Nestled between the two big studio films this week is an indie masterpiece that could be one of this year’s finest.
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Opening today:
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SHORT TERM 12……FILM OF THE WEEK
USA | 96 minutes | Drama
Director: Destin Cretton (I Am Not a Hipster)
Cast: Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Stephanie Beatriz, Rami Malek, Alex Calloway
A supervisor at a foster care facility finds her world turned upside down after she becomes pregnant to her co-worker boyfriend and a troubled teen forces her to deal with her own past.
Saw this tonight and it will most certainly feature on my ‘Best of 2014’ list.
Distributor: Madman
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47 RONIN
USA | 119 minutes | Action, Fantasy, Martial Arts
Director: Carl Rinsch (debut feature)
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kou Shibasaki, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi, Jin Akanishi
Legend collides with fantasy (and Keanu Reeves) in this re-imagining of the 18th century Japanese tale of banished samurai avenging their master’s death.
I can see a lot of people hating the look of this but it could well be fun. We haven’t had a good action fantasy in a while.
Distributor: Paramount
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THE BOOK THIEF
USA | 131 minutes | Drama, History, War
Director: Brian Percival (TV’s Downton Abbey)
Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Sophie Nélisse, Ben Schnetzer, Nico Liersch, Joachim Paul Assböck, Kirsten Block, Sandra Nedeleff
Based on the award-winning novel, a young German girl deals with the horrors of World War II by stealing books and sharing them with others, including a Jewish refugee being sheltered by her adoptive parents.
Looks sweeping and epic – albeit a tad glossy. Take tissues.
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
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You reckon we’ve made the right choice for FOTW?
