Movies today, SA!

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Despite the fact that 5 new films open in South Africa today, not a single one is worthy of an extended Pick of the Week description. If you haven't seen it yet (like me), go and watch Disney-Pixar's Up instead. If you can't get past a deeply ingrained "grown-up" prejudice against animated films, what about seeking out the Johnny Depp-Christian Bale gangster movie Public Enemies? Hell, you could even go and watch District 9 again. Just stay away from the mediocrity released this weekend. Yeesh.

I Hate Valentine's Day - Nia Vardalos reteams with her My Big Fat Greek Wedding love interest John Corbett for this romantic comedy in which a carefree florist lives by a "5 dates only" rule so a relationship never develops and she never gets hurt. A charming restaurateur, however, forces her to re-evaluate her unusual approach to dating. 17% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.


Karate Kallie - A South African comedy about Kallie, a fat teenager, who is mercilessly teased by a school bully. To defend himself, and also impress the bully's sister (who Kallie is hopelessly in love with) Kallie turns to karate and kung-fu movies to hone his fighting skills. In Afrikaans.

Driven to Kill - A Steven Seagal movie that isn't, surprisingly, going straight to DVD locally. This time the pony-tailed action hero plays a Russian mobster turned crime novelist, who finds himself drawn to his former violent ways when his beloved daughter is the victim of extreme brutality.

Easy Virtue - Lightweight, Jazz-scored comedy based on the Noël Coward play of the same name, starring Jessica Biel, Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas. Set in the tail end of the Roaring Twenties, the film centres on an unconventional young American woman (a racing car driver!) who impetuously marries a young Englishman, and escalates all kinds of tensions when she accompanies him to his family's estate. 50% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.


Dil Bole Hadippa! - Bollywood movie starring Rani Mukerji and Shahid Kapoor, about a cricket-mad young woman who fulfills her dream of playing for a major team by disguising herself as a man. Unfortunately, she finds herself falling for her handsome team captain. The film is based on the Amanda Bynes comedy
She's the Man, which in turn is based on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

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