Here to take a look at the films coming out in wide and limited release this coming weekend. I’ll give you my thoughts to help you decide what’s worth checking out.
- The November Man (out 08.27.14) – This movie about a retired agent pulled back in for one last mission (obviously) until things get personal. Also there’s a mole in the CIA. All of these plot points just sound pretty generic. The trailer has no hook to it, unless you really miss the Brosnan Bond. There’s not much to say about this one, except that it really just makes me anticipate the follow up to Skyfall.
- As Above/So Below – Possibly my favorite horror film is The Descent. I love the claustrophobia of the setting, the second act monster reveal, and especially the psychological elements that come into it. It’s well made and really scary. Since then there’s been attempts to try to capture that same idea. This is definitely one of them. I like the setting of the film in the Catacombs in the underground under Paris. The idea of all those remains down there is creepy enough. I’m interested in exactly why being in these Catacombs is causing all these hallucinations of their past arise but I can totally see this becoming a complete mess. Hopefully they make good use out of the location and concept. Not sure if I’ll see this in theaters but as long as everyone doesn’t say it’s complete crap I’d give it a shot at some point.
- Life of Crime – There’s been some awesome movies based on Elmore Leonard novels, like Out of Sight and Jackie Brown. It instantly earns credit in my book if a movie is based on his source material. That’s not to say that Life of Crime looks anywhere near as good as either of those two movies. It doesn’t have nearly the same cred, what with a brand new director taking helm. He could be great, but the trailer doesn’t necessarily have anything unique going on in that department. The story seems like it could be fun – a wife is taken hostage but her husband doesn’t want to pay the ransom because he was hoping to divorce anyway. There’s certainly potential for an entertaining movie, but not one that’s demanding your attention.
Playing in select theaters and available on demand. - The Congress – Now this one on the other hand, is hard not to pay attention to once you know what it is. Just watch that crazy ass trailer and get back to me. I’m still not quite sure what the hell is going on. Robin Wright is playing a version of herself, an actress who agrees to sell the rights to her digital image because she’s having trouble obtaining roles. From there it looks like the plot moves into an animated dimension and goes in and out and god knows what. Even though I’m completely perplexed by what it all means, that’s enough for me to check this out just to see what it’s all about. Doesn’t hurt that it’s gotten some pretty great reception so far.
Playing in select theaters and available on demand.
