The D.C. superhero universe has been completely refreshed and revived with its first female outing and its good news all around. Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot springs from Greek mythology to the Amazon homeland of Paradise Island somewhere in the Atlantic. An all-female culture, trained to keep danger at bay has seen peace for untold centuries, until World War 1 spy Steve (Chris Pine) washes up on shore, Germans charging hard behind him. The Amazons neatly clear the decks and Diana and Chris sail to London where they attempt to unlock the secret of Aries’ identity in order to stop the war. The film is steeped in mythology both Greek and D.C. and social justice issues from women’s rights, First Nations mistreatment, environmental calamity and issues and equality. It’s bracing, fun, and Diana / Wonder Woman is minimally sexualised with the emphasis on body strength and discipline and her nobility of character. Patti Jenkins’ superior, rousing and inspiring film arrives at long last! David Thewlis, Robin Wright and Danny Huston co-star. “Gal”vanizing great fun!
It's all about #WonderWoman💥⚔️ at the movies this weekend! @AnneBrodie loved it! More movie/TV reviews Sat 10PM ET @Jewel885 pic.twitter.com/CKDXesJ86g
— What She Said! (@WhatSheSaidTalk) June 3, 2017
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DreamWorks Animation lets fly Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, based on the bestselling cliff-hanger book series by Dav Pilkey. Two fourth graders George and Harold create a comic book about a not-so-smart superhero in shorts. They then hypnotise their principal who assumes his comic superpowers as Captain Underpants. His deep loathing of children suddenly explodes into enthusiastic adoration and George and Harold are Kings of School. It’s loud and bright, satirical and subversive and it has a built-in global following. The series’ characters names are priceless; the boys’ antics are outrageous and thus begins what could be a long lived Underpants franchise. Note – some schools have banned the books for depictions of defying authority and language. Kevin Hart, Ed Helms and Jordan Peele provide voices.
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Political thriller DRONE a Canadian film written and directed by Jason Bourque stars Sean Bean as a suburban husband and dad who tells his family he’s in IT. Truth is, he’s a drone missile pilot working as a contractor to the CIA in a “pop-up” military lair near home where he and his crew launch deadly covert assaults on Middle East targets. Their professional indifference is startling. One day a Pakistani man played by Patrick Sabongui comes to his house to buy the boat in the driveway. He joins the family for dinner but a pleasant time escalates into chaos as the men defend their vastly different ideologies. The enemy is at the gates. Some factual problems, the Taliban isn’t in Pakistan, otherwise it’s intense and fast paced and an eye opener.
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Romania’s Cristian Mungiu strikes again – he’s an extremely gifted young filmmaker and his latest Graduation is stunning. A girl in Cluj is preparing for her exams which will pave the way to a scholarship in the UK. Her father, a doctor, is overinvested in it but only because he wants her to have the chance to get out of Romania. Eliza is assaulted the day before the final exam and the family goes into shock, The father attempts to bribe school officials while he accepts a bribe from a dying gangster to fastback a new liver, and lands in a criminal investigation. Mungui’s films are filled with subtext – rocks thrown by an unknown assailant through his windows, accidently killing a dog, a boyfriend who may have witnessed Eliza’s assault and did nothing, the mistress who demands more. With increasingly amorality, he throws away his principles to get his daughter on her way; his efforts stemmed from love but things spiral beyond repair.
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Beauty And The Beast which is inching its way to $1.5B at the box office, wowed critics and crowds alike with its wonderfully modern take on the much loved classic. And it’s available on Digital HD and Blu-ray Emma Watson and Dan Stevens lead the all-star cast through the story of Belle and her Beast in the new live-action version inspired by the animated version we all love. Bonus films include the first cast table read, gorgeous olde tyme sets, costumes and props and the technology that makes it modern yet charmingly nostalgic. Emma Watson pays tribute the women who made it happen, we see ten minutes of deleted scenes and the “Beauty and the Beast” music video starring pop hero Ariana Grande and John Legend, Celine Dion’s new song “How Does a Moment Last Forever,” and much more.
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Who can think of the classic Bambi movie without choking up? Not me and probably not you. Bambi Signature Collection is available on Digital HD and Blu-ray and On Demand as a 75th anniversary gift to us. It joins the Walt Disney Signature Collection and features recordings of Walt Disney discussing the making of the heartbreaking yet lovely story of Bambi, deleted scenes and characters and the stories and effect the film had on the Disney studio and on global popular culture. Glory in the film’s soft watercolour backgrounds and beautiful palette. Walt Disney included a storyline that shocked and saddened young viewers but he meant it and all his films to reflect reality in a way that children would understand.
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The Cineplex Classic Film Series lineup offers the chance to watch three iconic films by masters in their original theatrical setting. The Godfather, Some Like It Hot and North by Northwest are on tap. And on June 4 and 7th, The Godfather’s 45th Anniversary Event will celebrate Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece. One of the most respected and admired films of all time, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, it stars Marlon Brando, James Caan and a tribe of newcomers named Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall and Talia Shire. 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes all these generations and films later.
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by @annebrodie
BFCA BTJA AWFJ TFCA FIPRESCI