Ah, I remember it well (Out this week - 04/05/12)

We're still in double figures of new releases with 13 distinct features slipping into your local multiplex, although saying that I expect there are many of these films that won't be seen in any multiplexes as many of them will fit closer to the arthouse circuit fans. On the other hand there are no essential viewing experiences this weekend with a unlikely - for me anyway - competition for my recommendation between a Jason Statham crime thriller and an European adolescent romance. Of course you know me well enough to guess that I'll usually choose the more obscure film if it's a close run thing, so no prizes for guessing the runs like a gay film of the week is Goodbye First Love.



Last weekend Avengers Assemble was the unsurprising box office champion taking an impressive £15.8m, easily outperforming last weeks competition, every other comic book opening in UK history and the entire cinematic run of any of the "sort of" prequels that introduce it's major characters. Incidently out of every three people going to UK cinemas last weekend two of them went to see Avengers Assemble which is an extraordinary statistic any way you look at it. This weekend Iron Man et al will almost certainly retain the lead, not least because there's no "must see" release, but there could be a bit of a bun fight for second place. I'm tempted to predict Statham as an apology for not picking him for film of the week, but in all honesty I think American Pie: Reunion will just about sneak ahead of the other new releases.

Goodbye First Love

Exquisite study of teenage romances over ten years, with the feel of classic Truffant, from sophomore director Mia Hansen-Løve. The picture above shows our heroines very first love, and it's no spoiler to say it probably won't last until the end credits.

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Read on for a kidnapped mathematical prodigy, an oscar nominee and incest as a plot device as well as the low-down and trailers for all of this weeks releases.





I should warn you this trailer involves quite a bit of nudity fairly early on. I'm not a prude, I don't mind, but I think you should be aware of it.

Safe



Sometimes you're just in the mood for all out action extravaganza's and honestly Statham seems to to be the most consistent beat 'em up star working today. This looks like it might be a good call with it's mathematical prodigy and all out gang war, even if it's US performance was slightly under par. Chris Sarandon pops up as the maybe dodgy mayor of New York.

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Angel and Tony



It's good times for fans of French romances this week, with the film of the week and this slightly more mature offering about an ordinary looking fisherman finding an an enigmatic, sexually voracious woman through a personal ad. Probably Not as raunchy as that sounds.

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Clone



Barely getting any notices in spite of it's tricksy content and starry cast - Eva Green and current Doctor Who Matt Smith - this sci-fi tinted drama about a widow who gives birth to and raises a clone of her dead husband and the mixed romantic/maternal relationship that develops had some buzz critical buzz during it's production but that seems to have fizzled away with this fumbled release strategy. Shame.

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Hara-Kir Death of a Samurai



We don't get every Takashi Miike movie released in the UK, given his vast and diverse output that's probably not a huge surprise. So when we are lucky enough to see one in this country we should probably make the best of it. Here we have a revenge against corrupt feudal lords plot that allows Miike to indulge in all his fight choreography pursuits.

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Juan of the Dead



Curious looking Cuban zombie movie that clearly shares a love of slapstick as it's major influence Shaun of the Dead but with added socio-political jibes at the communist propanga machine in Cuba. And the joke about killing your loved ones is priceless.

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Monsieur Lazhar



Of course Philippe Falardeau's stage adaptation was never going to win the best foreign language movie oscar this year against the superb A Separation it still had plenty of fans in the Academy and among critics being considered as the biggest competition. It's essentially a look into the French Canadian education system and how an Algerian ex-pat changes the kids lives.

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Dhammu



Very violent looking Teluga movie with plenty of claret and over the top musical cues, although I suspect in it's entirity it's a lt tamer than it looks here. I know nothing of the plot - any Bollywood fans want to fill me in?

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Jannat 2



I'm guessing the two at the end of the title signifies this Bollywood arms dealer thriller is a sequel, although I can't for the life of me remember the first Jannat getting released. Looks like it might be OK, with some nice shots and realism in the fighting, so could be an entry to the sub-continents releases.

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The Lucky One



There are many reasons to want to avoid Zac Efron latest attempt to shift into proper grown up movies, it's directed by cheesemeister Scott Hicks (Boys are Back, Hearts in Atlantis) and is written by the ever predictable Nicolas Sparks. But that said I do like Efron, he comes across well in interviews and I really want him to succeed, so even though this looks utterly missable it will be the film that I see this weekend.

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Silent House



Another US horror remake of a mildly successful foreign language horror movie - in this case the identically named Uruguayan release from last year where the central conceit revolves around the whole film being shot in a single take - as as with others that try this I expect it to bomb no matter how good Elizabeth Olsen is in the central role.

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American Pie: Reunion



I actually saw the original American Pie in cinemas, and vaguely remember thinking it was OK but being a comedy not really my thing, so I certainly wouldn't be tempted by a sequel 13 years later no matter how good it looked. Unfortunately this sorry excuse for a trailer doesn't make it look good on any level. Probably best avoided.

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Piggy



And finally if you're in the mood for some ultraviolence, London Council Estate style then this is the movie for you. Following the murder of his brother Martin Compston meets Piggy, a mysterious stranger who encourages him to meet out revenge on the killers, but at what cost to his soul and sanity you wonder?

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