Out this week (20/11/09)

Quite a tough choice this week with a few films looking reasonably interesting. There's only one film that's going to come close to the top of the charts but for me it's the Coen brothers that will get me into the cinema.



The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

French comedy that follows a family over 12 years revisiting them on five days that shape the history and relationships within the family unit. It's an interesting concept, but with no names I'm reticent about recommending it.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○


Glorious 39

Stephen Poliakoff has spent many years producing glossy British TV adaptations of little known historical events, and has met many great contacts. They all turn up here, but let's be honest this gothic melodrama set on the eve of the second World War is only interesting for it's cast list.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○

The Informant!

Steven Soderbergh's third release of 2009, with one more coming later in the year, is a satirical look at the whistleblowing career of Mark Whitaker, as played by a chubby Matt Damon. If I can make it to the cinema twice this week this will be seen.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●○○○

Kurbaan

Bollywood thriller about a teacher who falls in love only to find her beau is not all he seems to be - and then is dragged into a spiral of danger and intrigue. Sounds like most teachers to me.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○

Machan

Umberto Pasolini is a fascintating film producer with The Full Monty and Palookaville in his back catalogue, however his latest project raelly tops the biscuit - based on the true story of the Sri Lankan Handball team which blagged a tour of Germay in spite of most of the team never having heard of handball, and then they disappeared...

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

Sea Wall

French guilt about the independence and subsequent war in Vietnam has been well served in cinema yet reappears in the simple parallels between a plantation owning mother dealing with her children's break for independence. Starring Isabelle Huppert and Gaspiel Ulliel.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○

A Serious Man

The Coen brothers have returned with wahta is being alternatively described as their most personal and most inaccessible film to date. Set in a Minnesotan Jewish community, following the titular family man seeking advice from the Rabbis a working knowledge of Yiddish seems to be a prerequisite.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●●○

Southern Softies

The second of a series of films by comic Graham Feellows as 'Jilted' John Shuttleworth, no, I can't remeber the first either. Described as hilarious by his own press release.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

It's broken records for pre-release sales, it's got screaming teenage fans throughout the Western World, it's a thinly veiled propanganda piece about the abstinence movement as pushed by the Christian right. Hardly seems worth saying any more. Except there are many buff actors wandering around shirtless so let's watch it with as much irony as we can.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○