Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

With the principal cast and director Gore Verbinski back at the helm, what's new and intriguing about the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie? Chow Yun-Fat -- The Killer himself makes his first appearance as the villainous Pirate Lord of the South China Sea, Sao Feng. What I would do to see Chow wield two guns or two swords in each hand again. Also, of course, there's Keith Richards dropping in for a much hyped cameo as Jack Sparrow's father. The swashbuckling adventure (which is getting similar mixed reviews as Dead Man's Chest) will likely conquer the box office this weekend; putting Shrek the Third on the plank where it belongs.

Fay Grim

I have never really been a huge fan of Hal Hartley. Even in his best films (Henry Fool, The Unbelievable Truth), his droll impudent dialog usually comes off as smug and self-conscious to me, and on the whole not entirely profound. I understand what Hartley's doing, but his stubborn leaning towards the avant-garde (or quippy cleverness that's too good for anyone but himself) doesn't always enhance the material.

His latest offering Fay Grim (a sequel to Henry Fool) stars indie queen Parker Posey as a single mother who fears that her fourteen year old son will end up like his father. But since this is a Hartley film, his usual sardonicism and global paranoia quickly emerges, sending Posey's character into a wild, heady gamut of international espionage.

But if you're like me, and mostly see Hartley's films for Adrienne Shelly (who was tragically murdered last year), then you might want to see her genuinely sweet, first and last directorial effort Waitress instead (still in theatres).

Also Opening This Week:

Once
Scenes of a Sexual Nature
Bug
Revolution

(Photos: Disney, Magnolia Pictures)