This weekend we only have only one major release and a few smaller films, none of them is likely to make a splash with viewers. Let’s just dive into it:
The Huntsman: Winter’s War
Directed by: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
With: Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, and Jessica Chastain
Heads up: As a war between rival queen sisters Ravenna and Freya escalates, Eric and fellow warrior Sara, members of the Huntsmen army raised to protect Freya, try to conceal their forbidden love as they combat Ravenna’s wicked intentions. This is a prequel to 2012’s Snow White and The Huntsman. On paper that was a good idea, given that the most popular duo from that film was Charlize Theron‘s Evil Queen and Chris Hemsworth‘s Eric the Huntsman. That film was lauded for being visually impressive but had problems with its script. This time around the cast is even more stellar and the visual, judging by the trailer, is even more impressive. That said, the reviews are terrible, and it seems that the filmmakers and studio think beautiful visuals can substitute a cohesive storytelling. So If you are interested in watching a 2 hours of great visuals and you don’t care about substance, the maybe you will enjoy, otherwise stay clear.
Demolition
Directed by: Jean-Marc Vallée
With: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, and Chris Cooper
Heads up: As an investment banker struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash, his increasingly confessional series of letters to a vending machine company catch the attention of a customer service rep with whom he forms an unlikely connection. Director Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyer’s Club, Wild) built a respectful resume with his previous films, and the star-studded cast is impressive. The film though was received with mixed reviews criticizing it for aiming for profundity but settling for cliches.
Precious Cargo
Directed by: Max Adams
With: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Bruce Willis, and Claire Forlani
Heads up: After a botched heist, Eddie, a murderous crime boss, hunts down the seductive thief Karen who failed him. In order to win back Eddie’s trust, Karen recruits her ex-lover and premier thief Jack to steal a cargo of rare precious gems. This film wears its B-movie tropes on its sleeves. It looks cheesy and dumb, but it can be fun. Bruce Willis is becoming the new B-movies super villain, and that is a good thing in my opinion. If you are into this kind of films, then don’t miss it.
I Smile Back
Directed by: Adam Salky
With: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, and Thomas Sadosky
Heads up: As an investment banker struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash, his increasingly confessional series of letters to a vending machine company catch the attention of a customer service rep with whom he forms an unlikely connection. This film that was supposed to give comedian Sarah Silverman an Oscar nomination. By most accounts, she did a great job, but the surrounding film was not nearly as good. The film will also be censored for adult content, so if you are curious, just rent the DVD.
Laal Rang
Directed by: Syed Ahmad Afzal
With: Randeep Hooda, Piaa Bajpai , Akshay Oberoi and Rajnessh Duggal
Heads up: the story of Shankar, a Haryanvi gangster who runs an illegal blood bank, but is like a messiah for the poor and needy. Another ambitious youngster joins Shankar in the business as he wants to impress a girl with some quick money. But things turn ugly once Shankar decides to go his own way. Randeep Hooda’s movies don’t usually appeal to the regular Bollywood crowd, and can be a hit-or-miss. Watch it if you like to take a risk with less popular movies.
