Prison breaks, divas and beehive feminism at SA cinemas today
It's a surprisingly grown-up weekend at South African cinemas today, mixing crime thrillers, sultry musicals and period-set British comedy-dramas.
The Next Three Days - Probably the biggest, dumbest and most blockbustery of the new movie releases is this Prison Break-esque thriller, in which Russell Crowe refuses to trust in the justice system and instead decides to break his wife (Elizabeth Banks) out of prison while she awaits trial for murder. You know, as one does in such situations. To accomplish this, Crowe turns to hardened criminal and frequent jail breaker Liam Neeson.
The Next Three Days has a solid cast (Brian Dennehy and Olivia Wilde also appear) but the big question is whether this remake of a French film can overcome its mind-numbingly stupid premise? The answer is "kinda." The Next Three Days is a critic-splitting 48% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Some reviewers have called it likeably acted and edge-of-your-seat suspenseful, especially in the second half. Others have dismissed it as plodding, downbeat and ruined by the increasing absurdity of events.
Burlesque - This diva-heavy musical marks the feature film debut of Christina Aguilera as well as the long-awaited big screen return of Cher. Aguilera is a small town girl with a big dream who moves to Los Angeles and finds herself working as a cocktail waitress at Cher's ailing burlesque club. Of course, with Cher as a mentor, and the help of friends, colleagues and industry peeps (including Eric Dane, Cam Gigandet, Alan Cumming, Peter Gallagher, Kristen Bell and Stanley Tucci), our heroine make a bid for all-singing, all-dancing stardom.
Despite one of the film's tracks You Haven't Seen the Last of Me garnering serious Best Song awards love, Burlesque is just 37% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Described as campy, cliched and boring, some commentators have dismissed the film as a terrible Cabaret clone that feels more like a corset-, boa- and sequin-strewn music video than a movie. Others however have embraced Burlesque as a guilty pleasure; a film so bad it's good. Plus, Aguilera is apparently not bad at all as a leading lady.
Made in Dagenham - Based on real life events, this British comedy-drama centres on the Ford Sewing Machinist Strike of 1968 - an event that led to the passing of the Equal Pay Act in the UK. A group of working class women down tools as a result of bad treatment and much lower pay than their male co-workers at Dagenham's Ford motor plant. The film's cast includes Sally Hawkins , Miranda Richardson, Rosamund Pike, Bob Hoskins and Geraldine James.
With its good humoured heroines banding together to stand up for what's right, Made in Dagenham seems to be quite similar in tone to the femme-centric, also British Calendar Girls. 80% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, Made in Dagenham is apparently lightweight and riddled with 60s cliches, but it still manages to overcome these flaws thanks to its upbeat nature and great cast. Out of this week's new releases this is the film I'm most likely to watch at the cinema.
The Next Three Days - Probably the biggest, dumbest and most blockbustery of the new movie releases is this Prison Break-esque thriller, in which Russell Crowe refuses to trust in the justice system and instead decides to break his wife (Elizabeth Banks) out of prison while she awaits trial for murder. You know, as one does in such situations. To accomplish this, Crowe turns to hardened criminal and frequent jail breaker Liam Neeson.
The Next Three Days has a solid cast (Brian Dennehy and Olivia Wilde also appear) but the big question is whether this remake of a French film can overcome its mind-numbingly stupid premise? The answer is "kinda." The Next Three Days is a critic-splitting 48% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Some reviewers have called it likeably acted and edge-of-your-seat suspenseful, especially in the second half. Others have dismissed it as plodding, downbeat and ruined by the increasing absurdity of events.
Burlesque - This diva-heavy musical marks the feature film debut of Christina Aguilera as well as the long-awaited big screen return of Cher. Aguilera is a small town girl with a big dream who moves to Los Angeles and finds herself working as a cocktail waitress at Cher's ailing burlesque club. Of course, with Cher as a mentor, and the help of friends, colleagues and industry peeps (including Eric Dane, Cam Gigandet, Alan Cumming, Peter Gallagher, Kristen Bell and Stanley Tucci), our heroine make a bid for all-singing, all-dancing stardom.
Despite one of the film's tracks You Haven't Seen the Last of Me garnering serious Best Song awards love, Burlesque is just 37% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Described as campy, cliched and boring, some commentators have dismissed the film as a terrible Cabaret clone that feels more like a corset-, boa- and sequin-strewn music video than a movie. Others however have embraced Burlesque as a guilty pleasure; a film so bad it's good. Plus, Aguilera is apparently not bad at all as a leading lady.
Made in Dagenham - Based on real life events, this British comedy-drama centres on the Ford Sewing Machinist Strike of 1968 - an event that led to the passing of the Equal Pay Act in the UK. A group of working class women down tools as a result of bad treatment and much lower pay than their male co-workers at Dagenham's Ford motor plant. The film's cast includes Sally Hawkins , Miranda Richardson, Rosamund Pike, Bob Hoskins and Geraldine James.
With its good humoured heroines banding together to stand up for what's right, Made in Dagenham seems to be quite similar in tone to the femme-centric, also British Calendar Girls. 80% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, Made in Dagenham is apparently lightweight and riddled with 60s cliches, but it still manages to overcome these flaws thanks to its upbeat nature and great cast. Out of this week's new releases this is the film I'm most likely to watch at the cinema.
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