At the Flix with @Timmy666
Welcome to this week’s At The Flix, Brum Faves weekly slot taking a peek at what’s hitting the big screen over the week ahead across Brum.
The Walk (3D) (PG)
If ever a film warranted the term ‘event cinema’ – the story of Philippe Petit’s legendary walk between The Two Towers is an event of its own, and about as cinematic as it gets.
Forget Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s questionable French accent, or indeed much of the preamble as the film is all about the walk itself. Clearly with a veteran with as many visual skills as Zemeckis, the audience is likely to be in for an absolute jaw dropping treat. You know what it’s about! The question is how far to the edge you get … and in stellar IMAX and 3D, you should hopefully get to do this and then some!
Worth combining this film with the amazing 2008 documentary of Philippe Petit, Man on Wire, one of the greatest documentaries ever made!
Sicario (15)
So, Sicario means hitman and in this thriller, an FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by an elite government task force official (Josh Brolin) to aid in the escalating war against drugs. Working alongside an enigmatic consultant with a questionable past (Benicio Del Toro), the team sets out on a clandestine journey forcing Kate to question everything that she believes in order to survive. The film looks tight, gripping and filled with lots of meaningful situations, action sequences and stellar performances.
There have been many films tackling the word of drug enforcement. This looks contemporary, relevant and gripping and a big mainstream breakthrough for talented Canadian director, Denis Villeneuve.
Suffragette (12A)
Opening from Monday, Abi Morgan’s scripted portrayal of the Suffragette movement looks like a veritable tour-de-force, an urgent and poignant portrayal with a cracking cast led by Carey Mulligan with the likes of Helena Bonham Carter and Meryl Streep in the support.
The film is opening amidst a lot of talk about women in the film industry and that there is a still a lot to be done to give females a more equitable slide of both the roles and the pay! In a microcosmic sense, this film represents that in many respects the movement’s values resonate and are indeed ongoing.
Regression (15)
Set in early 90s Minnesota, Ethan Hawke is a detective investigating the case of young Angela (Emma Watson), who accuses her father of an unspeakable crime. When John unexpectedly and without recollection admits guilt, renowned psychologist Dr. Raines (David Thewlis) is brought in to help him relive his memories and what they discover unmasks a horrifying nationwide mystery.
So on paper, an interesting psychological thriller setup with a desire to cause some disquiet and fright to the average cinema going audience, and with a particularly strong cast as well. Alejandro Amenabar is a director with some considerable experience in this genre (The Others comes to mind), so hopes should be reasonable for this.
99 Homes (15)
Showing at the mac (Fri 9 – Wed 14), this is a chance to watch Ramin Bahrani’s portrayal of a businessman making a fortune by repossessing homes whilst gaming the real estate market, Wall Street banks and the US government.
When he evicts Dennis Nash (Golden Globe nominee Andrew Garfield), a single father trying to care for his mother (Academy Award nominee Laura Dern) and young son (newcomer Noah Lomax), Nash becomes so desperate to provide for his family that he goes to work for Carver – the very man who evicted him in the first place.
The film follows how Nash is seduced into the lifestyle – and Nash signs a deal with the devil evicting families from their homes and having life completely turned around.
Tangerines (15)
Showing at the mac (Tues 13 – Thurs 15), this moving film makes a statement about peace. Set in 1992, during the growing conflict between Georgia and Abkhazian separatists in the wake of the Soviet Union’s dissolution. This tale focuses on two Estonian immigrant farmers who decide to remain in Georgia long enough to harvest their tangerine crop. One of them, Ivo (Lembit Ulfsak) takes in two wounded soldiers from opposite sides as war start .The fighters vow to kill each other when they recover, but their recovery transcends their vow and their divides.
The film shows us the hard struggle of war and how precious life is!
That’s enough from me this week! If you have any quibbles regarding any of the above, please drop me a tweet @timmy666. I wish you a fantastic week at the cinema!
