Apart from a misplaced horror, We seem to be starting the festive season a little early, from a thanksgiving themed animation, a feel good fluffy biographical drama/comedy to a full on festive comedy. There certainly isn’t anything to taxing for you to get your heads round this week.
Saving Mr. Banks
Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) would do anything for his daughters, so when they begged him to make their favourite book, Mary Poppins, into a film he made a promise to them to do whatever it takes. However, Walt doesn’t have an easy ride as he comes up against the very stubborn and un-comprising author, P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson). When book sales start to dwindle and the money starts to run dry, Travers’ has to swallow her pride and reluctantly go to LA to hear Disney’s plans. Over a period of 2 weeks Walt pulls out all the stops, delving into his own childhood to discover what the book is really all about in order for the two to make Mary Poppins into one of the most iconic and endearing films in cinematic history.
Coming from Disney this American-British- Australian biographical comedy drama has fluffy and Disney all over it. With an A-list cast of Hanks, Thompson and Colin Farrell you can count on a pretty convincing story but with Hanks and Thompson there’s this feeling of ”I’ve seen them play these characters before” But there could be no other duo to pull of their portrayal of these historic people. If you like a whimsical and moving biographical tale this won’t disappoint. Got to say Disney couldn’t have released this film a better time what with Christmas just around the corner.
SEE IF YOU LIKED: Miss Potter, Finding Neverland
The Best Man Holiday
Award winning writer Harper (Taye Diggs) never quite lived up to the hype of his first book, even his new manuscript has failed to impress his editor. With nowhere to turn, Harper looks to his heavily pregnant wife Robyn (Sanaa Lathan) and there trip back to the home of his estranged best friend Lance (Morris Chestnut), who is now a big star with the New York Giants, to cheer him up. Things may not turn out to be all plan sailing as the two men haven’t spoken since Lance found out Harper had slept with his sweetheart when in college.
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man, Soul Men) is kind of a sequel to the 1999 release of The Best Man, we see the cast of the original film all return for this Christmas special of drama and comedy. Quite frankly it’s not going to be a classic, especially when it seems the filmmakers are just trying to cash in on the festive season. You can count on being entertained with tear jerking moments which don’t get too bogged down with sentimentality as the odd hilarious crude one liner are thrown into the script whenever they can fit them in.
SEE IF YOU LIKED: The Best Man, The Brothers
Free Birds
Reggie is a Turkey (Owen Wilson), with brains. Coming to the conclusion that the rest of the flock are being fattened up for a reason, he manages to get himself kicked out of the coop. Soon he finds himself pardoned by the president and being transported to Camp David for a life of luxury. This doesn’t last for long as Jake (Woody Harrelson), a relentless and only member of the Turkey freedom front has other ideas for him. With an important mission to complete, he takes Reggie under his wing to embark on a top secret adventure.
Free Birds is a 3D computer animated buddy comedy coming from the academy award winning producer of Shrek. I have one thing to say, Time travelling Turkey’s! Really? The whole concept of the film just oozes unoriginality, a major bore fest of inane comedic moments that just leave you cold. This kind of animation film really has been done to death. The only saving grace for this film is the vibrant visuals.
SEE IF YOU LIKED: Chicken Run.
Carrie
A reimaging of the classic horror tale about Carrie White, a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her obsessive and deeply religious mother, who unleashes a horrific tornado of telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.
This is the third film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1974 novel, with rising star, Chloe Grace Moretz taking on the classic role of Carrie with Julianne Moore playing her mother; the cast is nothing but highly talented. But seriously do we need another tired remake of a classic horror? It could very well be lacking anything new for us to sink our teeth into from this high school revenge movie. For the new generation of horror fans who haven’t seen the original this could be worthwhile adding to your list of must sees but for the rest of us veteran film fanatics it’s just a tad bit of a disappointment.
SEE IF YOU LIKED: The Omen, The Exorcist
MY PICK OF THE WEEK: SAVING MR BANKS
By Zhera Phelan
[…] anyway! Marry, argh this is so hard. Channing had me sold, documents everything in Magic Mike, but Morris is delicious, I can’t decide, ok I’d commit bigamy and marry them […]