The winners of the 2010 Golden Globes are in! There’s some die-hard predictability but also a couple of surprises here. We won’t tell you what got what, but there’s mentions here for Avatar, Precious, Inglourious Basterds and Up, with Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock and Robert Downey Jr all walking away with a brand new bit of tinsel for their mantelpieces.
From the writers of Sexy Beast comes 44 Inch Chest, a new Brit gangster flick starring Ray Winstone, Ian McShane and John Hurt. It’s the story of Col, a cuckolded mob who gathers his friends together to take revenge on his wife’s French lover. But with the loss of his wife imminent, Col starts to reassess his life, suddenly unsure of the abject masculinity he’s surrounded himself with all his life.
We’re pleased to report that Up in the Air lives up to its press. This romance-comedy-drama from Juno director Jason Reitman is intelligent, soulful, keeps you laughing, keeps you guessing, and leaves you with that lump-in-your-throat feeling that you’ve experienced a truly lovely moment in cinema. Clooney’s emotionally detached jetsetter is perfectly (and surprisingly) matched by Twilight newcomer Anna Kendrick, and Reitman’s narrative expertly weaves witty comedy into beautiful moments of poignancy. If you only see one film this month, make it this one.
Based on the Danish film Brødre (no prizes for guessing the translation there) and taking its inspiration from Homer’s Odyssey, Brothers is an all-star drama, perfect if you don’t fancy the more action-orientated releases this week.
Armored – released this week – looks simple, down-the-line and maybe a little dumb. It might be enjoyable enough, but we’d have been more excited if the distributers had at least bothered to spell ‘Armoured’ correctly on the UK posters.
Chance Pe Chance is Bollywood’s answer to School of Rock…kind of. Struggling actor Sameer (Shahid Kapoor) works several jobs to keep on top of life’s expenses but soon realises that..
K. Selvaraghavan is Tamil cinema’s answer to James Cameron. His action-packed epic Aayirathil Oruvan (in English, ‘One Man in One Thousand’) generated a similar buzz to Avatar prior to release in its home country of India, and now after a record-breaking international rights deal, the film has landed in the UK. The over-the-top goings-on can be a bit exhausting, but visually, the film holds its own against any Hollywood adventure epic.
Michel Hazanavicius’ sequel to the French hit Nest of Spies, OSS 117: Lost in Rio is a lame, laugh-free excuse for satire. Taking its cue from offensive stereotyping and an inability to decide if it’s screwball or satire, Jean Dujarin’s secret agent neither tickles your funny bone or provides action-based thrills.
Still Walking is quite simply a masterclass in creating subtle, hauntingly moving family drama, and anyone watching it will have a hard time forgetting the relationships it presents us with. It’s rare to come across such a low-key minature masterpiece and is a very welcome reminder of the understated wonder that good cinema can create.
Released on the 22nd January, A Prophet is the next film from the multi award winning French director Jacques Audiard, whose 2005 The Beat That My Heart Skipped earned a gritty, world-weary place in the hearts of critics and audiences alike. A Prophet looks set to do the same, so make sure this is one you check out.
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