The Big 2013 Preview

With an end to 2012, and what a year it’s been at the movies, we now look to the future. Sequels and remakes, fantasy adaptations and superheroes continue to dominate the list of releases this year, but which ones will fair and triumph? Which ones will stumble and bomb? Let’s look ahead to see what audiences have in store this year.

Fairy tales continue to strike a chord with audiences and this year will be no exception as we are flooded with more in 2013.

First up this spring sees two treasured fantasies adapted and transformed into big budget flicks. Hansel and Gretel get the bad ass treatment in Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (released 27^th February), while a famous Jack and his beanstalk gets his first taste of silver screen action in Jack the Giant Slayer (22nd March) starring About A Boy and X-Men: First Class alumni Nicholas Hoult as our titular cow-swapping hero.

If that’s not enough to wet your fantasy appetite, Wizard of Oz fans will be treated to a new story charting the events when the wizard was carried away in his balloon to the famous land of witches and munchkins in Sam Raimi’s Oz: The Great and Powerful (8^th March), while Romeo and Juliet (25^th October) returns once again for a romantic classical telling with a superb collection of acting talent, including Damien Lewis, Stellen Skarsgard and Hailee Steinfield.

2014 is not that far away, and in the pipeline we also have Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella getting the magical treatment with Angelina Jolie getting her nasty on as Maleficent in Disney’s reimagining of the romantic tale, while Cate Blanchett has been secured as the mean stepmother stomping on Cinderella and her glass shoe.

Book adaptations are continuing to dominate the box office, and it seems teenage fiction is the must-see of 2013. After the phenomenal success of the first film, the second in the Hunger Games trilogy Catching Fire is currently in production (due for release 22^nd November). Young teens still pining for the loss of Twilight can welcome not one but two new heroes to root for, with Stephanie Meyer’s The Host and the first in The Mortal Instruments Series City of Bones both set to be released this year.

However for the adults out there, for all of you who have been caught sneaking it in into your bag on the train to work or downloading in onto your kindle, and im guessing it’s quite a few, Fifty Shades of Grey has been given the green light and has bagged some scriptwriters. They’re currently working out all the ‘kinks’ to bring the biggest selling book of 2012 to life. How they do it considering the risky content remains to be seen.

Superheroes and action stars are back in abundance once again as they swoop the boxoffice to steal all your hard earned cash, and more likely than not, in 3D.

X-Men fans will be delighted after the news that members of the original trilogy cast have signed on to the reboot sequel X Men: Days of Future Past, seeing the return of Anna Paquin’s Rogue, Halle Berry’s Storm, Ellen Page’s Shaddowcat and many more adding to the already superb cast of newcomers, and that is on top of Hugh Jackman’s solo outing once again in The Wolverine (26^th July).

The summer looks set to be a scorcher with the usual blockbuster releases. Fans of Batman will be offered some comfort for the loss of their hero when Superman returns with a fresh new cast and fresh take, bringing the story back to its original gritty dark roots in Man Of Steel (14^th June), starring Henry Cavill, Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe, while Star Trek Into Darkness (15^th May) released a breath-taking 3D trailer just before Christmas.

Both Iron Man and Thor will take time out from their Avenger duties to concentrate on their own problems when Iron Man 3 (26^th April) and Thor: The Dark World (30^th October) are both released this year.

2014 in the superhero world continues at a steady pace, with an Avengers sequel currently in production, as is a sequel to the new rebooted Spiderman franchise, with The Amazing Spiderman 2 catching more cast talent in the form of Jamie Foxx and Paul Giamatti.

Both the Transformers series and Captain America have further sequel projects in the works, most likely pushing next year.

Finally for anyone who enjoyed the first, which might be very few of you as it was a stinker, G.I Joe: Retaliation (27^th March) steals Bruce Willis and Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson for another bite at the action hero series. Will this one live up to better expectations than the previous?

Further releases everyone is getting excited about:

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (15^th March)

The Great Gatsby in 3D (10^th May)

The Hangover: Part III (24^th May)

World War Z (21^st June)

Monster University (24^th July)

The Lone Ranger (9^th August)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (13^th December)

Anchorman: The Legend Continues (20^th December)

Naturally though, it’s the little films that will also delight and enchant, future sleeper hits that we can look forward to and beautiful foreign surprises that continue to impress and dazzle. After the success at the Toronto, London and Cannes Film Festivals last year, it’s the smaller independent films on tiny budgets that I’m looking forward to the most.

Song For Marion

They say great things come in small packages and you’d have to have a heart of stone not to shed a tear or two for this delightful little British film that recently closed as the gala night for the Toronto International Film Festival - a small film with a big heart to share.

Marion (Vanessa Redgrave) is dying from cancer. Despite taking its toll on her body the illness has not taken away her soul and she is determined to live her last moments to the full, including singing with her eccentric and colourful friends in a choir.

Her grumpy husband Arthur (Terence Stamp) on the other hand wants nothing to do with the outside world and would much rather Marion stayed home and rest. Desperately concerned Marion is risking her health and too much of the little energy she has left, he has become angry at the whole world and everyone in it, pushing friends away and distancing himself from the already strained relationship with his son (Christopher Eccleston). Nothing matters to him but Marion.

Only when the inevitable happens and Arthur’s world comes crashing down, does he begin to open himself up to the possibility of a future without his wife, and with a little help from Marion’s friends and their choir leader Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton), Arthur gradually begins to move on and live his life.

Weepy British dramas of this kind have come in their shedloads before, most recently with the likes of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and even Love Actually and Calendar Girls. There is nothing new or original here, in fact like many a heart-warming, self-discovery story before it’s predictable and clichéd. The depiction of the elderly ‘OAPzz’ (as they call themselves) and their involvement with modern music is laughable, but endearing too. However the acting and funny script make it worth your while.

While Redgrave and Arterton are delightful in their roles, it’s Stamp who carries the film. Less ‘Victor Meldrew’ and more ‘Grumpy’ from Snow White, proving under that hard exterior lays a caring side, a heart he only previously showed for his wife.

A few relationships could have been covered in more detail including the theme of father-son estrangement, and even the scenes between the unusual friendship that ignites between Elizabeth and Arthur, as she tries to coax him out of his mourning.

Ultimately the funniest scenes are those between the older characters, Arthur and Marion’s fights and the elderly singers learning how to rap. Not as cringe worthy as you might expect from your Dad on the dance-floor at a wedding.

However at the very centre of this beautiful little drama is a story about one elderly couple and their fight for the more fun and joyful aspects of life and love. What hits home the most if that these central characters could very well be your grandparents or the locals you see down the pub, British eccentricity at its best and most charming.

It probably won’t gather much attention, nor will it be remembered as one of the great comedic dramas, but it is such a sweet and tender film that it deserves to be praised and enjoyed.

VERDICT: * * *
A sweet little drama dealing with the subject matter with such grace, and with a very touching performance from Stamp. Though not as original as other Brit-Pack competition out there, this is more than just sunday afternoon viewing. Beautiful.

Song For Marion will be released in UK Cinemas in February

ARGO

Ben Affleck is turning out to be one of the finest filmmakers of his generation, so much so that his Directorial efforts have trumped practically all his acting failures during the early 00’s (Can we forgive him for Gigli now?). Back when he joined forces with best friend Matt Damon in 1998 to write the script for the much loved Good Will Hunting, who knew then that we had a soon to be greatly respected and highly praised creator in the making.

Only a few years after his commercial successes with The Town and Gone Baby Gone, Affleck returns to the director’s chair to helm and star in this winter’s Oscar bait movie Argo.

Following the real life events of the CIA’s attempt to rescue six American diplomats from Tehran during the Iran hostage crisis in the late 1970s and early 1980s, this thriller is one to watch out for come award season.

On November 4th 1979, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun by militants in support of the Iranian revolution and in retaliation to the US’ support of the deposed Shah. In a frightening display, hostages were taken and paraded on television. When the CIA learn of six U.S diplomats who are trapped and seeking shelter with the Canadian ambassador (Victor Garber), exfiltration specialist agent Tony Mendez (Affleck) is sent in to rescue them.

Mendez plans a clever ruse by joining forces with real life make-up artist John Chambers (John Goodman), who worked on The Planet of the Apes films and also previously helped the CIA with other crafted disguises, and film producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) to produce a phony film studio and rescue the trapped citizens. All the while he was also establishing the pretence of a developing sci-fi project called ‘Argo’ to the press.

In a potentially dangerous and life threatening task, he masquerades as the film’s director, enters Tehran under the pretext of location scouting for the film while really briefing the six escapees with extensive information, providing fake passports and fake identities to get home safely.

The details of this incredible mission were not released to the public until 1997 and while Mendez himself was awarded the Intelligence Star, the nature of the event meant he was not allowed to keep it until the information was made public.

Argo has now been nominated in several catagories at this years Academy Awards (being held in later February) including Best Picture, but sadly Affleck has missed out on a Best Directors nod.

While a story of this nature is naturally like catnip to the Oscars, full credit goes to Affleck who while acting the role of Mendez very well has assembled a strong quality cast, a brilliant screenwriter, production designer and even the perfect composer in Alexandre Desplat. In real life the six diplomats made it home safely, and in 1981 all other hostages taken were released unharmed. Argo never wains on tension, right up to the nail biting finale, so despite the conclusion of the film being common knowledge, it still takes you on a ride before you get there, sprinkled with a few little comedy touches courtesy of Arkin’s hilarious turn as Lester Siegel which provide much needed relief from all the political jargon.

A few other creative touches, including a cleverly organised opening credits sequence using hand drawn storyboard images,and interesting history information at the end of the film keep things engaging in what is a superb feature from Affleck, that serves only to leave us wanting more.

VERDICT: * * * *
A Powerhouse performance from the entire cast, with extra credit to Arkin for his comedic moments in a film with such a serious subject. However this is Affleck's baby, a dedicated, articulate and powerful piece that lingers with you long after you've left the cinema. An Oscar contender it truly deserves to be.

Argo is still playing in selected cinemas, and will be released on DVD later this year.