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13 Films Debut in April

by Sandra Olmsted

For those heading to the theater over the weekend, these films open April 3. Director James Wan’s action film Furious 7 continues the franchise despite the death of star Paul Walker. Against the backdrop of international terrorism and espionage, Shaw (Jason Statham) seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family for the death of his brother.

Those interested in character dramas and bio-pics have some options also. In Danny Collins, director Dan Fogelman’s film inspired by a true story, aging rocker Danny Collins (Al Pacino), can’t give up his hard-living ways, until his manager (Christopher Plummer) uncovers a 40-year-old undelivered letter by John Lennon, which prompts Danny to embark on a heartfelt journey. Annette Bening, Bobby Cannavale and Jennifer Garner also star.

In Effie Gray, director Richard Laxton and screenwriter Emma Thompson examine the real life story of Effie Gray and John Ruskin, exploring the roots of sexual intolerance and shedding light on Victorian Era marital politics.. Thompson and Dakota Fanning star.

The documentary Merchants of Doubt, director Robert Kenner’s adaptation of Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway’s acclaimed book, lifts the veil on secretive spin doctors who present themselves as scientific authorities on toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, climate change, etc.

The weekend of April 10 offers the following new releases. In director George Tillman Jr.’s The Longest Ride, based on Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel, Luke and Sophia’s star-crossed lives intertwine with Ira, an older man who reflects on his decades-long romance with his wife and enduring love’s challenges and rewards.

Woman In Gold is the true story of Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) who, with her inexperienced lawyer Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), set out to retrieve possessions, including Klimt’s famous painting, seized by the Nazis.. Simon Curtis directs this legal drama with international and historic twists.

Director Noah Baumbach’s While We Were Young negotiates the issues of middle age as Josh and Cornelia Srebnick (Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts) interact with new friends, Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried), a free-spirited young couple.

Over the weekend of April 17, the following films are scheduled to open. The sequel Paul Blart Mall Cop 2, in which Kevin James reprises his role, and the horror flick, Unfriended, about online friends haunted by a supernatural force, seem standard fare. However, two films seem promising. In Monkey Kingdom, a newborn monkey and its mother struggle to survive in the competitive social hierarchy of monkeys in South Asian jungles and ancient ruins. For every ticket sold April 17-23, Disneynature will make a donation to Conservation International. True Story, based on Michael Finkel’s memoir, recounts Finkel’s (Jonah Hill) relationship with Christian Longo (James Franco), a murderer who lived outside the U.S. under Finkel’s name.

The weekend of April 24 promises two films that have all the makings of great entertainment. In director Lee Toland Krieger’s The Age of Adaline, a young woman is rendered ageless after an accident. After remaining 29 years old and living a solitary existence for eight decades, Adaline Bowman’s (Blake Lively) passion for life and romance is reignited by Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman). Then a weekend with his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) threatens to uncover her secret.

In The Water Diviner, Academy Award winner Russell Crowe’s directorial debut, an Australian farmer Joshua Connor (Crowe) goes in search of his three sons, who were lost in the 1919 Battle of Gallipoli. In Istanbul, he meets others who have suffered losses, including Major Hasan (Yilmaz Erdogan), a Turkish officer who fought against Connor’s sons.

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