NEW RELEASES
Baggage Claim: Flossy, glossy and wildly uneven, this one hits all the right notes for a rom com, but it’s not exactly original. ** WP
Eugene Onegin: The filmed version of the Metropolitan Opera exceeds expectations, starring Anna Netrebko as Tatyana, the deeply emotional heroine of Pushkin’s tragic novel. ***** PB
The Butler: The story of the metamophorsis of American politics from the 50s to date is told through an unlikely source. Another well shot memorable piece of work from Lee Daniels. **** MV
Thor 2: The Dark World: Fun and funny, this is a total comic book movie with a noble hero saving the day from villaineous bad guys – one of whom happens to be the good guy’s brother. *** TS
ON CIRCUIT
2 Guns: Gratuitously violent with an over saturated colour palette – must be based on a comic book. While the script is formulaic the chemistry between Denzil Washington and Mark Wahlberg keeps you glued. *** TS
A Late Quartet: It’s glorious ensemble acting from the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman and Christopher Walken in a drama that plays like a fine piece of music. If you like theatre, this is for you. **** DdB
About Time: Eccentric relatives, idyllic seaside picnics, an odd wedding and the obligatory funeral, all whirling around a shy, but sweet nebbish fellow. Must be a Richard Curtis film. *** TS
Arbitrage: Richard Gere gives a strong performance in this tense thriller about a New York hedge fund manager who appears to be the epitome of success. **** WP
Austenland: Alas, the fine cast cannot quite hide beyond the clichés and slapstick gags. Honestly, who turns Austen into slapstick? ** WP
Ballade van Robbie de Wee: Neil Sandilands is intense but can’t save this wanna-be whodunnit. ** TS
Battle of the Year: Dream Team: Very little real dancing, a lot of bad lines and starring non-b-boys Chis Brown, Josh Halloway and Laz Alonso. ** HH
Behind the Candelabra: The Emmy Award-winning film about Liberace and his lover, Scott Thorson, hits the big screen. Starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. *** HH
Closed Circuit: No chemistry between the leads and plotholes galore means this suspense thriller goes nowhere slowly, despite an intriguing premise meant to question the point of secret evidence at a courtroom trial. ** TS
Diana: Naomi Watts is a bit too old and short to totally pull this off perfectly, but this is a love story rather than a biopic. *** TO
Gravity: Intense, anxiety inducing and visually arresting, this thriller in outer space is about the human spirit and the will to survive. **** TS
Grown Ups 2: Not for mature audiences. ** HH
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa: Bad film about a man and his grandson who take a roadtrip. It is shot with live unsuspecting people and their reac- tions worsen an already bad production. ** MV
Jobs: Ashton Kutcher does a great impression of the Apple founder, but the film never gets under his skin. ** TS
Khumba 3D: Local animated film about a zebra who earns his stripes. Cute, funny and with a bit of something for kids and adults alike. *** TS
Killing Season: A drawn-out cat and mouse game starring John Travolta and Robert de Niro, which never quite catches fire. ** HR
Midnight’s Children: Deepa Mehta’s adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s celebrated book is luscious to behold, but it sprawls all over the place with little point. *** TS
Nothing for Mahala: Funny local comedy with a strong moral message and a great soundtrack. *** TS
Paperboy: Another Lee Daniels classic book adaptation about two journos who go on a quest to free a wrongfully accused man. They don’t like what they find in the end. **** MV
Paranoia: The stellar cast cannot lift this unoriginal techno-thriller out of a morass of clichés and no-thrills. ** HR
Prisoners: Excellent character study delving into how parents behave when their children go missing. Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal are intense. **** TS
Redemption: Beautifully shot, but Jason Statham can only break so many bones before you lose interest in this script-lite action movie. ** TS
Riddick: Vin Diesel takes us back to basics for some broody sci-fi. Considering he actually makes this an engaging experience, imagine what he could do with something fresh and original? *** WP
RIPD: Trying to be MIB with dead people, this comic book turned film isn’t funny or dramatic. ** TS
Runner, Runner: Justin Timberlake faces off with Ben Affleck in this gambling drama which takes us from the US to the scenic Costa Rica. It is a fun but forgettable film. *** MV
Rush: Chris Hemsworth drops Thor’s hammer and some weight to portray a real-life Formula One driver, James Hunt, from the 1970s. A good adrenalin rush for Formula One and Hemsworth fans. *** MV
Salinger: While the documentary about a fascinating person has its moments, it gets too bogged down in re-enactments and a lack of attention to the writer’s actual work. ** WP
The Call: It’s a great premise, but because they relied only on the fear factor, it doesn’t give enough. What a waste of talent including Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin. ** DdB
The Company You Keep: Robert Redford’s age (75) shows both in directing and acting. Still, this slow-paced thriller with a cast that has serious firepower, will hold your attention if you’re not bothered by the pace that hardly breaks a sweat. *** DdB
The Family: Luc Besson’s film cannot quite decide what genre to settle on. Combined with the overly familiar set-up, it never really gels. ** WP
The Heat: Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock make a great comedic team in this buddy cop movie which follows a clichéd storyline, but is saved by their presence. *** TS
The Conjuring: Unnerving and scary horror from director James Wan pays homage to 70s horror conventions while still scaring the popcorn right out of your hand. **** TS
The Purge: A sick storyline where, in a futuristic America, the citizens get to let out their hostility in whatever way they choose – without any legal ramifications – for one night a year. It is nothing more than twisted, mindless brutality and one family at the heart of it all. ** DT
The Reluctant Fundamentalist: Director Mira Nair has created a companion piece to her previous The Namesake, again interrogating contemporary immigrant identity within the American Dream paradigm, but this one is saying that experience is not all it is cracked up to be. *** TS
The Way, Way Back: An atmospheric coming-of-age story which makes good use of the talented cast and finely tuned script to create a charming film. *** HR
Vehicle 19: Paul Walker behind the wheel of a car, lost in Joburg. Should be fun. It’s not. * TS
Welcome to the Punch: If you’re in for the ride and don’t care much about the story, the boys led by James McAvoy and Mark Strong will sweep you along. Set against a fantastic backdrop of a sparkingly lit London, it’s a thrilling chase as you try to sort good from bad. *** DdB
We’re the Millers: Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis in a film about a drug dealer who creates a fake family so he can get marijuana into America. *** AP