At The Movies, January 27 to February 2
There are lots of big releases this week - your chance to see if George Clooney was worth his Oscar nomination, a tale of young love torn apart, Liam Neeson going native and a beasty on the loose in Paris.
The Descendants (15)
Set in Hawaii, George Clooney stars as a wealthy lawyer whose life is altered forever when his wife falls into a coma that she may never wake from. He begins to realise that, through reconnecting with his daughters and friends, that he never really knew his wife, or his family, very well at all.
Heartbreaking, sombre, but also darkly hilarious, Clooney has never been better and this touching human drama deserves all the Oscars it has been nominated for.
Star rating: *****
The Grey (15)
Born-again tough guy Liam Neeson stars once again in gritty action film The Grey, from his A-Team director Joe Carnahan.
He plays the part of a team of oil drillers who crash in the Alaskan wilderness, and, despite serious injuries and torrid weather, are forced to fight to survive as a pack of vicious wolves try to hunt them down. Super-macho, and with a reliable lead in Neeson, it’s a full throttle, entertaining piece that never lets up and makes you feel like you’re right there with them in the snow.
Star rating: ****
Like Crazy (12A)
Promising youngsters Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones star in this drama about a British girl who falls for an American boy while she is studying in the US. A violation of her visa, however, sees her sent back to the UK and the young lovers are torn apart. The pair try to make the long distance romance work, but soon outside pressures begin to test their love.
While it can be sappy at times, the improvised dialogue and talented cast turn what could have been a very mundane drama into something that feels very real.
Star rating: *** 1/2
A Monster In Paris (U)
A CGI-animated movie from across the Channel, about an experiment gone wrong that turns a flea into a giant monster that terrorises Paris.
Free-spirited singer Lucille (voiced by Vanessa Paradis) discovers him and hides him from the baying mob - as a guitar player at her cabaret. Perhaps not as wonderful as a Pixar classic (but then again, what is?), the film nonetheless derives everything that’s fun about animated family movies - catchy music, innocent humour, memorable characters.
Not perfect, but an ideal day out for younger viewers which won’t bore the socks off of their parents.
Star rating: ***
