Southland Tales / Romance and Cigarettes

SOUTHLAND TALES, 2007, Samuel Goldwyn Films, 144 min. Director Richard Kelly follows up cult favorite DONNIE DARKO with this sprawling, dystopian epic about a fascistic and environmentally endangered Los Angeles of the near future that harnesses the power of the ocean to produce energy. The eclectic cast includes Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott, Justin Timberlake and Mandy Moore.

ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES, 2006, Boroturro Inc., 105 min. In his third outing as director, John Turturro breathes new life into the musical with this working-class take on the genre. James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi and Christopher Walken are just some of the major talents on display in this charming tale of blue-collar residents of Queens who express themselves by crooning vintage pop songs along with the radio. Combining urban grit with imaginative flights of fancy, this is an exhilarating movie going experience.