Semi-Pro
Opening February 29, 2008
Will Ferrell Sports Movie has become a genre (see Talladega Nights: the Legend of Ricky Bobbyand Blades of Glory), as has Will Ferrell 70s Movie (see Anchor Man). Semi-Pro brings the two together. Penned by Old School scribe, Scot Armstrong, it stars Ferrell as Jackie Moon, the flamboyantly alpha player/coach/owner of a fictional ABA team. As the NBA-merger looms, Moon must tune down the bear fighting, boozing, and philandering if he wants his team to survive. It's formulaic, but that doesn't mean it's not funny. The strong cast of regular Ferrell supporters includes Will Arnett, Andy Richter, and David Koechner. Additions Woody Harrelson (adding to the Woody Harrelson Basketball Movie canon), Maura Tierney, and Andre Benjamin should help temper the silliness. Expect afros, granny shots, blue and white balls, and short shorts. -S.T.



The Other Boleyn Girl
Opening February 29, 2008
Throughout history, monarchs have faced plethoric dilemmas. Proverbially, their decisions have shaped history. Whims can lead to massive loss of life and wrong-turns can lead to biblical-sized calamity. Never has a monarch faced as difficult a choice as Eric Bana's King Henry VIII in The Other Boleyn Girl: should he marry Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman? Johansson and Portman play Mary and Anne Boleyn respectively and, as you know, things turn out well. Screenwriter Peter Morgan is coming off an Oscar nomination for The Queen and his highly anticipated play-turned-film, Frost/Nixon, is already in the can. Also, he wrote the mini-series, Henry VIII, so he knows the material. Furthermore, Portman is nearly infallible and Johansson is better than her recent canon (Scoop, the Nanny Diaries) suggests. As a bonus, it will be nice to see Henry's beard returned to him. -S.T.



City of Men
Opening February 29, 2008
I could never live in the city in question (i.e. Rio de Janeiro); it's not my Portuguese, which is fantastic (i.e. eu não posso falar uma palavra); I'm just not very manly; I'll admit it. On the other hand, best friends Acerola (Douglas Silva) and Laranjinha (Darlan Cunha) are almost men (closer than me, anyways). Growing up in the slums of Rio, the two are torn apart and struggle to get back together without getting killed or sunburned. Based on the hugely popular Brazilian television show of the same name, City of Men should boast some of the same sun-drenched violence as City of God, which shares its producers. -S.T.



Sleepwalking
Opening March 14, 2008
I have a friend that sleepwalks into corners, sleep-urinates, sleep-zips up, then returns to bed. He loves Bill Maher; also, he looks a bit like Callum Keith Rennie (Hard Core Logo, Last Night). He should love this film. Directed by Bill Maher (no, not that Bill Maher), Sleepwalking features Little Miss Sunshine's Anna Sophia Robb as an abandoned child trying to maintain precociousness while under duress. Chalize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Hopper, and Callum Keith Rennie (now it all makes sense) also star. -S.T.