So much going on this weekend at the movies, as four new wide releases make their grand debuts. Can any of them top Zootopia?
The week’s most notable release is 10 Cloverfield Lane, which completely piques my curiosity. I know very little about the plot or premise of this film, because I want to go in totally blind, but it’s been described as a “blood relative” or “spiritual successor” to the very good sci-fi found-footage film Cloverfield from 2008, in which a giant monster attacks New York City. Apparently, this new film does not share continuity or even the same fictional universe with the original film. What does any of this mean?! I have absolutely no idea, and I’m so, so excited to find out. The teaser trailer is deliciously vague (which is altogether so rare these days — we live in an unfortunate era where studios spell out the entire movie from beginning to end in their trailers). The three-person cast consists of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman (who I hear gives an Oscar-worthy performance!), and John Gallagher, Jr. Director Dan Trachtenberg is making his feature debut here, while Damien Chazelle (writer-director of Whiplash) has a screenplay credit. Plus, reviews are excellent. I’m all in.
Also new this week is The Brothers Grimsby, a new comedy written by and starring Sacha Baron Cohen. By this point, you’ve already figured out whether you love or loathe Cohen’s outrageous brand of humour (I’m pretty sure it’s either/or with him), so you decide if this film is for you. Cohen plays a man from a poor fishing village in Northern England who longs to reconnect with his long-lost brother, whom he hasn’t seen since the two were adopted by different families as children. Naturally, the brother (Mark Strong) has grown up to be an MI6 agent, so expect lots of odd-couple hijinks as the rural-English-dimwit stereotype finds himself over his head when he gets involved in his suave brother’s spycraft. I have very little interest in this, to be honest, because it looks godawful, but I will eventually see it so I can give you a review (that’s how much I love you guys). Director Louis Leterrier (The Transporter, Now You See Me) inspires zero excitement in me either. The cast, however, does include Rebel Wilson and Gabourey Sidibe, both of whom I adore, so let’s see. Critics don’t seem to like this very much, which is to be expected — but reviews are more on the “mixed” side of things, as opposed to definitively negative.
Right in time for Easter season, the weekend’s third new release is The Young Messiah, which tells the story of a seven-year-old Jesus who learns the truth about his life. The film is based on the novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice (Interview with the Vampire) and features a mostly unknown cast — though familiar faces include Sean Bean and David Bradley. As I mention whenever religious movies are released, I am definitely not the target audience here; however, there are enough interesting people involved that I’ll have a look. Plus, director Cyrus Nowrasteh’s previous film was The Stoning of Soraya M., which won awards and earned very strong reviews in 2009, so this gets my attention. Early reviews are all over the place right now, so who knows how this film will land?
The week’s fourth and final wide release is the under-the-radar romantic comedy The Perfect Match, which features an unknown cast in a familiar-sounding story about a womanizer who finally discovers real love once he meets the right woman. Terrence Jenkins and Cassie Ventura play the leads, in case that means something to you. Director Bille Woodruff previously directed such films as Honey and Beauty Shop, though he’s best known for his R&B and hip hop music videos. Everything I’ve read about this makes it seem like the blandest, most forgettable film ever. I’ve also seen absolutely no advertising about it, so don’t expect big results on Sunday.
In limited release, this weekend offers Hyena Road, a Canadian war film from writer-director Paul Gross that was released domestically last fall but which is finally making its U.S. debut; Eye in the Sky, a terrorist-hunting thriller from director Gavin Hood (Tsotsi, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), starring Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Academy Award nominee Barkhad Abdi, and the late Alan Rickman; Hello, My Name Is Doris, a comedy where Sally Field begins a romantic relationship with a much younger man; and City of Gold, a documentary about food critic Jonathan Gold.
What are you planning to see this weekend?
