Onward
Written by Dan Scanlon, Jason Headley, & Keith Bunin — Directed by Dan Scanlon
Starring: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, & Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Spider-man and Starlord reunited to lead the way for Disney/Pixar’s latest Best Animated Feature hopeful and it appears to be a winning formula. I’m sure the studio execs were anticipating a much larger opening weekend but with Coronavirus fears looming, the nearly $40-million in box office sales isn’t tot shabby. With sequel fatigue leaking over into the world of animated films, it’s nice to see a solid original idea get a chance to flourish. My first reaction to the initial trailer was mostly disinterest but it’s grown on me over time and made its way to my watch list for this upcoming week.
The Way Back
Written by Gavin O’Connor & Brad Ingelsby — Directed by Gavin O’Connor
Starring: Ben Affleck, Al Madrigal, & Janina Gavankar
Ben Affleck’s struggles with alcoholism haven’t exactly been private. The two-time Academy Award winner decided to tackle that conflict head-on in his latest project, playing an alcoholic former college basketball star who seeks redemption through coaching a high school team. With the subject matter hitting so close to home, it’s no surprise to see Affleck emotionally invested. If you like redemption stories, this a double edge sword that should allow you to sympathize with the character and the performer.
First Cow
Screenplay by Jonathan Raymond (novel) & Kelly Reichardt — Directed by Kelly Reichardt
Starring: John Magaro, Orion Lee, Toby Jones, & Ewen Bremner
A24 has a habit of putting out the kinds of films people typically don’t see, at least in large numbers anyway. This film didn’t even break $100-thousand at the box office on its opening weekend. Most of that is due to public visibility and if I didn’t do this every week, I probably wouldn’t have heard of it either. Frontier adventures are a big part of American history so it’s no surprise to see them circulate through cinema but The Call of the Wild may have been enough to keep audiences away. The additional burden of going head-to-head with a major Disney release is substantial as well. Nonetheless, it went into wide release and now it has to survive. The trailer doesn’t exactly scream “you have to go see this movie ASAP” but I get the feeling it’s going to be one of those sneaky good movies that get thrown onto the heap as we barrel full steam ahead into the rest of 2020.
Bacurau – *Limited*
Written & Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles
Starring: Bárbara Colen, Thomas Aquino, Sônia Braga & Udo Kier
Brazilian cinema has its own flair and this totally looks like the kind of film I would have expected to see coming out of the late 70s-to-early 80s. In the not too distant future, a young woman returns to her family’s maternal village after her grandmother’s death, where a number of strange events begin to unfold. Filho has made some well-received films in the last few years and this is still only his third full-length feature, this time sharing the chair with frequent collaborator Juliano Dornelles. This is going to be difficult to find but watch the trailer and determine if it’s worth seeking out for you. I’m interested.
The Banker – *Limited*
Written by Stan Younger, Brad Kane, David Lewis Smith, George Nolfi, Niceole R. Levy — Directed by George Nolfi
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. Jackson, & Nicholas Hoult
I’m not sure exactly what happened with this movie. Reuniting actors from the MCU in other films seems to be pretty trendy right now so you’d think Falcon and Nick Fury teaming up in a period piece would have some legs. Originally slated for theatrical release in December of 2019, distributor Apple TV+ pushed the date a few months. If they are looking to get in on the theater business, this wasn’t a great start. While I have faith in Mackie and Jackson to lead this film, it certainly doesn’t have much positive buzz surrounding it right now. Even if you are interested, the release is incredibly limited right now so you’re probably better off waiting for it to come to Apple TV+ and enjoying it from your couch.
The Burnt Orange Heresy – *Limited*
Written by Scott B. Smith & Charles Willeford — Directed By Giuseppe Capotondi
Starring: Elizabeth Debicki, Claes Bang, Donald Sutherland, & Mick Jagger
Provocative international thrillers tend to have a pretty good foothold in the 35-49 demographic. Judging by the trailer, this looks like a particularly artsy endeavor featuring an ambitious art critic and a famous reclusive painter. This project doesn’t have the kind of name recognition that gives me any particular impression but it looks like it could be interesting. It also looks like it could be incredibly boring. This one is going to be a coin toss for me if I have the time to check it out.
Escape from Pretoria – *Limited*
Written by Francis Annan and L.H. Adams — Novel by Tim Jenkin — Directed Francis Annan
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Weber, & Ian Hart
Prison breaks usually make for compelling cinema, especially when backed by a good script and characters you can cheer for. Based on a true story about political prisoners in South Africa during apartheid, this adaptation looks to make for a captivating thriller. Daniel Radcliffe has taken on a lot of interesting projects since his days as Harry Potter and stretches that fabric a little bit more in this outing. I’m not rushing out to see this one but it could be pretty good.
Run This Town – *Limited*
Written & Directed by Ricky Tollman
Starring: Ben Platt, Mena Masoud, Damien Lewis, & Scott Speedman
Remember the Mayor of Toronto who was caught smoking crack on video back in 2013? Well, this movie is basically about that very incident told from the perspectives of the young staffers at City Hall and a local journalist. This looks like it could be a really fun concept to bring to film if the focus is in the right place. However, based on the trailer, that doesn’t appear to be the case since Damien Lewis’ face is hardly on camera as the infamous Rob Ford. I’m sure there is some entertainment value to be had either way but it seems to shy away from its would-be star.
Swallow – *Limited* – **Editor’s Choice*
Written & Directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Starring: Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Denis O’Hare
It’s been a while since played the lead in The Haunting of Molly Hartley (2018) but it looks like Haley Bennett may be poised for a serious breakthrough. She’s worked consistently over the last 12 years but this is such a dark and bizarre idea about the psychology of control that it’s going to take a strong performance to carry it. This is the debut full-length feature for Carlo Mirabella-Davis and it’s easy to see that freshman energy coursing through the foundation. Of all the stuff that came out, this is easily the most intriguing of the bunch and I can’t wait to see it…although I may have to.
If you’re bold enough to go to the theater, there are plenty of good options from last week. Stay safe, wash your hands, and have fun at the movies!