American Hustle

Brilliant and cunning con man Irving Rosenfeld and his mistress and partner in crime, the seductive Sydney Prosser, are forced into working with offbeat and ambitious FBI agent Richie DiMaso, who pushes them into the alluring, but dangerous, world of the New Jersey Mafia. DiMaso devises an elaborate sting operation to bring down corrupt politicians, but outside factors and Irving’s unpredictable wife threaten to unravel the entire scheme.
Director: David O. Russell. Stars: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K. 2013. 138 min. Drama.

Frozen

When her sister’s secret powers accidentally set off an eternal winter that covers the kingdom in ice and snow, the optimistic and fearless Anna sets off on a great adventure across frozen landscapes to restore the kingdom of Arendelle to its former temperate glory. With the help of a rugged mountain man named Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven and an animated snowman named Olaf, Anna faces some of the harshest winter elements the kingdom has ever known as she searches for her troubled sister.
Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee. Stars: Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Alan Tudyk. 2013. 102 min. Family.

Saving Mr. Banks

Based on a true story, author P.L. Travers, writer of the adored Mary Poppins novels, reluctantly agrees to meet with Walt Disney in Los Angeles to discuss bringing her beloved nanny to the silver screen. Worried that her character will be destroyed by Hollywood, Travers is intent on refusing Disney, who in turn is willing to pull out all the stops to persuade her to sign over the rights to her book.
Director: John Lee Hancock. Stars: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, B.J. Novak, Jason Schwartzman. 2013. 125 min. Biography.

Kill Your Darlings

As a young poet and English major at Columbia University in the early 1940s, Allen Ginsberg finds himself drawn to colleagues and fellow writers such as Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, men who share bold literary ideas that would help shape the beat generation. When a confrontation leaves one man murdered and another behind bars, Ginsberg is forced to choose between his unconventional ideals and conforming to attitudes set in place by the university.
Director: John Krokidas. Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Ben Foster, Elizabeth Olson, Jennifer Jason Leigh. 2013. 104 min. Drama.