Opens today

Drawing Restraint 9 (A-)

Near the end of Matthew Barney's visually spellbinding film "Drawing Restraint 9," the voice of his co-star, Bjork, repeats a life-affirming motto in broken musical phrases: "From the moment of commitment, nature conspires to help you." Those are some of the few words heard in this stately, ritualistic film, which takes place mostly on the Nisshin Maru, a Japanese whaling ship afloat in Nagasaki Bay. A good part of the film follows Barney and Bjork, who are welcomed aboard the ship as Occidental guests and undergo elaborate preparations for a traditional Shinto wedding ceremony. These scenes infuse "Drawing Restraint 9" with an overt spiritual dimension that is a new element in Barney's work. And as a mostly nonverbal series of interconnected images with a soundtrack composed by Bjork, "Drawing Restraint 9" represents a significant advance from "The Cremaster Cycle." The uninitiated viewer can admire it simply for the majesty of its visual poetry. Its rhythms are solemn but never static; the color glowing; the largely ambient score evocative. Even the most enigmatic images, shot from many different angles, are arresting. Not rated; 135 min. (Reviewed on Page C6 by Stephen Holden of the New York Times.)

Southwest Film Center F: 6, 9:30; Sa: 3, 6, 9; Su: 1, 3:30

Flags of Our Fathers (A-)

The battle scenes are harrowing, the black-sand beaches exploding again and again with artillery fire, filling the gray sky and forming an even darker vision of hell. But it's what happens to the men who fought after they've come home from Iwo Jima - and been hailed as heroes, whether they feel they deserve to be or not - that can be just as devastating in its intimate, internal way. This is the most ambitious picture Clint Eastwood has made in his 35 years as a director. Yet, he balances the quiet intensity of those films with sequences that are breathtaking in their epic proportions. Eastwood follows the men featured in the iconic flag-raising photograph at the Battle of Iwo Jima and those who grapple with the guilt of being linked to that shot, even though they might not have been there. Ryan Phillippe, Adam Beach, Jesse Bradford and John Slattery lead the excellent ensemble cast. Rated R for violence, carnage and language; 131 minutes. (Reviewed on Page C6 by Christy Lemire of the Associated Press.)

Cenruty Rio Daily: 11:40, 1:10, 2:40, 4:10, 5:40, 7:10, 8:40, 10:10; F-Sa: 11:40 p.m.

Cottonwood 12:30, 1:10, 4:10, 5, 7:10, 8, 10:15

Flicka (B)

Katy McLaughlin (Alison Lohman) doesn't see the point of her parents spending the money to send her to boarding school in Laramie. She'd much rather be home helping with chores at Goose Creek Ranch, where her family raises quarter horses. Katy's lack of interest in school angers her father, Rob (Tim McGraw), and worries her mother, Nell (Maria Bello). Inspired by the classic Mary O'Hara novel, "Flicka" changes the gender of the main character but keeps the concept of a youngster learning focus and discipline through love for a horse. Director Michael Mayer gets rich, honest performances from his cast. "Flicka" taps into an idyllic vision of the West without getting mushy. Rated PG for language; 94 min. Reviewed on Page C10 by Betsy Pickle of Scripps Howard News Service.)

Century Downtown 12:05, 2:30, 5, 7:25, 9:40

Century Rio Daily: 11:40, 1:55, 4:30, 7, 9:20; F-Sa: 11:35 p.m.

Cottonwood 12:15, 2:40, 5:15, 7:35, 10

Four Hills 1, 3:30, 6:40, 9:15

Heading South (A)

A beautiful, unmarried 55-year-old teacher of French literature at Wellesley, Ellen (Charlotte Rampling) has spent six summers vacationing at a seaside Haitian hotel frequented by poor black boys eager to provide sex to middle-age female guests who lavish them with money and gifts. This is one of the most truthful examinations ever filmed of desire, age and youth, and how easy it is to confuse erotic rapture with love. This politically pointed film contemplates the darker social undercurrents beneath a seemingly benign example of sexual tourism. Observing the tourism with profound distaste is the hotel's courtly, discreet headwaiter, Albert (Lys Ambroise), who loathes the white visitors. Whites, he says, wield an even more dangerous weapon than cannons - their dollars: "Everything they touch turns to garbage." With a screenplay in French, English and a smattering of Creole by director Laurent Cantet and Robin Campillo, "Heading South" is a beautifully written, seamlessly directed film with award-worthy performances by Rampling and Karen Young. Cantet's film is too sophisticated to demonize these women, whose relationships with their young lovers are more tender and nourishing than overtly crass. For all its political acuity, this great film recognizes and respects the complexity of its memorable, fully realized characters. Not rated; 105 min. (Reviewed on Page C10 by Stephen Holden of the New York Times.)

Guild 3:45, 6, 8:15

Marie Antoinette (A-)

It may be tempting to greet this with a self-righteous sneer, since it is after all the story of the silly teenager who embodied a corrupt, absolutist state in its terminal decadence. But to say that this movie is historically irresponsible or politically suspect is both to state the obvious and to miss the point. Sophia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette" is a thoroughly modern confection, blending insouciance and sophistication, heartfelt longing and self-conscious posing with the guileless self-assurance of a great pop song. It would be overstating the case to call it a work of social criticism, but beneath its highly decorated surface is an examination, touched with melancholy as well as delight, of what it means to live in a world governed by rituals of acquisition and display. Coppola's portrait of the young queen, played with wily charm by Kirsten Dunst, is not so much a psychological portrait as a tableau of mood and atmosphere. The costumes are arresting; the production design is sumptuous; and the cinematography catches both the swirls of high-fashion color and the quieter, candle-lighted tones of the French court. With Jason Schwartzman, Judy Davis, Steve Coogan, Danny Huston, Rip Torn, Molly Shannon and Shirley Henderson. Rated PG-13 for sexuality and nudity; 123 min. (Reviewed on Page C10 by A.O. Scott of the New York Times.)

Century Downtown 1:15, 4:10, 7:05, 9:50

Century Rio Daily: 11:30, 12:40, 2:15, 3:25, 5, 6:15, 7:45, 9, 10:30; F-Sa: 11:45 p.m.

The Prestige (C-)

At the outset of Christopher Nolan's film, we're told the title refers to a magic trick's big climax. By film's end, the notion of a rational and satisfying climax has hopelessly disappeared in a silly spiral of one-upmanship and a barrage of half-baked revelations. Nolan applies a sturdy, period-drama variation of the dark broodiness that underscores his previous films, "Batman Begins," "Insomnia" and "Memento." Yet this tale of a blood feud between rival magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) is cold and distant emotionally. Tragedy involving one's wife (Piper Perabo) sets the two magicians on a fury of escalating vengeance. Their conflict eventually engulfs a stage assistant (Scarlett Johansson) and the other's wife (Rebecca Hall). David Bowie is a hoot with his prim suit, stoic demeanor and Serbian accent. Rated PG-13 for violence; 130 min. (Reviewed by David Germain of the Associated Press.)

Century Downtown 1, 4, 6:50, 9:45

Century Rio Daily: 12:05, 1:30, 3, 4:25, 5:50, 7:20, 8:45, 10:15; F-Sa: 11:45 p.m.

Cottonwood 12:45, 4:20, 7:20, 10:30

High Ridge Daily: 12, 2:55, 7; F-Su: 10 p.m.

Winrock 12:45, 3:45, 7, 10:10

Opens Thursday

Kiss on the Big Screen

Concert film from the '70 glam rockers.

Cottonwood Th: 8

Four Hills Th: 8

Saw III

Cottonwood Th: 11:59 p.m.

Returning

Blue Velvet (A)

David Lynch's bizarre masterpiece gets a 20th-anniversary salute at UNM's film center. Rated R; 120 min.

Southwest Film Center Th: 6, 9

The House on Haunted Hill

A '50s thriller with a classic story: a millionaire offers $10,000 - a lot of money in 1959 - to five people if they can spend the night in a haunted house. Vincent Price (who else?) stars. Not rated; 75 min.

Guild F-Sa: 10:30

Continuing

The Departed (B+)

While this is an Americanized version of the 2002 Hong Kong hit "Infernal Affairs," it's vintage Martin Scorsese - for a while at least. The veteran director has made two-thirds of a great film about Boston cops and mobsters, with dazzlingly rich performances from a dizzyingly stellar cast and an ambience that screams Scorsese's typical cultural authenticity. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Billy Costigan, a Massachusetts State Police detective who's gone undercover to take down crime boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson, in a devilish tour de force). Matt Damon, meanwhile, stars as the crime boss' prot‚g‚. It's a clever premise and it can be thrilling, but "The Departed" tends to drag just when it should be at its most intense point. Mark Wahlberg, as an eloquently surly sergeant in the detective unit, steals every scene he's in. Rated R; 150 minutes.

Century Downtown 12:15, 1:05, 3:35, 4:25, 6:45, 7:45, 9:55

Century Rio 12:25, 2, 3:45, 5:25, 7:05, 8:45, 10:20

Cottonwood 12, 1, 3:40, 4:40, 7:10, 8:10, 10:30

Four Hills 1:55, 6:10, 9:25

High Ridge Daily: 12:15, 3:30, 6:50; F-Su: 10:05 p.m.

Winrock 12:30, 3:45, 6:50, 10

Employee of the Month (D)

In a perfect workaday world, this miserably idiotic movie would put an end to Jessica Simpson's alleged acting career. She utters her dialogue with all the personality of a 10-pound can of cling peaches. The movie, filmed in New Mexico, is set at a SuperClub warehouse bargain store. Vince (Dax Shepard), an arrogant, malicious little toad, has risen through the ranks to become head cashier and employee of the month 17 straight times. Slacker Zack (Dane Cook) is lazy and easygoing, a guy who's never risen above lowly box-boy status. When gorgeous cashier Amy (Simpson) transfers in from another store, the rumor goes around that she dates only employees of the month. What follows is a succession of empty-headed jokes and pranks, with a lot of repetitive pratfalls where people take nasty bumps to the head. Rated PG-13; 108 minutes.

Century Rio 12:15, 2:45, 5:15, 7:40, 10:05

Cottonwood 12:05, 2:35, 5:10, 7:40, 10:25

Four Hills 1:15, 3:45, 7:20, 9:50

The Grudge 2 (D)

Joan of Arcadia (Amber Tamblyn) takes the gauntlet from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and battles demons from a Tokyo curse. The tormented souls from "The Grudge" are still tormented, but they're now taking their pain on a world tour. That creepy, dead girl with the long, stringy black hair (Takako Fuji) and her little brother in his perpetual fetal position (Ohga Tanaka) are back, as is Takashi Shimizu, who directed the original. This time he explains the origins of the curse that dwells within that dark, secluded house. But now the haunted themselves seem to have the ability to be everywhere at once. Seems that if they're this resourceful, they could figure out whatever it is they're looking for and finally find some peace. But then there wouldn't be a "Grudge 3," which this sequel clearly sets up. There are a couple of good jumps here and there, but we've seen this all before. And the creepy dead girl, having been infinitely parodied (especially in "Scary Movie 4"), doesn't seem quite so creepy anymore. Rated PG-13 for terror, violence and sensuality; 98 min.

Century Downtown 12, 1:20, 2:20, 3:45, 4:45, 6:15, 7:10, 8:45, 9:30

Century Rio Daily: 11:50, 12:20, 2:15, 2:55, 3:50, 4:40, 5:30, 7:10, 8, 8:50, 9:35, 10:30; F-Sa: 11:20

Cottonwood 12:05, 1:10, 2:35, 4:10, 5:10, 7, 7:40, 9:35, 10:25

Four Hills 1:10, 3:50, 7:25, 9:55

Winrock 1, 4, 7:30, 10:05

The Guardian (C-)

This is the kind of film that family audiences are going to eat up and cynics are going to spit out. It's an action comeback of sorts for Kevin Costner and a rite-of-passage for Ashton Kutcher. Ben Randall (Costner) is a veteran Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Alaska. His wife is leaving him. As if that weren't enough of a blow, Ben's crew runs into problems during a mission, and he's left, psychologically and physically battered, as the sole survivor. Ben's commander sends him to teach would-be rescue swimmers at the Coast Guard's training facility back in the Lower 48. We could have used more of them and less ersatz character development. Rated PG-13; 136 min.

Century Rio 1:15, 4:15, 7:15, 10:15

Cottonwood 12:20, 3:20, 6:30, 9:45

Hight Ridge/b> Daily: 12:10, 3:10, 7:10; F-Su: 10:10

Winrock 12:30, 4, 7:10, 10

Hollywoodland (C)

The film starts on the night of the apparent suicide of George "Superman" Reeves (Ben Affleck). Struggling private detective Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) learns that Reeves' mother doesn't believe her son killed himself, so he offers to look into the matter. Paul Bernbaum's script promises a juicy scandal but doesn't deliver. With Bob Hoskins and Diane Lane. Rated R; 126 minutes.

High Ridge Daily: 7:15; F-Su: 10

The Illusionist (B-)

This period piece about the power of magic lacks just that. The magic of romance, drama, longing and faith is generally missing in director Neil Burger's tale of a love triangle involving a magician, a noblewoman and the heir to the Austrian throne. It's no surprise that an inscrutable poker-face such as Edward Norton plays the title role as such a closed-book. It's quite a sleight of hand, though, for a film to thoroughly constrain a co-star as expressive as Paul Giamatti into a character so aloof he barely registers emotionally. Rated PG-13; 109 min.

Century Rio 11:55, 2:25, 4:55, 7:30, 10

High Ridge Daily: 12:30, 3:15, 7:30; F-Su: 10:05 p.m.

Infamous (B+)

Regardless of its merits or its slightly different approach to the same material - the period when Truman Capote was researching his true crime masterpiece "In Cold Blood" - "Infamous" will always be thought of as that second Capote movie. It is virtually impossible to avoid comparing it to "Capote," with Philip Seymour Hoffman's Oscar-winning performance. The diminutive Toby Jones looks and sounds more eerily like the author than Hoffman. And writer-director Douglas McGrath's film is livelier, funnier and - dare we say it? - gayer than its predecessor. What's missing is the chillingly bleak mood, the subtle insight of director Bennett Miller and writer Dan Futterman's original. Sandra Bullock is riveting in her reserved turn as Nelle Harper Lee. Rated R; 118 minutes.

Century Downtown 1:10, 4:05, 7, 9:35

High Ridge Daily: 12:25, 3, 7:20; F-Su: 9:55

Invincible (B+)

"Invincible" is part "The Rookie," part "Rocky" and all heart. This superb football film is based on the tale of Vince Papale, a Philadelphia bartender who excelled in a tryout to make the Philadelphia Eagles' roster. Mark Wahlberg stars as Papale, a broken-down lug who loses his day job and his wife at the beginning of the film. You can see every beat of the film huffing along 50 yards away, but the drama is so well executed that predictability doesn't dampen the thrills. Rated PG; 104 min.

High Ridge 12:35, 3:20

Jackass: Number Two (B-)

As in the first film and the turn-of-the-millennium MTV show that launched it, excrement, stupidity and an obsession with torturing the male member abound in "Two." In one scene, Johnny Knoxville re-creates a "Tom & Jerry" moment by blindfolding himself and subjecting himself to a yak's caresses. What makes all this watchable is the gleeful attitude and friendship of the men, and the fact that even the most disgusting antics are amusing, whether in a "laughing with them" or "laughing at them" spirit. For fans of the brand, this will hit the spot. Rated R; 95 min.

Century Downtown 12:50, 3:05, 5:15, 7:40, 10

Century Rio 12:35, 2:50, 5:05, 7:25, 9:40

Four Hills 12:55, 3:20, 6:45, 9:10

Jesus Camp (B)

In 2001, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady went out to the suburbs of Kansas City and followed three youngsters to Becky Fischer's camp, which, symbolically enough, takes place every year in Devil's Lake, N.D. What they find and present, with thinly veiled disdain, is Christian fundamentalism, unyielding and strange. Among their tactics for conveying that strangeness is to play scary electronic music over many of the scenes, a needlessly incriminating touch. To be fair, the camp does have its share of odd, even morbid, moments. Kids on Fire feels like a religious boot camp, and the filmmakers frame the documentary around the reality that these kids are being groomed for war. Because the film has no narration, Ewing and Grady rely on the left-leaning Christian talk-radio host Mike Papantonio to do all the worrying. His claims seem ponderous next to Fischer's politicized Christianity. Rated PG-13; 84 min.

Century Downtown 12:45, 2:55, 5:10, 7:20, 9:20

Jet Li's Fearless (C)

Jet Li's career might have been better served with the glorious "Hero" as his martial-arts swan song. "Hero" had it all: masterful action, rich characters, a riveting story structure and the grandest of drama. "Fearless" is merely adequate by comparison, a tale propelled almost entirely by its action, with a passable but predictable story of disgrace and redemption stuffed between its combat scenes. This casts Li as the brash Huo, whose father is a martial-arts master. Initially a sickly, asthmatic child, Huo studies his father's moves in secret, gradually improving his health and stamina and becoming a ferocious competitive fighter. When Li is not fighting, "Fearless" lumbers through its dramatic scenes. Rated PG-13; 104 min.

Century Rio 4:35, 10:10

Four Hills 1:25, 4:10, 6:55, 9:40

Little Miss Sunshine (A-)

To describe the Hoovers - the Albuquerque family at the center of this Sundance favorite - one must be thoroughly versed in the vocabulary of despair. The film revolves around wonderful performances by Greg Kinnear as the positive-thinking dad, Toni Collette as his loyal wife, Steve Carell as her depressed brother, and the amazing Alan Arkin as a gleefully debauched grandfather. Little Olive (Abigail Breslin from Lodge Kerrigan's "Keane") is delightful as the family's entrant in the Little Miss Sunshine contest. The movie amazingly manages to dodge the bullet of formula, probably because the directors are attuned to the dispiriting lives of their characters. Rated R; 101 min.

High Ridge Daily: 12:20, 2:45, 5:05, 7:40; F-Su: 9:50 p.m.

Man of the Year (B)

In free-flowing, subversive form, Robin Williams plays TV funnyman Tom Dobbs, whose campaign tests whether Nielsen ratings translate to votes. Written and directed by Barry Levinson, the comedy mixes sharp "West Wing"-level observations with blunt farce and an out-of-place thriller subplot that derides the concept of electronic voting. The movie is at its best when Williams is ripping our humble democracy to shreds with sardonic quips. Trouble is, only the first half is wholly concerned with the campaign, in which Dobbs cracks up crowds, singes his opponents in debates and banters with his campaign leaders (Lewis Black and Christopher Walken). The film falls flat in a parallel story featuring Eleanor (Laura Linney), an electronic-voting-system programmer who learns that the system is flawed. Still, there's enough comic verve to make the movie worth a look, especially to fans of subversive political laughs. Rated PG-13; 109 minutes.

Century Downtown 11:55, 2:25, 4:55, 7:30, 10:05

Century Rio Daily: 12, 1:20, 2:35, 3:55, 5:15, 6:35, 7:50, 9:15, 10:25; F-Sa: 11:50 p.m.

Cottonwood 1:15, 4:15, 7:35, 10:20

Four Hills 1:35, 4:15, 7:15, 10:05

High Ridge Daily: 12:05, 2:35, 5:10, 7:45; F-Su: 10:15

Winrock 12:45, 3:30, 7:20, 9:55

The Marine (F)

Here's a partial list of things that explode in "The Marine": a military truck, a cop car (thanks to a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher), a gas station, a South Carolina highway patrol vehicle (while corkscrewing in slow motion into a swamp) and a big, wooden storage shed containing nothing but big, metal gas tanks. In between, there's an ear-shattering amount of automatic gunfire; it's a miracle that anyone is alive by the end of the movie. Welcome to World Wrestling Entertainment Films, showcasing Vince McMahon's stars. The star of "The Marine" is the beefy John Cena. His character has been discharged for disobeying a direct order in Iraq; once he gets home, he must rescue his wife (Kelly Carlson from "Nip/Tuck") who's been kidnapped by jewel thieves. Rated PG-13 for violence, sensuality and language; 93 min.

Century Downtown 12:30, 2:40, 4:50, 7:15, 9:25

Century Rio Daily: 11:35, 12:45, 1:50, 3:05, 4:05, 5:20, 6:25, 7:35, 8:40, 9:50; F-Sa: 10:55 p.m.

Cottonwood 12:15, 2:30, 4:55, 7:15, 9:40

Four Hills 1:20, 4:05, 7, 9:30

One Night with the King (B-)

The story is a biblical epic following Hadassah (Tiffany Dupont, TV's "Bedford Diaries"), a Jewish orphan raised by her Uncle Mordecai (John Rhys-Davies). King Xerxes (Luke Goss), ruler of the known world, has just tossed aside his queen and is on the lookout for a new one. Hadassah, now Esther, hits it off with Xerxes and the two are soon married. But within the palace walls lie the power-hungry Admantha (John Noble) and Haman (James Callis), who devise a plan to annihilate all Jews by painting them as sympathizers to the Greeks, against whom the king holds a mean grudge. Naturally, it is expected that Esther will prevent this genocide, but the film reaches this point using a roundabout path. The film is so bogged down with silly plot points and unnecessary exposition it often feels stuck in place. Rated PG; 123 min.

Century Rio 11:35, 2:20, 5:05, 7:50, 10:35

Cottonwood 12:25, 3:30, 7:15, 9:55

Open Season (B)

Martin Lawrence lends his voice to this amusing movie about what happens when forest critters turn the tables on hunters. Lawrence's stand-in is Boog, a grizzly bear living the good life with his forest ranger friend, Beth (Debra Messing). Boog is the definition of domesticated - until he meets a mule deer named Elliot (Ashton Kutcher). Beth reluctantly arranges to have Boog airlifted to a remote mountain location. Hunting season is about to begin, and she wants Boog to have a fighting chance to survive. Directed by Roger Allers ("The Lion King") and Jill Culton, "Open Season" is a likable romp for kids and adults. Like the best animated family films, "Open Season" offers a few lessons. The most important is that wild animals need to live in the wild. This aims for a good time and hits its target. Rated PG; 87 min.

Century Downtown 12:10, 2:15, 4:30, 6:40, 8:50

Century Rio Daily: 12:50, 3, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30; F-Sa: 11:55 p.m.

Cottonwood 12, 2:15, 4:30, 6:45, 9 (No 12 show Tu)

Four Hills 12:50, 3:10, 6:30, 9:20 (no evening shows Th)

Winrock 1:15, 4:15, 6:40, 9:40

Pirates ot the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (D+)

Even more cartoonish than the original film from 2003 - a difficult feat to achieve - this second installment in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise often feels like a live-action version of a Road Runner-Wile E. Coyote extravaganza. The rest is just bloated - and, like its predecessor, numbingly overlong. Rated PG-13; 153 min.

Century Rio 1, 7

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (D)

This prequel aims to shed a little light on the tormented past and fragile psyche of film's most famous chain-saw-wielding madman. It isn't so much about Leatherface as it is about Uncle Hoyt, who becomes Sheriff Hoyt when he kills a law enforcement officer, steals his uniform and assumes his identity. Then again, with R. Lee Ermey in the role, doing his eloquently abusive drill-sergeant shtick, the movie couldn't possibly belong to anyone else. The victims are a couple of brothers (Matt Bomer and Taylor Handley) who are about to fight in Vietnam and the women who love them (Jordana Brewster and Diora Baird). But the killings are more grotesque than frightening. R; 84 min.

Century Downtown 12:25, 2:35, 4:40, 6:55, 9

Century Rio 11:30, 12:30, 1:40, 3:50, 5:55, 6:45, 8, 10:05

Cottonwood 12:10, 2:25, 4:50, 7:25, 9:50

Four Hills 1:30, 4, 7:10, 9:35

Showtimes are through Thursday unless otherwise indicated. Openings and times are subject to change.