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This week, there are SIX new films out for you to choose from, led by The House That Jack Built. Here are the titles, with more info below:
- The House That Jack Built
Lizzie
Free Solo
An Elephant Sitting Still (aka Da xiang xi di er zuo)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Aquaman (CENSORED)
The House That Jack Built has a trailer which looked weird from the off, but then given that it’s a new film from Lars Von Trier, ‘weird’ is a given, and this will be violent and sweary and so on…
Matt Dillon takes the lead as Jack, a highly intelligent serial killer who, starting in the 1970s and going over the course of 12 years, this depicts the murders that truly develop Jack as that killer.
We experience the story from Jack’s point of view, while he postulates each murder is an artwork in itself. As the inevitable police intervention is drawing nearer, he is taking greater and greater risks in his attempt to create the ultimate artwork. Along the way we experience Jack’s descriptions of his personal condition, problems and thoughts through a recurring conversation with the unknown Verge (Bruno Ganz) – a grotesque mixture of sophistry mixed with an almost childlike self-pity and psychopathic explanations.
According to Zentropa Entertainments, this is a dark and sinister story, yet presented through a philosophical and occasional humorous tale.
Writers: Jenle Hallund, Lars von Trier
Also stars: Uma Thurman, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Sofie Gråbøl, Riley Keough, Ed Speleers
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Lizzie is a forthcoming psychological thriller based on the infamous 1892 murders of the Borden family, and headlines with Kristen Stewart as Bridget Sullivan, while Chloë Sevigny plays Lizzie Borden.
This film hasn’t had a rapturous welcome so far, as it only has a score of 6.2/10 on IMDB, but it looks pretty good to me, and both the two female leads are always worth a watch.
Director: Craig William Macneill
Writer: Bryce Kass
Also stars: Kim Dickens, Fiona Shaw, Denis O’Hare, Jeff Perry, Jamey Sheridan
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Free Solo
Follow Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite’s 3,000ft high El Capitan Wall. With no ropes or safety gear, he completed arguably the greatest feat in rock climbing history.
This looks quite fascinating so I definitely have to check this out. I can imagine it would be immense on the big screen, too, especially in IMAX.
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Also stars: Tommy Caldwell, Jimmy Chin
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
An Elephant Sitting Still (aka Da xiang xi di er zuo)
In the northern Chinese city of Manzhouli, they say there is an elephant that simply sits and ignores the world. Manzhouli becomes an obsession for the protagonists of this film, a longed-for escape from the downward spiral in which they find themselves. Among them is schoolboy Bu, on the run after pushing Shuai down the stairs, who was bullying him previously. Bu’s classmate Ling has run away from her mother and fallen for the charms of her teacher. Shuai’s older brother Cheng feels responsible for the suicide of a friend. And finally, along with many other characters whose fates are inextricably bound together, there’s Mr. Wang, a sprightly pensioner whose son wants to offload him onto a home. In virtuoso visual compositions, the film tells the story of one single suspenseful day from dawn to dusk, when the train to Manzhouli is set to depart.
Running for 3hrs 50 mins, I wasn’t sold on this. It looks a slow-burner in need of a good editing, but nothing will change with the end product, now, since the director sadly committed suicide in 2017.
Director: Bo Hu (as Qian Hu)
Stars: Yu Zhang, Yuchang Peng, Uvin Wang
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse isn’t a quick return for Tom Holland’s spider-webbing hero, but a forthcoming animated movie, based on the Miles Morales version of the character, aka the black Spider-Man, voiced by Shameik Moore.
The cast features Liev Schreiber, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Jake Johnson, Lily Tomlin, Luna Lauren Velez, Nick Jaine, Muneeb Rehman, Melanie Haynes, and the directors line up as follows: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse isn’t my bag, but there will be a lot of people who want it.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
Aquaman was first shown to us recently onscreen with Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, who learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and to be a hero to the world.
I did enjoy Justice League – whereas most people didn’t, but I don’t particularly care for an Aquaman origins movie.
And in any event, the film has been CENSORED from a 15-cert to a 12-cert. More info here.
Director: James Wan
Screenplay: Will Beall
Story: Will Beall, Geoff Johns, James Wan
Also stars: Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Randall Park, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Willem Dafoe, Djimon Hounsou, Graham McTavish, Temuera Morrison, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
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.