Going In Style Trailer
Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, the three risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.
The film also stars two-time Oscar nominee Ann-Margret (“Tommy,” “Carnal Knowledge”) as Annie, a grocery cashier who’s been checking Al out in more ways than one. Joey King (“Wish I Was Here”) stars as Joe’s whip-smart granddaughter, Brooklyn; with Oscar nominee Matt Dillon (“Crash”) as FBI Agent Hamer; and Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future” trilogy) as the guys’ lodge buddy, Milton. John Ortiz (“Silver Linings Playbook”) also stars as Jesus, a man of unspecified credentials who agrees to show the guys the ropes, and Peter Serafinowicz (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) as Joe’s former son-in- law, Murphy, whose pot clinic connections may finally prove useful.
Snatched Official Trailer Amy Schumer & Goldie Hawn
Twentieth Century Fox has today released a brand new trailer for action comedy SNATCHED. Goldie Hawn returns to the big screen alongside Amy Schumer in the film which seems a hapless mother and daughter duo embark on an increasingly disastrous vacation trip to South America. Check out the results below:
Elle UK Trailer
ELLE, directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Isabelle Huppert, has been set by Picturehouse Entertainment for release across the UK on 10 March 2017.
ELLE, one of the most acclaimed films of the year, gives Huppert a career-defining role, which resulted in several awards, including wins for Best Actress at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards and the Gotham Independent Film Awards as well as a Best Actress (Drama) nomination for next year’s Golden Globe Awards.
ELLE had its world premiere in Cannes this year to rave reviews and has been selected as the French entry for the Best Foreign Language film at the 89th Academy Awards.
Huppert is Michèle LeBlanc; founder and CEO of a successful video game company, who is attacked in her own home. Taking what appears to be a desire to shrug off the terrifying incident, she locks the door after her attacker and refuses to tell the police. Upending our expectations, Michèle begins to track down her assailant, and soon they are both drawn into a curious and thrilling game, one that at any moment may spiral out of control.
Snowden Review
The Plot
The NSA’s illegal surveillance techniques are leaked to the public by one of the agency’s employees, Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), in the form of thousands of classified documents distributed to the press.
The Good
Director Oliver Stone brings the story of Edward Snowden to life in this dramatic retelling of actual events. Set between 2004 and 2013, Snowden goes through its titular subjects career from his early days as a patriotic army cadet, through to his work with the NSA and ultimately his whistle blowing which made him a household name around the world. At 2 hours and 14 minutes, Snowden surprisingly feels much shorter. This is thanks mainly to the screenplay, co-written by Stone and Kieran Fitzgerald (The Homesman) which manages to balance the importance of the story with the personal side of Snowden while explaining technical jargon with ease.
Meanwhile, Gordon-Levitt embodies the character perfectly in both looks and emotion. As we see Snowden become increasingly paranoid about the morality behind the going-ons at the NSA, Gordon-Levitt manages to bring a thoroughly believable piece of acting across all boards.
Co-starring with Gordon-Levitt as the journalists and documentary maker respectively, are Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson and Melissa Leo who manage to bring as much as their characters can to the film. Nicholas Cage and Rhys Ifans also join as the faces of the NSA, the former a bitter man who gives the alternative viewpoint for how Snowden’s life could have turned, and perhaps Cages best performance in recent years simply due to the fact that he doesn’t have enough screentime to really screw it up. Ifans conversely plays the scenery chewing high-level intelligence operative Corbin O’Brian who serves his role as shady paranoia building character effortlessly.
However, with the film obviously revolving around Snowden himself, the real standout co-star is Shailene Woodley as Snowden’s girlfriend, Lindsay Mills. Woodley proves herself yet again to be an actress of particular note no matter what she does (even, Divergent…) and brings some true chemistry alongside Gordon Levitt.
The Bad
Those hoping to find a deeper more thought provoking storyline may feel a tad sidelined with this biopic which, as its title suggests, leans much more heavily upon Snowden himself than the real issues at hand. While Fitzgerald and Stone’s script does indeed manage to balance the two it is perhaps inevitable that it feels like a documentary, like 2014’s Citezenfour would perhaps offer more in the truth and technicalities of the hacking scandal which Snowden does of course still delve into, albeit in a much more popcorn friendly scene involving a Rubik’s cube.
The Ugly Truth
Oliver Stone presents a technically faultless biopic which explores the character of Snowden while also managing to explain the importance of the events surrounding him with ease. Those looking for more information would best be suited for Citezenfour.
Review by Johnny Ellis
A United Kingdom Review
The Plot
Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana (David Oyelowo) causes an international stir when he marries a white woman from London in the late 1940s
The Good
David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike star in this powerful romantic biopic which explores the story of a mixed race marriage that changed the course of history. After bonding over their mutual love of jazz, Seretse Kharma (Oyelowo) and Ruth Williams (Pike) soon start up a romance in 1940s London. But when Khama reveals his royal heritage and his intent to return to his homeland of Bechuanaland (now known as Botswana), with Ruth at his side, history is made.
Director Amma Asante brings another incredible story to life after 2013’s Belle with some beautiful scenery of the drab and dreary streets of London juxtaposed with the bright openness of Bechuanaland, while Eye In The Sky writer Guy Hibbert’s script balances a tale of love with the backdrop of a world on shrouded in racism with such ease.
It is in its two central performances however, where A United Kingdom truly showcases its effectiveness. Pike and Oyelowo bring an electric and unabashed chemistry to the screen that strengthens the plot and brings true emotion to a film which could have easily slipped into cliché.
The Bad
As balanced as Hibbert’s script is, there are certain moments which, though few and far between do leave the scene with a sense of unfinished business. Thankfully the two leads are more than enough to fill up any emptiness that the script may occasionally leave.
Another problem comes in the films adversaries, here played mainly by Jack Davenport as a pompous civil servant, intent on trying to break Khama and Williams apart, as well as Tom Felton who seems to be reprising his role from Belle as slimy racist bastard. A role he plays very well it must be said. It’s just a shame that these two dimensional roles are the ones put up against the powerhouse of Pike and Oyelowo.
The Ugly Truth
Oyelowo and Pike bring a beautiful chemistry to life with the help of Asante’s stunning as ever directorial efforts. While the script feels the slightest bit lacking at rare moments, for the most part it tells its story with ease and balance. It’s just a shame Davenport and Felton are left with not nearly as much to play with as its two main stars.
Review by Johnny Ellis