Author: James Partridge

Cinema Release Round-Up: 23 January

Posted by | Jan 23, 2014 |

The stars have come out to play this week. But do big names make for a good film? We shall see. . Opening today: . AMERICAN HUSTLE……FILM OF THE WEEK USA | 138 minutes | Comedy, Drama, Thriller Director: David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, The Fighter, Three Kings) Cast: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Robert De Niro, Michael Peña, Louis C.K., Jack Huston, Alessandro Nivola A talented con man and his equally cunning partner are forced for work for the FBI and are thrown in the deep end with the mafia, pawnbrokers and politicians. With David O. Russell at the helm and a remarkable cast, surely our hard-earned money is in safe hands? Distributor: Roadshow . LAST VEGAS USA | 105 minutes | Comedy Director: Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure, Cool Runnings) Cast: Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Jerry Ferrara, Romany Malco, Roger Bart, Weronika Rosati After aging bachelor Billy proposes to his 30-something girlfriend, he drags his best mates to Las Vegas to relive their glory days. I love De Niro, Freeman, Douglas and Kline but I can’t in good conscience recommend this. Distributor: Universal . JAI HO India | 150 minutes | Action, Drama Director: Sohail Khan (Hello Brother, I Proud To Be An Indian) Cast: Salman Khan, Tabu, Danny Denzongpa, Sana Khan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Daisey...

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Cinema Release Round-Up: 16 January

Posted by | Jan 16, 2014 |

Alexander Payne’s new critically acclaimed work has hit our shores, along with a new Jack Ryan actioneer and Justin Bieber’s second (yes, second!) doco. I wonder which one we’re most keen to see? . Opening today: . NEBRASKA……FILM OF THE WEEK USA | 110 minutes | Comedy, Drama Director: Alexander Payne (The Descendants, Sideways) Cast: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, Bob Odenkirk, June Squibb, Stacy Keach, Devin Ratray, Rance Howard A son offers to take his dementia-suffering father on a road trip from Montana to Nebraska in order to claim a million dollar lottery prize his father claims to have one. Looks hilarious and touching in equal measure. Surely the film to see this week? Distributor: Roadshow . JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT USA | 105 minutes | Action, Drama, Thriller Director: Kenneth Branagh (Thor, Hamlet) Cast: Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh, Nonso Anozie, Gemma Chan, Colm Feore, Karen David Follow a young Jack Ryan on his first case for the CIA, during which he uncovers a Russian mastermind plotting a terrorist attack on the US. Who said the Cold War was over? Saw this tonight. I’ve seen better…but I’ve seen worse. Distributor: Paramount Pictures . JUSTIN BIEBER BELIEVE USA | 92 minutes | Documentary, Music Director: Jon M. Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never) Featuring: Justin Bieber, Scooter Braun, Usher Raymond, Will.I.Am, Ellen DeGeneres,...

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Cinema Release Round-Up: 9 January

Posted by | Jan 9, 2014 |

Nestled between the two big studio films this week is an indie masterpiece that could be one of this year’s finest. . Opening today: . 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 . 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 . 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...

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Cinema Release Round-Up: 1 January

Posted by | Jan 1, 2014 |

Happy New Year! May 2014 bring us some sensation cinema. We start the year with a much-hyped drama with a killer cast and animated film for the kids. . Opening today: . AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY……FILM OF THE WEEK USA | 121 minutes | Comedy, Drama Director: John Wells (The Company Men, TV’s Shameless & The West Wing) Starring: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dermot Mulroney, Juliette Lewis, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Margo Martindale, Misty Upham, Sam Shepard, Julianne Nicholson The estranged and dysfunctional Weston clan gather together at their Oklahoma homestead after the family matriarch is diagnosed with a terminal illness. As you can imagine, the many skeletons in their respective closets don’t stay quiet for long. The cast alone makes this a must see. Distributor: Roadshow Films . WALKING WITH DINOSAURS USA, UK | 87 minutes | Adventure, Animation, Family Director: Neil Nightingale (Enchanted Kingdom, The Meerkats) Cast: Charlie Rowe, Karl Urban, Angourie Rice, John Leguizamo, Justin Long Based on the much-loved BBC mini-series, this family adventure film follows three dinosaurs, named Patchi, Scowler, and Juniper, from infancy to adulthood. If you want to entertain the kids without challenging your brain after the Christmas/New Year excess, then this should fit the bill. Distributor: 20th Century Fox . Will you be going to the movies this...

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Cinema Release Round-Up: 26 December

Posted by | Dec 26, 2013 |

Boxing Day brings us a cinematic feast to complete with yesterday’s gastronomic delight. . Opening today: . THE WOLF OF WALL STREET……FILM OF THE WEEK USA | 179 minutes | Drama Director: Martin Scorsese (Hugo, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver) Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Jon Bernthal, Jon Favreau, Shea Whigham, Jean Dujardin Scorsese and DiCaprio take on the true life tale of an unscrupulous stockbroker who took 80’s Wall Street by storm…and enjoyed all the hedonistic pleasures that went along with it. But all good things must come to an end. Saw this tonight…and it’s brilliant. Distributor: Roadshow . FROZEN USA | 95 minutes | Animation, Comedy, Family Directors: Chris Buck (Tarzan, Surf’s Up) & Jennifer Lee (debut feature) Cast: Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Tom Kane, Santino Fontana Based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale The Snow Queen, Disney brings us the story of the fearless Princess Anna who sets off to find her sister, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. It looks like Disney have another hit on their hands, following on from the superb Wreck-It Ralph. Distributor: Disney . GLORIA Chile | 110 minutes | Drama, Romance Director: Sebastián Lelio (El año del tigre, La sagrada familia) Starring: Paulina García, Sergio Hernández, Diego Fontecilla, Fabiola Zamora, Coca Guazzini, Hugo Moraga, Alejandro Goic A 58-year-old...

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