Trying to make sense of it all (Out this week - 17/02/12)

Now the more observant among you will have noticed that I haven't posted a review this week. Worse than that I didn't even make it to my local multiplex. This is almost exclusively because I am completely and utterly broke, currently being between projects which is no laughing matter I can tell you. So whilst I would love to regale you with my thoughts on Viggo and Michael tussling with psychological concepts in A Dangerous Mind that will have to wait - I will try and catch it this week, somehow, and give you my thoughts over the coming days. Of course I'm now at least one week behind, luckily the top film this week is such a complex case I'm happy to give it a bit of time before I see it - in fact waiting until it's DVD release later in the year might give me the opportunity to see it outside of the conflicting poor reviews/oscar nod pressures facing me - but let's not shy away from the fact that whilst there are 14 releases competing for our attention the RLAG film of the week goes to Extremely Loud and Incredible Close.



Last week, much to my surprise, Daniel Radcliffe proved he can open a film (on this side of the pond at least) and Woman in Black cruised to the top of the box office chart, significantly ahead of my puppet based prediction. This week I do expect he'll stay there but sniffing at his heels will be Nicolas Cage in leather vehicle Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.


Extremely Loud and Incredible Close



It's bathos a-plenty in this second trailer for Stephen Daldry's adaptation of the acclaimed Jonathan Safran Foer novel about a boy with borderline Asperger's coping with his fathers death in the September 11 terrorist attack. It doesn't look subtle, but two Academy Award nominations (Best picture and Max von Sydow) convince me there must be something worth seeing here.

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





Woman in the Fifth



That's the fifth Arrondissement of Paris, in case you wondered, and the woman in question is Kristin Scott Thomas, always ready to help a struggling writer like Ethan Hawke to breakthrough the writer's block with lashings of sex and maybe a mystery plot or two.

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

Hadewijch



Interestingly this low-key French picture from Bruno Dumont turned up in quite a few top ten lists last year, including John Waters! Essentially a parable about the dangers of blind faith and religious fervour Hadewijch is a novice Nun, who after getting kicked out of the order for over expressing her love for Jesus finds herself drawn to a group of Muslim extremists. Might make a strange and rewarding double bill with Extremely Loud.

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

Ekk Dewana Tha



Fluffy looking Hindi romance that looks bland enough but apparently has a Romeo and Juliet like twist as she is from a strict orthodox Christian family. It'll work out alright in the end I expect.

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

Fetih 1453



Turkish film about the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the collapse of the Byzantine civilization. Whilst some of the special effects look ropey this is the sort of historic epic they make very well in Turkey, could be worth a look for the costumes alone.

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

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance



The sequel nobody wanted for the superhero nobody cares about. Hey ho. At least the combination of Crank directors Neveldine and Taylor with an out of control Nicolas Cage performance seems like a match made in heaven.

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

ID: A



Danish thriller in part influenced by TV's "The Killing" - or at least it's cinematic release is - wherein an amnesiac wakes up in a river with only a shoe and a satchel containing loads of cash and a gun as clues to her identity. Is she connected to the assassination of a prominent politician? What do you think...

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

Mothers



Obscure elliptic Macedonia art-house release that mixes narrative and documentary styles over three storylines including a fake report of a flasher and a film-making crew in a deserted village.

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

Simple Life



No it's not the big screen version of that Ritchie/Hilton reality TV programme instead it's a meditative Hong Kong feature about the shifting relationship between a 40 something year-old and his elderly amah following her debilitating stroke.

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

Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2



Just for half term, this kiddywink aimed movie opened during the weekdays in order to make a few bucks before it's majority income from DVD sales. It's bright, I'll give it that.

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

Kadhalil Sodhappuvathu Eppadi



There are three Bollywood releases sneaking out this week with very limited releases and not much background information on the web. First up is this Tamil picture, as you can see there's an IMDB page but no content. From the trailer I can only imagine it's a high school set romance.

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

Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal



Next up is another Tamil movie, which doesn't even have anything on IMDb. Frankly I was amazed to find a trailer. This too looks like a romance, only the chap in questions turns out to be an assassin. Great falling into bed shot in the trailer, mind.

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

Older than America



Proving not all the bad films are coming from India this week is this dreadful looking horror junk about the interface between the Catholic church and Native Americans. I expect the bad guys are really neither side but an unseen extra cult of nuts.

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

Pata nahi rabb kehdeyan rangan ch raazi



Finally there's this Punjabi release, with one of the longest titles I can remember, with a globe trotting romantic theme culminating in a Valentine's day proposal. (Sorry, spoilers.)

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