Movie Buzz – 12/05

Lions and tigers and Nicole Kidman, oh my! The Aussie siren’s latest flick is a fantasy feature which finds her appearing alongside some wild animals that walk, talk and behave as badly as humans.

It appears even legitimate actors like Kidman are getting on the CGI bandwagon and embracing computer-generated technology in motion pictures.

“The Golden Compass” is looking for the audience that made “The Chronicles of Narnia” a box-office success, but their PG-13 rating could hurt the film’s appeal to families with young children. After all, angry monkeys and armor-clad bears are scary.

Daniel Craig, pop culture’s latest 007, also stars in this tale of a young girl (newcomer Dakota Blue Richards) who uses a magical compass to help save a group of children from evil, power-hungry adults. The latest Bond girl, Eva Green, also stars.

This film is the inaugural flick in a planned trilogy, which will feature writer Phillip Pullman’s follow-up stories, “The Subtle Knife” and “The Amber Spyglass.” Fantasy flicks tend to come in threes, so the completion of the second and third films are inevitable, barring horrible box-office receipts.

Contrary to popular belief, movie producers can read. That might be why this week’s second major film release also comes from a book, and this one is said to be a fabulous adaptation.

The passionate intensity of actress Keira Knightley is put to great use in writer Ian McEwan’s story of forbidden love. “Atonement” finds Knightley’s love affair with James McAvoy’s character tested by a condemning, but false, accusation from her young sister.

Torn apart by the accusation, and then separated by a brutal war, the couple struggles through feelings of heartbreak as the accuser grows up riddled with guilt.

Knightley was reunited with her “Pride and Prejudice” director, Joe Wright, for this flick. Wright was able to coax Knightley into an Oscar-nominated performance in that film, but will he be able to do the same this time?

Perhaps we should be watching Knightley’s co-star, McAvoy, instead. He is a rising star, whose chilling performance in “The Last King of Scotland” meant he was able to hold his own on the big screen alongside the unbelievably talented Forest Whitaker.

Limited-release flicks opening this week include John Cusack as a dad widowed by the war in “Grace is Gone,” while Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman try to adopt a baby from a sarcastic pregnant teen in “Juno.”

If the limited-release flick you’re looking for hasn’t appeared locally just yet, sit tight. Our movie viewing venues have recently granted access to highly regarded limited-release flicks like “Bella” and “No Country for Old Men.”