For up to date local cinema links and day-by-day listings of what’s showing on local screens every week visit the Virtual-Lancaster Cinema Page. Read on for the weekly round-up, and reviews.
During this period we see five new releases making it to the local screens. There is adult drama with American Honey (15) and Julieta (15). Adult comedy, and our first Christmas entry, comes with Bad Santa 2 (15). Finally we have a family fantasy with the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Bests and Where to Find Them (12A) and the animation Your Name (12A).
Movies that have been dropped include the drama Inferno and the two horror films Don’t Breathe and Ouija: Origin of Evil.
Films that are approaching the end of their screening include Deepwater Horizon and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. However we do see the return of the fantasy drama Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and the Western The Magnificent Seven.
Movies being shown with a fantasy theme include the science fiction Arrivals, mystical superhero action in Doctor Strange and the fantasy adventures Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Pete’s Dragon.
Comedy comes this period with the family drama A Street Cat Named Bob and the adult Christmas sequel Bad Santa 2.
Drama is provided by the fact-based Deepwater Horizon; life on benefits is shown in I, Daniel Blake; action with Jack Reacher: Never Go Back; crime in The Accountant and psychological action with The Girl on the Train. In addition there is family themed drama in American Honey; Julieta and escape from poverty in Queen of Katwe. Romance is provided by The Light Between Oceans.
Family entertainment is represented by Storks; The BFG and Trolls. In addition, the Vue is offering a weekend selection of children oriented films with Little Screen: November Show.
Finally, for an early start to Christmas, we have the music of Andre Rieu:Christmas with Andre.
Reviews
A Street Cat Named Bob
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Certificate: 12A
Cast includes: Luke Treadaway, Joanne Froggatt
Based on the best selling book of the same name, the movie tells the
story of James Bowen (Treadaway) who is homeless and a recovering drug
addict. He is relocated to a bedsit in North London and given a final
chance to tun his life around by his support worker Val (Froggatt).
Bowen struggles to live by busking in Covent Garden. One day a ginger
cat finds him. The cat has an infected paw and James takes it for
treatment. From then on the pair are inseparable. The movie is
streetwise and serious but also manages to be humorous and silly.
Treadaway gives a good performance, but the cat steals the show. An
enjoyable if slightly soppy family feel-good film.
Doctor Strange
Director: Scott Derrickson
Certificate: 12A
Cast includes: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Mads Kikkelsen
Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch) was a surgeon whose career was ruined by a
car accident which crushed his hands. He learned of an Ancient One
(Swinton) with healing powers and so travels to Nepal to seek out the
mystic. Here Strange learns of the different dimensions, magic and
becomes a warrior on the astral plane. Meanwhile a former disciple of
the Ancient One Kaecilius (Mikkelsen) has turned to the dark side and is
intent on invoking the malevolent Dormammu from his alien abode.
Strange much choose between a life of fortune or to defend the earth
from magical attack. Doctor Strange has made a very successful
transition from comic to the screen and the movie provides a good plot
with excellent acting and dialogue. Special effects are very convincing
and the film is one of the better Marvel super-hero movies.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Director: Tim Burton
Certificate: 12A
Cast includes: Samuel L Jackson, Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Judi Dench
A rather dark fantasy drama based on the 2011 best selling novel
by Ransom Riggs. Jake (Butterfield), following the death of his
grandfather, finds Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children. This is a
refuge for people with extraordinary gifts and it is fixed in one day
in 1940, which they continually re-live. The inhabitants of the home
can access different time zones. However they have powerful enemies,
led by Mr Barron (Jackson), who also has peculiar powers. Jake finds
himself being called upon to help his new friends. This is a very busy
film with plenty of characters, lots of action and CGI special effects.
However, in this variety, there seems limited time for the characters to
fully develop. The movie has received mixed reviews but this reviewer
found it great fun.
Storks
Director: Nicholas Stoller, Doug Sweetland
Certificate: U
Cast Includes: Kelsey Grammer, Andy Samberg, Katie Crown, Anton Starkman
Conerstone used to be in the business of delivering babies and most of
its employees are stalks. However CEO stalk Hunter (Grammer)
discontinued the service for the more lucrative business of delivering
parcels. The business receives a letter from Nate (Starkman) a
neglected boy who wants a baby brother and Tulip (Crown), a woman
working for Cornerstone, causes the baby machine to create a girl in
response to the letter. Now Tulip and her stork friend Junior (Samberg)
must deliver the baby before Hunter finds out. This involves their
facing a pack of wolves, militant penguins and an avalanche. This is a
bizarre, non stop and fun packed movie that will appeal to all ages. It
has been well received by the critics and is sure to please.
The Accountant
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Certificate: 15
Cast includes: Ben Affleck, J. K. Simmons, Anna Kendrick, Jon Bernthal
Christian Wolff (Affleck) plays an autistic anto-hero, a mathematics
savant who works as a freelance accountant for criminal organisations.
He is being pursued by Raymond King (Simmons) from the Treasury
Department Crime Enforcement division and Christian, to put him off his
trail, takes on legitimate work tracing a discrepancy in the accounts of
a Robotics company. Dana Cummings (Kendrick) was the clerk who found
the accounting error and, working together, Dana and Christian find $61
million dollars have been embezzled. The head of the robotics company
commits suicide, and Dana and Christian find themselves targeted by a
hitman known as ‘The Assassin’ (Bernthal). The movie contains a good
share of both violence and humour. The plot show some inconsistencies,
but there are plenty of great set pieces. A fun and enjoyable movie.
The Girl on the Train
Director: Tate Taylor
Certificate: 12A
Cast includes Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Luke Evans, Justin Theroux
A movie based on Paula Hawkins best selling 2015 novel of the same
name. Rachel (Blunt) is an alcoholic who recently divorced her husband
Tom (Theroux). She commutes every day by train and on her journey she
fantasises about the seemingly perfect couple Scott (Evans) and Megan
(Bennett) Hipwell who live in a house that she passes. Rachel witnesses
something shocking on her journey and then hears Megan Hipwell is
missing. She tells the police and starts her own investigation. Yet she
cannot remember where where she was on the night of Megan’s
disappearance, and Megan and Scott are neighbours of her ex husband.
Hence Rachel find the police start to suspect she is involved in the
mystery. This is a well acted first rate mystery with a plot that
provides a good number of unexpected turns. A must-see movie.