NEW CINEMA RELEASES

Just three movies opening in cinemas this week, one of which (AMERICAN SNIPER) is nominated for a best picture Oscar.

So… Top pick to see this week is AMERICAN SNIPER. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle’s pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home to his wife and kids after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind. It’s directed by Clint Eastwood who usually gives us a good movie. Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) takes on the starring role, so it will be interesting to see how he manages a more serious character than he has previously. It’s also based on a real life subject. New York Observer’s Rex Reed praises it for its …tight, two-fisted direction by Clint Eastwood, and a compelling centerpiece performance by Bradley Cooper.

WILD is yet another movie based on a true story (there’s been a lot lately!) It’s a chronicle of one woman’s 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe. The Telegraph’s Tim Rosey explains that Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée has followed up one big, awardsy film from last year (Dallas Buyers Club) with another at lightning speed. That was a braver film, but it’s the spaciousness of this one that distinguishes it from being just another mechanically pre-ordained adversity narrative. Reece Wotherspoon is apparently excellent in this!

THE WEDDING RINGER tells the story of a socially awkward guy who, two weeks shy of his wedding,  enters into a charade by hiring the owner of a company that provides best men for grooms in need. The Hollywood Reporter reviewer describes it this way: A certain derivative, deja-vu quality isn’t the only sin this lazy, numbingly routine, very occasionally amusing comedy commits. 

That’s it for this week. See you at the movies!

* Movie synopses are based on/adapted from IMDB. Opinions are mine except where references are provided.