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Side Effects Release Date: May 7 We don’t believe him for a second, but (formerly prolific) director Steven Soderbergh—whose work is the epitome of indie cinema—claims that Side Effects is his last feature film before retirement. If that’s the case, though, it’s a good note to end on. The film stars Jude Law, Rooney Mara, and Channing Tatum in a mind-twisting, don’t-know-who-to-believe tale about a woman suffering from unexplainable effects from her psych meds. Trying to parse out the mystery and stay one step ahead of the plot will have you reaching for psych meds of your own. |
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Mama Release Date: May 7 Speaking of arthouse faves, Jessica Chastain has gone from obscure to ubiquitous in a couple short years, garnering attention for wide-ranging roles in films like Zero Dark Thirty and The Help. See her take on tortured motherhood in Mama, a horror film presented by Pan’s Labyrinth’s Guillermo Del Toro. Further proof Chastain is looking for variety in her characters? In this one, she sheds her radiant red hair for a blunt, black bob. |
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Cloud Atlas Release Date: May 14 Cloud Atlas, based on the acclaimed novel by David Mitchell, stars Tom Hanks and Halle Berry—but they play 12 roles between them. Every actor, it seems, has different parts in different intersecting storylines, playing across races, genders, and ages. (Hugh Grant pops up as a fast-food restaurant manager in one scene, only to be the chief of a cannibalistic tribe in another.) Such epic innovation can only come from the mind of the Wachowksis, creators of The Matrix series, who co-directed the film with Run Lola Run’s Tom Tykwer. |
Home Theater: Three New Releases to Buy in May 2013
What to add to your queue this month: Side Effects, Mama, Cloud Atlas
