Kam Williams’ Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
This week’s big-budget movie releases include three comedies, one of which is R rated, a French Farce, and a Sci-Fi animation. In the Independent and Foreign film section are two comedies, two novel adaptations, a documentary, and a bio-pic. Many thanks to movie critic Kam Williams.
Big Budget Films
Keanu
Keanu is a wild comedy about a couple of bourgie cousins, played by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. The two suburban men pose as drug-dealing gangstas in an attempt to rescue their new pet cat from the ghetto. Keanu is an all-black suburbia meets the hood comedy, but it is rough, not a family film. Directed by Peter Atencio, Keanu cast includes Nia Long, Will Forte and Method Man. Keanu is rated R for violence, sexuality, nudity, drug use and pervasive profanity.
Out of 16 reviews so far on Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 75% fresh rating, and of the 7,350 readers surveyed so far, 94% want to see it.
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is a comedy that revolves around a bunch of characters whose lives serendipitously cross, over a very eventful week prior to Mother’s Day. Cast includes Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson, Loni Love, Hector Elizondo Jon Lovitz, Brandon Spink, and Ella Anderson. Directed by Garry Marshall.
Out of 5,400 pre-release user ratings so far, 92% want to see Mother’s Day, which is rated PG-13 for profanity and suggestive material.
Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank is an animated adaptation of the sci-fi video game of the same name. A mechanic, voiced by James Arnold Taylor joins forces with a renegade robot, voiced by David Kaye. They aim to to prevent an evil alien, played by Paul Giamatti, from destroying every planet in the galaxy. Voice cast includes big names, Sly Stallone, John Goodman, Bella Thorne, Rosario Dawson and Jim Ward.
Ratchet & Clank was directed by Kevin Munroe and Jericca Cleland, and is rated PG for action and rude humor. Pre-release, 5,350 readers at rottentomatoes have 92% saying they want to see it.
Special Correspondents
Ricky Gervais wrote, directed and co-stars in this remake of Envoyes Tres Speciaux. It is a French farce about a radio journalist, played by Eric Bana, and his assistant, played by Gervais. The two men decide to fake their own disappearance and flee to New York during an uprising in a South American Banana Republic. Also includes Vera Farmiga, America Ferrara and Benjamin Bratt. Special Correspondents is Unrated.
Independent & Foreign Films
3rd Street Blackout
3rd Street Blackout is a romantic comedy. A tech-addicted couple, played by Negin Farsad and Jeremy Redleaf, involved in a Hurricane Sandy power outage, have no other option than to face each other without their electronic devices. The cast also includes Janeane Garofalo, Devin Ratray and Ed Weeks.
3rd Street Blackout is Unrated.
A Beautiful Planet
In the eco-documentary A Beautiful Planet, Jennifer Lawrence narrates an examination of humanity’s relationship with the Earth. Directed by Toni Myers, footage for this documentary came from the International Space Station. A Beautiful Planet is rated G.
Dough
Dough is an unlikely-buddies comedic drama. A Jewish shopkeeper, played by Jonathan Pryce, revives his failing bakery with the help of the marijuana-spiked yeast of his Muslim apprentice, played by Jerome Holder.
Directed by John Goldschmidt, the cast includes Ian Hart, Philip Davis and Malachi Kirby. Dough is Unrated.
The Family Fang
The Family Fang is the story of a brother, played by Bateman and his sister, played by Nicole Kidman, as they search for their performance artist parents, played by Christopher Walken and Maryann Plunkett, who disappeared without a trace. Directed by Jason Bateman, this story is an adaptation of Kevin Wilson’s best seller. The cast includes Kathryn Hahn, Jason Butler Harner and Marin Ireland. The Family Fang is rated R for profanity.
The Man Who Knew Infinity
The Man Who Knew Infinity is another best-selling novel adaptation. A promising math prodigy, played by Dev Patel, moves from the slums of India to Cambridge University by a professor, played by Jeremy Irons, who recognized the boy’s genius. The cast includes Toby Jones, Stephen Fry and Jeremy Northam.v (In Tamil and English with subtitles)
With only 20 critics responding so far, The Man Who Knew Infinity has a 70% positive Tomatometer rating. It is rated PG-13 for smoking and mature themes.
Papa Hemingway in Cuba
Papa Hemingway in Cuba is a slice-of-life biopic, set in Havana, Cuba. It tells the story of a friendship between Ernest Hemingway, played by Adrian Sparks, and a Miami reporter, played by Giovanni Ribisi, during the Cuban Revolution. The cast includes Minka Kelly, Mariel Hemingway, James Remar and Joely Richardson.
Directed by Bob Yari, Papa Hemingway in Cuba is rated R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and some violence.
