Author: James Partridge

Cinema Release Round-Up: 30 April

Posted by | Apr 30, 2015 |

It’s not often a horror makes FOTW, but the creep-fest indie gem It Follows is worthy of such a title. Also out this week: The Gunman (where Sean Penn does his best Liam Neeson impersonation), Boychoir (where Dustin Hoffman bring us his version of Whiplash), Helios (where Hong Kong takes on Hollywood), and Met Opera: The Merry Widow (where another classic comes to life on New York’s finest stage). Check ‘em all out here… . Opening today: . IT FOLLOWS……FILM OF THE WEEK USA | 100 minutes | Horror Director: David Robert Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover) Cast: Maika Monroe, Jake Weary, Keir Gilchrest, Daniel Zovattao, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe An unrelenting supernatural force hunts a teenage girl after a sexual encounter. The synopsis doesn’t do justice to just how creepy this film is – discover and enjoy. Distributor: Rialto Distribution . BOYCHOIR USA | 103 minutes | Drama, Music Director: Francois Girard (Silk, The Red Violin) Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Josh Lucas, Debra Winger, Eddie Izzard, Kevin McHale, Erica Piccininni, River Alexander, Garret Wareing A troubled 11-year-old orphan, from a small Texas town, ends up at a prestigious music school, where he clashes with the Choirmaster. It may not rise to Whiplash heights, but Boychoir looks good and has a great cast. Distributor: Becker Film Group . HELIOS Hong Kong | 114 minutes | Action,...

Read More

Cinema Release Round-Up: 23 April

Posted by | Apr 23, 2015 |

Marvel unleashes Ultron this week to lay waste to the New Zealand box office. But there are some other great films out, like Leviathan and the re-release of Peter Weir‘s Gallipoli, that don’t deserve to get lost in the chaos. . AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON……FILM OF THE WEEK USA | 141 minutes | Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Director: Joss Whedon (The Avengers, Serenity, Much Ado About Nothing) Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, James Spader, Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Bettany, Mark Ruffalo, Don Cheadle When a villainous sentient robot is accidentally unleashed by Tony Stark, the Avengers must reassemble to stop him from wiping out everyone on Earth. Loved the first film. Can’t imagine not loving this. In Joss we trust! Distributor: Marvel . LEVIATHAN Russia | 142 minutes | Drama Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev (Vozvrashchenie, Elena) Cast: Aleksey Serebryakov, Elena Lyadova, Vladimir Vdovichenkov, Anna Ukolova, Kristina Pakarina, Roman Madyanov In a Russian coastal town, Kolya is forced to fight the corrupt mayor when he is told that his house will be demolished. He recruits a lawyer friend to help, but the man’s arrival brings further misfortune to Kolya and his family. Was lucky enough to see this gripping Russian drama at Cannes last year…and loved it. Distributor: Palace Films . LUCKY THEM USA | 97 minutes | Drama, Music Director:...

Read More

Cannes 2015: Cannes Jury Announced

Posted by | Apr 22, 2015 |

No Cannes Film Festival Jury is without big names but this year’s line-up, announced this morning, is particularly exciting. Joining co-Presidents Joel and Ethan Coen, are A-lister Jake Gyllenhaal, talented actresses Sophie Marceau and Sienna Miller,  and writer, director and producer extraordinaire Guillermo del Toro. Festival fans will also recognise the name Xavier Dolan, whose brilliant indie hit Mommy nabbing the Jury Prize last year. A total of nine jurors will judge the films “in Competition”, with the grand prize being the coveted Palme d’or – announced during the Closing Ceremony on Sunday 24th May. Here’s the full Cannes Jury line-up for 2015: Joel & Ethan Coen – Presidents (Directors, Writers, Producers – United States) Rossy de Palma (Actress – Spain) Sophie Marceau (Actress, Director – France) Sienna Miller (Actress – United Kingdom) Rokia Traoré (Composer, Singer-songwriter – Mali) Guillermo del Toro (Director, Writer, Producer – Mexico) Xavier Dolan (Director, Writer, Producer, Actor – Canada) Jake Gyllenhaal (Actor – United States) The Cannes Film Festival opens 13 May,...

Read More

Cinema Release Round-Up: 16 April

Posted by | Apr 16, 2015 |

Hollywood, Bollywood and (err) Chinatown collide at the box office this week. . Opening today . THE AGE OF ADALINE……FILM OF THE WEEK USA | 113 minutes | Drama, Fantasy, Romance Director: Lee Toland Krieger (Celeste & Jesse Forever) Cast: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn, Amanda Crew, Richard Harmon, Kathy Baker After miraculously remaining 29 years old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone. But a chance encounter with a charismatic philanthropist reignites her passion for life and romance. Gets FOTW by default, as I only found out about the other films today, but it looks a decent “date night” out. Distributor: eOne . NANAK SHAH FAKIR India | 138 minutes | Drama Director: Harinder Sikka Cast: Arif Zakaria, Ms. Puneet Sikka, Adil Hussain, Ms. Shraddha Kaul The life and teachings of Guru Nanak. Looks suitably epic. https://youtu.be/Ykru-Y9upWI Distributor: Forum Films . WOLF WARRIOR China | 90 minutes | Action, Martial Arts Director: Jacky Wu (Legendary Assassin) Cast: Jacky Wu, Scott Adkins, Kevin Lee, Kyle Shapiro A Chinese special forces soldier, with extraordinary marksmanship, is confronted by a group of deadly foreign mercenaries hired to assassinate him by a vicious drug lord. Who needs subtitles on a trailer when there’s action like this?!? Check it out… Distributor: Unknown . Opening tomorrow: . MR. X...

Read More

Cinema Release Round-Up: 9 April

Posted by | Apr 9, 2015 |

This week we have drama in many forms: comedic, romantic, French and live! . Opening today: . SAMBA……FILM OF THE WEEK France | 118 minutes | Comedy, Drama Directors: Olivier Nakache (The Intouchables), Eric Toledano (The Intouchables) Cast: Omar Sy, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Tahar Rahim, Liya Kebede, Izïa Higelin, Isaka Sawadogo Samba migrated to France ten years ago from Senegal, and has since been plugging away at various lowly jobs. Alice is a senior executive who has recently undergone a burn-out. Samba’s willing to do whatever it takes to get working papers, while Alice tries to get her life back on track…until fate draws them together. “From the directors of The Intouchables” is all I need to know to want to go see this! Distributor: Transmission Films . LET’S GET MARRIED China | 126 minutes | Comedy, Romance Director: Liu Juan, Jiang Liu (debut feature) Cast: Gao Yuanyuan, Jiang Wu, Li Chen, Hayden Bea, Liu Tao, Zheng Kai, Chen Yihan Based on a best-selling book, and beloved TV series in China, Let’s Get Married follows the lives of four couples looking for love and to find that special someone to say “I do.” Not my cup of jasmine tea, but looks quirky and fun. Distributor: China Lion . NT LIVE: OF MICE AND MEN UK, USA | 140 minutes | Drama, Live Performance Director: Anna D. Shapiro (debut feature) Cast:...

Read More