Kam's Kapsules: For Movies Opening Aug. 16

BIG BUDGET FILMS   

Jobs (PG-13 for drug use and brief profanity) Ashton Kutcher portrays Steve Jobs in this reverential biopic revisiting the early years in the incomparable career of the visionary entrepreneur and Apple founder. Supporting cast includes J.K. Simmons, Matthew Modine, Lesley Ann Warren and Dermot Mulroney.



Kick Ass-2 (R for sexuality, graphic violence, crude humor, pervasive profanity, and brief nudity) Two-fisted sequel finds the original's crime-fighting, pint-sized heroine (Chloe Moretz) forming a new team of masked vigilantes to take on an ally-turned-super villain (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). With Jim Carrey, Aaron Johnson, Clark Duke, Donald Faison and John Leguizamo.   

Lee Daniels' The Butler (PG-13 for violence, sexuality, smoking, profanity, ethnic slurs, mature themes and disturbing images) Forest Whitaker stars in the title role of this father-son saga, set against the backdrop of the African-American struggle for Civil Rights, recounting the real-life story of a butler who served in the White House under eight presidents. A-list cast includes Oscar-winners Whitaker, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave, Robin Williams and Melissa Leo, as well as nominees Terrence Howard and Oprah Winfrey

Paranoia (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality and violence) Espionage thriller about a rising corporate superstar (Liam Hemsworth) who finds himself caught in the middle of a deadly game of cat-and-mouse being played by a couple of rival billionaire CEOs (Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford). With Richard Dreyfuss, Amber Heard and Lucas Till.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Ain't Them Bodies Saints (Unrated) Fugitive drama about an outlaw (Casey Affleck) who makes a daring escape from a Texas prison in order to be with his gun moll (Rooney Mara) and the young daughter (Kennadie Smith) he's never met. With Ben Foster, Keith Carradine and Nate Parker.

Austenland (PG-13 for sexual innuendo) Keri Russell stars in this romantic comedy about an eligible "Pride and Prejudice" fanatic who travels to a Jane Austen theme park in search of Mr. Right. With Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Seymour and Bret McKenzie.

Cutie and Boxer (R for nude images) Spousal abuse biopic chronicling the stormy, 40-year marriage of eccentric NYC artists Ushio and Noriko Shinohara.     

The Happy Sad (Unrated) Bifurcated Brooklyn drama about two young couples, one, black and gay (Leroy McClain and Charlie Barnett), the other, white and heterosexual (Cameron Scoggins and Sorel Carradine), whose lives serendipitously intertwine as they explore their sexual identity. Featuring Maria Dizzia, Jamie Harrold and Sue Jean Kim.

The Patience Stone (R for profanity, sexuality and violence) Female empowerment flick, set in war-torn Afghanistan, revolving around a woman (Golshifteh Farahani) who finally summons up the courage to share a lifetime's worth of frustrations with a husband (Hamid Djavadan) left paralyzed and in a vegetative state by a bullet in the neck. With Hassina Burgan, Massi Mrowat and Faiz Fazli. (In Persian with subtitles)

Spark: A Burning Man Story (Unrated) Back-to-nature documentary offers a revealing peek at the challenges involved in staging an annual, week-long gathering of 60,000 free-spirited hippies in a temporary city erected on a windswept Nevada desert. 

Standing Up (PG for bullying, brief smoking, mild epithets and mature themes) Screen adaptation of "The Goats," Brock Cole's young adult novel about two kids (Chandler Canterbury and Annalise Basso) forced to fend for themselves after being stripped naked and stranded on an island by fellow summer campers. With Val Kilmer, Radha Mitchell and Keith Flippen.    

This Is Martin Bonner (Unrated) Paul Eenhoorn stars as the title character of this unlikely-buddies drama about a newcomer to Reno, Nevada who forges a friendship with a recent parolee (Richmond Arquette) he helps while volunteering at a non-profit charity. With Sam Buchanan, Robert Longstreet and Demtrius Grosse.