Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I

The darkness that dominated the last Harry Potter film continues into this final stretch of the story. With Voldemort’s power growing, and the future of the wizarding world looking increasingly dire, we get to see a very different side of our three main characters Harry, Ron and Hermione: One where they are not quite so confident of their abilities.

If you’ve read the books you’ll know that Harry also uncovers the power of the Deathly Hallows, and what exactly that means. If you’re a film-only fan, you’ll be swept up in the mystery of it all. Another awesome Harry film – the worst part will be waiting for Part II!

Rating: 5 outta 5.

Baaria

Along with a wonderful example of unforgettable storytelling, acclaimed director Giuseppe Tornatore brings to this film a sense of beauty that you will marvel at. Probably one of the best art films of the year, the story follows three generations of an Italian family, and their journeys though Italian history, love, pain and triumph. You will get lost in this beautifully shot epic and want to watch it all over again as soon as it’s finished.

Rating: 5 outta 5.

Coco and Igor

If you were enthralled by the Coco Avant Chanel rags-to-riches story, you’ll love this film which offers yet another insight into her fascinating life. This time we see Chanel as a wealthy and successful businesswoman who becomes drawn to Russian composer Igor Stravinsky and his controversial work.

Grieving the loss of her lover, Chanel invites Igor and his family to move into her summer home, where the two artists get to know each other better. Despite having to look after his dying wife, Igor and Chanel find time to develop a relationship of their own, which, of course, leads them down a slippery slope. Beautifully filmed and well acted, this additional instalment of Chanel’s life is absolutely fascinating if you’re interested.

Rating: 4 outta 5.

White Gold

British colonialists luring Indians to South Africa to work on the sugar plantations in Natal is the historical background against which this story is set. We follow the story of Shankar, his friends and family as they say goodbye to their homeland and set off for an unknown country. The hardships they had to endure, and the friendships and bonds borne out of this, are really the essence of this really interesting story.

If you’re a South African Indian wanting to know more about your South African predecessors, go see this film.

Rating: 3 outta 5.

Red

You can tell when actors are having an absolute blast on screen, and it makes you enjoy the movie even more, don’t you think? In Red, we’re not only treated to some awesome actors (Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich), but their unadulterated enjoyment of the script too. And what a ridiculously fun script it is.

Intentionally silly and cynical, this is one of those films that both stupid and intelligent people can enjoy. The only difference is that the stupid people will actually believe that a well-mannered pensioner could take out some very dangerous men with an automatic weapon. The story is familiar: retired CIA assassins become targets of the very institution they spent years protecting, and must root out the bad eggs in a rogue mission. Essentially the gang gets back together and much craziness ensues. It’s a laugh a minute and perfect for escaping reality for a couple hours.

Rating: 4 outta 5.

Jackass 3D

Nothing’s changed in the Jackass camp except the ages of the idiots inflicting ridiculous pain on each other. Yup, Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and even Wee Man are pushing 40, which either makes this instalment of life-threatening stunts more impressive or sad, depending on which side of the fence you stand.

Of course there’s no plot to speak of (it would be more useful to list the number of brain cells lost) so I will just list some of the keywords mentioned in various reviews… Electrocution, Obese Man, Vomit, Male Frontal Nudity, Blood, Bitten on Butt, Tattoo, Super Glue. Like I said, nothing’s changed. Just a friendly warning: stupidity is catching.

Rating: 2 outta 5.

Guzaarish

We never get to see Bollywood films before their release, but from the trailer this drama looks absolutely intriguing.

A successful magician, played delicately by Hrithik Roshan, becomes a paraplegic and petitions the court to allow him to be euthanised. Through a series of flashbacks we see a man whose life was filled with love, vigour and illusion, and begin to understand why he wants to die.

Playing his love interest is the hardest working actress in the business, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, but the star of the show is definitely Roshan and his moving performance. Looks like this one is worth watching!

Rating: 3 outta 5.

Battle for Terra

In this animated Sci-fi flick, tables are turned when humans invade a planet of cute little aliens. After leeching the earth of all resources, the humans set off to the planet Terra, and are not looking to make nice with the inhabitants.

While this animation is more 2D looking than 3D, the effect is refreshing, and suited to the SF genre. I especially loved the design of the planet Terra. Of course the message is a poignant one of warning, as well as a comment on man’s selfish tendency to take, take, take. This is a good one for the kids, and you might even find yourself enjoying it more than you expected too.

Rating: 3 outta 5.

Liefling

Disclaimer: The Popcorn Critic does not pretend to be the target market for this film and therefore cannot guarantee a particularly objective or useful review.

Ok, with that out the way can I just say that this is an Afrikaans musical. Yes, you read that right. Think Grease meets Benoni. Think Kurt Darren and Hartebeespoort dam. Think Blonde versus Brunette. Think liedjies. Get an idea? Look, from what I can tell, this local production is a barrel of fun, but I just won’t watch it because of, well, the disclaimer.

Rating: 2 outta 5.

Unstoppable

I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who doesn’t like Denzel Washington. Despite being cast mainly in action movies, he doesn’t have that irritating action-hero bravado like other stars.

Here he reunites with Man on Fire director Tony Scott in a heart-stopping thriller that will remind you of Speed. Instead of a runaway bus, however, Denzel attempts to stop a runaway train packed with flammable materials. For the younger ladies’ benefit, Chris Pine is along with Denzel for the ride, and the two make a funny pair.

I like this film because, like Speed, it’s simple: Two guys must stop a train to avoid a national disaster. Because you don’t have to struggle to keep up with a complicated storyline you can just focus on the high-speed chase.

Rating: 4 outta 5.

The Kids Are All Right

Sure Julianne Moore and Annette Bening aren’t really married or lesbian, but can’t you just imagine them being perfect for each other if they were?

In this fabulously funny film, the two awesome actresses are not only married but have raised two children, who are now teenagers. Typical of most curious teens, they start wondering what it would be like to meet their father – who was/is essentially just the sperm donor. Enter a sexy-yet-scruffy Mark Ruffalo, who completes a perfect trio of actors in a pretty much perfect script.

It’s witty, endearing and really has nothing to do with making a statement about gay marriage. Instead we get a picture of a couple that are struggling with change and letting go. Fantastic!

Rating: 5 outta 5.

It's a Wonderful Afterlife

Roopi’s mother is desperate to find the perfect Indian man for her slightly chubby daughter and sets the poor girl up on endless dates, hoping that someone will take Roopi off her hands. So far all the suitors have turned Roopi down, which doesn’t bother her much until they start turning up dead, and the police suspect that she’s taking revenge on the guys for giving her bat.

With no hard evidence, the police send in one of their charming, undercover cops to get close to her and suss the situation. And of course… well, you can pretty much guess how this story ends. This is one of those films that I’d suggest you save for a rainy day – it’s simply not funny enough to warrant a night out.

Rating: 3 outta 5.

Pope Joan

This German film follows the fantastical story of a 9th Century woman who pretends to be a man in order to rise through the ranks of the church to become Pope. The story is pretty involved and the runtime on the long side, but if you’re up for it, it’s a film that will leave you thinking for a couple days.

Rating: 3 outta 5.

The Crazies

After their water supply is tainted with a poisonous, madness-inducing substance, the inhabitants of Ogden Marsh start turning into psychotic zombies.

Do I even need to mention here that their only desire is to kill everyone around them? Or the fact that only a handful of residents, including the sheriff of course, are left unaffected and must escape before they become zombie fodder? To make matters worse, the military has surrounded the town and are on a mission to kill everyone in it so that the disease spreads no further.

This is a bog-standard fright film, so don’t expect anything too mind-blowing or original. You’ll see the scares coming…

Rating: 2 outta 5.

The Social Network

It’s been a while since I’ve been as excited about an upcoming film as this one. In spite of all the rave reviews and hype, I was still sceptical: How engaging could a movie about the creation of Facebook really be? Surely watching a bunch of nerds give birth to social networking would be boring and complicated? How wrong I was!

Paced like a kick-ass thriller, this film will have you enthralled, glued and fascinated by the story behind the Harvard kid who, in a fit of anger and revenge, decided to create an online space to rate campus chicks. This of course developed into Facebook, rapidly turning Mark Zuckerberg into a 20-something millionaire. But with his success came lawsuits, allegations, betrayal and temptation – all of which had the potential to bring the empire crashing down. Brilliant!

Rating: 5 outta 5.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

Yes, the second Swedish-titled instalment is here already! From the feedback I’ve received, people absolutely loved the first film, so you’re sure to enjoy the follow-up.

Dark and foreboding, Lisbeth is accused of being involved in a sex-trafficking ring after her investigations rub certain people up the wrong way. While she goes on the run, Mikael must try uncover who the real culprits are without getting himself killed. Riveting and fabulous.

Rating: 4 outta 5.

You Again

Here’s a comedy so unoriginal that you would be forgiven for thinking that you’ve seen it before.

There’s Marni (Kristen Bell), the highly successful exec who was a pimply nerd in High School and bullied by the gorgeous brunette cheerleader. Then there’s Marni’s brother, who’s about to get married to a girl Marni’s never met. Hmm… wonder who it could be? Who else but the brunette bully, Joanna? You see where this is going… But wait – there’s more! Turns out Marni’s aunt was also bullied by none other than Joanna’s mom, so when the family convene for the wedding and all is revealed, old insecurities and narcissistic tendencies resurface, making everyone a bit crazy.

I think anyone who would actually pay to see such drivel is a bit crazy too.

Rating: 2 outta 5.

The Infidel

The premise of this movie is pretty darn funny: A British Muslim discovers that he is actually adopted and Jewish. You can imagine the predicament that would cause a well-respected man of faith!

While there are some very funny moments in the movie, you’re left feeling that the writers could have gone much further with the idea and the humour. Instead of trying to remain politically correct, they should have taken a leaf out of Four Lions’ book and pulled out all the stops. Sadly the final product falls flat.

Rating: 3 outta 5.

Action Replayy

I bet you never thought you’d see Aishwarya Rai in orange bellbottoms and other 70s-style gear. Well brace yourselves because this latest Bollywood film takes you back into the age of hippies, primary colours and free love.

Bunty (Aditiya Roy Kapoor) is distressed that his parents’ (Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai) marriage was arranged and that the two of them lack the love and passion that love stories are made of. Determined to change this, Bunty finds a time machine and travels back into the 70s to make sure that his parets fall in love – properly this time.

This is a very cute film that will keep you giggling – mainly because of the outrageous outfits that the stars have to wear. I also loved the dance sequences with a touch of flower power.

Rating: 3 outta 5.