This weekend at your local megaplex, the big 3D family movie faces off against the big action sequel. Also, “Pitch Perfect” goes wide, which will definitely divide the date-night audience. Shall we explore our options?
“Detropia“: Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing bring down the curtain on the city of Detroit in this Hot Docs hit, now starting its commercial run.
“Frankenweenie“: Everything you need to know about Tim Burton’s creative stasis is summed up in the fact that he’s made his best movie in years … by remaking a short film he made almost three decades ago. But this is his best movie in years.
“Samsara“: In which Ron Fricke’s obsession with the big picture blinds him to, well, the big picture. A gorgeous but utterly banal travelogue about the same things he was on about in “Baraka”.
“Taken 2“: Liam Neeson shoots his way through filthy, sordid Istanbul in Olivier Megaton’s disappointingly rote sequel. Yeah, this time it’s personal, but the first one was pretty personal too. (Review up later this afternoon.)
“Winnie”: Darrell James Roodt’s Winnie Mandela biopic, starring Jennifer Hudson and Terrence Howard as South Africa’s original power couple, was soundly rejected by audiences at TIFF 2011, and reedited for theatrical release. Susan still ain’t buying it.
And that’s everything! Oh, unless you missed my thing on the “Dial M for Murder” reissue yesterday. That’s also worth a look.
I can’t disagree that Samsara is basically just Baraka all over again. However, both Reggio’s Powaqqasti and Naqoyqatsi are preachy and tedious, while Fricke’s films are not. (Well, they’re a little preachy, but nowhere near as bad as Reggio.) That gives it a decided advantage.