This October weekend we have two high profile releases; one from Hollywood and one from Bollywood. Let’s see how much enthusiasm do we have for these movies.
Gemini Man
Directed by: Ang Lee
With: Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Clive Owen
What is it about: An over-the-hill hitman faces off against a younger clone of himself.
Heads Up: Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) is a versatile and savvy director with two Best Director Oscars already under his belt. His latest is yet another technologically ambitious Sci-Fi film. The reviews are very tepid lauding it as a technical achievement failed by a weak script. This film is meant to be seen in a HFR (high frame rate) as it was shot at 120 fps (standard films are shown at 24 fps), and is also a rare recent movie to be shot in native 3D (with a dual-camera rig) rather than a post-conversion from 2D to 3D. So if you are planning to see it, make sure you go to the right cinema for that.
Note: As of this post date, the only UAE cinema chain with scheduled HFR 3D screenings is Novo Cinemas.
The Sky is Pink
Directed by: Shonali Bose
With: Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, and Zaira Wasim
What is it about: The love story of a couple spanning 25 years, told through the lens of their spunky teenage daughter.
Heads Up: This romance film from Bollywood has a familiar premise of chronicling the life span of a love story (Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, The Notebook, 500 Days of Summer, Blue Valentine). Chopra and Akhtar are great assets to this film, and so is Zaira Wasim (Dangal, Secret Superstar) who plays the daughter. It has been a while since I have seen a great romantic Bollywood film. I don’t know whether this is going to be great, but I am hoping it will at least be good.
Corporate Animals
Directed by: Patrick Brice
With: Jessica Williams, Karan Soni, Ed Helms, and Demi Moore
What is it about: CEO Lucy takes her staff on corporate team building in some underground desert caves in New Mexico. They get stuck there.
Heads Up: This horror comedy about a team building trip that goes horribly wrong has an interesting premise, and fantastic cast of comedians, but unfortunately the reviews are not kind at all. I think if you lower your expectations, you might enjoy it just enough, otherwise, stay clear.
Jexi
Directed by: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
With: Rose Byrne, Adam Devine, and Alexandra Shipp, and Michael Peña
What is it about: A comedy about what can happen when you love your phone more than anything else in your life.
Heads Up: Imagine an outspoken, jealous, and vindictive version of the OS in Her that is voiced by Rose Byrne – that would be Jexi in a nutshell. This is not gonna be as deep or complex as Her, but it’s going for the laughs, and there is nothing wrong with that. I’d say I am interested.
