Previews: Patriots Day Featurette, Rogue One, More!

Plenty in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including a Patriots Day featurette, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Silence, and more…

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Featurette

Here is Diego Luna talking about working on the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Luna plays Cassian Andor, a Rebel Alliance officer. The Star Wars spin-off features a stellar cast, including Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Riz Ahmed, and Forest Whitaker. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits UK screens on 15th December 2016.

Patriots Day Featurette

This Patriots Day featurette focuses on J.K. Simmons and the character he plays in the film. Patriots Day is an account of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the aftermath that followed. Also starring Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, and Kevin Bacon, Patriots Day is set for release in 2017.

Silence Poster

Martin Scorsese’s latest film Silence revisits some of the themes prevalent in his earlier pictures. Starring Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver as Jesuits priests who visit Japan to locate their mentor. Also starring Liam Neeson and Ciarán Hinds, Silence will hit UK screens on 1st January 2017.

Fences Trailer

Here is the second trailer for Denzel Washington’s Fences. This one reveals a little more about the plot and the main characters than the first look at the film. Based on August Wilson’s award-winning play, the film also stars Viola Davis and Jovan Adepo. Fences will be released in selected UK cinemas on 10th February 2017, and everywhere from 17th February.

 

Passengers Clip

Here is a brief clip from the upcoming Passengers, which showcases the special effects that the film offers. Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, the film is about two passengers on a voyage to a new colony who wake up early in space. Passengers jets into UK cinemas on 21st December 2016.

Power Rangers Image

Here is the first look at Alpha 5 from the upcoming Power Rangers movie. As with other images released from the film, the character looks pretty different from the 1990s TV show.  Alpha 5 is voiced by Bill Hader in the film. Also starring Elizabeth Banks and Bryan Cranston, Power Rangers is scheduled for release on UK screens in 2017.

Hidden Figures Clip

Here is a brief clip from Hidden Figures. It is based on the true story of a group of black women who worked at NASA during the space race of the 1960s. The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, and Kevin Costner. Hidden Figures is out in UK cinemas in February 2017.

Previews: Rules Don’t Apply Trailer, Morgan and More!

Lots of trailers, posters and clips this week, including the Rules Don’t Apply trailer, a clip from Morgan, Same Kind of Different trailer and more…

Rules Don’t Apply Trailer

Here is the Rules Don’t Apply Trailer. Warren Beatty writes, directs, and stars in the Golden Era-set film. With Alden Ehrenreich in the cast, the film is instantly reminiscent of this year’s Hail, Cesar!. Ehrenreich stars as the driver to Beatty’s Howard Hughes. The film features a stellar cast, that includes Lily Collins, Alec Baldwin, and Matthew Broderick. Rules Don’t Apply is coming soon to cinemas.

Morgan Clip

This clip from the upcoming Morgan gives a bit of insight into the title character. The film stars Kate Mara as a troubleshooter sent to a remote location to investigate an accident. Also starring Paul Giamatti and Jennifer Jason Leigh, the film is produced by Ridley Scott. Morgan is out in UK cinemas on 2nd September 2016.

Arrival Poster

This is one of a series of posters for new ski-fi thriller Arrival. The film is about a mystery spacecraft that arrives on Earth, and the team who are sent to investigate. Denis Villeneuve directs the film, which stars Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker and Jeremy Renner. Arrival lands in UK cinemas on 11th November 2016.

War on Everyone Trailer

The Guard director John Michael McDonagh’s latest film combines dark humour with a buddy cop movie. War on Everyone stars Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Peña as New Mexican cops who set out to blackmail every criminal that crosses their paths. War on Everyone will hit UK screens on 7th October 2016.

Moana Trailer

Disney latest animation Moana is about a South Pacific teenager who sails on a daring mission to save her people. The film features the voice of Dwayne Johnson, and songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Moana is directed by Disney dream-team Ron Clements and John Musker. UK cinemagoers will have to wait until 2nd December 2016 to see if the pair can recreate their earlier magic.

Hell or High Water Trailer

Hell or High Water is a new crime thriller from the writer of Sicario, Taylor Sheridan.  The film stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster as robbers who meet their match in Texas Ranger Jeff Bridges. Hell or High Water hits UK screens on 9th September 2016.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Poster

This poster is a visual feast. Director Tim Burton always delivers on the imagery front. Based on the book by Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children looks like it will be weird and wonderful. Starring Eva Green, Asa Butterfield and Samuel L. Jackson, the film will be released in UK cinemas on 30th September 2016.

Same Kind of Different as Me Trailer

Uncomfortably reminiscent of The Blind Side, Same Kind of Different as Me is based on the book of the same name. The film stars Renée Zellweger and Greg Kinnear as a couple who befriend a homeless man (played by Djimon Hounsou). Some of what is shown seems risible, but the film will probably appeal to fans of the book. Same Kind of Different as Me is set for release in 2017.

Previews: Rogue One Trailer, David Brent and more!

Plenty in this round-up of trailers and posters from this week, including the Rogue One trailer, David Brent: Life on the Road, Ben-Hur and more…

Rogue One Trailer

Here is the Rogue One trailer. The film is the first in a series of stand-alone Star Wars movies. Taking place before the events of Episode IV, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story certainly has the look of the original franchise. Starring Felicity Jones, Forest Whitaker and Riz Ahmed, Rogue One hits UK screens on 16th December 2016.

David Brent: Life on the Road Trailer

The trailer for David Brent: Life on the Road is just as cringe-inducing as you would imagine. Ricky Gervais resurrects his famed character from The Office for this film about Brent’s time on the road as a salesman and amateur rockstar. David Brent: Life on the Road is out in UK cinemas on 19th August 2016.

Ben-Hur Poster

Here is the latest poster for Ben-Hur. The film is a remake of the 1959 epic. Starring Jack Huston and Morgan Freeman, the film is about a falsely accused Jewish nobleman who survives years of slavery. Ben-Hur gallops on to the big screen on 26th August 2016.

The B.F.G. Trailer

Here is the trailer for Steven Spielberg’s The B.F.G. The film is based on the Roald Dahl’s classic and features Mark Rylance as the title character and Ruby Barnhill as Sophie. The B.F.G. hits UK screens on 22nd July 2016.

Captain America: Civil War Featurette

Here is a featurette on the upcoming Captain America: Civil War. The video focuses on the film’s main female characters, with Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen and Emily Van Camp discussing their roles in the film. Captain America: Civil War launches onto UK screens on 29th April 2016.

Film Review: Out of the Furnace

 

Out of the Furnace is a brooding drama that builds to a thrilling finale. Scott Cooper’s film offers superb direction and performances.

Russell and his younger brother Rodney Baze live in the Rust Belt. With decent work scarce, Rodney looks at other ways to garner income. When this leads him deep in the wrong crowd, Russell takes matters into his own hands…

Out of the Furnace presents a simple tale, but one that is effective thanks to solid direction, a decent screenplay and some excellent performances. After the success of Crazy Heart, expectations were rather high for writer-director Scott Cooper. With Out of the Furnace he does not disappoint.

There is a brooding atmosphere that pervades the entire film. This is generated by the score, and the careful building of characters and relationships. Out of the Furnace builds slowly, but retains the attention. The final act functions as something of a pay off, with the tension that has gently been accelerating reaching a riveting climax.

Several themes come into play with Out of the Furnace. Most obvious of these is that of justice and revenge. In some ways, this gives the film a timeless feel. Nevertheless, the political backdrop, which is positioned early in the film, gives Out of the Furnace a more modern feel. Without explicitly expressing so, Cooper’s film exhibits the lack of a real sense of opportunity in contemporary industrial towns. This is dominantly conveyed through Rodney, and the choices he makes.

Christian Bale offers a powerful performance as Russell. As ever, Bale is entirely convincing in this role. Casey Affleck is also superb, whilst Forest Whitaker, Woody Harrelson and Willem Dafoe provide good support.

Out of the Furnace shapes its classical themes into a modern tale framed in an understated manner by the real issues facing some American communities today. Scott Cooper decisively illustrates that Crazy Heart was no fluke.

Stuff To Look At

Plenty of cinematic delights, including the latest trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a clip from The Book Thief and more…

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Here is the latest trailer for Captain America: The Winter Solider. The film sees the return of Chris Evans in the title role, plus Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is due for UK release on 28th March 2014.

The Book Thief

Based on the best-selling book by Markus Zusak, The Book Thief stars Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson. The above clip is from the story, which is set during World War II. The Book Thief is released on 31st January 2014.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Following the release of the latest trailer for Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, here is the new poster for the film. The film seems to be pushing the 1980s setting, which is never a bad thing. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues hits UK screens on 20th December 2013.

Non-Stop

Thriller Non-Stop stars Liam Neeson as an Air Marshall in a very perilous position. The trailer reads like Speed on a plane. Non-Stop is due for release on 28th February 2014.

American Hustler

Christian Bale is barely recognisable in American Hustler. It’s like the 1970s threw up all over David O. Russell’s film. Also starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustler hits screens on 20th December in the West End and 3rd January 2014 nationwide.

The Butler

Lee Daniels’ The Butler is just brimming with stars. Led by Forest Whitaker, the film also stars Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Mariah Carey and many others. The Butler is released in the UK on 15th November 2013.

Film Review: The Last Stand

The Last Stand is stand action movie fare. It is entertaining, but also forgettable.

Ray Owens is the sheriff of a small town close to the Mexican border. When the escaped leader of a drug cartel escapes from prison, he speeds towards the border. The sheriff and his small team are the last chance to catch him…

The Last Stand is an enjoyable enough action film. Nevertheless, it offers little in terms of originality. It is not a memorable addition to the action movie sphere, with its tried and tested formula. Once viewers adjust their expectations accordingly, The Last Stand is fun.

The film belongs to the action genre, although western tropes are recognisable. A small town relying on their own rather than outsiders, the sheriff as protagonist and revenge as a driving factor all point to this. In many ways, The Last Stand is a western with machine guns.

The main narrative is fairly run of the mill. The film offers little in the way of twists in the plot or spins on the formula. The antagonist, a dangerous gangster, is one dimensional. The minor sub-plot of romance could easily have been omitted. Dialogue is often naff, but there are some moments of comedy.

Director Kim Jee-Woon injects energy into the action sequences. The Last Stand is unremittingly violent. This is often gratuitous, with a high body count and plenty of blood.

Arnold Schwarzenegger performance is as expected. The Last Stand is exactly the type of movie that viewers would expect him to make his return to features in. Forest Whitaker has little to do in a supporting role, while Johnny Knoxville brings lightness to proceedings.

The Last Stand is suitable viewing for those ‘switch your brain off’ kind of moods. Not a triumph return for Schwarzenegger, but not a terrible one either.

The Last Stand is out on DVD and Blu-Ray from 27th May 2013.

Stuff To Look At

A bumper edition this week, with plenty of releases for 2013…

Man of Steel

I have always been more of a Batman child than a Superman one, but I did love the Christopher Reeve movies (maybe not the last one). After 2006’s underwhelming Superman Returns, this new version looks more appealing. Henry Cavil stars as the title character in the first full trailer for Man of Steel, due for release in June 2013.

Oblivion

Ageless Tom Cruise has been getting action-heavy recently, with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Jack Reacher and now Oblivion. This futuristic thriller sees Cruise’s character Jack Harper battle to save mankind. Also starring Andrea Riseborough, Oblivion will be released in UK cinemas on 12 April 2013.

The Wolverine

The follow-up to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Wolverine is due for release in July 2013. The film sees Hugh Jackman reprise his role from the X-Men franchise. This adventure is set in Japan, as the above poster suggests. I’m sure a trailer for The Wolverine will be released shortly.

The Lone Ranger

Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter together again, but not in a Tim Burton film? The emphasis in the above trailer is on the fact that it is the same team behind Pirates of the Caribbean. If executed correctly, The Lone Ranger should be a lot of fun, like the first film of that earlier franchise. The Lone Ranger is due for release next year.

The Croods

The latest animation from DreamWorks is The Croods, a prehistoric adventure film. The Croods features the voices of Nicholas Cage, Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone. From the above trailer, I am liking the monkey. The Croods will be released in UK cinemas on 22nd March 2013.

Broken City

Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones star in Broken City, a crime thriller set in New York. My first thought on viewing this was ‘Russell Crowe’s weave!’. That aside, this tale of corruption could be quite good. Broken City is out on 1st March 2013.

The Last Stand

What is The Last Stand, you ask? Well it is Arnold Schwarzengger’s return to lead roles on the big screen. Schwarzenegger plays the sheriff of a small town where a notorious drug baron is trying to make his escape. The Last Stand, which also stars Forest Whitaker and Rodrigo Santoro, is out on 24th January 2012.

Hitchcock

Everyone loves a bit of Alfred Hitchcock, don’t they? The eagerly anticipated Hitchcock tells the story behind the making of Psycho. Anthony Hopkins stars as Alfred Hitchcock in the film which also features Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson. Hitchcock is released in UK cinemas on 8th February 2013.

Film Review: Our Family Wedding

Our Family Wedding is a formulaic but fairly amusing culture-clash rom-com. What differentiates it from other films of this nature is the fact that none of the protagonists are white; instead a Latino family clashes with an African-American one, over the wedding of their children.

Lucia and Marcus are madly in love and want to get married before they go abroad to work. The problem is neither of their families know about this. When they decide to reveal all at a joint family dinner, sparks fly…

Our Family Wedding is pretty much what one would expect from a film like this: humour based on cultural and racial stereotypes, a few prickly bumps for the star-crossed lovers, and the inevitable happy ending. Director Rick Famuyiwa does a fair job in creating an amusing film, though there is nothing too remarkable, as far as the narrative goes.

Hollywood heavyweight Forest Whitaker gives an adequate performance in a film that requires little effort, in all honesty. Elsewhere, Carlos Mencia, Regina King and Lance Gross are believable in their respective roles. It is America Ferrera who disappoints, bringing very little to the Lucia character.

Though the young couple may seem like the focal point, it is really their two fathers who take centre stage in this film. Their initial clash and one-upmanship are what provide most of the laughs in this comedy. Much of this feuding transcends race/culture, making the humour accessible to all.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Our Family Wedding is the paucity of white characters. Whilst films featuring non-white protagonists often have at least a white friend or sidekick,  Famuyiwa’s film completely omits white characters, save for a few extras. Thus, Our Family Wedding exhibits that a mainstream Hollywood film can be multicultural, yet does not need to feature obligatory white characters. It is an interesting role-reversal of the dominant ideology. It’s just a pity that the point couldn’t have been made by a more compelling or memorable film.

Film Review: Repo Men

If you are looking for a fast-paced violent thriller, and do not mind too much about originality, Repo Men is probably the film for you. If, however, you are expecting something more than this, you will most likely be disappointed by the end of this film.

Set in the near future, Remy, played by Jude Law, is works for a company that creates artificial organs. Along with partner Jake (Forest Whitaker), Remy repossess the organs of those who default on their payments. It is only after Remy has a heart replacement himself that he starts to have a conscious about what he and his partner do for a living…

The premise of the film is really quite interesting, until you realise how close it is to Repo! The Genetic Opera. Furthermore, elements of a number of other films appear to be present. Shots of the futuristic metropolis are immediately reminiscent of Blade Runner, whilst some of the technology can be likened to Total Recall.

Overall, the film imbues a feeling of technophobia. Like the aforementioned Blade Runner, as well as The Terminator and Brazil, there is a real sense of the ‘evil corporation’. Repo Men would, in fact, not be out of place with these mid- to early-1980s films. With a 2010 release, however, the ideas the film projects seem a little outdated.

Repo Men is an entertaining enough film, if it is not taken seriously. The action scenes well executed by director Miguel Sapochnik, and the performances are adequate. Furthermore, the soundtrack works well, using a range of songs from different eras to accompany at times disjointed scenes. The main problem with the film is that it is very much a case of ‘seen it all before’.