This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A wicked queen and a wise-cracking star will battle it out at the box office this weekend. Bet on the queen.
That would be Angelina Jolie, who gives a deliciously devious performance in "Maleficent," Disney's daring rewrite of the "Sleeping Beauty" tale. This live-action version tells the story from the perspective of Maleficent, who turns from warrior fairy to evil sorceress because of the double-dealing of Stefan (Sharlto Copley), ruler of the neighboring kingdom. Maleficent decides to take revenge by cursing Stefan's baby, Aurora — but in watching her grow up (into the form of Elle Fanning), starts having second thoughts. The gorgeous look of rookie director Robert Stromberg (an Oscar-winning art director) is arresting, but the most stunning special effect is Jolie's killer smile.
Seth McFarlane makes himself the star in his directorial effort, the raunchy comedy "A Million Ways to Die in the West." McFarlane plays a sheep rancher who hates living in the Old West, but things get better when she meets a comely newcomer (Charlize Theron), not knowing that she's married to a notorious gunslinger (Liam Neeson). The jokes don't fly quite as fast as they should, but some of them land effectively. McFarlane, though, is a bit blank as a leading man, and you might wish he had picked someone else to star.
The best art-house movie this week is "Cold in July," a tasty bit of Texas noir that debuted at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Michael C. Hall stars as a family man who shoots a home intruder, and then must contend with the dead man's vengence-seeking father (Sam Shepard). But that's just the start in director Jim Mickle's tension-filled adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale's potboiler novel. Don Johnson pops up for a juicy role as a private eye.
Gia Coppola — granddaughter of Francis, niece of Sofia — makes an engaging directorial debut in "Palo Alto," an atmospheric drama of disaffected teens. Emma Roberts stars as a shy high-schooler who is torn between a troubled classmate (Jack Kilmer, son of Val) and the attentions of her soccer coach (James Franco). The script, based on Franco's short stories, is simple in its schematics, but Coppola presents the story in thoughtful style.