JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL
The original made in 1995 with Robin Williams was a huge success and surprisingly didn’t have a makeover until a couple of years ago with JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan as the avatars in a video game. They are now back for a new adventure, where the premise is more or less the same. The group of young friends may not be as close as they used to but they still enter the world of Jumanji – this time willingly in order to rescue one of them. They now leave the jungle behind where the next level takes them to an enjoyable adventure in the desert before the reach the snowy mountains.
There is plenty to enjoy here particularly the unexpected contribution from Danny De Vito and Danny Glover. There are some spectacular set pieces including a stampede from a herd of ostriches and an attack from a group of screeching monkeys on broken bridges deep in the forest that look absolutely splendid in IMAX. Some of it is too silly and OTT to take seriously but the sheer enjoyment of the actors is highly infectious.
It is unpredictable and fun and provides perfect entertainment for the family!
THE WOLF’S CALL
This intense French thriller takes place in a nuclear submarine and follows the story of Chanteraide (Francois Civil), a young officer with acute hearing known as the “Golden Ear”. However, during a military operation he begins to lose his impeccable reputation when he fails to identify a mysterious sound deep beneath the water…
Writer/ director Antonin Baudry delivers a hugely atmospheric adventure with terrific sound design that will make you believe you are in this claustrophobic environment and gasping for air. The acting is excellent with a particularly impressive Civil as the resourceful officer determined to save the submarine from an impeding danger as well as his tarnished reputation.
CITIZEN K
An intelligent and complex project from Alex Gibney, the director of THE ARMSTRONG LIE and GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY & THE PRISON OF BELIEF. He is certainly one of the best documentary filmmakers working in cinema today and he now turns his attention on Mikhail Khodorkovsky, one of the richest men in Russia who made his fortune following the fall of the Soviet Union. He is also one the biggest enemies of Putin and was sentenced to ten years in prison after he accused Putin’s regime of corruption …
The film is not only a thorough examination of the continuous battle between these two Russian titans but also a fine portrait on the state of the nation.
THE KINGMAKER
Lauren Greenfield, the acclaimed documentary filmmaker of THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES and GENERATION WEALTH, now focuses her camera on the controversial political career of Imelda Marcos, who despite her sins of the past she is still very hungry for more power. She now unashamedly campaigns for her son Bongbong in order to win the vice-presidency…
It is a compelling film full of irony about corruption and megalomania on a vast scale especially after Marcos decides to evacuate the inhabitants of a small island in the Philippines in order to replace them with wild animals from Africa. Unbelievable but true!
PINK WALL
Tom Cullen, the Welsh actor who made such an impression in the award-winning gay love story WEEKEND writes and directs an engaging film- screened at the recent London Film Festival. The film follows the relationship of Jenna (Tatiana Maslany) and Leon (Jay Duplass) in six scenes over a six year period. The two actors share a strong chemistry and engage beautifully with each other throughout the years. It is an assured piece of filmmaking and marks Cullen as a promising new director. He also appears as an actor in one of the most memorable and enjoyable scenes as one of the guests at a dinner party.
A highly original film with smart dialogue that feels fresh and improvised and is very much worth catching!
SONS OF DENMARK
In the not-too distant future -2025 to be exact – an extreme nationalist political leader Martin Nordahl is spitting vitriol against immigrants and causes endless riots and hatred across Denmark. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Zakaria gets involved in a radical organisation and forms a bond with Ali, a charming but mysterious activist…
Ulaa Salim makes a remarkable directorial debut and brings to the screen a powerful film about race and hatred that unfortunately is very topical for our times. It is easy to see the story developing in any European country or across America – perhaps it won’t be too long before a Hollywood or British remake with possible titles such as SONS OF TEXAS or SONS OF ESSEX.
Uncomfortable but essential viewing!
THE BIKES OF WRATH
Charlie Turnbull and Cameron Ford’s moving documentary follows five Australian friends who get inspired by John Steinbeck’s monumental classic “The Grapes of Wrath” and decide to repeat the Joad family’s journey with their bicycles. With only 420 dollars in their pockets and 2 guitars on their backs they begin their hazardous journey from Oklahoma to California.
The beauty of this compelling film is their human contact with the locals who never fail to offer the Australians hospitality and generosity. There is a terrific scene on the highway where the five friends interrupt their long ride in order to offer assistance to a homeless man who walks aimlessly across the country.
A truly inspirational film!
Film Reviews
