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This week, there are FOUR new films out for you to choose from: The sci-fi sequel everyone’s been waiting for in Blade Runner 2049, a heart-warming coming-of-age tale in Heartstone, another coming-of-age tale in The Glass Castle which ends up getting all schmaltzy, and Idris Elba and Kate Winslet phone in their latest movie in The Mountain Between Us.
Blade Runner 2049 is set 30 years after the 1982 original Blade Runner, which was based on the short story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick, and brought to the screen by director Ridley Scott. This time round, the screenplay comes from Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, based on a story by Fancher and Scott.
This time round, there’s a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), who unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to sink what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
The film also stars Ana de Armas (War Dogs), Robin Wright (Everest), Lennie James (The Walking Dead), Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Jared Leto (Suicide Squad), Mackenzie Davis (The Martian) and Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy 2)
Blade Runner 2049 is a must-see for sure, and is released in the UK on October 6th, and since 6K resolution cameras have been used, I’m tempted to see it im IMAX…
Now, some more thought about it. This film is available in 2D and 3D, both in 2.35:1, while an IMAX version is available with the screen opened up to 1.90:1. There are some 3D prints of this going out there, but it appears most will be in 2D at the request of the filmmakers.
Cinematographer Roger Deakins has stated a preference for the 2D regular 2.35:1 version. So while I was tempted with the IMAX for this, it seems that’s not the best option for this movie.
Something else to bear in mind is that the film has a very long running time of 163 minutes, so that’s almost THREE HOURS!
Apparently, the film is 152 mins, followed by 11 minutes of ‘special end credits’. I haven’t been able to ascertain exactly what makes them special just yet, but I know that they’ll be best seen at my local Odeon where they keep the end credits lightning to a minimum, while Vue just whack them up to full brightness regardless, however many times I’ve tried to press the issue with them and their head office. They claim it’s down to ‘Health and Safety’, yet Vue Lowry are covered by the same council rules as Odeon Trafford Centre, so Vue are clearly talking out of their backside, and they’re too pig-ignorant to do anything about it.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Heartstone
A remote fishing village in Iceland. Teenage boys Thor and Christian experience a turbulent summer as one tries to win the heart of a girl while the other discovers new feelings toward his best friend. When summer ends and the harsh nature of Iceland takes back its rights, it’s time to leave the playground and face adulthood.
I really wasn’t expecting a lot from this, but it looks an immensely charming tale, so I hope to check this out.
Writer/Director: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson
Stars: Baldur Einarsson, Blær Hinriksson, Diljá Valsdóttir
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
The Glass Castle is a coming-of-age tale which could go either way – the trailer starts off fine, but then gets all schmaltzy towards the end. It’s centred around a young girl in a dysfunctional family of nonconformist nomads, with a mother, Rose Mary Walls (Naomi Watts), who’s an eccentric artist and an alcoholic father (Woody Harrelson) who would stir the children’s imagination with hope as a distraction to their poverty.
Constantly on the run from the FBI, their father, Rex, distracts the girl with magical stories to keep her minds off the family’s dire state, and their selfish, nonconformist mother who has no intention of raising a family, along with her younger brother and sister, and her other older sister. Together, they fend for each other as they mature in an unorthodox journey that is their family life.
Director: Destin Cretton
Writers: Destin Cretton, Andrew Lanham, Jeannette Walls
Also stars: Brie Larson, Sarah Snook, Max Greenfield, Iain Armitage
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
The Mountain Between Us
Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow covered mountain. When they realize help is not coming, they embark on a perilous journey across the wilderness.
Based on the trailer, Idris Elba and Kate Winslet take the lead in what looks like a typical case of “big Hollywood names phone in their performances”.
Director: Hany Abu-Assad
Also stars: Beau Bridges, Dermot Mulroney
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.