Not many people know the name Dido Elizabeth Belle, but the new British drama from director Amma Asante, titled Belle, is hoping to change all that. Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the titular mixed race daughter of an "aristocratic Royal Naval Admiral," the film tells Belle's incredible story as it explores her relationship with Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and how her influence led him to abolish slavery in the British Empire.
2014 has been pretty disappointing thus far for comedy, but Nicholas Stoller's Neighbors is looking to change all that. If the name doesn't sound familiar, then allow us to refresh your memory. Mr. Stoller is the same man who previously brought us side-splitting comedies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek, two of the funniest films of the last decade. This time around, he's assembled one hell of a cast to lead the way. With Zac Efron, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, and Dave Franco all flexing their comedic chops at full strength, the laughs are huge in Neighbors, and they just keep coming.
This week, director/actor Diego Luna is bringing us Cesar Chavez, a biopic on the famous American labor rights leader who was instrumental in founding the United Farm Workers. The film focuses on Chavez's struggles as he fought for better treatment of Mexican farm workers who were suffering brutality and frequent racism from their Californian employees. It's a story that is still timely even in today's society, and it's a fascinating look at a piece of history that unfortunately, too many people are still unfamiliar with.
Finally! After an excruciatingly long wait, Veronica Mars has returned with her very own feature-length film. It's been a long time coming, too, as ever since the original TV show went off the air in 2007 fans have been clamouring for more of the titular private investigator. Now, thanks to a very successful Kickstarter campaign, we have the highly-anticipated Veronica Mars.
Liam Neeson brings his action movie A-game to theatres this weekend once more in the thriller Non-Stop. Set on an airplane that's flying from New York to London, the film sees Neeson as a U.S. Air Marshal who becomes entangled in a terrorist conspiracy and ultimately, finds himself as the prime suspect.
For those who tune into HBO's Game of Thrones, Kit Harington is likely a familiar face and name. He plays Jon Snow on the hit fantasy drama and has amazed quite the loyal following. If you prefer to get your entertainment fix on the silver screen, however, you likely haven't been acquainted properly with this relative newcomer. Fortunately, this week you'll have an opportunity to remedy that as the actor is bringing his disaster epic, Pompeii, to theatres.
If you're looking for the perfect movie to take your date to on Valentine's Day, then you might want to check out About Last Night. The romantic comedy is a remake of the 1986 film of the same name, which was also a remake (of David Mamet's 1974 play Sexual Perversity in Chicago). It tells the story of two new couples who enter "sexually-charged" relationships, only to find that it's much harder to sustain what they have once the leave the bedroom and enter the real world.
While it may not be their most well-received piece of work, the latest film from Joel and Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis, still has a lot of people talking. It follows the titular musician, played to perfection by Oscar Isaac, as he tries to achieve fame and fortune in the Greenwich Village music scene circa 1961. While many critics can't stop praising Isaac for what is no doubt an awards worthy performance, there's a lot more to like about Inside Llewyn Davis than just its leading man.
James Franco is a chameleon of sorts. Perhaps more than any other actor in Hollywood, he's constantly surprising us with what he does next. You really never know what Franco is going to attach his talents to and whether he's behind, or in front of the camera, it's always a delight to watch his work.
Adapted from Langston Hughes' stage play of the same name, Kasi Lemmons' Black Nativity tells the story of a young boy (played by newcomer Jacob Latimore) who is sent to spend the Holidays with his estranged relatives in New York after his mother is evicted from their Baltimore apartment. While there, he undergoes an eye-opening, inspirational journey of sorts and learns about some of life's most important values, like faith, family and healing. It's a heartwarming film filled with some great musical numbers and an all-star ensemble.
