the series: mindless mayhem and close-to-no plot, going nowhere and seemingly in no great hurry to get there.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Gabriel Over the Whitehouse at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Asheville Film Society will screen Hedwig and the Angry Inch Tuesday, Sept. 21, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville. Hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.

Classic Cinema From Around the World will present Autumn Sonata at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17, at Courtyard Gallery, 109 Roberts St., located in the Phil Mechanic Studios building in the River Arts District. Info: 273-3332.

The Story: The story of the complicated relationship between a young boy and girl in early '60s middle America. The Lowdown: A corny, lazy bit of filmmaking in every conceivable way, resulting in a movie that's just overwhelmingly dull.

The Story: A purported documentary about Joaquin Phoenix and his descent into an identity crisis -- or not. The Lowdown: The film answers nothing, suggests much and is often just unpleasant. Occasionally funny, frequently boring and poorly made, still it's hard not to be grimly fascinated that this film could even exist.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Dreamchild at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Story: A biopic based on the autobiography of ballet dancer Li Cunxin. The Lowdown: Old-fashioned and occasionally just too earnest, but nevertheless an extremely likable biographical drama with a final half-hour that makes up for much.

The Story: A former Mexican federale gets tied into a violent plot to knock off a racist Texas senator. The Lowdown: An absurdly violent, over-the-top action movie that manages to be both topical and fun, making for the best pure action movie of the year.

The Story: An assassin hiding out in a small Italian town agrees to one last job. The Lowdown: Though hawked as a straight thriller, this is really an enigmatic art movie with a style and an introspective mood that some may find off-putting.

The Story: A documentary following a single platoon in Afghanistan. The Lowdown: A raw, rough-edged and emotionally blistering documentary that takes no sides -- except that of the soldier under fire.