In theaters today – Week of Sept. 17
Easy A [Rated PG-13]
Superbad’s Emma Stone stars in this hip update of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic American novel, The Scarlet Letter. The once-spotless reputation of a high school student is tarnished when she pretends to lose her virginity to her gay friend, resulting in a slew of hopelessly horny classmates asking for the same service. Academy Award nominees Thomas Hayden Church, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson add their comedic chops to this John Hughes-esque teen comedy.
The Town [Rated R]
For anyone that is still doubtful of Ben Affleck’s abilities as a storyteller, The Town should provide convincing evidence to the contrary. His second directing effort focuses on the troubled city of Charlestown, Mass., regarded as the bank robber capital of the United States. Affleck portrays a seasoned thief who falls for a bank employee and must decide between love and his dangerous but lucrative career. The story is familiar; however, the presence of Affleck, John Hamm, Jeremy Renner and Chris Cooper, along with captivating action scenes, should make Affleck’s second outing as a director both a critical and commercial success.
Devil [Rated PG-13]
After the critical beating that he took for this summer’s stinker The Last Airbender, M. Night Shyamalan wisely decided to step away from the directing chair and into a writing and producing position for Devil. In the film, a group of strangers become stuck on an elevator only to discover that an evil force has descended upon them. The thriller should pack in a considerable amount of creeps and frights in its trim 80-minute running time.
Never Let Me Go [Rated R]
British actresses Keira Knightley and Carrie Mulligan star in this drama about a dystopian England in which human beings are cloned for organ donation. The story follows the lives of the two young women as they discover and come to terms with the reality of their situation as donors. Andrew Garfield, of the upcoming The Social Network and Spider-Man reboot, co-stars.