NOTE: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the following (unless noted) opens today, Wednesday, November 21st. [SHOWTIMES]

[Rated PG: for some thematic elements, mild violence and language] - There are plenty of moments in August Rush when the inexperience of its creative team (director Kirsten Sheridan and screenwriters Nick Castle and James V. Hart) leave large tracts of cinematic land unexploited. In fact, it’s almost like watching a film school thesis, lacking in commercial appeal yet heady in pensive thought … [FULL REVIEW]

===> WMW PICK OF THE WEEK!
[Rated R: for a scene of strong graphic sexuality, nudity, violence, drug use and language] - Having had great Brazilian vacation sex with trophy wife Gina (Marisa Tomei of Wild Hogs) for the first time in years, Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is determined to live the high life required to keep her. Problem is, he’s already in dangerous debt due to an escalated cocaine habit. But Andy knows his younger brother Hank (Ethan Hawke), who unbeknownst to him is having an affair with Gina, is in worse financial straits, drowning in child support back payments, so he proposes they team up for a “victimless” crime for an easy cash-in – robbing their own mother and father’s suburban jewelry store – in the superb Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. … [FULL REVIEW]

[Rated PG: for some scary images and mild innuendo] - Apparently, Disney was tired of having DreamWorks hand it its hat with three Walt-knocking Shrek movies, so The Mouse has joined the fray with this lightweight but sweet fun-poking at its 70 years of animated features. It would all come together less without a dazzling star at its center, and here, that star is Oscar nominated Amy Adams (Junebug) as Giselle, the soon-to-be princess of the fairy tale kingdom of … [FULL REVIEW]

[Rated R: for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity] - A steely hired assassin known only as Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant of Live Free Or Die Hard) gets caught up in a political conspiracy and finds himself chased across Eastern Europe by both the international police and the Russian military as he treks across Eastern Europe.

[No MPAA Rating] - Celebrated Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky documents China’s colossal industrialization in photos that are both gorgeous works of art and ominous explorations of modern man’s almost godlike power to shape his natural environment to unknown ends. [FULL REVIEW]

[Rated R: for violence, terror and gore, and language] - Anyone dreading a marathon repeat of frequent Stephen King adapter Frank Darabont’s intermission-length The Green Mile can breath a relieved sigh in knowing that this delightfully creepy two-hour tour of the horror icon’s imagination is a tight showcase of both gents’ formidable storytelling skills. Based on King’s 1980 novella (which turned up slightly … [FULL REVIEW]

[Rated R: for strong graphic violence and some language] - There’s no telling where the next great Coen Brothers movie is going to come from. Their own fevered imaginations, as with Blood Simple, Miller’s Crossing or Raising Arizona? Tabloid fodder torn from real life, as with Fargo? One thing’s for sure: that next great movie is here now, and it has its roots in a so-so book by Cormac McCarthy. In the hands of the Coens, though … [FULL REVIEW]

[Rated PG-13: for comic sexual content and some violence] - This year, Christmas with the Whitfields promises to be one they will never forget. All of the siblings have come home for the first time in years, and they’ve brought plenty of baggage with them. As the Christmas tree is trimmed and the lights are hung, secrets are revealed and family bonds are tested. As their lives converge, they join together and help each other discover the true meaning of family. With Delroy Lindo, Idris Elba and Loretta Devine.

A young rapper from the South Bronx finds himself on the run, settling in Puerto Rico, where he meets a girl and learns all about the L (to the) O (to the) V (to the) E. From producer Jennifer Lopez. Rated PG-13 [for sensuality and innuendos, violence, some drug use and language]

Ben Stiller plays a guy who realizes that he’s the only person his age he knows who is not married, but he regrets marrying a bombshell who turns out to be a wingnut, especially when he meets a girl he thinks is really “The One.” With Michelle Monaghan, Rob Corddry and Ben’s real-life Dad, Jerry Stiller. Click here to view the blooper reel from the movie. Rated R [for strong sexual content, crude humor, language, and a scene of drug use involving a minor]

Six relative strangers get together to discuss the novels of Jane Austen, and only some of the audience suffers estrogen poisoning in this surprisingly engaging dramatic comedy that stars Maria Bello, Kathy Baker and Jimmy Smits. Rated PG-13 [for mature thematic material, sexual content, brief strong language and some drug use]

Director Pascal Ferran gives an early version of D.H. Lawrence’s erotic milestone a poignant and visually lush realization. Winner of 5 César Awards, the French equivalent of the Oscar. Not Rated [but not appropriate for children under 17]. Opens Tuesday, October 9 at Cinema 320.

A 14-year-old boy learns that he has magical powers that can save the world from darkness in this disappointing adaptation of Susan Cooper’s novel, which was made by the folks who brought The Chronicles of Narnia and Bridge to Terabithia to the screen. Rated PG [for fantasy action and some scary images]

[Comedic Drama] - A trio of Oscar nominees and winners – Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear and Jane Alexander – head up a cast of familiar faces which also includes Selma Blair, Missi Pyle and Fred Ward. Wrangling them all is Oscar-winning writer-director Robert Benton (Kramer vs. Kramer), delivering a story that explores love’s many faces set in a community in Oregon. A date movie if there ever was one, which looks like it might require an extra bundle of napkins from the concession stand. Also check out the Cary Brothers’ music video for “Honestly” from the movie. Rated R (for strong sexual content, nudity and language)

[Comedy] - Shot partly in Worcester, this clunky Disney comedy stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a pro footballer who meets the young daughter he never knew he had…until she shows up on his doorstep to live with him. Rated PG (for some mild thematic elements)

[Mystery/Drama] - A team of FBI investigators goes to the Middle East to find the bomber of an American facility there. Just watching the trailer makes you want to dab the sweat off your brow with a big wad of concession stand napkins. Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Chris Cooper and Jeremy Piven star. Rated R (for intense sequences of graphic brutal violence, and for language)

[Drama] - Adventurous Iranian girls just want to have fun watching their national soccer team play Bahrain, but run afoul of the security forces when they’re caught disguised as men sneaking into the stadium. The Circle director Jafar Panahi’s sly and deceptively simple comedy marks a return to popular form for Iranian cinema. English subtitled. Rated PG (for language throughout, and some thematic elements). Opens Tuesday, October 2 at Cinema 320.

[Comedy] - A French girl (Julie Delpy) brings her American boyfriend (Adam Goldberg) to visit her parents in Paris on their way home from a trip in Paris. The film marks an impressive and consistently energetic debut of Delpy, who starred in local boy John Stimpson’s ghost story, The Legend of Lucy Keyes. In English and French with English subtitles. Rated R (for sexual content, some nudity and language)

A huge treat for Beatles fans, this lush Hair-like musical features new interpretations of classic Fab Four tracks by the photogenic young cast, and a whole lot of purdy stuff to look at. From director (and Boston gal) Julie Taymor, who made Shakespeare’s most violent play into something terribly interesting in Titus.

Kooky Canuck David Cronenberg follows up A History Of Violence with this more conventional story of Russian gangsters running rampant in London. Viggo Mortensen plays a ruthless sociopath who crosses paths with Naomi Watts as a midwife who has evidence that can bring his family down.

Shot partly in Worcester, this Disney comedy stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a pro footballer who meets the young daughter he never knew he had…until she shows up on his doorstep to live with him. Sneak preview Saturday, opens Friday, September 28th.

Arlington native Dane Cook gets a bit raunchy in this romantic comedy, paired up with the chronically adorable Jessica Alba. He plays a successful dentist whom women believe is a lucky charm — they bed him, then find true love with someone else. She plays a penguin expert who is possibly the world’s clumsiest woman. Dan Fogler from Balls of Fury plays Cook’s best friend, who out-icks Jason Biggs’ pie-lover with an unnatural love for grapefruit.

Not since Wag the Dog has there been a political comedy so sharp, and that has a lot to do with The Matador writer-director Richard Shepard’s smart and well-paced screenplay. Richard Gere plays a once-great TV journalist who has been on the skids since an on-air meltdown while covering the war in Bosnia, with Terrence Howard as his best friend and colleague who follows him on a dangerous trek back into Bosnia to find a notorious war criminal.

Paul Haggis, whose Crash won him Best Screenplay and Best Picture Oscars, followed it up with screenplays to three strong Clint Eastwood films and a solid Bond prequel, now this, the first great film dealing with the war in Iraq. Haggis directs this story of a former soldier (Tommy Lee Jones) whose son, just back from Iraq, goes missing. He is relentless in his search, reluctantly teaming with a local cop (Charlize Theron) to find the truth. Susan Sarandon plays Jones’s wife, rounding out this fantastic trio of leads, all of whom have won Oscars.

One wouldn’t think that a documentary about two guys questing for the all-time high score on the arcade classic Donkey Kong would be very interesting, but this one sure is. Director Seth Gordon, who produced the music doc New York Doll, gets to the heart of the struggle between two regular guys bent on saving a damsel from a giant gorilla. Studio New Line thought the idea so intriguing that they hired Gordon to direct a scripted version of it.

Fans of Milla Jovovich — and there are a whole lot of them — are willing to forgive the former model for the sewage stoppage that was Ultraviolet, which is why that this little video game adaptation (the third in a trilogy) about a global zombie plague that didn’t screen for critics will nevertheless do so well this weekend.

One of the unlikeliest and funniest comic actors working today is former kids show star Amanda Bynes, here as a college freshman who ditches the witches at her sorority and is taken in by seven dorks. Get it — Sydney White and the Seven Dorks? Don’t worry, there’s more to it than just the gimmick, with Hairspray star Bynes shining through it all.

All the inspiring and infuriating facets of Ralph Nader are polished to an equally brilliant luster in this highly watchable, even-handed and incisive portrait of a genuine American original, and his fall from icon to pariah.? Opens Tuesday, September 25th at Cinema 320.

(Thriller) - Jodie Foster plays a radio host who seeks revenge after the brutal murder of her fiancé (Naveen Andrews), with Terrence Howard’s cop on her tail but unexpectedly sympathetic to her situation. Co-starring Nicky Katt (Grindhouse) and Mary Steenburgen (“Joan of Arcadia”) and directed by Neil Jordan (Breakfast On Pluto).

(Action/Fantasy) - As if the giant robots messing up Los Angeles in Transformers weren’t enough, here comes every sort of mythical dragon imaginable to make even more of a mess of the City of Angels. The English language film is a hit in its native South Korea, and reportedly the most expensive ever made there, with a new studio having been created to handle the numerous CGI effects. Rated PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and creature action)

(Comedy) - A popular self-help guru, played by Seann William “Stop Calling Me Stifler,” returns home to the shock that his mother (Susan Sarandon) is dating his tyrannical junior high school gym teacher (Billy Bob Thornton). Co-starring Amy Poehler (“SNL”) and Ethan Suplee (“My Name Is Earl”). Rated PG-13 (for crude and sexual content, thematic material, language and a mild drug reference)

(Comedy) - A stuttering boy (Reece Daniel Thompson) whose family is falling apart joins his high school debate team. This is the first narrative feature from writer-director Jeffrey Blitz, who directed the hit documentary Spellbound, which amazed writers the world over when they actually got to use the words “hit” and “documentary” together. Rated R (for some sexual content and language)

(Comedy) - A French girl (Julie Delpy) brings her American boyfriend (Adam Goldberg) to visit her parents in Paris on their way home from a trip in Paris. The film marks an impressive and consistently energetic debut of Delpy, who starred in local boy John Stimpson’s ghost story, The Legend of Lucy Keyes. Rated R (for sexual content, some nudity and language)

(Drama) - A Hungarian gymnast, raised from childhood under the ruthlessly regimented Communist athletic system, must find his inner balance in freedom as a gymnastics teacher to a gifted pupil in Calgary. The film was Hungary’s official Oscar submission this year. Not Rated. Starts Tuesday, September 18th at Cinema 320.

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(Comedy, 91 min.)
Two clueless guys, played by Will Forte of “SNL” and Will Arnett of “Arrested Development,” set out to make their comatose father proud by siring a child with Kristen Wiig. Also starring Chi McBride, who starred in “Mr. Show” director Bob Odenkerk’s previous (and much funnier) feature, Let’s Go To Prison. Rated R [for language and sexual content]

(Documentary, 95 min.)
Young man-of-many-hats Leonardo DiCaprio hosts this look at how we as humans have messed up the planet, and offers possible solutions as to how “green living” can reverse that damage so our children can breathe freely when they have to walk everywhere after we inevitably run out of oil. Rated PG [for mild disturbing images and thematic elements]

(Western, 117 min.)
Christian Bale mixes it up with Russell Crowe in this remake of the 1957 western starring Van Heflin and Glenn Ford, about a rancher who may or may not sell out an outlaw, and put him on the 3:10 to Yuma (which all cowboys know is a metaphor for justice). This Oscar buzzworthy testo-fest is directed by James Mangold, the guy behind the Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line. Rated R [for violence and some language]

(Action Comedy, 87 min.)
Nice guy Clive Owen (Children of Men) is a gun-savvy gent who finds himself protecting a newborn baby from a ruthless bad guy (Paul Giamatti) and his gun-toting gang of guys in black leather coats. Italian beauty Monica Bellucci co-stars in this way over-the-top action comedy. Rated R [for language, nudity, violence, gore and adult themes]

(Comedy, 93 min.)
Sort of like a modern-day Canterbury Tales, each one of the ten stories in this collection of short films is based on one of the Ten Commandments. The sizeable cast includes Jessica Alba, Famke Janssen, Oliver Platt, Paul Rudd, Winona Ryder, Liev Schrieber, Ron Silver and Justin Theroux (as Jesus H. Christ). Rated R [for pervasive strong crude sexual content including dialogue and nudity, and for language and some drug material.]

(Comedy, 90 min.)
Stone Age aborigines (who have no credit cards) spin a tale from their mythic prehistory in this likeably laid-back and digressive fable of marital infidelity in a small tribe. Opens Tuesday, Sept. 11 at Cinema 320. Not Rated [not appropriate for all audiences]

[CHECK OUR SHOWTIMES PAGE FOR MOVIE TIMES.]

(Thriller, 101 min.)
Kevin Bacon kills thugs dead in this revenge drama from the creators of Saw and the writer of Death Wish, which is like saying, “Here’s a movie from someone you hate and someone you can’t remember.” Disappointed viewers may start formulating revenge fantasies of their own after realizing how light this movie about something so dark really is. Rated R [for strong bloody brutal violence and pervasive language]

(Horror, 109 min.)
Since John Carpenter’s genre-defining slasher flick Halloween came out in 1978, its psychotic icon, Michael Myers, has become a modern boogeyman, and rocker (and Haverhill native) Rob Zombie sets out to bring him into the 21st century. Whether or not he succeeds has yet to be seen, but you can read our review this Friday and add your own two cents to the mix. Rated R [for strong brutal bloody violence and terror throughout, sexual content, graphic nudity and language]

(Documentary, 90 min.)
This muckraking documentary on America’s consumer debt crisis is actually one of the funniest films on Cinema 320’s schedule, and is an alternately absurd and sobering peek at an industry that’s gone totally nuts. Starts Tuesday, September 4. Not Rated [and not appropriate for all audiences]

(Documentary, 102 min.)
The first film of its kind to chronicle the reasons behind Iraq’s descent into guerilla war, warlord rule, criminality and anarchy, director/producer Charles Ferguson’s docu-tribe is a jaw-dropping, insider’s tale of wholesale incompetence, recklessness and venality. Not Rated [and also not appropriate for all audiences]

(Western, 117 min.)
Christian Bale mixes it up with Russell Crowe in this remake of the 1957 western starring Van Heflin and Glenn Ford, about a rancher who may or may not sell out an outlaw, and put him on the 3:10 to Yuma (which all cowboys know is a metaphor for justice). Directed by James Mangold, the guy behind Walk the Line. Sneak previews Saturday and Sunday, opens September 7. Rated R [for violence and some language]

[CHECK OUR SHOWTIMES PAGE FOR MOVIE TIMES.]

[CLICK ON A TITLE TO VIEW ITS TRAILER.]

The creators of “Reno 911!” take a shot at making their own Dodgeball or Blades Of Glory, this one about a former ping-pong star who goes undercover at an underground extreme ping-pong to catch his father’s killer. With Dan Fogler, Maggie Q and Christopher Walken. [PG-13] Opens Wednesday, August 29.

A teenage boy and his mother go up against the killer of the boy’s father in this action thriller written by Franc Reyes (Empire) and produced by John Singleton (Four Brothers). With Rick Gonzalez, Dania Ramirez and Wanda DeJesus. [R]

The famous buffoon Mr. Bean wins a trip to Cannes, where he manages to make a comedy routine out of just about everything. Sequel to the 1997 hit, Bean, which was based on the popular BBC series. With Rowan Atkinson, Emma de Caunes and Willem Dafoe. [G]

A woman bets her business partner that he cannot produce a single person he can call a true friend. From Patrice Leconte, director of The Man On The Train and Intimate Strangers. With Daniel Auteuil, Dany Boon and Julie Gayet. In French with English subtitles. [PG-13]

A recent college graduate stumbles into a job nannying for a wealthy New York City couple, a job far more complicated than she expected. Based on the novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. With Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney and Sudbury native Chris Evans. [PG-13]

A sports writer looking for his big break discovers a former boxing champ living on the streets and befriends him, with unexpected results for both men and their families. Based on a true story. With Josh Hartnett, Samuel L. Jackson and Alan Alda. [PG-13]

In 1857 in the Utah Territory, a Mormon militia and a local Indian tribe slaughter 120 innocent men, women and children, a horrific event that Mormon leader Brigham Young may or may not have had anything to do with. With Jon Voight, Trent Ford and Tamara Hope. [R]

An FBI agent seeks revenge against an elusive assassin, who triggers a mob war between the Triads and the Yakuza. With Jet Li, Jason Statham and Nadine Velasquez. [R]

Workers unite in 1920 Ireland to form militias to prevent the notorious “Black & Tan” squads sent from England to prevent the country from gaining its independence. With Cillian Murphy, Paul Delaney and Liam Cunningham. [R] Opens Tuesday, August 28 at Cinema 320.

The makers of March Of The Penguins deliver this environmentally aware tale of a polar bear and her cubs and a walrus and her…whatever you call a group of baby walruses…weathering their icy landscape as it is altered by the boogeyman known as Global Warming. A movie that would make Al Gore proud. [G]

When a stranger shows up at the funeral of a British patriarch with the intention of causing a scandal, the whole dysfunctional family goes a little nuttier. With Alan Tudyk, Matthew MacFadyen and Peter Dinklage. [R]

A wily alien life form lands on Earth and attempts to take over by assimilating humans, who may or may not thwart their wicked plot before it is too late. The third remake of the sci-fi classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. With Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Jeffrey Wright. [PG-13]

A young Roman soldier travels to Britain to raise support for the crumbling Empire, and comes to possess a rather special sword…named Excalibur. With Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley and impossibly beautiful Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai. [PG-13]

Two friends must deal with their impending separation after high school graduation…while trying to buy liquor, not get shot by the police and score with girls. From the makers of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. With Jonah Hill, Michael Sera and Seth Rogen. Read our interview with the stars of the movie. [R]

NEW RELEASES FOR THE WEEK ENDING AUGUST 10

Mismatched detectives Lee (Jackie Chan) and Carter (Chris Tucker) turn Paris upside-down in search of a would-be assassin in Brett Ratner’s third action-comedy, which, in the six years since the last one, has lost a lot of its charm but little of its audience appeal. [PG-13]

Claire Danes is a star that has fallen to Earth to guide a poor farm boy (Charlie Cox) to happiness in this adaptation of MirrorMask creator Neil Gaiman’s darkly comic fairy tale, which is like a slightly naughty Princess Bride. Co-starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro and Ricky Gervais. Be sure to read our interview with Claire Danes. [PG-13]

Beyond-cute former Disney princess Anne Hathaway is great author Jane Austen, before she was famous in this appealing ensemble biopic which also stars Julie Walters, James Cromwell, Maggie Smith and Last King Of Scotland star James McAvoy. [PG-13]

Don Cheadle plays legendary Washington, DC disc jockey Petey Greene in Kasi Lemmons’s powerful drama, which also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martin Sheen and one of the best soundtracks of the year. Be sure to read our interview with Lemmons. [R]

Kind of like Harry Potter, only with werewolves instead of magicians, this horror film co-written by “Psych” star James Roday is about a half-blood boy who will inherit untold lupine powers upon his 13th birthday, something that some members of the werewolf community are none too happy with. [PG-13]

Oscar polish must be really, really expensive, because Cuba Gooding Jr. is starring as a dad who must babysit a camp full of terrible pre-teens in this family comedy that even Eddie Murphy, star of the previous Daddy Day Care, had the good sense to turn down. [PG]