Best new movies and videos for week of Sept 22: The Watchlist
Whether you’re going out to catch a flick or staying in and looking for something to screen, there's no shortage of things watch this week.
Here's a look at what’s worth your time:
In theatres
- A Walk Among the Tombstones - Remember what LiamNeeson was like before he became a growling parody of himself? You can discover it again in this smart, sly twist on the detective genre from the screenwriter of Out of Sight. (full review)
- Dolphin Tale 2 - Forget about Guardians of the Galaxy, for 8-year-old girls THIS was the movie of the summer. The good news? It's actually decent. Although the dolphins wear out their welcome (not to mention a pesky pelican), Harry Connick Jr, Nathan Gamble and Morgan Freeman all put in a commendable effort in a film where the sentiment is sincere.
- Love is Strange - Two seasoned actors (John Lithgow and Alfred Molina) bring life to this quiet little film by director Ira Sachs about a gay married couple forced to separate. The ordeal of having to live with friends and family may seem like a First World Problem but Sachs finds the drama in the quiet spaces as Ben and George struggle hang onto their privacy and sanity. (full review)
- Altman - A cinematic love letter from one rebel to another. Documentarian Ron Mann gets into the freewheeling life of the American original by exploring Altman's early life, accessing unseen material and most interestingly, asking his actors to describe him. How do you explain Altman in a word? Answers within.
On video, Netflix or VOD
- 12 Years a Slave - Last year's Oscar-winner is now on Netflix so you have no excuses. A heart-wrenching mix of beauty and brutality, Chiwetel Ejiofor anchors the film with the anger and sorrow of a man who has his humanity denied. (full review)
- The Wolf of Wall Street - As indulgent as it is extreme, the 3-hour-long look at the life of stock trader Jordan Belfort is bloated, but one of director Martin Scorsese's wildest efforts in years. Leonardo DiCaprio playing a man made mad by ambition is nothing new, but just wait for the tricks Scorsese plays with the narrative to keep himself amused. (full review)
- The Double - The second film from Richard Ayoade — an actor some know from U.K. show The IT Crowd— The Double is a quietly comic masterwork. It feels like Buster Keaton trapped in George Orwell's 1984. Funny stuff that cuts deep.
- Locke - Actor Tom Hardy is currently wowing audiences in The Drop. But if you prefer your Hardy in a more raw, undiluted version, check out Locke. It's nothing but Hardy, alone in a car, driving and trying to talk his way out of the worst night of his life. Movie minimalism at its best. (full review)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier - The Marvel Comics boy scout takes on drone warfare in this super hero spectacle painted with paranoia and filled with tough questions about the so-called War on Terror. With Anthony Mackie and Scarlett Johansson on board there's enough action to tide you over before the next Avengers comes along. (full review)
