This weekend the friendly neighborhood superhero is swinging his way far from home. That and a few smaller releases coming our way, so keep reading.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Directed by: Jon Watts
With: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Jon Favreau, Cobie Smulders, Marisa Tomei, Jake Gyllenhaal
What is it about: Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
Heads Up: Spider-Man’s popularity has never gone away, even after the disappointment that was The Amazing Spider-Man. Spider-Man: Homecoming was beloved critically and commercially, and last year’s Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was hailed as one the best iteration of a Spider-Man story, period! This film is positioned as the epilogue to the epic that was Avengers: Endgame, and the conclusion of Phase 3 of the MCU, and it sees Peter Parker away from his usual playground in New York city, jet-setting all over Europe. The reviews are strong, and word on the street, this one is fun with quite a few surprised up its sleeve, so it is a definite yes for me.
Pavarotti
Directed by: Ron Howard
With: Luciano Pavarotti, Spike Lee, Princess Diana, Bono, Stevie Wonder, and Plácido Domingo
What is it about: A look at the life and work of opera legend Luciano Pavarotti.
Heads Up: Directed by Ron Howard, this documentary celebrates the life of one of the most beloved opera singers in the 20th century, the late Luciano Pavarotti. The reviews are mostly positive, and the consensus is “Pavarotti pays entertaining tribute to a towering cultural figure with a documentary whose evident affection for its subject proves contagious“. Watch it if you like documentaries or are fascinated by the subject matter.
I’ll Take Your Dead
Directed by: Chad Archibald
With: Aidan Devine, Ava Preston, and Jess Salgueiro
What is it about: A farmer makes a living disposing of bodies. One day, 3 bodies are delivered – except the young woman is still alive. If set free, the gang’ll come after him and his daughter.
Heads Up: This Canadian import horror has an interesting premise, and beyond that premise there is an added supernatural element to the mix. I personally wasn’t impressed by the trailer, so I think I’m gonna pass on this one.
El Mamar
Directed by: Sharif Arafah
With: Ahmed Ezz, Ahmed Rizk, Eyad Nassar, and Hend Sabry
What is it about? The film revolves around the Egyptian Thunderbolt forces during the war of attrition, headed by the leader of group 39 of the fighting division, the martyr Ibrahim Rifai.
Heads Up: This Egyptian war film is hailed as the biggest production of all time in Egyptian cinema, with the army lending the production much needed logistics, equipment, and personnel help. The fear is that this might go into jingoism territory, but I trust that director Sharif Arafah (who is one of the most reliable Egyptian directors of the last 30 years) would deliver a decent film. After opening in Eid to a decent fanfare in Egypt, Arabic speaking audience in the Gulf will get to enjoy this one. If you like war films, then you might wanna check this one out.
