What's on the big screen this week
AMONG this week's releases is T2: Trainspotting, and for once, it's a sequel that isn't a complete disaster. In fact our reviewer believes it's just as good as the original, made 20 years ago.
Also making their debuts on the big screen are Bitter Harvest, Fist Fight and Rings. There's a bit of light and shade in the mix, but probably nothing that will make an Oscars list, going on critics' reviews.
Watch out for Australian film, Jasper Jones due to come out next week on March 2.
Bitter Harvest
Director George Mendeluk has woven together the grim story of two young lovers caught in the ravages of Joseph Stalin's genocidal policies against Ukraine in the 1930s.
An artist named Yuri battles to survive famine and torture to save his sweetheart Natalka from the Holodomor, the death-by-starvation program that killed millions.
Why you should see it: This is a vital story from history that deserves to be heard.
Fist Fight
One teacher (Charlie Day) gets another teacher fired (Ice Cube). Cue a challenge to an after-school fight.
Why you should see it: If you go in not expecting much, you might at least get something to amuse you for 90 minutes without having to think too hard.
T2: Trainspotting
Mark Renton returns to the only place he can ever call home, 20 years down the track. They are waiting for him: Spud, Sick Boy, and Begbie. Other old friends are waiting too: sorrow, loss, joy, vengeance, hatred, friendship, love, longing, fear, regret, self-destruction and mortal danger. Read the review here.
Why you should see it: Fans of the original cult movie will love revisiting the characters in a film just as good as the first one.
Rings
A young woman becomes worried about her boyfriend when he explores a dark subculture surrounding a mysterious videotape said to kill the watcher seven days after he has viewed it. She sacrifices herself to save her boyfriend and in doing so makes a horrifying discovery: there is a "movie within the movie” no one has seen before...
Why you should see it: If you enjoy scaring yourself silly, give this one a go. But is it one Ring too far?
CONTINUING:
The Great Wall
MATT Damon stars in this film which tells the story of an elite force fighting an invasion of monstrous creatures on the world's most iconic structure.
Why you should see it: This is the first English-language production for director Yimou Zhang and is the largest film ever shot entirely in China.
Hidden Figures
AS THE United States raced against Russia to put a man in space, NASA found untapped talent in a group of African-American female mathematicians that served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in US history.
Why you should see it: Based on the unbelievably true life stories of three of these women, known as "human computers”, the film follows these women as they quickly rose the ranks of NASA alongside many of history's greatest minds, tasked with calculating the momentous launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, and guaranteeing his safe return. Read the review.
Silence
TWO missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor (Liam Neeson).
Why you should see it: If you can stomach the harrowing torture scenes, director Martin Scorsese will give you an insight into the way faith behaves when it's subjected to the ugly extremes of human behaviour. Read the review.
Trespass Against Us
A MAN looks to find a way to escape the criminal ways of his outlaw family.
Why you should see it: Do you ever need an excuse to watch Michael Fassbender?
Manchester by the Sea (M)
An uncle is forced to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies in this Oscar contender.
Why you should see it: Thankfully Australian audiences won't miss out on Kenneth Lonergan's latest piece of melancholy cinema. Casey Affleck's grounded but powerful performance deserves to pick up the Best Actor Oscar. Read the review.
Gold (M)
Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on a journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia.
Why you should see it: Gold boasts an impressively performance by Matthew McConaughey, but it's pretty much the only glittering nugget in a film that's silver at best. Read the review.
Patriots Day (M)
An account of Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis's actions in the events leading up to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the aftermath, which includes the city-wide manhunt to find the terrorists behind it.
Why you should see it: Director Peter Berg's latest offering is, surprisingly, a solidly crafted tribute to the heroes of a real-life tragedy. Read the review.
Kevin is a man with at least 23 different personalities. While he has lived a relatively stable life and managed to hold down a job thanks to his psychologist, things begin to unravel when one of his alters takes control and kidnaps three teenage girls.
Why you should see it: James McAvoy's performance, which is essentially six characters rolled into one, is nothing short of impressive. Written, directed and self-financed by M Night Shyamalan, Split is a tense, well-paced psychological thriller which proves Shyamalan is back in top form. Read the interview.
Live By Night (MA 15+)
A group of Boston-bred gangsters set up shop in balmy Florida during the Prohibition era, facing off against the competition and the Ku Klux Klan
Why you should see it: Ben Affleck directs, produces and stars in this visually stylish period crime drama that doesn't quite deliver the full package.
Lion (PG)
A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometres from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.
Why you should see it: Aussie director Garth Davis's feature film debut recounts the real-life experiences of Saroo Brierly with beautiful visuals, sensitivity and a tremendous cast. Five-year-old Indian actor Sunny Pawar nearly steals the film from Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman. Read the interview.
