Previews: The Addams Family Trailer, Official Secrets, More!

Plenty to see in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including the new The Addams Family trailer, The Day Shall Come, The Farewell, and more…

The Addams Family Trailer

Here is the brand new The Addams Family trailer. The animated film is the latest iteration of the creepy family, following the television shows and the 1990s films. This latest movie features the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, and Chloe Grace Moretz. The Addams Family hits UK screens on 25th October 2019.

The Day Shall Come Trailer

Above is the new trailer for The Day Shall Come. Directed by Chris Morris (Four Lions), the film is a satire on Homeland Security, based on 100 true stories. It stars Marchánt Davis, Anna Kendrick, and Danielle Brooks. The Day Shall Come will be released in UK cinemas on 11th October 2019.

Official Secrets Poster

Official Secrets is about the 2003 UK-US invasion of Iraq. The film focuses on Katherine Gun, a translator who leaks a classified email. Directed by Gavin Hood, the film stars Kiera Knightley, Matt Smith, Matthew Goode, and Ralph Fiennes. Official Secrets will hit UK cinemas on 18th October 2019.

The Farewell Trailer

Lulu Wang’s Sundance smash The Farewell gets a UK release date. Written and directed by Wang, the semi-autobiographical drama is about a US-raised young woman who returns to China to see her ailing grandmother. The film stars Awkwafina and Tzi Ma. The Farewell will be released in UK cinemas on 20th September 2019.

The Third Man Trailer

To celebrate its 70th anniversary, Carol Reed’s classic The Third Man gets a 4k re-release. The film, which stars Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles, is about a writer who arrives in post-War Vienna to meet his childhood friend. The film will be screened at a special event at Picturehouse Central in London on 1st September 2019 – seventy years to the day of its world premiere. The Third Man returns to UK cinemas for one day only on 29th September 2019.

Film Review: The Imitation Game

Director Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game is an engaging character study, which is sumptuously executed.

As World War II breaks out, academic Alan Turing is interviewed for a secretive position in Britain’s war effort. Alan and a team of talented mathematicians are tasked with breaking the ‘unbreakable’ enigma code used by Germany to transmit messages…

Alan Turing’s story is one that was kept quiet for so long, that even now the mathematician does not receive the recognition he deserves for his contribution to history. The Imitation Game makes a very good effort at rectifying this. It is a story that needs to be told.

The carefully crafted narrative is what makes The Imitation Game so engaging. The film jumps between pivotal periods in Alan Turing’s life. This works well to exhibit his personality, and the motivations that drive him in his task. The non-linear nature of the film creates an element of mystery of how Turing came to be in the position that viewers first meet him, as well as how enigma code got cracked.

The strand of Turing’s sexuality is an important one, which is given significant attention by the script. This is particularly significant, given the recent pardon. Much is made of the importance of what Turing achieved, rightly so, however The Imitation Game also recognises the importance the protagonists sexuality had to play in his life and the struggles of the period.

Brief sequences of conflict, devastation and archive footage are included, presumably to emphasise the importance and urgency of what the team were doing. These feel unnecessary; there are few who will not appreciate the enormity and wide-reaching effects of that war. The aerial sequences appear a little inauthentic. They have the look of animation rather than reality. Alexandre Desplat score is excellent.

Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a strong performance as Alan Turing. The unease and sharpness of the character are aspects Cumberbatch has delivered before. Mark Strong is well cast, as is Matthew Goode.

The Imitation Game is an excellent portrayal of what Alan Turing achieved during WWII. Not neglecting the role others had to play, the film is utmost the story of Turing; a long-overdue tale.

The Imitation Game opens the London Film Festival on 8th October 2014.

Film Review: Stoker

Stoker will surely be one of the year’s most memorable films. Director Chan-wook Park and screenwriter Wentworth Miller have created something truly special.

Following the death of India Stoker’s father, her Uncle Charlie comes to stay with India and her mother. India never even knew she had an uncle, and is suspicious of her new family member. As her mother becomes more taken with their new arrival, India’s interest grows…

Stoker is enthralling for its entire duration. The opening title sequence sets a bar that the remainder of the film reaches. Park’s film is aesthetically sumptuous, but also rich in terms of narrative. It is one of those rare examples of both style and substance being on point.

With a title such as Stoker, it is understandable that viewers may have certain ideas of the film’s themes. Miller’s screenplay excels in keeping the audience guessing. The sense of mystery is potent; for a significant time it is unclear where the film is going. Even at its climax Stoker is never predictable.

Stoker is ripe with Gothic themes. Transgression and duality are recurring motifs. There are some nods to folklore, whilst Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt cannot have been far from Miller’s mind. Stoker has a unnerving atmosphere that permeates the entire film. It is hard to escape this, even in the heavily-populated familiar settings.

Chan-wook Park direction is stunning. Stoker has a look of restrained engorgement. The film is laden with symbolism and distinctive imagery, yet this never feels forced or over pronounced. The camera work is beautiful and there is a breath-taking dissolve that highlights Park’s flair for the visual. Performances are excellent in Stoker, particular from lead Mia Wasikowska. Matthew Goode really seems to inhabit the character of Charlie, while Nicole Kidman is utterly believable as India’s mother.

Stoker is most highly recommended. An immaculate slice of cinema.

Stuff To Look At

Plenty of stuff this week; a new Oz The Great and Powerful poster, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters trailer, something from Stoker and more…

Trouble With the Curve

Starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake, Trouble With the Curve is a drama about a baseball scout. After Clint Eastwood films received a mixed reception at best, it will be a relief to some that he is not directing this one. Trouble With the Curve is out in cinemas on 30th November 2012.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

Hansel and Gretel was always a disturbing fairy tale, so it is really no surprise that the filmmakers have chosen to go down the violent fantasy route with this cinematic adaptation. Starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arteton, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters looks like a lot of fun. The film is released in the UK on 15th March 2013.

Oz The Great and Powerful

This week the first poster for Oz The Great and Powerful was released. Directed by Sam Raimi, the film stars James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams. Disney’s last foray into Oz territory was the cult classic Return to Oz, so it will be interesting to see what this new film brings. Oz The Great and Powerful is due for release in March 2013.

Stoker

This is not a trailer for Stoker, but a video that depicts the creation of the poster, along with clips from the film. I’m not entirely sure what Stoker is, but I am interested to find out more. Starring Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode and Mia Wasikowska, Stoker will be released on 1st March 2013.

A Good Day to Die Hard

John McClane is back for another adventure in A Good Day to Die Hard. The last instalment did not quite match the much-loved earlier trilogy, so it will be interesting to see how this one does. Bruce Willis returns as McClane on 14th February 2013.

Django Unchained

Above is the latest trailer for Django Unchained. The trailer has director Quentin Tarantino’s stamp all over it. Starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained is released in UK cinemas on 18th January 2013.