BLACK SEA
Rogue submarine Captain Robinson (Jude Law), after being laid off from a salvage company, pulls together a misfit crew to go after a sunken treasure rumoured to be lost in the depths of the Black Sea. As greed and desperation take control on board their claustrophobic vessel, the increasing uncertainty of the mission causes the men to turn on each other to fight for their own survival.
Don’t expect any massive action scenes; this is more like your old-fashioned dramatic thriller. It just goes to show you don’t always need the technology we have today to make a tense well filmed thriller. Law is actually quite good in this too, he pulls of a Scottish accent quite well, he completely commands his role.
See if you liked: The Hunt for Red October, U-571.
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR
Super spy teams aren’t born…they’re hatched. Discover the secrets of the greatest and most hilarious covert birds in the global espionage biz: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private. These elitists of the elite are joining forces with a chic undercover organization, The North Wind, Led by a handsome and husky Agent Classified.
Crazy, Cute and chaotic, Penguins of Madagascar is a much needed addition to the Dreamworks catalogue of animation films. Voiced by actors, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich and Ken Jeong, this may be aimed at the kids but secretly the adults will love this too.
See if you liked: The whole Madagascar franchise.
ST. VINCENT
Maggie (Melissa McCarthy), a single mother, moves into a new home in Brooklyn with her 12-year old son, Oliver (Jaden Lieberher). Forced to work long hours, she has no choice but to leave Oliver in the care of their new neighbor, Vincent (Bill Murray), a retired curmudgeon with a penchant for alcohol and gambling. An odd friendship soon blossoms between the improbable pair. Together with a pregnant stripper named Daka (Naomi Watts), Vincent brings Oliver along on all the stops that make up his daily routine – the race track, a strip club, and the local dive bar. Vincent helps Oliver grow to become a man, while Oliver begins to see in Vincent something that no one else is able to: a misunderstood man with a good heart.
Full of clichés and sickly sweet, heart touching moments and predictable comedy I would usually be the 1st person to vomit and roll my eyes, but Bill Murray’s effortless performance is so convincing and endearing it actually makes this a joy to watch. The script maybe a little dubious at times but with Christmas coming up everyone needs a bit of warming up and this will do the trick.
See if you liked: The Hundred Foot Journey, Beyond The Lights
MY PICK OF THE WEEK: BEGRUDINGLY, PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR