And here it is, the week many of you have surely been waiting for: the first part of the final instalment of The Hunger Games trilogy will finally arrived! Also this week we see possibly the most extensive range of genres possible; from a documentary on the Vatican, to American thriller No Good Deed, to a Western drama with The Homesman which features an award-winning cast of stars such as Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee-Jones. There’s something for everyone this week, so get out of the rain, leave those essays to dry out, and treat yourself to a little break from reality.
First broadcast in 2013 as a live nationwide cinema event, David Bowie is Happening Now is the filming of the grand finale to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s tremendously successful exhibition on world-renowned singer-songwriter and British icon David Bowie prior to the exhibitions international tour.
The Vatican Museums 3D, see’s visionary director Marco Piangiani provide an exclusive view of the inside of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Filmed for the first time in high-definition 3D this spectacular documentary is set to reveal some of the most precious and guarded works of art in existence to audiences across the world.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1: long anticipated by fans of the futuristic trilogy, the first part of the last instalment hits the screens this Wednesday 19th. The games are over but the dangers outside are soon revealed as far more sinister than the districts could ever have imagined. As the authorities of Panem are finally challenged, Katniss must take up her station as the symbol of hope, the symbol of the Mockingjay. Directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, the film is hitting our very own Union Films at the same time as general cinema release. Grab your tickets here.
Get On Up is a biopic of the life of James Brown often referred to as “The Godfather of Soul”. Director Tate Taylor dramatises the inspirational journey of the much loved African-American singer from his early years of extreme poverty to see his rise in becoming one of the most influential musicians in history.
Happy Ending, a Hindi comedy romance about a writer named Yudi who in the midst of an extended state of writers block finds himself caught between finding literary inspiration and falling in love.
The Homesman is an American Western drama, directed by Tommy Lee Jones and starring himself, Hilary Swank and Meryl Streep. It follows Mary Bee Cuddy, a woman who is uncommonly husbandless and lives alone, as she transports three women who have lost their minds to Iowa. She has unexpected help from a man she saves from hanging, and they soon realise that they make a surprisingly good team.
Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy is based on 410 consecutive tweets from poster @marylony. The tweets are transformed into a narrative about an angsty teenage girl and her best friend in Thailand, as it documents their daily life.
Starring Maggie Smith, My Old Lady follows Mathias Gold as he inherits a house in Paris from his late parents that just so happens to come with an unexpected guest and her daughter. The 90 year-old woman, Mathilde, is said guest, and she vows that the only circumstance under which she will leave the house is if she dies. Sparks begin to fly between Mathias and Mathilde’s daughter as this comical tale of family trials turns to romance.
Idris Elba is an escaped convict in No Good Deed. The crime thriller follows Elba’s character as he shoots his way out of his transportation car between prisons, and sets his targets on an unsuspecting mother and daughter. The film terrifyingly traps the mother and daughter in their house with the convict, as they must attempt to escape his sociopathic rage.
As a break from the ever-growing genre of zombie comedy, we now have a vampire comedy with What We Do In The Shadows. From the creators of Flight of the Concords, the film spotlights three normal housemates, who also happen to be real-life vampires. The comedy is told as a Borat-style documentary, and covers the trials and tribulations of living with other people and having a thirst for human blood.
Winter Sleep is a Turkish drama film set in Anatolia. It depicts the shocking divide between the rich and the poor in Turkey as it focuses on a hotel, owned by former actor Aydin, becoming a shelter in the snow for those who need it as well as a trap for the tension between himself, his young wife, and his sister.
