On Sisters, And The Rest Of The Weekend’s New Film Releases.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Director: J.J. Abrams.
Writers: J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, Michael Arndt.
Cast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac.
Playing At: Wide.
So there's this movie coming out. Maybe you've heard about it. We might have even devoted a whole discussion to it already. But you can't ignore it. The first Star Wars movie in more than a decade is coming for you and you can't stop it. It probably has already gotten to your wallet already. Almost nothing is known about the plot — but, who cares, because there's a droid that looks like a soccer ball! Here's what we thought after catching an opening day screening.

Sisters.
Director: Jason Moore.
Writer: Paula Pell.
Cast: Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Ike Barinholtz.
Playing At: Wide.
In somewhat of a role reversal from their last collaboration (2008's Baby Mama), Amy Poehler plays the straight-laced lonely heart, while Tina Fey plays the rambunctious party girl. Here, they're — you guessed it — sisters who reunite for one last rager before their parents sell their childhood home. Expect lots of raunch with the right amount of heart. Our own Angela Jones thought it was pretty decent, anyway.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip.
Director: Walt Becker.
Writers: Randi Mayem Singer, Adam Sztykiel.
Cast: Jason Lee, Bella Thorne, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Tony Hale.
Playing At: Wide.
Look, if Jason Lee wants to buy all of Denton with Midlake, it won't come cheap. So he'll keep doing these movies every few years if he has to. As always, there will be some obnoxious antics from the chipmunks, along with some helium-assisted butchering of already terrible pop songs. Make no mistake, though, the last thing the world needs is another goddamn Chipmunks movie.

Youth.
Director: Paolo Sorrentino.
Writer: Paolo Sorrentino.
Cast: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Jane Fonda.
Playing At: Angelika Dallas, Angelika Plano.
Academy Award-winning director Paolo Sorrentino makes his English language debut with this dramedy about a retired composer (Michael Caine), who reflects on his life during a weekend retreat with his actor pal (Harvey Keitel). Word from the festival circuit is strong, but particularly for Jane Fonda, who plays an aging actress.

The Danish Girl.
Director: Tom Hooper.
Writer: Lucinda Coxon.
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard, Ben Whishaw.
Playing At: The Magnolia, Cinemark West Plano.
One of the more divisive films of the year is Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl, which tells the true story of Lili Elbe (Eddie Redmayne), the first person to undergo gender reassignment surgery. Many have praised him for making a movie about such an important figure, but many in the transgender community feel Redmayne does a disservice. What everyone seems to agree on is that Alicia Vikander is tremendous as Lili's wife Gerda.

Repertory Pick of the Week.

It's a Wonderful Life.
Director: Frank Capra.
Writers: Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Frank Capra.
Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers.
Playing At: Majestic Theatre.
Showing: Sunday, December 20.
It's this close to December 25th and you haven't seen George Bailey yell “Merry Christmas, you old lamppost!” yet? Then bring the family to see arguably the best Christmas movie ever — and at the Majestic, no less. Sure, it's probably playing at your parents' house on Christmas Eve. But you should take any chance you get to see a black-and-white movie on the big screen.

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