Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon reunite for another gastronomic trip, Seth MacFarlane takes us to his version of the Wild West, Angelina Jolie transforms into a famous Disney witch, and Nicole Kidman plays the iconic Grace Kelly. And this is but a sample of the cinematic feast this week.
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Opening today:
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THE TRIP TO ITALY……FILM OF THE WEEK
UK | 113 minutes | Comedy
Director: Michael Winterbottom (The Trip, 24 Hour Party People)
Cast: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Marta Barrio, Rosie Fellner
The semi-fictionalised versions of Rob and Steve reunite to retrace the Romantic Poets grand tour of Italy, while indulging in more witty banter and gastronomic delights.
If you’ve seen the first film, then you’ll know why we’ve made this FOTW.
Distributor: Madman
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A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST
USA | 115 minutes | Comedy, Western
Director: Seth McFarlane (Ted, TV’s Family Guy)
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman, Liam Neeson, Christopher Hagen
A hapless farmer who falls for a beautiful stranger must face her outlaw husband in a shoot-out…not before he finds his balls!
The gags in Ted were hit and miss but overall the film was a fun ride. I expect MacFarlane’s second feature effort will be more of the same.
Distributor: Paramount
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GRACE OF MONACO
France, USA, Belgium, Italy | 103 minutes | Drama
Director: Olivier Dahan (La Vie en Rose, My Own Love Song)
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, Frank Langella, Parker Posey, Milo Ventimiglia, Derek Jacobi, Paz Vega, André Penvern, Olivier Rabourdin, Robert Lindsay
Set six years after her marriage to Prince Rainier III, Grace Kelly – now Princess Grace of Monaco – finds herself torn between her marriage, her people and her passion.
Saw this at Cannes. My review (here) says it all.
Distributor: eOne
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MALEFICENT
USA | 97 minutes | Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Romance
Director: Robert Stromberg (debut feature)
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Juno Temple, Sharlto Copley, Brenton Thwaites, Peter Capaldi, Ella Purnell, Miranda Richardson, Imelda Staunton, Sam Riley
Sleeping Beauty told from the villain’s perspective; showing how she turned from a beautiful, pure-hearted woman into a evil, revenge-set witch.
I reckon Jolie’s performance alone will make this worth seeing.
Distributor: Walt Disney
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NERVE
Australia | 83 minutes | Drama, Thriller
Director: Sebastien Guy (debut feature)
Cast: Christian Clark, Georgina Haig, Craig Hall, Gary Sweet, Andrea Demetriades, Denise Roberts, Cameron Daddo, Sara Wiseman
A widower attempts to find closure after discovering that his wife cheated on him shortly before her death.
Hadn’t heard of this film until now, but it looks pretty damn good.
Distributor: Unknown
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OVERHEARD 3
China | 131 minutes | Thriller
Director: Felix Chong (The Silent War) and Alan Mak (Infernal Affairs, The Silent War)
Cast: Daniel Wu, Xun Zhou, Louis Koo, Ching Wan Lau, Kenneth Tsang
Unscrupulous landowners run amok in order to rule Hong Kong’s property development market.
Didn’t know there was a 1 or 2 but if it’s from the filmmakers behind Internal Affairs, then I’m keen.
Distributor: Unknown
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Plenty to choose from. Which will you be watching?
