Cinema Roundup: January 30th

cinema roundup jan 30th

Based on the true story of a botched mission by a team of Navy Seals in Afghanistan, Lone Survivor has caused quite a political stir in the US, with those critical of the film branded as “Un-American” by its fans.

Some have labelled the film a propaganda piece for the US military but its portrayal of the Seals is far from positive. With a cast that looks more like a bunch of surfers on a paintball outing than a unit of trained professionals, the film is utterly unconvincing and makes the Navy Seals, apparently the “best of the best”, look like amateurish dolts who consistently make bad tactical decisions. It’s taken big money stateside but I don’t see Lone Survivor attracting too much interest on this side of the pond.

Out of the Furnace has a very impressive cast (Christian Bale, Sam Shepard, Casey Affleck) but wastes them in a movie that thinks it’s far more important than it actually is. The movie is a simple revenge drama but writer-director Scott Cooper handles the story in a pretentious manner, making it a lot more convoluted than it has any right to be.

That Awkward Moment is a romantic comedy that’s neither romantic nor comic. Riddled with a disturbing undercurrent of misogyny, it’s a mean spirited affair that asks its audience to root for a bunch of unlikable jerks.

Also out this week is I Frankenstein, an appalling update of Mary Shelley’s creation for the Twilight generation.

It’s one of those weeks where I struggle to recommend a new release but Inside Llewyn Davis is still playing if you must venture out to the movies this weekend.

Picture caption: Woody Harrelson and Christian Bale in Out of the Furnace
By Eric Hillis