First Week of August may not have the oomph of previous weeks. but it still has some interesting titles to offer, so keep reading.
The Spy Who Dumped Me
Directed by: Susanna Fogel
With: Kate McKinnon, Mila Kunis, Justin Theroux, and Sam Heughan
What is it about? Audrey and Morgan are best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy.
Heads Up: This buddy action comedy is starring two immensely funny and charismatic ladies (McKinnon and Kunis). so even if the reviews are more on the negative side, I think this film will be more fun to watch at the cinema than at home.
Shock and Awe
Directed by: Rob Reiner
With: Woody Harrelson, Jessica Biel, James Marsden, Rob Reiner, and Tommy Lee Jones
What is it about? A group of journalists covering George Bush’s planned invasion of Iraq in 2003 are sceptical of the president’s claim that Saddam Hussein has “weapons of mass destruction”.
Heads Up? This film aspires to be All The President Men or Spotlight for the Iraq War, but sadly it did not fare nearly as well despite a very respectable cast, and keep in mind Rob Reiner hasn’t directed a well-received film since 1994’s The American President. I would say don’t bother.
The Ashram
Directed by: Ben Rekhi
With: Sam Keeley, Hera Hilmar, Kal Penn, Melissa Leo and Radhika Apte.
What is it about? After receiving a cryptic message, American skeptic Jamie travels to the Indian Himalayas to pick up on the trail of his missing girlfriend.
Heads Up? I am always wary of films that go to an “exotic” part of the world and only to make a point about how creepy or mistifying said locale is, and even though the director is of Indian origin, it doesn’t make me less sceptical of the result, especially after watching the trailer, so I am not sold on this one.
Karwaan
Directed by: Akarsh Khurana
With: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, and Mithila Palkar
What is it about? the story of three people who embark on an unplanned journey from Bangalore to Kochi: the reserved Avinash, his friend Shaukat who has a lighter take on life, and a chirpy teenager named Tanya.
Heads Up? This film is actually the type of Bollywood movies that lines-up with my personal taste, and having Irrfan Khan playing the second lead in a more comedic role makes me wanna watch it even more.
Fanney Khan
Directed by: Atul Manjrekar
With: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, and Rajkummar Rao
What is it about? A struggling singer channels his own dreams through his daughter.
Heads Up? Watching this trailer left me a bit confused about what’s it is trying to convey. It is not dark enough to be a dark comedy, and not funny enough to be an outright comedy. That said Rajkummar Rao and Anil Kapoor seem to give it all, which is a good sign, but I would say wait for early reviews or word of mouth before you commit to it.
