Opening This Week: The Class, Fanboys, Madea Makes a Mint

Tricia Olszewski — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:59:47 +0000

–All caught up with your Oscar viewing? Impossible! One of the Best Foreign Film nominees, The Class, opens today. France's docudrama about a young teacher struggling with his high-school students isn't fancy, but incisively shows that brats aren't exclusive to the U.S.

–Like death? Go see Cherry Blossoms. This German film works for fans of Japanese performance art, also.

–At the other extreme of the high-low scale is Fanboys, a long-gestating comedy about a group of Star Wars geeks who try to break into Skywalker Ranch so their terminally ill friend can see Phantom Menace six months early — and presumably die of disappointment instead of cancer.

–But if you really want to suffer, try Fired Up!, the horny-jocks-go-to-cheerleading-camp flick that's even less funny than its trailers make it look.

–And the sure box-office topper? Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail. If you don't know who Perry or his sassy-grandma creation is, welcome to Earth.

Academy Shortlists Nine Films for Best Foreign Language Consideration

Tricia Olszewski — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:46:56 +0000

And the possible nominees are:

Revanche, Austria

The Necessities of Life, Canada

The Class, France

The Baader Meinhof Complex, Germany

Waltz with Bashir, Israel

Departures, Japan

Tear This Heart Out, Mexico

Everlasting Moments, Sweden

3 Monkeys, Turkey

Only two of these film are currently scheduled for Washington releases, virtual shoo-in Waltz With Bashir (1/23) and The Class (1/30). Stay tuned for reviews.

City Desk » the class

Opening This Week: The Class, Fanboys, Madea Makes a Mint

Academy Shortlists Nine Films for Best Foreign Language Consideration