“The Grand”
Woody Harrelson plays the main character, a troubled guy who enters the Grand, a poker tournament, hoping to win the money to save the bankrupt Vegas casino he owns. Harrelson’s aimless, self-indulgent ramblings never amount to much, but luckily, the other participants in “The Grand” all are funny and distinctive. The best being Chris Parnell, who creates the most memorable character, a “Rain Man”-like mama’s boy who dreams of owning a house “with swiveled mirror passageways and a labyrinth” and who matter-of-factly says the most outrageous things, as if he’s not aware they’re coming out of his mouth. Parnell has plenty of good company but he alone would make “The Grand” worth a gamble. R. 1 hour, 44 minutes. Released today. Chris Hewitt, St. Paul Pioneer Press
“The Bucket List”
Two very different men find common ground in cancer and aging in Rob Reiner’s tear-coaxing “The Bucket List.” After being diagnosed with cancer, health-care tycoon Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and auto mechanic- family man Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) become hospital roomies, then friends, who embark on a full-on mission to have no regrets. In a season of star pairings, Nicholson and Freeman prove that sentimental journeys aren’t solely the terrain of chick flicks. Freeman, the grand pooh-bah of voice-over, intones at the start, “He died with his eyes closed and his heart open.” If that hint doesn’t send you running, then consider putting this comedy about living your dreams — big or deep, pricey or priceless — on your list. PG-13. 1 hour, 37 minutes. Released today. Lisa Kennedy
“The Other Boleyn Girl”
Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson slip into the lovely dresses of sisters Anne and Mary Boleyn in this tale of sibling rivalry and sisterly connection in the court of Henry VIII. Based on Philippa Gregory’s novel, this latest entry into the Brit monarchy marathon, directed by TV director Justin Chadwick with Eric Bana as a man of carnal appetites and visionary ambition. Portman is the calculating, bold Anne. The chillier Johansson is Mary, her younger, gentler sis. Kristin Scott Thomas plays mother Lady Elizabeth and David Morrissey is aptly unpleasant and calculating as the Duke of Norfork, their uncle. PG-13. 1 hour, 50 minutes. Released June 3. Lisa Kennedy
