Out This week (26/02/10)

You will struggle to find a good film out this week - odd after the glut of high profile releases just seven days ago. Personally I sahll be seeing Amy Adams going all blarney, but I certainly don't think I can recommend that. So I suppose the film of the week will have to be the latest embarassement in Robert De Niro's CV: Everybody's Fine.



The Crazies

Remake of George Romero horror classic sees Timothy Olyphant and his heavily pregnant wife avoiding a horde of psychotic townsfolk and a military plot to kill everyone in the town to contain the virulent cause. Hokum, which has probably lost all trace of it's paranoia roots but the trailer looks fun.

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



Everybody's Fine

Robert De Niro tries hard to copy Jack Nicholson's recent successes by playing a recent widower reconnecting with his children who never felt able to communicate with the old man. This ain't About Schmidt by a long stretch but with Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale and Drew Barrymore as his kids there are some pretty things to look at.

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

Extraordinary Measures

Is Extraordinary measures, with it's medical research storyline give a reasoned arguement against a profit based medical system where orphan diseases get no funding? Or does it say that if you have the money you can cure your terminal children? Who cares when the trailer was a dull as this one?

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

Freestyle

British girl has to choose between completing her studies or following her dreams to become a professional baseketball player. At the risk of being incredibly insensitive I wasn't aware women played basketball.

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

From Paris With love

Pierre Morel's Taken was a surprise hit in 2008 thanks to Liam Neeson's committed performance, some chewy dialogue and quality action choreography. The follow-up has camply bearded John Travolta and bored looking Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.

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

Karthik calling Karthik

It's an evil doppleganger movie from Bollywood. Starring Farhan Akhtar. (Sorry I don't know anything more about this.)

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

Leap Year

Absolutely rubbish looking rom-com with Amy Adams falling for Matthew Goode during an unnecessary dash across Hollywood's version of Ireland. Both Adams and Goode are riding high on other projects at the moment, and it looks like the sales weren't so bad this will destroy their careers so naturally this is the film I intend to watch this week.

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

Micmacs

Jean-Pierre Jeunet is one of the few international directors with a clear auterial style, and with his latest, which looks at illegal gun trading and a community based around recycling rubbish (no, not the Wombles) has many of his usual visual tics - such as a brown palette and Dominic Pinon. Well worth braving the subtitles.

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

She, A Chinese

Depressing looking view of a Chinese woman who exchanges an unhappy life in China for an even more unhappy woman as a mail order Bride in Britain. See this if you think your life has too much fun in it.

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

Teen Patti

Hindi movie directed by Leena Yadav about a mathematical formula concerning probability and randomness that profoundly impacts the life of the mathematician who discovers it. In a casting coup Ben Kingsley plays another statistician who aims to helps publicise the formula.

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

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa

Boring looking love story from Sri Lanka, noted lack of conflict in the trailer. I really can't imagine why anyone would want to see it.

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