THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS
Here is a round up of the movies we've seen this week. It may help you decide how to spend your precious dollars when visiting the cinema. If you have seen any of these or want to see them and have a comment please feel free to share. We love hearing from our readers.
A Royal Affair ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Winner of the Best Actor and Best Screenplay awards at the Berlin Film Festival, and starring internationally acclaimed Mads Mikkelsen (CASINO ROYALE, COCO CHANEL & IGOR STRAVINSKY), A ROYAL AFFAIR is an epic tale of a passionate and forbidden romance that changed an entire nation.Denmark, 1766, and Caroline Mathilde is married to the mad and politically ineffectual King Christian VII. Ignored by the wild King who chooses to live scandalously, Caroline grows accustomed to a quiet existence in oppressed Copenhagen. When the King returns from a tour of Europe accompanied by Struensee, his new personal physician, Queen Caroline finds an unexpected ally within the kingdom. The attraction between the two is initially one of shared ideals and philosophy, but it soon turns into a passionate and clandestine affair that will change a nation forever.
OUR THOUGHTS
This is a compelling masterpiece of cinema. Halfway through I realised it was so engrossing I didn't feel like I was reading the sub-titles. The best film I've seen since The Artist. Don't miss it if you are a true cinephile or love all the pageantry of royal court and the accompanying scandals.
Polisse ★ ★ ★
Winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes 2011
Nominated for 13 Cesars
Box Office hit in France in 2011
This is the story of the CPU, Child Protective Unit, of a French police force. Forget Law and Order SVU. Forget any of the dour films and TV shows about cops who are in the thick of darkness, that's not real, this is!
The daily grind for the police officers of the Child Protection Unit - taking in child molesters, busting underage pickpockets and chewing over relationship issues at lunch; interrogating abusive parents, taking statements from children, confronting the excesses of teen sexuality, enjoying solidarity with colleagues and laughing uncontrollably at the most unthinkable moments.
Knowing the worst exists and living with it. How do these police officers balance their private lives and the reality they confront every working day? Fred, the group's hypersensitive wild card, is going to have a hard time facing the scrutiny of Melissa, a photographer on a Ministry of the Interior assignment to document the unit.
OUR THOUGHTS
The film is about 15 minutes too long. Some of the torrents of French dialogue can become overwhelming and some parts should have ended on the cutting room floor. The film won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival possibly more for the scriptwriting, direction and acting rather than the content of the story. It is not filmed in a (sexually) voyeuristic manner, but brings grittiness to the story and the screen in a way that may leave some audience members wanting to wash their hands of the entire saga.
Rock of Ages ★ ★ ★½
"Rock of Ages" tells the story of small town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock 'n' roll romance is told through the heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Foreigner, Journey, Poison, REO Speedwagon, Twisted Sister and more.
The movie musical stars Julianne Hough ("Burlesque"), with actor/singer Diego Boneta in his feature film debut, Russell Brand ("Arthur," "Get Him to the Greek"), Oscar® nominee Paul Giamatti ("Cinderella Man"), Academy Award® winner Catherine Zeta- Jones ("Chicago"), Malin Akerman ("The Proposal") and R&B queen Mary J. Blige, with Oscar® nominee Alec Baldwin ("The Cooler," TV's 30 Rock"), and Oscar® nominee Tom Cruise ("Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol," "Magnolia," "Jerry Maguire") as Stacee Jaxx.
OUR THOUGHTS
You will read negative reviews about this film but the music is fab and it is a whole load of fun. Your feet will be tapping and your head nodding, and despite it being Tom Cruise's ickiest role, he personifies and inhabits the rocker role. Its worth seeing just for him and Paul Giamatti as the slick band manager. Bring back the eighties.
Disney Pixar's Brave ★ ★ ★★ ★
“Brave”follows the heroic journey of Merida, a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lor MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane).
OUR THOUGHTS
A truly beautiful work of art in digital animation. You will fall in love with Merida's character and her hair. I want a Merida doll. In fact, I want Merida hair. A story of a Mother/daughter relationship that is engaging, charming and captivating. My sons, the nine and eleven year old harsh reviewers loved it. Disney Pixar are still the masters and this will be another hit for them.
Winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes 2011Nominated for 13 Cesars
Box Office hit in France in 2011
This is the story of the CPU, Child Protective Unit, of a French police force. Forget Law and Order SVU. Forget any of the dour films and TV shows about cops who are in the thick of darkness, that's not real, this is!
The daily grind for the police officers of the Child Protection Unit - taking in child molesters, busting underage pickpockets and chewing over relationship issues at lunch; interrogating abusive parents, taking statements from children, confronting the excesses of teen sexuality, enjoying solidarity with colleagues and laughing uncontrollably at the most unthinkable moments.
Knowing the worst exists and living with it. How do these police officers balance their private lives and the reality they confront every working day? Fred, the group's hypersensitive wild card, is going to have a hard time facing the scrutiny of Melissa, a photographer on a Ministry of the Interior assignment to document the unit.
OUR THOUGHTS
The film is about 15 minutes too long. Some of the torrents of French dialogue can become overwhelming and some parts should have ended on the cutting room floor. The film won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival possibly more for the scriptwriting, direction and acting rather than the content of the story. It is not filmed in a (sexually) voyeuristic manner, but brings grittiness to the story and the screen in a way that may leave some audience members wanting to wash their hands of the entire saga.
Rock of Ages ★ ★ ★½
"Rock of Ages" tells the story of small town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock 'n' roll romance is told through the heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Foreigner, Journey, Poison, REO Speedwagon, Twisted Sister and more.The movie musical stars Julianne Hough ("Burlesque"), with actor/singer Diego Boneta in his feature film debut, Russell Brand ("Arthur," "Get Him to the Greek"), Oscar® nominee Paul Giamatti ("Cinderella Man"), Academy Award® winner Catherine Zeta- Jones ("Chicago"), Malin Akerman ("The Proposal") and R&B queen Mary J. Blige, with Oscar® nominee Alec Baldwin ("The Cooler," TV's 30 Rock"), and Oscar® nominee Tom Cruise ("Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol," "Magnolia," "Jerry Maguire") as Stacee Jaxx.
OUR THOUGHTS
You will read negative reviews about this film but the music is fab and it is a whole load of fun. Your feet will be tapping and your head nodding, and despite it being Tom Cruise's ickiest role, he personifies and inhabits the rocker role. Its worth seeing just for him and Paul Giamatti as the slick band manager. Bring back the eighties.
Disney Pixar's Brave ★ ★ ★★ ★
Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her skills and resources – including her clever and mischievous triplet brothers – to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late, discovering the meaning of true bravery.
OUR THOUGHTS
A truly beautiful work of art in digital animation. You will fall in love with Merida's character and her hair. I want a Merida doll. In fact, I want Merida hair. A story of a Mother/daughter relationship that is engaging, charming and captivating. My sons, the nine and eleven year old harsh reviewers loved it. Disney Pixar are still the masters and this will be another hit for them.
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