Star Turns--What You Should Know About The Current And Upcoming Projects Of Your Favorite Players

By Guy Flatley

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LIAM NEESON

CLASH OF THE TITANS

Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Pete Postlethwaite, Danny Huston, Gemma Arterton, Alexa Davalos, Jason Flemyng, Polly Walker, Nicholas Hoult, Mads Mikkelsen, Izabella Miko (Directed by Louis Leterrier; Written by Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay; Warner Bros. Pictures)

Since the beginning of time, there have been good guys and bad guys, and good girls and bad girls, in this universe of ours. The same could be said of kings and perhaps even gods. At least, that seems to be the point of this remake of the embarrassing 1981 myth-take made by Laurence Olivier, Claire Bloom and Maggie Smith (even venerated British thespians have to make a buck).

Perseus, a role played by America’s own Harry Hamlin in the first flick, is played here by “Avatar’s” own Sam Worthington. As you may already know, Perseus leads a kind of double life. The son of Zeus, the Olympian god, poor Perseus is downgraded to mere mortal status and suffers a multitude of natural and supernatural indignities before demonstrating that he is indeed a god for all seasons. Zeus, acted by Olivier in the original, is portrayed on this occasion by Liam Neeson. Undoubtedly having more fun than either Neeson or Worthington is Ralph Fiennes, cast as Hades, the hottest hellraiser in the whole world!

Peter Bart, writing in Variety, calls this 3-D epic a low-end conversion from 2-D, and a wannabe box-office threat to “Alice in Wonderland” and “How To Train Your Dragon.” Bart also reports that Hollywood wiseguys have taken to calling the film “Trash of the Titans.” Now Playing

CHLOE

Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Max Thieriot, R. H. Thompson, Nina Dobrev (Directed by Atom Egoyan; Written by Erin Cressida Wilson; Sony Pictures Classics)

Do civilized, affluent, discreetly carnal Canadians ever lose their cool and swerve recklessly into the sexual fast lane? They do if they’re like the hot trio of Toronto residents focused upon in this steamy little scenario directed by Atom Egoyan (“Exotica,” “The Sweet Hereafter,” “Where the Truth Lies”) and written by Erin Cressida Wilson (“Secretary,” “Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus”).

Catherine, played by Julianne Moore, is a popular gynecologist who gets it into her head that hubby David (Liam Neeson), a music professor, is teaching his adoring female students a lot more than mere melody. That’s why she hires a prostitute named Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to have sex (actually quite a bit of sex) with David and to then report back with the bare facts.

What Catherine doesn’t bargain for is that she will be so turned on by the graphic details that are eventually relayed by the lewdly graphic Chloe. As for professor David, who knows what’s ever going on in his head? Probably nothing to do with Brahms, Beethoven or Bach.

In the end, all three participants in this risky game will surely be forced to face the music. Now Playing

THANDIE NEWTON

W.

Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, Ioan Gruffudd, Thandie Newton, Richard Dreyfuss, Scott Glenn, Jeffrey Wright, Ellen Burstyn, James Cromwell, Rob Cordry, Toby Jones, Michael Gaston (Directed by Oliver Stone; Written by Stanley Weiser; Lionsgate)

Those who were having trouble sorting through the merits and flaws of the Junior Bush administration were given a helping hand by Oliver Stone, whose “W.” opened prior to the 2008 presidential election. This inevitably absurdist extravaganza starred Josh Brolin as George II--from hell-raising, booze-guzzling rogue to chatting-with-Jesus commander in chief. Richard Dreyfuss played gun-toting, bunker-hugging VP Dick Cheney; Thandie Newton was cast as scholarly, conspicuously  inattentive Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Scott Glenn was the you-fight-with-the-army-you’ve-got Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld; Elizabeth Banks was stand-by-your-cowboy Laura; and the senior Bushes were played by James Cromwell and Ellen Burstyn. Now Playing


JACK NICHOLSON

HOW DO YOU KNOW

Reese Witherspoon, Jack Nicholson, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Kathryn Hahn, Mark Linn-Baker (Written and directed by James L. Brooks; Columbia Pictures)

Reese Witherspoon is having a ball. So what if it’s only a soft ball? She’s definitely a champ as born-to-win Lisa Jorgenson, a woman whose seemingly impossible dream of becoming a big-league softy does indeed come true.

But this being a film by James L. Brooks, the writer-director who created such richly textured comedy-dramas as “Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News” and “As Good As It Gets,” you can be sure there will be more on Lisa’s mind than hits, runs and errors.

Men, for example. Lisa’s line-up includes George (Paul Rudd), a high-powered player in the world of big business, and Manny (Owen Wilson), a professional hardball pitcher who’s eager to score a home run with Lisa. Playing an older, presumably platonic fan of Lisa is Jack Nicholson, who won an Oscar his last time at bat for Brooks in 1981’s “As Good As It Gets.” Now Playing

EDWARD NORTON

PRIDE AND GLORY

Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Noah Emmerich, Jennifer Ehle, Jon Voight, Lake Bell (Directed by Gavin O’Connor; Written by Joe Carnahan and Gavin O’Connor; New Line Cinema)

Sometimes a New York cop gives in to temptation and does something downright criminal. And that’s precisely what happens in this three-generational tale of a badge-wearing Irish-American family. Jon Voight is the proud--well, mostly proud--dad of Edward Norton and Noah Emmerich. And though Colin Farrell is also an Irish-American officer of the law, he is not a blood brother to Norton and Emmerich.

Gavin O’Connor is the director who turned out “Tumbleweeds,” the terrific 1999 sleeper starring Janet McTeer as the fun-loving, over-the-top mom of a stressed-out teen-age girl. Now Playing