NEW RELEASES
Addicted: Adapted from a 90’s soft-core bestseller the film dispenses with the complex plot, three-dimensional characters and plausible dialogue and goes straight for spoonfuls of the gooey goodness promised by its premise: one woman’s insatiable appetite for sex and Boris Kodjoe’s really cute behind. ** WP
American Sniper: With well-choreographed fight sequences and hyper-real sets this film resembles a role-playing video game featuring a sniper out to kill people. Bradley Cooper bulks up and turns off the charm, but this is not about the US’s fight on terror, it is about one person’s perspective. *** TS
Big Eyes: Bright images hide a disturbing look at gender inequality in 60’s America, as well as questioning just what is art and who decides. Tim Burton still gives us surreal imagery, but the emphasis is on subtle acting. **** TS
Cake: Jennifer Aniston is an acerbic, pill-popping depressive who is addicted to the physical, as much as the emotional, pain brought on by a tragic personal loss. *** LdM
The Merry Widow: Visually impressive, with bubbly action reflecting just the right sort of light-hearted humour the piece needs, this marks Renée Fleming’s belated debut in the title role. **** PB
Whiplash: It’s the battle of the bully who believes he is living his life to further the success of others and being the hard taskmaster means his victim’s ultimate saving grace. JK Simmons is the perfect fit as the relentless teacher who pushes too hard. It’s tough, troubled and pitch perfect for our times. **** DdB
ON CIRCUIT
50 Shades of Grey: EL James’ best-selling kinky fan fiction gets the Hollywood make-over. *** HR
Are You Here: Despite the gathering of formidable on-screen talent, this lacklustre comedy from the creator of Mad Men never passes muster on any level. ** HR
Annie: This remake of the musical-turned-movie stars a very cute Quvenzhané Wallis and a bored Jamie Foxx. Bland material for adults, but little fans of Frozen will lap this up. *** TS
Barbie in Princess Power: Computer generated Barbie is Princess Kara who has an alter ego with super powers, Super Sparkle. (Not reviewed)
Big Hero Six: This bright, smart and just a little scary animated adventure story has something for everyone. Plus, a very cool robot that just wants to be your friend. **** TS
Birdman: Alejandro González Iñárritu directs an ambitious technical showcase powered by a layered story and outstanding performances from Michael Keaton and Edward Norton. **** WP
Fury: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf and a band of other known faces star as US soldiers in World War II whose lives are endangered by an inexperienced member of the pack. It’s a fast-paced and surprisingly heart-wrenching 134 minutes of blood, guts and gore. **** MV
Jupiter Ascending: The Wachowski siblings go big on visual splendour, forgetting to flesh out the characters or plot in their latest sci-fi actioner. *** TS
Kingsman: The Secret Service: Smart, funny and super-stylish, this is both spy movie spoof and homage to the genre that gave us James Bond, Jason Bourne and Jack Bauer. Except it’s Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Michael Caine, with ab-tastic Taron Egerton to boot. **** TS
Mooirivier: Another Afrikaner romance with little comedy but lots of technical flair. This time think Love Actually in a klein dorpie, with stodgier characters. Lovers of bland will lap it up and ask for more. *** TS
Paddington: The marmalade-loving bear from Peru is realistically brought to life on the streets of London, amidst gorgeous art design, bringing home the idea that there is a home for everyone. **** TS
Pride: Feel-good, poignant crowd-pleaser which neatly balanced heart and formula. It is a little bit funny, a little bit sad, and a whole lot of entertainment. **** TS
Selma: Powerful reminder that Dr Martin Luther King Jr wasn’t always a patient man and that the American civil rights movement was about black people asserting the right to be recognised as human. **** TS
Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge out of Water: Once Spongebob and co leave the water they also leave behind the surreal silliness that we love. Luckily that happens late on in the otherwise zany yet sweet, mostly animated, kiddies movie. *** TS
Still, Alice: Heroic yet harrowing tale of a woman whose life and livelihood depend on her love of language, but Alzheimers is stripping away her mind and therefore her very self. Julianne Moore is scarily sublime with an extraordinary supporting cast. **** DdB
St Vincent: Bill Murray is excellent in this character study about a hard-drinking, cantankerous old man who agrees to babysit the kid next door. **** TS
Taken 3: Badly edited action sequences, clichéd characters and worn-out plot for an action film with no thrills or spills. Even Liam Neeson looks bored. ** TS
Tracers: Sharkboy has a bike and he’s gonna use it. There’s supposed to be parkour in here somewhere, but it’s mostly a heist gone wrong story with Taylor Lautner. HH TS
The Imitation Game: Benedict Cumberbatch is compelling in this haunting biopic about Alan Turing, the mathematician widely credited as the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence. **** TS
The Interview: America’s obsession with celebrity culture becomes the butt of Seth Rogen’s jokes, until the film descends into fart jokes. A massive blow against censorship this is not. What it is, is a fratboy film with a huge budget. *** TS
The Wedding Ringer: This stale comedy about a friendless schlub who rents a best man for his big day was written more than a decade ago and it shows. ** HR
Unbroken: Well-made, well-intentioned bio-pic which hits all the expected notes a would-be epic wants to hit, directed by Angelina Jolie the story of Olympian Louis Zamperini is rousing, if rather heavy-handed. *** IND