by Nathaniel R
Woman at War -- see it before the American remake dumbs it down!
Consider this weekend a warm-up to the 2019 Film Year! Yes, yes, we've technically had 2 full months of releases but for us each new year begins once we've recuperatd from the Oscars. So our personal rebirth begins next weekend with a double dose of Best Actresses Brie Larson and Julianne Moore (in Captain Marvel and Gloria Bell, respectively) -- Actressexuality forevah!
But if you're ready to dive into 2019 already, there are a lot of films opening this weekend and we happen to have covered three of them already so check it out. ★ = highly recommended...
WIDE RELEASE
- Greta - Chris reviewed this intergenerational stalker thriller starring the one and only Isabelle Huppert and Chloe Moretz
- ★ A Star is Born (EXTENDED) - Yes, it's gone wide yet again to celebrate "Shallow's" Oscar win. This time with 12 extra minutes added to its already bulky running time including a new song and a lengthier version of the parking lot scene where Gaga first tries out "Shallow" on Jackson Maine. Should we see it a fifth time?
- Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral - This is Madea's 11th film appearance (!!!) That's quite a profitable franchise.
LIMITED RELEASE
- Apollo 11 - Hot on the heels of First Man comes a doc on the same subject so see how closely Ryan Gosling and Corey Stoll captured the psyches of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
- ★ Climax - Chris reviewed the latest provocation from Gaspar Noé at TIFF. Sofia Boutella leads the cast as a choreographer partying with her dance crew, the night devolving into hallucinogenic carnage.
- Furie - A Vietnamese action film starring Veronica Ngo (Bright, The Last Jedi) who also co-starred in last year's Vietnamese Oscar submission (The Tailor)
- He Matado a mi Marido! - Maria Conchita Alonso stars in this Spanish language romcom
- Saint Judy - Michelle Monaghan headlines this true story about a immigration rights lawyer
- ★ Transit - Nathaniel reviewed this haunting German romantic drama at TIFF and Murtada interviewed the director. Franz Rogowski (Happy End) and Paula Beer (Frantz) star.
- Virginia Minnesota - a indie dramedy about two childhood friends reuniting
- The Wedding Guest - Dev Patel stars in this thriller about a British man travelling from Pakistan to India
- ★ Woman at War - Nathaniel reviewed Iceland's most recent Oscar submission at TIFF. Jodie Foster snapped up the rights for a remake and it might work as a vehicle for her (plus we'd love to see her back onscreen.) That said, it surely won't have this film's auteurist bent or its straight-faced zen whimsy in the face of such depressing subject matter (the relentless attack on our environment by corporations) so see it now while it's still "pure".