War Horse

Schmaltzy without being cheesy – is this possible? Movie maker Steven Spielberg gets it right, so I reckon it is. Take his latest flick, War Horse – it is a perfect example.

Millions of horses from England were used during World War I, yet only around sixty thousand returned. This movie tells the story of Joey, one of those horses and the teenager, Albert, whom he belongs to. When war breaks out, his drunken father sells the beloved horse. Albert then enlists in the army.

This movie will thaw out any cold, cold heart. The closing scene is achingly beautiful and one that will imprint itself on your memory.

Rating: 3 outta 5.  

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Believe you me, I am all for super hero movies. But this adaptation of Marvel’s Johnny Blaze is such a dreadful disaster.  All I can say to movies like this is: no, no and no! But hey, if you’re feeling risque, hazard a watch - at your peril.

Rating: 1 outta 5.

This Means War

In this mash-up of action and rom-com, I am left confused and not very impressed. All you need to know is that two CIA agents played by Tom Hardy and Chris Pine have fallen for the same woman (Reese Witherspoon) and they use their spy skills to sabotage the other. The only good point is how attractive each lead is. Other than that, this is a snore-fest. Why are movies of this calibre made?

Rating: 1 outta 5.

Material

Wow, this is the second local flick in theatres this week. I cannot say much about the cringe worthy slap-stick humour in most South African comedies, and expected little from this one. Can I admit I was actually glad to be wrong this time around?

Material is a movie that will make you laugh, genuinely laugh, tear up and root for the lead character, Cassim Kaif (Riaad Moosa). Kaif struggles against family expectations (he is set to take over the family business in Fordsburg) but he discovers his passion in stand-up comedy. It is so rewarding to be able to invest emotionally in believable characters.

The term ‘proudly South African’ has become a cliché, but hey, sometimes platitudes work best because this left me soaring with pride, I tell ya!

Rating 4 outta 5.

My Week with Marilyn

Marilyn Monroe – her name is synonymous with sex symbol. So much so, that people will obviously watch this movie with preconceived notions of the starlet. Michelle Williams dives into this difficult role, and boy, does she deliver! I think she might walk away with the Best Actress Oscar. Everyone gets to see ordinary fragile girl who, like all of us, is looking for happiness.

That said, William’s performance is the movie’s only saving grace. Even though it is based on true events - a week that Monroe spent with a young man called Colin Clark who worked on the set of “The Prince and the Showgirl”, it is an anorexic representation.

Rating: 3 outta 5.

Chronicle

What would you do if you had the power of telekinesis (the ability to move things with your mind)? Four high school friends gain this ability and boys being boys, wreak mischief - like scaring a child in a toy shop by making a teddy bear move towards her. Almost harmless, right? But one of them starts to use it with sinister intentions.

Captured in a home footage style (think Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity) this movie makes you forget you are watching a movie and feels more like real life. And being more real, it seems even more terrifying. Eek!

Rating: 3 outta 5.

Semi-soet

In the month focusing on romance (hello, Valentine’s Day cannot be a distant memory already) we have a local rom-com. It’s light, fluffy, moving, lots of sugar and spice too.

It is also predictable, but that by no means makes it a no-go. Girl hires a model to pretend to be her fiancé for a business deal that needs to be signed, unbeknownst to her that the model is also her professional nemesis. Somehow, they manage to find their happily ever after.  

Rating: 3 outta 5.

Hugo

The name Martin Scorsese is associated with movies about crime. But here he takes a pleasant detour with a family adventure that is so magical and wondrous, you may want to see it more than once, no matter your age!

Hugo is an orphaned boy, living in a train station in Paris during the 1930s. His late father left behind an automaton (an automated man he found in a museum). Hugo steals to stay afloat, which brings him into conflict with the station’s toy shop owner, Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley). Somehow, Hugo must get the automaton running to discover his father’s secret message.

3D is utilised here to enhance the story, rather than it being used as a tool to make more money out of a movie. I hope this flick walks away with a few Oscars because, by George, it is deserved!

Rating: 5 outta 5.

The Iron Lady

Ohmygoodness, Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher is utterly mesmerising. Then again, can we expect anything less from the Streep?

As the UK’s first female Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990, Thatcher left the country deeply divided and quite frankly, you ended up either hating her or loving her. While Streep’s performance is beyond excellent, this biopic missed a great opportunity to form an opinion on a character that demands it.

Rating: 3outta 5.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace 3D

How did Darth Vader become one of the most feared beings in the universe? As a Jedi, how did he end up embracing such a darkness? Find out here with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace coming out in 3D!

Fans of this movie series, and there are many out there, will enjoy this trip into space again. And we betcha this version will garner an entire new fan base thanks to the 3D makeover. The Force is still strong, all these years later!

Rating: 4 outta 5.

Safe House

Call me a sentimental fool, but I still get a sense of glee seeing images of South Africa on the big screen. Here the back drop of Cape Town acts as another, ever present character.
   
Denzel Washington (swoon) and Ryan Reynolds (swoon, again) team up in this ‘skop, skit and donner’ movie. Tobin Frost (Washington) is believed to be a rogue agent, and when hell breaks loose he and a rookie agent (Reynolds) need to figure out what is happening. This is like the Bourne movies, but with lekker scenery that also makes my heart swoon.

Rating: 3 outta 5.

The Descendants

If you want a movie where you can really connect with the characters and care about their decisions, this is it! No wonder it is such a strong Oscar contender.

George Clooney gives a stellar performance as Matt King – who becomes the sole parent of his two daughters after his estranged wife is in a boating accident and falls in a coma. What’s more, he has to decide if he should pull the plug or not. And he finds out from his daughter that his wife was cheating on him. Blimey, how much worse can things get?

Though it sounds like a plot out of an episode of the Bold and the Beautiful, it is far from a soapie. In fact, it is so good; I am finding it hard to find a fault.

Rating: 4 outta 5.

Jack and Jill

Adam Sandler teams up with…himself. He plays both Jack and Jill, twins who see each other over the holiday. So if you like Sandler and want to see him in women’s clothes, lipstick and a wig, sporting a high pitched voiced, this is just for you.

And just why did the likes of Al Pacino do this movie? Now there is a question to keep you up at night!

Rating: 2 outta 5.

Man on a Ledge

Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) gets onto one of the highest buildings in New York and threatens to jump. Crowds gather and traffic stops. He insists he is innocent of the crimes he has been in prison for and wants to make things right – and the ledge is his answer. The cops try to negotiate with him to get him to safety.

Across town, two diamond thieves are trying to pull of one of their biggest jobs. There is also David Englander, a money magnet of who is also somehow involved.

Is this all a ploy so the crime can be pulled off? Will Nick actually jump? Will the thieves be successful? Will the David get his skyscraper? There are far too many sub-plots in this movie.

Rating: 2 outta 5.

Trespass

Here we have two acclaimed Hollywood stars: Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman who play a rich couple living in an isolated area. One night, four men dressed as policemen force their way into their home – a scenario that hits a bit too close for many South Africans unfortunately.

For the life of me, I wonder if Cage and Kidman actually read the script.  Plus Cage should be fined for wearing his hair that way, not to mention those glasses. This movie is a fail of epic proportions.

Rating: 1 outta 5.