Digging up the Past (Out this Week - 24/06/11)

It's an odd week, with a variety of fascinating Foreign language offerings competing with only one major US release. Whilst Judd Apatow's first foray into feminine ideas of comedy may be getting some plaudits the trailer slightly put me off so the film of the week is Incendies.



Incendies

Set in an undisclosed Middle Eastern country, and filmed by a French/Canadian film the Oscar nominee explores the regional tensions and how we never really understand our heritage until it's too late to appreciate the magnitude of the truth.

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Bridesmaids

I'm told the film itself is a lot more subtle and funny than the publicity seems to suggest with a knockout cast of commedienne's visting Las Vegas for Maya Rudolph's Bridal shower (is that American for Hen Party). Jill Clayburgh makes her final film performance.

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Viva Riva!

The first of this weeks films with an African connection is the Kinshasa based thriller about the eponymous heroes escapades in a corrupt and petroleum starved city. Very exciting trailer that reinforces the theme of a clever modern thriller.

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Checkpoint

Odd horror about four American's being stopped on the Canadian border after a weekend away only to find it ain't Customs that's stopped them. Cue 80 minutes of torture porn.

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Double Dhamaal

Bollywood movie resurrecting the comedic quartet from Dhamaal with probably a similar plot dragging the imbeciles through predicatably complex brushes with mafia and big business.

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First Grader

The true story of a 84 year old former Mau Mau resistance fighter who answers the Kenyan Governments pledge of "Free Education for All" by returning to school to learn to read. Looks heartwarming and fun, with just the right amount of political tension.

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Ghosted

Another British prison movie with naive cons getting involved with the big boys. Aims to be an English Prophete, probably comes across as Porridge on steroids.

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No Ordinary Trifle

If you think that sounds rubbish there's always this comedy about a small town chef and the barmaid he falls for in a West Country pub hoping for some Michelin stars. When Gordon Ramsey is a name above the title for a cameo you know you're in trouble.

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