Central Track Contributor
A Look at The Fault In Our Stars and The Rest of This Week's New and Specialty Film Releases.
The Fault in Our Stars.
Director: Josh Boone.
Writer: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, based on the novel by John Green.
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff.
Where it's playing: Everywhere.


Hazel (Shailene Woodley) hasn't ever had a break. At only 16, she's fighting the toughest battle of her life — terminal thyroid and lung cancer. Since being diagnosed at a very young age, she's been forced to cart around a portable oxygen tank so she can breathe — a fact that prohibits her from doing anything a teenager considers fun, like sports, drinking, making out and the like.
As a result, she's become a glass-half-empty kind of girl.
Then, against her will, she attends a cancer patient support group (led by the always hilarious, always awkward Mike Birbiglia). And here, her glass begins to fill up. Why? She meets a cute and confident boy named Augustus Waters (newcomer and scene-stealer Ansel Elgort), who, after losing a leg in his own battle against cancer, is now in remission. Long story short: He's exactly what she needs to balance out the adversity in her life.
Now, don't let that premise fool you: The Fault in Our Stars isn't really a movie about cancer or death. Rather, it's quite-excellent film about finding love in a hopeless place.
Based on Jon Green’s highly acclaimed novel of the same name, the film does include a few minor story alterations. For the most part, though, it's a pretty matter-of-fact adaptation. It helps that the two writers behind the script — Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Webber — know what they're doing, having already written two hit features surrounding young love ((500 Days) of Summer and the terrific The Spectacular Now). Fault puts them right at three for three (not counting The Pink Panther 2, which we're just going to sweep under the mat). And it helps, too, that great performances abound throughout the film's run.
Also? Yes, you will exit the theaters wiping your eyes. This one is a tearjerker, for sure. —Chase Whale
Edge of Tomorrow.
Director: Doug Liman.
Writer: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth, based onthe novel All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka.
Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Paxton.
Where it's playing: Everywhere.
Ladies and gentlemen: This is the perfect Tom Cruise vehicle. The star is back in full force here, and Edge of Tomorrow is the first blockbuster of the year worth its weight in promotion. Check out our full review here. — CW
Words and Pictures.
Director: Fred Schepisi.
Writer: Gerald Di Pego.
Cast: Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche, Bruce Davison, Amy Brenneman.
Where it’s playing: Magnolia and Cinemark West Plano.
Clive Owen (star of Alfonso Cuarón's excellent Children of Men) and Juliette Binoche (Three Colors trilogy) share the screen as teachers competing over which format is more important, words or pictures. Yes: Words and pictures. For alien invasions and love triumphing cancer, see the above options instead. — CW
Night Moves.
Director: Kelly Reichardt.
Writer: Jonathan Raymond, Kelly Reichardt.
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, Peter Sarsgaard, Alia Shawkat.
Where it’s playing: Angelika Dallas and Plano.
Not to be confused with Arthur Penn's 1975 classic starring Gene Hackman, Kelly Reichardt's Night Moves stars Jessie Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard as “three radical environmentalists [looking] to execute the protest of their lives: the explosion of a hydroelectric dam.” Missing from this picture is Michelle Williams, who usually headlines Reichardt's movies. — CW
Troll 2
Director: Claudio Fragasso.
Writer: Rossella Drudi, Claudio Fragasso.
Cast: Hardly anyone you'll recognize.
Where it's playing: Inwood Theatre
Ohhh myyy Goddddd! Troll 2 returns to the Inwood Theatre this weekend. This movie is so bad, the kid in it grew up (as humans tend to do) and made a documentary about it called Best Worst Movie. Nevertheless, it's actually not awful to watch. In fact, it's actually a lot of fun. Hilarious one-liners meant to be taken for reals and goblins (not to be mistake for trolls) fill this ambitious little horror film that swept the nation decades after release. Warning: It may offend vegetarians. — CW
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Director: Steven Spielberg.
Writer: Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Philip Kaufman.
Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Alfred Molina.
Where it's playing: Angelika Dallas.
With the slew of buzz this year on the internet surrounding Jurassic Park 4 (and Jeff Goldbloom), it's important to not forget about other Spielberg works that still have love going for them, like the first of the Indiana Jones trilogy, Raiders of the Lost Ark, which'll be showing at 11:30 p.m. at the Angelika. Yes, we said trilogy. Before it got ruined by that monstrosity of a fourth installment. Same thing goes for Saturday night. Get tickets here. — Chris Escarfullery
