By: Jessica Goddard From director Felix Van Groeningen (The Broken Circle Breakdown), Beautiful Boy is an affecting, thought-provoking account of one family’s experience with the cyclical realities of addiction, recovery, and relapse. The story is told sensitively – though sometimes confusingly – through a fragmented, flashback-heavy narrative structure.
The Commuter, the new film from celebrated cross-genre filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra, pairs the acclaimed vulgar auteur once again with Liam Neeson (following 2011’s Unknown, 2014’s Non-Stop and 2015’s Run All Night) to deliver a thrilling high concept action film with timely yet flawed social commentary.
By: Jessica Goddard The Space Between Us really wants to be a ground-breaking, memorable sci-fi love story, and maybe if it’d stuck to that alone, it would’ve been a better film.
On Saturday Night Live, Bill Hader would frequent Weekend Update segments as hip clubgoer Stefon and review the latest, most bizarre nightclubs. Urge plays like a live-action version of what Stefon would describe as a “hot spot”. “After being admitted into the club by eyes projected on the side of the building, guests are fondled by the staff while a man in a balloon suit entertains them, followed by a night of bath salt binging”.
A few tidbits about the prolonged production of Jane Got a Gun could create scepticism for a movie goer right off the bat: the change of director Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin) to Gavin O’Connor (Warrior) and the frequent switches among the cast due to various conflicts (Jude Law replaced by Bradley Cooper, who was then replaced by Ewan McGregor) are a couple of examples.
Precious Cargo, a cheesy caper directed/co-written by Max Adams, is simultaneously occupying theatres and on Demand. It was also released a day after my birthday, which is fitting since it made me feel my age.
The Benefactor features Richard Gere at his most animated playing a troubled philanthropist with a guilt complex.
