This Week In Movies: In Cinemas Thursday May 9
Your guide to the biggest films hitting cinemas this week.
Movies: they just keep coming. And so many of them. Fear not, though! Each Monday, we’ll be offering a quick round-up of the week’s biggest new releases, so you can stay confidently informed, build up your excitement, and even plan your cinema viewing schedule in advance or something, ya big weirdo. Grab some HB lead and your secret locket diary, and pencil away!
_
The Big Wedding
Directed by: Justin Zackham
Starring: Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Amanda Seyfried
If Diane Keaton talking about tantric sex while drunk on Ellen didn’t make you want to see this, then nothing will. Keaton stars alongside other gold-class screen vets Susan Sarandon, Robert De Niro and Robin Williams in this couples comedy. In a market dominated by sequels, reboots, adaptations and the fantasies of teenage boys, it’s a minor miracle when films like this even get made.
_
Star Trek: Into Darkness
Directed by: JJ Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch
Oh look: a sequel-reboot-adaptation of a popular series that plays like a teen-boy fantasy! But if Hollywood must do these things, we wish they’d get J.J. Abrams on the case more often. As per his original Star Trek re-boot in 2009, expect this to be a slick, smart, funny (but also: dark) and pop-culturally savvy slice of action. You do not need to be a Trekkie to enjoy these things, but you do need to have seen the first one.
_
The Place Beyond The Pines
Directed by: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn
An improbable stylistic mash-up of David Lynch and Terrence Malick, this epic noir is your only option for getting deep this week, and, statistically speaking, you’re likely to either love it or hate it. It was hugely anticipated ahead of its Toronto International Film Festival premiere in 2012, partly because it stars Ryan Gosling (whose first utterance in the film, incredibly, is “Hey” to a girl), but also because he was teaming up again with writer-director Derek Cianfrance, with whom he made the superb slow-burning romantic tragedy, Blue Valentine. Critics are divided on whether The Place Beyond the Pines is awesome or awful; you absolutely should see it and make up your own mind.
_
Spring Breakers
Directed by: Harmony Korine
Starring: James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez
Unfortunately, you have no choice in this matter: see this film or be condemned to sit by, silent and bored, as everyone you know has an opinion about it. We can’t promise you’ll enjoy it, but there are lots of hot babes doing badass things, and at least two comically brilliant scenes that are worth the ticket price alone (both involving James Franco).
_
Evil Dead
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci
Director/fan-boy Fede Alvarez remade Sam Raimi’s lo-fi cult horror from 1981 without the comedy and Bruce Campbell… but with buckets more cash and gore. Expect attractive, young flesh defiled by evil spirits in an equally untenable scenario spun out of improbable circumstances, unbelievable decisions and stupid mistakes. But, if you like B-movie horror, stomach-turning gore and a spot of tree-rape (a truly disturbing and grossly exploitative scene from the original that for some reason makes it into the remake), then this one’s for you.
_
Dee Jefferson has been talking and writing about film for over ten years and for various outlets, including ABC 702 and PowerFM in Adelaide, Inside Film, Filmink, Senses Of Cinema,The Brag and Beat (Melbourne). She is currently the Arts & Culture Editor of Time Out Sydney.