Arts & Entertainment

An overtaxed Manhattan couple move to a liberated community that rejects the rules of contemporary society. Urban power couple George and Linda are already buckling under the stress of living in the city when George loses his job. Desperate, they decide to move to Atlanta and stay with George’s obnoxious brother until they can get back on their feet. Along the way, however, they find themselves venturing into Elysium, a small, free-spirited community where money has no value, clothes are strictly optional, and everyone works together to make life more meaningful. It’s the perfect place for the  stressed-out couple to breathe deep and put their lives into perspective. But will the many temptations of the modern world ultimately prove too attractive to resist? Director: David Wain. Cast: Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux, Alan Alda, Malin Akerman. Rated: R. Time: 1:38

Based on the best-selling novel by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games tells the dark tale of a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen, who is selected to compete in a vicious televised tournament in which 24 teenagers from a post-apocalyptic society fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses. In the future, North America is a divided nation split into 12 districts. Every year, each district selects a teen of each gender to test their worth in The Hunger Games. When her younger sister is selected, Katniss volunteers to take her place, and trains under a former Hunger Games champion to sharpen her killer instincts. To survive the game and emerge the victor, she must put all of her skills to the ultimate test. Director: Gary Ross. Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks. Rated: PG-13. Time: 2:22.

A a touching tale of race relations based on author Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel of the same name. Skeeter, a 1960s-era Mississippi debutante, has just graduated from college and she’s eager to launch her career as a writer. She sends her community into an uproar by conducting a series of probing interviews with the black servants behind some of her community’s most prominent families. Director: Tate Taylor. Cast: (Oscar winner) Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia L. Spencer, Jessica Chastain. Rated: PG-13. Time: 2:26.

A tense adventure thriller about a group of tough-as-nails oil rig workers who must fight for their lives in the Alaskan wilderness after their airplane crashes miles from civilization. With supplies running short and hungry wolves closing in, the shaken survivors face a fate worse than death if they don’t act fast. Director: Joe Carnahan. Cast: Liam Neeson, Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, Joe Anderson. Rated: R. Time: 1:26.

Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic tale of interplanetary adventure arrives on the big screen in this sweeping sci-fi spectacle. Civil War veteran John Carter was still haunted by the violence he witnessed on the battlefield when he inexplicably awoke on the distant planet of Barsoom (Mars). Upon learning that the inhabitants of Barsoom are bracing for a major conflict and that war appears inevitable, John finds out that love is a rare commodity on the Red Planet, and summons the courage to be the hero the Martians have been hoping for. Meanwhile, John falls under the spell of the enchanting Dejah Thoris, who struggles to suppress her compassion in a society known for its warlike ways. Director: Andrew Stanton. Cast: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church. Rated: PG-13. Time: 2:12.

An adaptation of the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, The Descendants protagonist is Matt King, a middle-age Hawaiian who runs a trust responsible for millions of dollars worth of untouched real estate that has been passed down to him and various cousins. He is preparing to sell the area, and make millions for everyone in the trust, when his wife suffers severe head trauma during a boat race. As he attempts to get her affairs in order, he learns that she had been having an affair. With his two daughters in tow, along with his oldest daughter’s doofus boyfriend, Matt sets off to confront the man who made him a cuckold. Director: Alexander Payne. Cast: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Judy Greer, Beau Bridges. Rated: R. Time: 1:55.