“Beverly Hills Chihuahua”
*** RATING | Ay Chihuahua! Silly, sometimes stupid “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” follows prissy Chloe on a journey through Mexico when she goes missing. On her homeward-bound trek, a friend will be made. Enemies two-legged and four- legged will give chase. And lessons will be learned about her tiny but noble breed and the power of her inner bark. It seemed a dodgy undertaking: Tell a reverse-immigration saga about a dog breed often depicted with an iffy Spanish accent. But starring the voices of George Lopez, Drew Barrymore and Andy Garcia, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” is more cluttered than offensive. Humans are played by Jamie Lee Curtis, Piper Perabo and Manolo Cardona. And as Papi the dog who tracks his beloved Chloe, Rusco — a rescued Chihuahua mix — is sure to bring new families to humane societies everywhere. PG. 1 hour, 30 minutes. Lisa Kennedy
“Choke”
*** RATING | What would Jesus so not do? That question propels sex-addict Victor Mancini in Clark Gregg’s dirty pretty thing of a comedy, “Choke.” Sam Rockwell plays the randy guy who freaks when he learns he might be the half-clone of Jesus Christ. Anjelica Houston plays mom Ida, an eccentric losing her memory. Gregg’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel has a fluid grasp of the impossible and possible, not to mention the profane and sacred. The title comes from the young Victor’s discovery in a diner that if he stopped breathing, good Samaritans would come to the rescue. When not visiting Ida, Victor attends Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings or works as a Colonial re-enactor with best friend Denny (the wonderful Brad William Henke). Either place, he breaks rules. Arguably the funniest scene in the very R-rated “Choke” is its most sacrilegious and moving. If you are of the opinion that JC will return in the unlikeliest form, moments amid straw and farm animals may work surprising wonders on you. R. 1 hour, 32 minutes. Lisa Kennedy
“I’ve Loved You So Long”
*** RATING | Kristin Scott Thomas plays Juliette, a doctor by training who has just been released from a 15-year prison sentence. Her crime: killing her 6-year-old son. Readjusting to life outside prison walls, searching for employment, she moves in with her younger sister, Lea, a literature professor married to a man not thrilled with Juliette’s presence. PG. 1 hour, 53 minutes. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
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