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This time, there are SEVEN new films out for you to choose from, led by Vice. Here are the titles, with more info below:
- Vice
The Mule
Destroyer
Love Sonia
On Her Shoulders
A Dog’s Way Home
Second Act
Vice tells the story of Dick Cheney, the most powerful Vice President in history, and how his policies changed the world as we know it.
The film comes from writer/director Adam McKay (The Big Short), and stars an unrecognisable Christian Bale in the lead role.
There’s also a huge cast with Amy Adams, Alison Pill, Steve Carell, Jesse Plemons, Lily Rabe, Eddie Marsan, Shea Whigham, Tyler Perry, Bill Camp, Justin Kirk, LisaGay Hamilton, Fay Masterson, Adam Bartley and Sam Rockwell as George W Bush.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Read the review!
The Mule sees Clint Eastwood starring as a 90-year-old horticulturist and WWII veteran, who is caught transporting $3 million worth of cocaine through Michigan for a Mexican drug cartel.
Even based on this trailer, it looks superb and I can’t wait for it.
The Mule is released in the US on December 14th, but as of yet there’s no UK date.
Writer: Nick Schenk
Also stars: Taissa Farmiga, Bradley Cooper, Michael Peña, Laurence Fishburne, Clifton Collins Jr, Manny Montana, Dianne Wiest, Alison Eastwood
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Destroyer features an unrecognisable Nicole Kidman as Erin Bell, a police detective, who reconnects with people from an undercover assignment in her distant past in order to make peace.
This does look like a cracking action/drama based on the trailer, and is clearly looking for Oscar/BAFTA recognition.
Director: Karyn Kusama
Screenplay: Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi
Also stars: Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany, Sebastian Stan, Scoot McNairy, Bradley Whitford
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Love Sonia is a film inspired by real life events, which tells the story of a young girl’s journey to rescue her sister from the dangerous world of international sex trafficking.
I can see this is an important film, but it’s not massively grabbing me from the trailer, but that’s because the trailer paints it as an epic Hollywood movie, rather than the drama that it is, so it seems rather a duffer of a trailer.
Director: Tabrez Noorani
Stars: Mrunal Thakur, Richa Chadha, Freida Pinto, Demi Moore
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Maybe!
On Her Shoulders tells the story if Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi who survived genocide and sexual slavery committed by ISIS. Repeating her story to the world, this ordinary girl finds herself thrust onto the international stage as the voice of her people.
Similar to Love Sonia, this is also a strong-looking film, but I’m not sure if it’ll work as a film, but it could do.
Director: Alexandria Bombach
Stars: Nadia Murad, Murad Ismael, Amal Clooney
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Maybe!
A Dog’s Way Home isn’t – as I thought, a follow-up to 2017’s A Dog’s Purpose, and thanks to Jami (below, in the comments) for the confirmation that that film was followed up by A Dog’s Journey, and a 2008 indirect sequel, The Dogs of Christmas.
However, for this film, it all feels very familiar as we hear the inner monologue of a dog! Oh, we’ve never seen that before!
Apparently, A Dog’s Purpose wasn’t completely terrible, but when so many films are released, I’ll keep track of those I want to see.
In the trailer for this, there’s some godawful CGI as the dog’s shown alongside wild animals, as if they’d really tolerate each other so well, but then this is a Disneyfied movie.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom‘s Bryce Dallas Howard takes the ‘dog lead’ role of Bella, as she travels 400 miles in search of her owner.
Director: Charles Martin Smith
Screenplay: W Bruce Cameron, Cathryn Michon
Novel: W Bruce Cameron
Also stars: Ashley Judd, Edward James Olmos, Alexandra Shipp, Wes Studi
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
Second Act brings actress/singer Jennifer Lopez (The Boy Next Door) back to the fore in a premise that’s well-worn but is one I first remember seeing in 1991’s superb Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead, which starred Christina Applegate, that premise being that Ms Lopez, as Maya, lies her way to get out of a bobbins warehouse job and into a more high-powered role in flash company on Madison Avenue in New York, hence taking her life into its ‘second act’.
There’s a bit of a gag or two in this first trailer which are fine, but this isn’t going to set the world on fire. But then it’s not planning to – it’s just meant to be a bit of a laugh, as well as a chick-flick.
Director: Peter Segal
Writers: Justin Zackham, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas
Also stars: Milo Ventimiglia, Vanessa Hudgens, Leah Remini, Charlyne Yi, Freddie Stroma, Treat Williams, Dave Foley
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.