This is the first weekend we have since the beginning of the year with all 2018 releases and no award-nominated film. Let’s see if any of them is worth your while.
The 15:17 to Paris
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
With: Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, Jenna Fischer, and Judy Greer
What is it about? Three Americans discover a terrorist plot aboard a train while in France.
Heads Up: The story of the failed terrorist attack which was disrupted by three American passengers. This is the third film in a row by director Clint Eastwood that features a true story of American heroism after American Sniper and Sully. Both films were commercial and critical hits, so hopefully this one will be the same. Note that in this film Mr. Eastwood opted to use the three men (Sadler, Skarlatos, and Stone) to play themselves instead of professional actors.
Winchester
Directed by: The Spierig Brothers
With: Helen Mirren, Sarah Snook, and Jason Clarke
What is it about? Eccentric firearm heiress believes she is haunted by the souls of people killed by the Winchester repeating rifle.
Heads Up: This haunted house horror film has Dame Helen Mirren in the lead role all draped in black which in itself is a sight to behold. The Spierig Brothers have a great eye for stylish genre films (Daybreakers, Predestination, and last year’s Jigsaw), so despite the horrible reviews, I am still intrigued.
Braven
Directed by: Lin Oeding
With: Jason Momoa, Jill Wagner, Garret Dillahunt, and Stephen Lang
What is it about? A logger defends his family from a group of dangerous drug runners.
Heads Up: Jason Momoa is taking a break from playing Aquaman to kick ass on solid ground, and it looks like it’s gonna be a fun action B-movie, so why not.
Kickboxer: Retaliation
Directed by: Dimitri Logothetis
With: Alain Moussi, Christopher Lambert, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Mike Tyson
What is it about? MMA champion Kurt Sloane finds himself back in Thailand–kidnapped and imprisoned there by a powerful gangster. His only shot at freedom is to win an underground deathmatch against a 400-lb killer enhanced with state-of the-art drugs.
Heads Up: The latest installment in the Kickboxer franchise has a rare 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. So if you are a fan of the franchise, then you definitely don’t wanna miss this one.
Padman
Directed by: R. Balki
With: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, and Radhika Apte
What is it about? Upon realizing the extent to which women are affected by their menses, a man sets out to create a sanitary pad machine and to provide inexpensive sanitary pads to the women of rural India.
Heads Up: Akshay Kumar is back with another socially conscious comedy, and this one comes after last year’s Toilet – Ek Prem Katha which has been a commercial if not a critical hit. Balki has enough goodwill in his track-record to warrant this curiosity, so watch it if you like watching movies with a social agenda.
Cactus Flower
Directed by: Hala Elkoussy
With: Menha El Batroui, Salma Samy, Marwan Alazab, and Zaki Abdel Wahab
What is it about? In a hot and politically challenged Cairo actress Aida and her neighbor, the aging diva Samiha, is thrown out on the streets. Together with the street smart Yassin they try to find a place to live, forcing them to confront with their past.
Heads Up: Menha El Batroui won Best Actress Muhr Award in DIFF2017 for her role in this film, so if you missed it there, here is your chance to catch up wit it as a part of DIFF365 program which will only play in on screen in Vox Mall of Emirates.
