Film Guide - October 17, 2014

Published Oct 17, 2014

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NEW RELEASES

No Se Aceptan Devoluciones (Instructions Not Included): Funny, sweet Mexican dramedy in which a clueless playboy turned stuntman has to raise a child. Polished and with some crossover appeal it is geared towards mainly Latinos in the know, but the surprisingly dark turn towards the end is welcome. *** WP

Snowpiercer: This stylish allegory about class, power structures and power run amok is wrapped up in the film tropes of an action flick, but works very well on both levels. Plus, Chris Evans does pained, troubled leader conflicted about leading, so well. **** TS

Streetcar Named Desire: NT Live production starring Gillian Anderson, who gives a brave, brilliant portrayal of a woman unraveling as swiftly as she swigs a drink. **** DdB

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cheesy, fun reboot if you don’t take it seriously, clichéd, plot light and dull if you take it seriously. *** TS

The 100-year-old man who climbed through a window and disappeared: Quirky, slightly absurd, darkly funny Swedish film about going with the flow, centred around a very ordinary guy. Sort of the Scandinavian version of Forrest Gump. **** TS

This is Where I Leave You: While it may be obvious where these characters are going, the strong ensemble cast keep your eyes riveted on them as they get through a funeral and all the drama that goes with family gatherings. *** TS

ON CIRCUIT

African Safari 3D: Lion specialist Kevin Harrison and elephant specialist Mara Douglas-Hamilton go on safari. (Not reviewed)

Automata: Antonio Banderas’ bravery in attaching himself to this overwrought dystopian sci-fi project outstrips any valour he displays as a futuristic insurance agent investigating a problem with future robots meant to help mankind. ** HR

City of Violence: Filmed in Cape Town, based on the Caryl Férey book, Zulu, this crime thriller gives us two different sides to the coin of forgiveness and redemption, but doesn’t exactly paint the Mother City or South Africa in a very forgiving light. *** TS

Begin Again: This unexpectedly stirring narrative tells the tale of love and lives lost and regained, sketched within the framework of the hesitant, unassuming world of indie music versus the flashy, rapacious, razzle-dazzle of the music industry. *** LdM

Boyhood: Richard Linklater takes his time to tell the story of one child’s boyhood. While the technicality of filming is handled on an epic scale, the story, which delves into the human condition, is intimate. **** TS

Calvary: Brendon Gleeson gives a strong performance as a good-hearted Catholic priest being held to account for the sins of the church in an eccentric little Irish village. **** TS

Dracula Untold: Cheesy, surprisingly bloodless origins tale for the granddad of vampires, Dracula. Gorgeously batty, though. ** TS

Gone Girl: Ben Affleck plays a husband who is accused of murdering his famous wife Amy (Rosamund Pike). A dark, twisted, psychologically beguiling offering, this movie is skilfully interwoven with an identifiable sense of realism. *** DT

Good People: James Franco and Kate Hudson play a couple who liberate a bag of money from their dead tenant’s room. Then bad things happen. (Not Reviewed)

Guardians of the Galaxy: Fun, epic ride through outer space with Star-Lord and his misfits because someone has to save the universe. **** TS

If I Stay: Drippy teen love story complete with lame dialogue and heartstring-yanking music will have the teens swooning and the adults sighing. ** HR

La Grande Belezza (The Great Beauty): Ambitious, beautifully filmed, thoroughly enthralling, this Italian character exploration is virtuoso filmmaking from director Paul Sorrentinto. **** HR

Let’s Be Cops: This would-be comedy does nothing with the admittedly strong chemistry between leads Damon Wayans Jr and Jake Johnson. * WP

Love is All You Need: Danish director Susanne Bier teases warm performances out of Pierce Brosnan and Trine Dyrholm in a picturesque Italian setting, redeeming the fluffy storyline. *** WP

Lucy: Le Femme Nikita meets The Fifth Element, which is cool on the one hand because it’s aaaaalll Luc Besson. But this is just Besson unfocused. *** BG

Million Dollar Arm: This Disney produced sports movie is amiable and predictable, covering all the bases on its way to its good-hearted ending. More fascinating though is the way it inadvertently shows America’s confused and contradictory attitude towards India. *** IND

Mr Morgan’s Last Love: Michael Caine’s strong performance is not enough to save this one from its mawkishness. ** HR

Planes: Fire & Rescue: Yet another spin-off from Cars, minus the imagination or soul, this is just a blatant attempt at merchandising, not a reason to tell a story. ** TS

Sunshine on Leith: The corn is thicker than the Scottish brogues, but plenty of Proclaimers fans won’t mind. *** HR

The Dolphin Tale 2: Just as sweet and amiable as the first film, this sequel is an old-fashioned drama for the whole family. *** WP

The Equalizer: Director Antoine Fuqua goes for stylish violence over dramatic characterisation. No matter how hard Denzil Washington tries, he can’t quite detract from all that brutality. ** TS

The Giver: Director Phillip Noyce evokes the visual splendour of Lois Lowry’s book, but none of the thought-provoking themes and the ending is just plain lazy. ** HR

The Hundred Foot Journey: Lasse Hallström directs Helen Mirren in a predictable feel-good dramedy. *** HR

The Hunt: A tough yet intriguing drama which looks at the way people can be whipped into a frenzy as well as how one man’s life is devastated when he makes a stand. Well told with fine ensemble acting. **** DdB

The Maze Runner: Post-apocalyptic sci-fi with teenagers in a Lord of the Flies situation, but surrounded by a concrete maze rather than the deep blue sea. By the time the storyline implodes, you are vested in the well-acted characters and solid action sequences. *** TS

The November Man: Pierce Brosnan nails the cynical ex-assassin role, the action sequences are solid, but this is an old-fashioned 70s spy thriller which gets bogged down in a clichéd plot and stock characters. *** TS

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