Bodice rippers, tear-jerkers and hot drama

Summer may be the perfect time for a bodice-ripper like “Brideshead Revisited.” If you think it’s hot outside, just wait until Matthew Goode appears on screen. And if you’re looking for more contemporary fare, how about Aaron Eckhart as a bigoted Army reservist in “Towelhead,” or Ben Kingsley as a predatory older man who falls for Penelope Cruz in “Elegy”? Variety is the spice of this summer’s dramas.

“Brideshead Revisited”
Starring: Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw, Hayley Atwell, Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon
Director: Julian Jarrold
Story:  Another adaptation of the Evelyn Waugh classic, this film tells the story of Captain Charles Ryder’s (Goode) enchantment and entanglement with the wealthy Marchmain family. He’s drawn to both Sebastian Flyte (Whishaw) and his sister Julia (Atwell), but when his attentions to Julia get too serious, Charles incurs the wrath of Lady Marchmain (Thompson).
One to watch? Yes. A perfect bodice-ripper for summer. Screenwriter Jeremy Brock wrote, “Contrary to some reports, God is not the villain of our adaptation. The villain is man-made theology; the emotional and moral contortions forced on to individuals by their adherence to a particular set of codes and practices.” He added, “As for the sex, I've always believed there’s a visceral relationship between a yearning for spiritual bliss and sexual ecstasy. ... The film will not shy away from that.”  Director Brock is best known for “Becoming Jane” and “Kinky Boots.”
Web site: http://www.bridesheadrevisited-themovie.com/
Release date: July 25

“Towelhead”

Video   ‘Towelhead’ A 13-year-old Arab-American must deal with her strict Lebanese father and Houston neighbors who view her as a curiosity.

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette, Maria Bello, Peter Macdissi, Summer Bishil
Director: Alan Ball
Story: A young Arab girl named Jasira (Bishil) is sent to live with her strict Lebanese father (Macdissi) in small town Texas. Jasira must deal with racism in her new school, and even some from her father who doesn’t want her to see an African-American boy. Then she becomes obsessed with her bigoted Army reservist neighbor (Eckhart). Based on the book by Alicia Erian.
One to watch? Yes. Film Threat wrote, “Racism, teen sex and war are all hot-button issues. In Alan Ball’s genius ‘Towelhead,’ all of those above-mentioned subjects go hand-in-hand in a truly wonderful cinematic experience.” Ball is best known as the creator of “Six Feet Under,” and he uses one of his secret weapons from that series, Macdissi (who played art teacher Olivier), to anchor this story. The Hollywood Reporter wrote, “Macdissi comes dangerously close to stealing the whole show as Jasira’s arrogantly self-righteous father.”
Web site: http://wip.warnerbros.com/
Release date: Aug. 8

“Elegy”
Starring: Penelope Cruz, Sir Ben Kingsley, Dennis Hopper, Patricia Clarkson, Peter Sarsgaard
Director: Isabel Coixet
Story:  Married college professor David Kepesh (Kingsley) loves to pursue his young, female students, but when he meets Consuela Castillo (Cruz), he falls for her and the two begin a passionate affair. His infatuation quickly turns to obsession, and ultimately his jealousy drives her away. Two years later, she returns with an odd request. Hopper plays Kingsley’s best friend, while Sarsgaard co-stars as his son. Based on the Philip Roth novel, “The Dying Animal.”
One to watch? Yes. Variety wrote that the film “intelligently translates Roth’s meditation on lust and mortality without soft-pedaling its narrator’s brutally honest, unabashedly sexist views.” Director Coixet is best known for working with actress Sarah Polley on “The Secret Life of Words” and “My Life Without Me.”
Web site: N/A    
Release date: Aug. 8

“Crossing Over”
Starring:  Harrison Ford, Cliff Curtis, Ashley Judd, Sean Penn, Ray Liotta
Director: Wayne Kramer
Story: This ensemble film explores the hardships of illegal immigrants as they try to establish lives in Los Angeles. Penn plays a border-patrol agent, while Judd co-stars as a defense attorney.
One to watch? Maybe. Hopefully, Kramer doesn’t emphasize theme over character, or this could be a “Crash”-like preachfest. Kramer (“The Cooler”), who’s a naturalized U.S. citizen born in South Africa, told the Los Angeles Times, “I’ve lived every step of the way in the screenplay.” He added, “Harrison Ford was really terrific and energized. It’s kind of like seeing the old Harrison Ford as a cop. It’s like John Book (from the 1985 film ‘Witness’) 20 years later.”
Web site: N/A
Release date: Aug. 22

Best of the rest: Drama — “August”  (July 11) Josh Hartnett stars in this story of a hot Internet start-up company. In the summer of 2001, the company’s stock price plunged. Not willing to give up his high-flying lifestyle, Hartnett works to hold his struggling company together.   — “Hounddog” (July 18) Dakota Fanning stars as a troubled Southern girl who finds comfort in the music of Elvis Presley. Infamous for Fanning’s controversial rape scene. — “Bottle Shock” (Aug. 8) Based on the true story of the 1975 blind wine tasting, in which wines from Napa beat out French offerings. Alan Rickman, Chris Pine and Bill Pullman star in the story of the events leading up to the test. — “Boy A” (July 23) Recently released from juvenile prison for his involvement in the murder of another child, Jack (Andrew Garfield) is now 25 and ready to start over. But when the rescue of another child leads to his identity being revealed, Jack may lose his second chance at a normal life. — “Frozen River” (Aug. 1) Two single mothers (Melissa Leo, Misty Upham), desperate for extra cash right before Christmas, smuggle illegal immigrants into the States.

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