Comedy, drama, action, indie, doco, live performance…it’s all here!
Our FOTW vote goes to a returning festival favourite.
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Opening today:
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WADJDA……FILM OF THE WEEK
Saudi Arabia | 98 minutes | Drama
Director: Haifaa Al-Mansour (debut feature)
Cast: Reem Abdullah, Waad Mohammed, Abdullrahman Al Gohani, Rafa Al Sanea, Sultan Al Assaf, Dana Abdullilah, Rehab Ahmed
A fun-loving Saudi girl challenges conservative society by taking on her neighbour in a bike race – when bicycles are seen as dangerous to a girl’s virtue.
I’m loving the fact that distributors are providing more general releases for festival favourites than ever before. Nice work.
Distributor: eOne
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CUBAN FURY
UK | 98 minutes | Comedy
Director: James Griffiths (debut feature)
Cast: Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd, Olivia Colman, Ian McShane, Kayvan Novak, Rory Kinnear, Tim Plester, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Liz Cackowski, Rachel Dratch
An overweight, out of luck guy rediscovers a talent from his youth in order to impress his beautiful new boss. But he has stiff competition in the form of the office’s alpha male. Time for a dance off!
This won’t change the world but should be a lot of fun. Worth seeing for Frost, Jones and O’Dowd alone.
Distributor: StudioCanal
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GENERATION IRON
USA | 106 minutes | Documentary, Sport
Director: Vlad Yudin (Last Day of Summer)
Featuring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Phil Heath, Hidetada Yamagishi, Kai Greene, Branch Warren, Victor Martinez, Jay Cutler
From the producer of Pumping Iron, follow seven top bodybuilders in the lead-up to the 2012 Mr. Olympia competition. And look out for some very famous former competitors.
I always find bodybuilding docos fascinating. Not sure why.
Distributor: Madman
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NEED FOR SPEED
USA | 131 minutes | Action
Director: Scott Waugh (Act of Valor)
Cast: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Michael Keaton, Kid Cudi, Ramon Rodriguez, Rami Malek, Harrison Gilbertson, Dakota Johnson
How does an ex-con ex-mechanic exact revenge on the former NASCAR driver who had him framed for manslaughter? Take him on in the Super Bowl of underground racing of course!
Video game adaptations rarely work. At least the car chases look good. And that’s all we’re expecting…right?
Distributor: Walt Disney
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POMPEII
USA | 104 minutes | Action, Adventure
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson (The Three Musketeers, Resident Evil series, AVP: Alien vs. Predator)
Cast: Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Jessica Lucas, Carrie-Anne Moss, Kiefer Sutherland, Paz Vega, Jared Harris
A slave-turned-gladiator fights to save the women her loves from a corrupt Roman Senator and Italy’s most famous volcano. My money’s on the volcano.
Not expecting much from this. Decent cast though.
Distributor: Roadshow
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THE BRATS
France | 95 minutes | Comedy
Director: Anthony Marciano (debut feature)
Cast: Max Boublil, Alain Chabat, Sandrine Kiberlain, Mélanie Bernier, Arié Elmaleh, Elisa Sednaoui
A young man is persuaded by his future father-in-law not to marry his daughter and start a new life of parties and loose women. But the ladies in their lives have other plans.
I love me a good French comedy.
Distributor: Rialto
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On Saturday (for one night only):
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ELTON JOHN: THE MILLION DOLLAR PIANO
USA | 112 minutes | Documentary, Music
Director: Chris Gero
Featuring: Elton John
The second concert film in as many weeks brings us Elton John from Caesers Palace – his Las Vegas residency gig.
If you love Elton, then this is a ‘Must See’…and it’s cheaper than flying to Vegas!
http://youtu.be/qWx1VzwJVJw
Distributor: Unknown
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Have we picked well this week?
