Mamma Mia!

 

• Released Internationally on 09/07/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 23/07/08

 

In a nutshell

Yet another successful jukebox musical makes the leap to the big screen. Mamma Mia! has been playing to packed theatre audiences on both sides of the Atlantic for nearly ten years, and considering the undying popularity of ABBA’s hits, it’s no surprise.

Summer loving

Mamma Mia! Is very much a summer film – loads of beautiful people singing and dancing away on a sun-drenched Greek island, as they prepare for a wedding. Guests start to arrive from around the globe, and a few old friendships are re-forged and some old flames rekindled. What more could you ask for on a hot summer night?

Happy families

I admit to never having watched the stage musical, for reasons related to my Y chromosome, so I’m not sure how this screen version steers away from the original plot or song line-up. We first meet Sophie on the eve of her wedding, and she confides in her bridesmaids that she has raided her mother’s old diary looking for clues as to the identity of her unknown father. Instead of an answer, she finds three, and therefore decides to invite all three of them to the wedding. And sure enough they all turn up, never having met each other before, and all eager to meet their old summer romance, Donna.

Mighty Meryl

Donna runs the island’s main hotel, is organising the wedding, and more or less steals the show. She is played by a very feisty Meryl Streep, who once again shows us her huge versatility and talent. Approaching 60, Streep transforms herself into a burnt-out but fun single mother, who’s put aside her wild youth and settled for a quiet but busy life cut off from the rest of the world. She sings, she dances, she performs splits, and she crowns it all with a wonderful rendition of ‘The Winner Takes It All’ atop a windy cliff.

Who else is in it?

Amanda Seyfried (Mean Girls, Alpha Dog) is the bride-to-be, Sophie. The three potential fathers she invites are portrayed with gusto by Pierce Brosnan (007, Mrs. Doubtfire), Colin Firth (Bridget Jones’ Diary, Love Actually) and Stellan Skarsgård (Pirates of the Caribbean, Amistad). Julie Walters (Harry Potter, Billy Elliot) and Christine Baranski (The Birdcage, Bulworth) are equally entertaining as Donna’s best friends. The film was directed by Phyllida Lloyd, who had directed the musical to worldwide success back in 1999.

Flawed but fun

The fun never stops, and there are over twenty musical numbers squeezed into the plot, and chances are you know the lyrics or at least the tune to nearly all of them. And the entire cast seems to be having great fun throughout the whole thing. Admittedly, watching James Bond suddenly burst into song on a Greek veranda can take some getting used to, but most musical numbers turn out quite well. The scenery is exquisite, although some sequences give away the studio setting and fail to match the outdoors scenes. But all’s resolved in the end, and in true musical style there’s a big grand finale to suit everyone. And just in case you’re not smiling by the end of it all, the closing credits are sure to win you over.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/mammamia/ (High-res QuickTime)

 

Meet Dave

 

• Released Internationally on 09/07/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 23/07/08

 

In a nutshell

Dave may look like Eddie Murphy, but he is in fact a spaceship, manned by numerous tiny human-like aliens. They have been sent to Earth on a mission which will hopefully save their home planet, Nil. But while they’re here the crew start to develop certain feelings for the doomed earthlings, and mutiny threatens to compromise their mission.

Saving face?

If you’re still reading, then you haven’t been scared off by the ridiculous plot outline above. And to be fair, once you get past the whole plot concept, the film does somehow manage to offer a few moments of humour and warmth. However, these are the exception rather than the rule, and most scenes are somewhat painful to watch, either due to the poor special effects, or the strained acting, or the general silliness of the whole idea. Still, I imagine younger children will find much to enjoy in Dave’s antics.

Who’s in it?

Murphy takes on the dual role of the spaceship and its bite-sized captain. Elizabeth Banks (Seabiscuit, Spider-man 2 & 3) is Dave’s unlikely love interest, and Gabrielle Union (Deliver Us From Eva, Bad Boys II) is the ship’s 3^rd in command. Scott Caan (Ocean’s 11,12 & 13, Into the Blue) is one of the bewildered police officers dealing with Dave. The film is directed by Brian Robbins, whose other dubious achievements include The Shaggy Dog and Norbit.

O Eddie, where art thou?

Ultimately, this film can be shelved along with the Norbits, Pluto Nashes and Haunted Mansions of Murphy’s career, and it is sadly turning out to be quite a loaded shelf. We all know that he’s got talent, and it’s been very evident in both his early work, as well as recent outings such as Shrek and Dreamgirls. But for reasons known only to him, he still accepts these very obviously silly roles from time to time. I guess he needs the cash. The comic value of Murphy’s rigid, robotic Dave wears thin pretty quickly, and ironically even the spaceships’ captain, also played by Murphy, delivers all his lines emotionlessly, despite being flesh and blood.

 

 

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809846742/trailer (High-res options)

 

WALL•E

 

• Released Internationally on 26/06/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 18/07/08

 

Preview (01/07/08)

In a nutshell

WALL•E stands for Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth-Class, and is the name of a pint-sized robot who is left behind on a deserted planet Earth in the year 2700, to clean up the mess. He’s cute, he’s got personality, and he’s about to welcome a very special visitor.

Why we’re hyped

Pixar have been churning out one quality hit after another ever since they launched computer-animated feature films with Toy Story back in 1995. Their recent offerings were all brilliant family films, and with such a cute title character, it looks like this will be the film that adults will be enjoying this summer after being dragged to watch it by their offspring. He seems like a cross between E.T. and Number 5 from Short Circuit, and we can expect to see him everywhere very soon.

Who’s in it?

Have you ever met anyone who didn’t like Finding Nemo? Well Andrew Stanton, who wrote and directed Nemo, is the man behind the scenes here. He also has Monsters Inc., A Bug’s Life, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 on his impressive CV. The voice of WALL•E was created by sound effects guru Ben Burtt, who back in the 70s created the voice of another lovable and functional piece of hardware – R2-D2.

 

Review (15/07/08)

Yup, you guessed it

You may have heard or read this numerous times before, but Pixar and Disney have, (surprise, surprise) done it again. Every year or so they release a film amidst a wave of high expectations based on their stellar track record, and every year they manage to raise the bar. WALL•E delivers on every level, and isn’t just the best animated film of the year so far, but one of the best films of any sort.

Silence is golden

WALL•E is a guy of very few words. But the wizards at Pixar have filled this tiny metal robot with so much character and charm that for the first chunk of the film he steals the show by just scurrying around planet Earth on one of his typical days, with only a die-hard cockroach to occasionally keep him company. But then another robot, EVE, suddenly lands on the scene with much fanfare, and WALL•E’s mundane routine is sent into orbit. The action never lets up from then onwards, but no matter how huge matters get, our little rusty hero never loses sight of his original target – EVE.

Technical brilliance.

Whichever way you look at it, this piece of movie magic is amongst the best of what cinema has to offer. The main characters, although mostly tiny robots, are all memorable and unique. The humour is fine-tuned and frequent. Plus, the expansive apocalyptic cityscapes, balletic flying sequences, and maestro Thomas Newman’s warm and colourful score combine effortlessly to give us numerous breathtaking sequences. And amidst all the technology and spectacle there’s a hard-hitting message for us sedentary humans who might be spending just a little too much time in front of our flat-screens. Then, as the last frame fades to black, we’re treated to one of the most ingenious and beautiful end credit sequences I can remember. Brilliant stuff.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/walle/ (High-res QuickTime)

 

Hancock

 

• Released Internationally on 01/07/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 09/07/08

 

Preview (01/07/08)

In a nutshell

This is the first film that can truly claim to be a superhero movie with a difference. Hancock may well be a superhero with superpowers, but he’s also an alcoholic, has slightly unorthodox methods, and needs a shave. But when everyone else turns against him, one man tries to help him get his act together and improve his image.

Why we’re hyped

Two words: Will Smith. He’s likeable, he’s talented, and he’s been the leading man in a string of hits ever since Independence Day way back in 1996. And when you need a superhero with a touch of comedy, he seems like just the man to pull it off. This promises to be just as big on the special effects as on the laughs.

Who’s in it?

Apart from Hancock himself, there’s Jason Bateman (Juno, The Kingdom) playing the public relations consultant who tries to revamp Hancock’s look after having his life saved, and the always lovely Charlize Theron (Monster, The Devil’s Advocate) as Bateman’s wife. It’s directed by Peter Berg, who was behind the camera for the Saudi Arabia action thriller The Kingdom last year.

 

Review (08/07/08)

Is he legend?

Will Smith is as big a star as you can get nowadays, and in his last outing – last year’s I Am Legend, he practically carried the whole film on his shoulders, and elevated the film with his performance and his presence. Now he’s the title character yet again, but sadly not even Will Smith in superhero mode can save this film from the mess it gets itself into.

Not your average superhero

He does try his best however, and the film starts off very promisingly with a fairly original idea – a superhero who’s let himself go and needs to hone his social skills. We first meet Hancock as he’s passed out on a street bench, unshaven, unkempt and about to start nursing a nasty hangover. Before long he’s reluctantly using his superhuman strength and flying capabilities to save the day, but he manages to make a botched job of it and ends up annoying more people than he impresses. And so it goes on – a superhero who is seen as a nuisance by the city he protects. But after saving the life of a PR executive (Bateman), he is offered some tips to improve his public image and get his life back on track.

Great concept, what next?

So far so good, but that’s when things start to get messy. The original idea outstays its welcome, the plot takes off in a totally unexpected direction, and in the second and third acts the film isn’t sure whether it wants to be a comedy, a drama, or an all-out superhero action movie. We meet a rather confused Charlize Theron and a somewhat unconvincing bad guy, and by the end of the film the plot will have taken so many unexplained turns and twists that there’s a good chance you won’t really care what happens next. Rumour has it the film underwent a lot of last-minute editing, so chances are some much-needed explanations are lying somewhere on an editing-room floor.

Super?

It seems that when it comes to superheroes, it’s better to trust the big names. Some of the best-known comic-book heroes have recently given us top-notch film outings, on every level. Hancock aspires to be one of them, but he’s not sure which one.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/hancock/ (High-res QuickTime)

 

Kung Fu Panda

 

• Released Internationally on 05/06/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 02/07/08

 

Preview (01/06/08)

In a nutshell

Pandas aren’t very agile. Po, the title character, is no exception. He loves Kung-Fu, but merely as a sofa-warming spectator. However, it turns out he has a different purpose in his life, and we’re about to see what he’s really capable of. This promises to be another one of DreamWorks Animations’ sharp and witty animated comedies for all the family.

Why we’re hyped

After tap-dancing penguins, gourmet rats and bees who sound like Seinfeld, this summer’s cool creatures might prove to be pandas. With an all-star voice cast and an accent on the laughs, this promises to be an oriental delight, and after a glitzy premiere at this year’s Cannes Festival, it’s already taken a good hold of the US box-office.

Who’s In It?

The never-serious Jack Black plays the Panda with plans, and we’ll also get to hear Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Michael Clarke Duncan, and, very appropriately, Jackie Chan.

 

Review (26/06/08)

Simple delights

This film is just over 90 minutes of pure, unadulterated fun. It doesn’t aspire to be a complex plot-driven film. It doesn’t try to say anything that will linger in the mind for years to come. It just focuses on giving you an hour and a half of non-stop laughs, spectacular animation, wonderful characters and endless kung fu, and it does so brilliantly. Need we ask for more?

Po, the fanboy

Despite his sizeable girth, the film revolves around Po – a lazy, inflexible panda who works in his dad’s noodle bar in China, but dreams of a life with more spice. The wonderful thing about this character, who by the end of the film has stolen the show, is that he represents the fanboy in all of us - because Po is obsessed with kung-fu. He has all the action figures, he knows all the history, he can spout all the trivia, yet he can’t even touch his toes. And like every sports or cinema fanatic who’s never left the sofa, when he’s finally thrust into the world he knows so much about and adores so much, he’s wide-eyed with excitement and completely in awe, and therefore wonderful to watch.

Top shelf animation

By now we’ve come to expect nothing less than brilliant animation, and there’s no disappointments here. The scenery is breathtaking, the action is choreographed in style, and the characters are brought to life with gusto, also thanks to the voice cast – especially Jack Black as our bamboo-chewing friend, and Dustin Hoffman as his pint-sized kung-fu master. Half-way through we’re treated to a prison break scene that puts the TV show to shame, and reminds us how far computer animation has come over the past ten years.

In the end

Don’t expect the tale to change your life – but be prepared to laugh and smile and cheer for the latest furry creature to take over the big screen.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/kungfupanda/ (High-res QuickTime)

 

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

 

• Released Internationally on 15/05/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 26/06/08

 

Preview (01/06/08)

In a nutshell

No surprises here. When The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was released in the wake of the Lord of the Rings phenomenon, another highly successful and screen-worthy fantasy franchise had made the jump to the big-screen. So once the first film proved itself as a massive box-office hit (even wrestling past Peter Jackson’s King Kong back in the 2005 Christmas season), all bets were off that the other books in the Narnia series would be filmed. So here’s part two of a potential seven.

Why we’re hyped

The four Pevensie children return to Narnia, only to discover that 1300 years of oppression have elapsed since their last visit. So we can expect this to be a darker and grittier film than the previous one. There’s also another large-scale battle on offer, so hopefully the digital effects wizards will manage to top the battle in Wardrobe, which was one of the highlights of the film, albeit a bit too shiny and clean for my tastes.

Who’s in it?

Everyone’s favourite mane character, Aslan, will be back of course, voiced by the ever-noble Liam Neeson. Plus the four child actors who portrayed the central characters, and relative newcomer Ben Barnes as the eponymous prince. Andrew Adamson (Shrek, Shrek 2 and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) returns to the director’s chair.

 

Review (25/06/08)

So where were we?

Three years ago, when quite a large chunk of the world exited cinemas after seeing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, we left the four main protagonists just as they had returned to our world, leaving Narnia behind after reigning over it for many years. This next chronicle, penned by C.S. Lewis soon after completing the previous book, picks up shortly after, with the four children finding life in London rather on the drab side compared to their previous exploits. Sure enough, over in Narnia, things have been set in motion for the old rulers to be summoned back, because they are sorely missed.

Things have changed

Narnia is a bit on the dark side nowadays, with a troupe of European-sounding humans called Telmarines having taken over, and being intent on exterminating all other Narnian inhabitants. The Prince is question is one such Telmarine, but he is forced to flee after realising his life is in danger due to his power-hungry uncle’s lust for the throne. This makes for a beautiful night-time escape sequence, which opens the film. He eventually meets the four Pevensie children, and together with centaurs, minotaurs, mice, dwarves, badgers and countless other creatures they seek to end the rule of this foul-tempered uncle of Caspian’s.

Another religion lesson?

The Christian allegory which C.S. Lewis enmeshed into his first novel was very evident on screen, whereas here it seems to have been toned down or at times omitted, also due in part to some of the deliberate changes made when adapting the book to the screen, in order to make it more of a big action film.

Sequel syndrome?

Despite not being as interesting or as magical a story as the first instalment, this film makes amends by having a number of exciting and well-orchestrated action sequences, such as the above-mentioned escape and a wonderful, hushed, midnight assault on a castle which evoked great memories of Disney’s Robin Hood from many moons ago (and which wasn’t in the book). The final confrontation is also bigger, flashier and more intricate than the climax of Wardrobe, and in the end I felt that while very clearly set in the same world, these two films are very different and can be judged on their own separate merits, of which there are many.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/thechroniclesofnarniaprincecaspian/ (High-res QuickTime)

 

The Incredible Hulk

 

• Released Internationally on 12/07/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 18/06/08

 

Preview (01/06/08)

In a nutshell

Only five years after the box-office and critical disappointment of Hulk, Marvel have decided to give everyone’s favourite green monster a second chance.

Why we’re hyped

This won’t be a sequel to the Eric Bana film, but rather a ‘reboot’ – just like Batman Begins was, meaning that the story of how Bruce Banner became mean and green will be retold, although this time around we’re reassured it will be in flashbacks, so hopefully it won’t take as long as it did in the previous version. Judging from the trailers, the CGI Hulk should be better than the hardly convincing 2003 model. Another promising sign is that Hulk has a worthy opponent this time around – the equally undomesticated ‘The Abomination’, which is a character from the Marvel comics who can match Hulk in the strength, radiation exposure, good-nature and looks departments. They’re going to be facing off in the streets of New York, so make sure you’re not parked anywhere close.

Who’s in it?

The always reliable Edward Norton (Fight Club, American History X) goes green, and everyone’s favourite pumpkin, Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction, The Legend of 1900), who has been absent from prominent roles from far too long, plays his counterpart. The lovely Liv Tyler (The Lord of the Rings, Jersey Girl) provides the gentle touch, and William Hurt (A.I., A History of Violence) runs the show back at HQ. The script was penned by Zak Penn, who worked on the last two X-Men scripts.

 

Review (20/06/08)

Comparisons are odious

When a film is essentially a remake of a film that was released only five years previously, it's impossible not to compare them, or at least to stand back and see why a retouch was deemed necessary. One would expect that no film-maker in his or her right mind would attempt such a project unless they were pretty sure they had something substantial to add or improve, and in this case, the inevitable comparisons make this version look good. Personally, I didn't mind Ang Lee's Hulk back in 2003, but the film definitely had its flaws, and when flaws include a very slow start and a quite confusing and anti-climactic ending, the chances are your audience will leave the cinema with a bad taste in their mouth.

The boy from Brazil

Slow start? Sorted. This time around, all the 'science-experiment-gone-wrong' story is dealt with during the opening credits, and we’re quickly introduced to the main characters and how they were involved in the lab disaster that made our friend slightly more anger-prone than the norm. We then cut to the favelas, or shanty-towns of Brazil for the spectacular opening sequence, as Bruce Banner is forced out of hiding and hits the road. The exotic setting might seem a bit confusing considering that Hulk ended with Eric Bana living in exile in the Amazon rainforest. But this is not a sequel, and Edward Norton immediately makes the role his, and all thoughts of Bana are banished from our brains as we are presented with a scared and isolated Bruce, desperately trying to keep his demons under wraps.

Khaki, not Kermit

Before long, we get to see the new CGI Hulk, after a bit of teasing as he lurks in the shadows. The improvement is immediately visible, and I think the actual design of Hulk is one of the best things about this film, and the biggest improvement from the previous one. The highlighter green cartoon-like skin and fancy purple bermudas are replaced by a darker, dirtier, more athletic beast, who manages to go from terrorising to tender convincingly, and somehow manages to make us see Bruce Banner beneath all the rage.

The grapes of Roth

Once the military latch on to Banner, we meet the hardened fighter Emil Blonsky, played with gritty determination and a spark of insanity by Tim Roth. The similarities between Roth and Norton are obvious, and as the film progresses they come face-to-face time and time again, and their antagonism is palpable as they build towards the film's grand climactic duel. And what a duel it is. A satisfying climax to such a big summer movie, the New York showdown is intense and spectacular, and ends the film on a high. We're also treated to a tiny Marvel treat at the end, with a cameo that throws open endless possibilities for future film options. And if they're of the calibre of this summer's Iron Man and Incredible Hulk, they'll be more than welcome.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/theincrediblehulk/ (High-res QuickTime)

 

The Happening

• Released Internationally on 11/06/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 11/06/08

Preview (01/06/08)

In a nutshell

One of the best writer/director/producers of the past ten years, M. Night Shyamalan, is back. He burst onto the scene in 1999 with The Sixth Sense, and has since provided consistently brilliant and inventive movies (apart from the rather messy Lady in the Water in 2006).

Why we’re hyped

After a series of rated-12 films, it looks like Shyamalan has decided to get dark and disturbing just in time for Friday the 13^th. Not much of the plot has been given away, apart from the fact that it’s about some worldwide phenomenon which hits suddenly and has humans dropping like flies (sometimes literally). But the recently-released R-Rated trailer adds a disturbing level of detail to what’s going on, and trust me, it isn’t pretty. Plus, this is Shyamalan, so there’s no way that this is going to be some run-of-the-mill disaster movie.

Who’s in it?

Starring duties fall to the consistent Mark Wahlberg (Boogie Nights, Three Kings), and he’ll be ably assisted by Zooey Deschanel (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and John Leguizamo (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!). But in this case, it’s the guy behind the camera that matters most.

Review (11/06/08)

So what’s happening?

I would tell you what's happening, but that might ruin some of the fun. And anyway, once the deceptively soothing opening credits are over, you'll soon have a pretty clear idea of just how distressing things are going to get. Shyamalan gets straight to the point here, and we're soon immersed in one of those familiar scenarios of a large scale disaster, seen from the eyes of a few individuals.

The good

This is no run-of-the-mill disaster flick, and Shyamalan thankfully does away with all the American flag-waving pomp and military strategy meetings that often plague these sort of films. Instead, he cuts to the chase, and takes us on one young family's scared journey through the whole series of events. He's in top form when it comes to keeping you uneasy, and with a mix of inventive shots and scenes, numerous off-kilter characters, and an unsettling score from James Newton Howard, he presents us with probably his most disturbing film yet.

The bad

For a film that keeps you on edge for so long, this one fails to deliver as much as I'd hoped. Shyamalan seems to come up with great concepts and then develop them into great films (seeing dead people, discovering you're a superhero, villagers never leaving their village, etc.), but here despite conceiving a great concept, he just leaves it at that, and left me yearning for more. The explanation and conclusion might make some viewers laugh, and might make some viewers frustrated, but I doubt they will make any viewers feel satisfied.

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/thehappening/ (High-res QuickTime)

Gone Baby Gone

 

• Released Internationally on 19/10/07
• Released in Malta by KRS on 25/06/08

 

Preview (15/05/08)

In a nutshell

Ben Affleck’s directorial debut, about two detectives uncovering more than they bargained for when they investigate the disappearance of a four-year-old girl.

Why we’re hyped

This was released last October on the other side of the Atlantic, and it attracted a lot of praise, especially for the acting and for Affleck’s directing. (The release was delayed in certain parts of Europe, especially the UK, due to the uncanny similarities with the real-life missing British four-year-old Madeleine McCann).

Who’s in it?

Affleck’s younger brother Casey (Ocean’s 11, 12 and 13, The Last Kiss) and Michelle Monaghan (Mission: Impossible III) are the two detectives, whilst Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption, Batman Begins) and Ed Harris (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind) add class and experience, whilst Amy Ryan (Capote) delivers a head-turning supporting role.

 

Review (10/06/08)

Heavy drama

I wasn't surprised to discover that the author of the book on which Gone Baby Gone is based also wrote Mystic River, because both films have a bleak, working-class feel about them, and both are very good crime dramas set in the seedier areas of Boston. The plot follows two young but street-wise private investigators who are persuaded to 'augment' the police investigation into the disappearance of a four-year-old girl. As expected, the boys in blue aren't too pleased to see them at first, but eventually they join forces to track the girl down before it's too late. The deeper they dig, the more dirt they uncover, and Casey Affleck's character has to question his own beliefs and what he's willing to sacrifice in order to do what he believes is the right thing.

The good

To elaborate too much on the plot would be a disservice to the film, because Ben Affleck carefully peels back layer after layer of his plot onion, and does so quite brilliantly for a first-time director. The acting is top-notch on all levels, from Morgan Freeman as the police chief all the way down to Amy Ryan as the distraught mother. The real revelation though is Ben's brother, Casey, who after playing a wimp so convincingly in last year's Jesse James, walks the streets here as a confident no-nonsense and often unorthodox investigator.

The bad?

There's not much to complain about here. It's not exactly light summer fare, so don't sit down expecting an easy two hours. But not since Arlington Rd. have I sat during the end credits of a film and questioned so many of those things I previously took for granted.

The ugly

For anyone who followed the excessive media coverage of the McCann case, scenes from this film might be hard to handle since the child actress is eerily alike. However, apart from looks and age, these two missing person cases have little in common. Still, it serves as a shocking reminder that makes the film all the more relevant. There is a lot to discuss in this thought-provoking story, and part of its message is about a reality that is all around us.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/gonebabygone/ (High-res QuickTime)

 

Sex and the City

• Released Internationally on 28/05/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 04/06/08

Preview (15/05/08)

In a nutshell

If you haven’t heard of the TV series, maybe it’s time you bought a TV. And for those of you left yearning for more once the outstanding six seasons came to a close, this promises to be more of the same.

Why we’re hyped

Ok, I admit – I’ve watched all 94 episodes. In chronological order. Of my own free will. Granted, it’s not exactly The Sopranos when it comes to appealing to male viewers, but you have to admit that it’s great television – particularly the classily-scripted sixth season. If you had any burning questions once the curtain came down, we’re now going to find out what’s going on in the lives of these four sexy New Yorkers four years down the line. As you can imagine, things have become complicated.

Who’s in it?

Everyone from the TV series is back for the big screen version, so we will obviously be seeing Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall and Kristen Davis in the starring roles. Chris Noth reprises his recurring and tumultuous role as love interest Mr. Big, and one of the new roles created for this film goes to Oscar-winning Dreamgirl Jennifer Hudson. The film is written and directed by Michael Patrick King, who helmed the entire TV series.

Review (03/06/08)

City slicker?

For those of you (ok, us) who have watched the series, I'm sure you'll remember how great it is to watch the action-packed, often moving, season-ending finales. Well here's a chance to head back to the city for more, because this plays like an over-two-hour-long season grand finale. And although the end of season six seemed to tie up all the loose plot threads, they're all unravelled here for one last spin.

New to the city?

I'd imagine that it works better for those who followed the TV show, since these are characters that we know well and care about. But for those of you who are new to the series, the opening sequence offers a brief rundown of salient plot points, and even if you're still buying popcorn and miss that, the film's plot is quite self-explanatory and works as a way-above-average romantic comedy.

The good, the bad

Despite being about 20 minutes too long, it manages to keep a brisk pace throughout. Frivolous as it may seem at times, once you get past all the product placements and obligatory girl-power moments, this is a film which proudly wears its heart on its designer-label sleeve. Males may protest as their counterparts are reduced to sideline characters, but as expected from a film written and directed by a man, we do get to see at least some of the male viewpoint.

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/newline/sexandthecity/ (High-res QuickTime)