Editor’s note: Ratings by the Motion Picture Association of America are: (G) for general audiences; (PG) parental guidance urged because of material possibly unsuitable for children; (PG-13) parents are strongly cautioned to give guidance for attendance of children younger than 13; (R) restricted, younger than 17 admitted only with parent or adult guardian; (NC-17) no one younger than 17 admitted.
Opening in Hollywood this week
“Authors Anonymous” — A dysfunctional group of unpublished writers accept a new member into their fold but are unprepared for her overnight success. With Kaley Cuoco, Chris Klein and Teri Polo. Written by David Congalton. Directed by Ellie Kanner. (1:34) PG-13.
“Bears” — A nature documentary following a year in the life of a bear family in Alaska with two impressionable young cubs. Narrated by John C. Reilly. Directed by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey. (1:17) G.
“Dancing in Jaffa” — A documentary following ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine as he returns to his hometown in Israel and starts a dance program at five schools of ethnically mixed children. Directed by Hilla Medalia. (1:28) NR.
“Fading Gigolo” — A middle-aged florist becomes an unlikely male escort with the help of his friend, an elderly bookseller. With John Turturro, Woody Allen, Sharon Stone and Liev Schreiber. Written and directed by Turturro. (1:38) R.
“Fray” — A young Marine who has recently returned from combat and is still coping with the physical and emotional scars of war faces a new struggle at home. With Bryan Kaplan and Marisa Costa. Written and directed by Geoff Ryan. (1:35) NR.
“The Galapagos Affair” — A documentary about an unsolved 1930s murder mystery that took place in an expatriate community in the Galapagos Islands. With the voices of Cate Blanchett, Diane Kruger and Connie Nielsen. Directed by Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller. (2 hrs.) NR.
“Hank and Asha” — An Indian woman studying in Prague and an aspiring New York filmmaker strike up an online friendship and begin trading video messages. With Mahira Kakkar and Andrew Pastides. Written by James E. Duff and Julia Morrison. Directed by Duff. (1:13) NR.
“Hateship Loveship” — A shy housekeeper falls victim to a mean-spirited prank when the teenage girl she is hired to look after initiates a fake correspondence between the woman and the girl’s father, a recovering drug addict. With Kristen Wiig, Guy Pearce and Hailee Steinfeld. Written by Alice Munro and Mark Poirier. Directed by Liza Johnson. (1:42) R.
“A Haunted House 2” — After moving on from his demonically possessed ex-girlfriend and starting over with a new love and her two kids, a man is once again plagued by bizarre paranormal events. With Marlon Wayans, Jaime Pressly and Gabriel Iglesias. Written by Wayans and Rick Alvarez. Directed by Michael Tiddes. (1:27) R.
“Heaven Is for Real” — When their young son awakens after a near-death experience, a small-town couple are stunned by his claims that he visited heaven and encountered biblical figures and deceased relatives. With Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly and Connor Corum. Written by Randall Wallace and Christopher Parker. Directed by Wallace. (1:40) PG.
“Kid Cannabis” — A teenage dropout in Idaho builds a multimillion-dollar drug ring by trafficking marijuana through the woods across the Canadian border and gets in way over his head. With Jonathan Daniel Brown, Kenny Wormald and Ron Perlman. Written and directed by John Stockwell. (1:45) NR.
“Proxy” — After a vicious attack by a hooded assailant, a woman finds consolation in a support group and strikes up a close friendship with a fellow member, but their bond becomes dangerous. With Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins and Kristina Klebe. Written by Kevin Donner and Zack Parker. Directed by Parker. (2 hrs.) NR.
“Short Peace” — An anthology of four animated shorts by four different Japanese filmmakers. Directed by Shuhei Morita, Katsuhiro Otomo, Hiroaki Ando and Hajime Katoki. In Japanese with English subtitles. (1:08) NR.
“Small Time” — Still pining for the ex-wife who left him years ago, a used-car salesman learns that their son has decided to forego college in favor of selling cars with his old man. With Christopher Meloni, Devon Bostick and Dean Norris. Written and directed by Joel Surnow. (1:35) R.
“Tasting Menu” — A young couple amid a divorce reunite for a once-in-a-lifetime meal they booked a year in advance at a famous restaurant in Catalonia that is set to close. With Jan Cornet, Claudia Bassols and Fionnula Flanagan. Written by Roger Gual and Javier Calvo. Directed by Gual. In Catalan, Spanish and English, with English subtitles. (1:24) PG-13.
“That Demon Within” — A dutiful police officer doubts himself after saving the life of a notorious killer. With Daniel Wu and Nick Chueng. Written by Dante Lam and Jack Ng. Directed by Lam. In Cantonese, with English and Chinese subtitles. (1:52) NR.
“13 Sins” — A cryptic phone call sets off a dangerous game for a down-on-his-luck salesman who is promised increasing rewards for completing 13 tasks, each more sinister than the last. With Mark Webber, Ron Perlman and Rutina Wesley. Written by David Birke and Daniel Stamm. Directed by Stamm. (1:32) R.
“Transcendence” — When a scientist researching artificial intelligence is mortally wounded by anti-technology extremists, his wife and best friend upload his consciousness online, but his thirst for knowledge evolves into a relentless quest for power. With Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Rebecca Hall and Kate Mara. Written by Jack Paglen. Directed by Wally Pfister. (1:59) PG-13.
“Vanishing Pearls” — A documentary about the devastation wrought by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its aftermath on the small, largely black community of Pointe a la Hache, La. Directed by Nailah Jefferson. (1:20) NR.
“Watermark” — A documentary examining humankind’s relationship with and use of water around the globe. Directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky. (1:30) PG.