Film Clips: Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Sarah's Key, The Change-up and more

• Richard Cartwright © 2011 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
• (L to R) Mitch (RYAN REYNOLDS) is confused by Dave's (JASON BATEMAN) twins in "The Change-Up", the new comedy from the director of Wedding Crashers and the writers of The Hangover that takes the body-switching movie where it's never gone before.

OPENING FRIDAY
ANOTHER EARTH 2 stars (PG-13) While the human race discovers an alternate Earth in outerspace, a young ex-con (Brit Marling) struggles with the consequences of causing a fatal car accident. One of the darlings of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Another Earth emphasizes the familiar guilt and atonement themes of car-crash movies like Redemption Road while short-changing its sci-fi implications: nobody expresses concern about the other planet crashing into us, for instance, even as it fills the sky. Marling and co-star William Mapother’s subtle acting can’t make up for the film’s sluggish pace. — Holman

THE CHANGE-UP Fast-talking player/aspiring actor Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) and uptight family man/lawyer Dave (Jason Bateman) swap bodies when they simultaneously pee in a fountain and wish for each other's lives. Did we really need another body-swap comedy? At first glance, no. But writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (The Hangover) avoid bogging down the story with overly earnest self-reflection. The Change-Up maintains just the right level of tastelessness, and Wedding Crashers director David Dobkin succeeds in breathing new life into one of Hollywood’s favorite film formulas. — Debbie Michaud

MEMPHIS HEAT Interviews and archival footage intertwine to portray the wrestling history of the city of legends such as Sputnik Monroe, Jerry "The King" Lawler, "Handsome" Jimmy Valiant.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES 4 stars (PG-13) James Franco plays a geneticist whose flawed Alzheimer’s cure creates a superintelligent chimpanzee named Caesar (in a stunning motion-capture performance by Andy Serkis), who leads his fellow apes to take up arms in San Francisco. Rise delivers the best extended “breakout” sequence since Toy Story 3 and Serkis’ Caesar provides one of the year’s most sympathetic performances of any species. This thoroughly entertaining reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise lays groundwork for potentially intriguing sequels. — Curt Holman

SALVATION BOULEVARD (NR) A Dead-head turned born-again-Christian (Greg Kinnear) gets on the wrong side of the ruthless leader of a megachurch (Pierce Brosnan) in this comedy-drama co-starring Jennifer Connelly and Marisa Tomei.

SARAH’S KEY (PG-13) In modern-day Paris, a journalist (Kristen Scott Thomas) finds her life becoming entwined with a young girl whose family was torn apart during the round-up of Jews in 1942.

DULY NOTED
COLD WEATHER (2010) (NR) The naturalistic “mumblecore” filmmaking movement takes a mysterious turn in this tale of a forensics student who investigates the disappearance of his girlfriend. Through Aug. 14. Cinefest Film Theatre, Georgia State University, 66 Courtland St., Suite 240. 404-413-1798. www2.gsu.edu/~wwwcft.

THE GATES OF HELL (1980) A priest’s suicide in a cemetery open the gates of you-know-what, which unleashes zombies with X-Men style powers. The opening film in the “unofficial Gates of Hell trilogy” from ultraviolent Italian director Lucio Fulci. Splatter Cinema. Tue., Aug. 9, 9:30 p.m. Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave. 404-873-1939. www.plazaatlanta.com.

THE SCENESTERS (2010) (NR) This black comedy depicts a group of crime scene videographers who go after a serial killer.Through Aug. 14. Cinefest Film Theatre, Georgia State University, 66 Courtland St., Suite 240. 404-413-1798. www2.gsu.edu/~wwwcft.

STRANGE FRUIT (2002) Intertwining jazz genealogy, biography, performance footage, and the history of lynching, director Joel Katz fashions a fascinating discovery of the lost story behind the classic song by Billie Holiday. Radcliffe Bailey Film Series. Sat., April 16, 8 p.m. Rich Theatre, High Museum, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. 404-733-5000. www.high.org.