The Friday Feeling – Movies Out This Week
It’s Friday once again and should any of you be brave enough to venture outside the front door in this weather you will find a host of new movies in your local cinemas. The warm, comfortable surroundings and on-screen entertainment are the perfect elixir for the winter blues.
The biggest release this week is obviously John Hillcoat’s long awaited big-screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Road. Following an unnamed father and son on a incredible journey through the barren wilderness of a post-apocalyptic America, The Road is a movie of devasting power and incredible imagery. Armed with only a pistol and carrying what few possessions they have left the man must protect his son on the long journey south against exposure, starvation and murderous groups of wandering gangs. Viggo Mortensen takes the lead, with a strong supporting cast that includes Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall and Guy Pearce. Director Hillcoat does bleak and desolute surroundings wonderfully well having helmed The Proposition and this is no exception. While no movie ever truly does justice to a book this is still a damn fine movie and worthy of attention.
The second big release of the week is Ninja Assassin, the story of Raizo, a man who was taken from the streets as a child and trained as a killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. After the Clan murders his best-friend Raizo strikes out on his own and plots revenge against his makers. Meanwhile plunky Europol agent Mika Coretti stumbles upon the underground network of assassins and despite orders to the contrary begins an investigation that sets her firmly in the sights of the Clan. Korean pop-star Rain stars as Raizo with support from Naomie Harris as Mika and Ben Miles. I managed to catch this a few weeks back and it was an enjoyable enough movie. It’s a little gory and the plot makes no sense but the action sequences are good if a little too frequent. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re a genre fan.
Movie number three is Daybreakers. Set in the not-so-distant future this film sees the human race infected by a plague which has turned the majority into vampires. The remaining humans are now a valuable source of food for the populace and must be protected. Chief Blood Researcher Edward Dalton is tasked with farming the humans but stumbles across a viable alternative and possible cure to the plague. Meanwhile outlaw Elvis leads a bunch of renegade humans intent on freeing the others. Twin-brother writer/director team of Michael and Peter Spierig lead a cast including Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill and Willem Dafoe. It’s certainly an intriguing premise and by all accounts it’s not a bad movie. Reports from elsewhere say that the ending is a little rushed, but that overall it’s a decent enough B-movie.
Movie 4 this week is a rare movie that you’d happily bring your mother to. It’s Complicated tells the story of divorced couple Jane and Jake. Friends now after an amicable separation 10 years previous Jane runs a busy restaurant while Jake is a high-flying attorney. A chance encounter leads to a whole new relationship with Jane now playing mistress to Jake’s much younger new wife Agness. In between is architect Adam, a charmingly befuddled man who is intent on wooing Jane for himself. So like the title says it’s complicated. Director Nancy Myers is no stranger to rom-com territory have helmed the impressive What Women Want and Something’s Got To Give while Alec Baldwin, Meryl Streep and Steve Martin are good for a laugh. I watched it a while back and whilst enjoyable it is perhaps aimed at a generation older than my own. I did tell my mam to buy the DVD though.
Also out: It Might get Loud, a documentary on three generations of guitarists coming together to talk about the guitar and their craft with The Edge, Jack White and Jimmy Page; Mitti, a story of ambitious Punjabi youths who fall prey to unscrupulous forces in their bid to create a better life starring singer Mika; and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, a biopic of Ian Dury lead singer of The Blockheads and music pioneer, starring Andy Serkis.