Undecided about what to watch this week? Here is a selection of what’s currently on nationwide release.
- Robin Hood
Another feature from director Ridley Scott and self-proclaimed “greatest actor in the world,” Russell Crowe, Robin Hood premiered on day one at Cannes Film Festival. Hours later, the film opened in cinemas nationwide to mixed reviews, the best of which I’ve read can be found here. Is it worth your money? Ultimately, that’s up to you.
- Hot-Tub Time Machine
A silly and crass comedy with little to offer in the way of wit and originality, the film is an odd pastiche of Back to the Future meets old-guy American Pie. Rob Corddry (of Daily Show fame) is the best part about the film, holding it together as Craig Robinson practices his usual shtick and John Cusak once again proves himself the least funny man to be consistently cast in comedies. Clark Duke makes a good appearance despite having little to work with, and is one to watch. Overall, though, this one is lean on the laughs.
- Iron Man 2
The latest instalment of what is indubitably my favourite superhero series, Iron Man 2 has an excellent cast of Robert Downey Jr., Gwenyth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, and Scarlett Johansson, with appearances from Jon Favreau (director) and Samuel L. Jackson. The performances are excellent, as one might expect from such a line-up, but the general consensus is that it isn’t as good as Iron Man (a tough act to follow) and that the story progression is a tad sloppy. Like the first, though, it features plenty of good action scenes and tonnes of cool gadgets. Imperfect, but definitely worth a watch.
- Four Lions
Chris Morris has been crowned King of British Satire, a title that Empire’s latest interview suggests he finds less than favourable. As a directorial debut, however, it’s sharp, funny, and features an excellent cast.
- Date Night
Tina Fey and Steve Carrell have great chemistry and bring a lot to a script that provided very little. Perfect to send your mum and dad to watch on Orange Wednesday. My full review can be found here. Good for a few laughs, but not spectacular.
If you’re looking for something a little less mainstream, there are also some films on limited release, including:
- American: The Bill Hicks Story
Co-directors Paul Thomas and Matt Harlock toured every possible festival, including the Glasgow Film Festival, to find a distributor for this excellent biographical documentary of the late comedian’s comedian. My review can be found here.
- Lebanon
Winner of the Golden Lion at last year’s Venice Film Festival, Lebanon is currently screening at the Glasgow Film Theatre. It plays at Edinburgh Picture House from 12-16th June.
Coming this Friday, 21st May:
Bad Lieutenant, Cop Out, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, and Vincere. Reviews to follow!
What are you going to watch this week?