Friday, January 4 2013, 01:34 PM MST
Recommended Films: January 4 - January 11, 2013
(KUTV) Recommended films showing in Salt Lake City for the week of January 4 – January 11, 2013
Mainstream
1. Les Miserables (PG-13)
2. Lincoln (PG-13)
3. Silver Linings Playbook (R)
4. Django Unchained (R)
5. The Impossible (PG-13)
Family
1. Frankenweenie (PG)
2. Life of Pi (PG)
3. Rise of the Guardians (PG)
4. Wreck-It Ralph (PG)
5. ParaNorman (PG)
Art House
1. Argo (R)
2. Holy Motors (NR)
3. The Sessions (R)
4. Hitchcock (PG-13)
5. Anna Karenina (R)
Promised Land
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Director • Gus Van Sant
Starring • Matt Damon, Frances McDormand and John Krasinski
Rated • R
Recommended to • Those looking for a well meaning, but ultimately disappointing drama from Matt Damon and director Gus Van Sant.
Steve (Matt Damon) works for a natural gas company. His job is to use his small-town charm to convince the people of an economically depressed community to sell the rights to whatever natural gas might be found beneath their farmhouses and fields at the lowest price possible. Some towns just can’t be bought.
Despite having a strong cast, which also includes Frances McDormand, Rosemarie DeWitt and John Krasinski (who co-wrote the film with Damon), “Promised Land” never materializes into the intelligent and timely drama it wants to be. The performances feel flat and the script is too preachy to be effective.
The Impossible
4 out of 5 Stars
Director • Juan Antonio Bayona
Starring • Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland
Rated • PG-13
Recommended to • Those looking for a gorgeous and thrilling film featuring a tremendous performance from Naomi Watts.
Maria (Naomi Watts), Henery (Ewand McGregor) and their three children are vacationing at a resort in Thailand when a massive tsunami hits the coast and obliterates the resort and the surrounding area.
Based on a true story (the real family was Spanish) “The Impossible” is very good disaster film with an excellent performance from Naomi Watts. The film features excellent special effects, beautiful cinematography, a gripping story and solid performances from the cast. Director Juan Antonio Bayona (“The Orphanage”) has done a wonderful job of crafting a story that is terrifying and uplifting at the same time.
Hyde Park on Hudson
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Director • Roger Michell
Starring • Bill Murray, Laura Linney and Olivia Williams
Rated • R
Recommended to • Die hard fans of Bill Murray or Laura Linney and history hounds.
“Hyde Park on Hudson” explores the love affair FDR (Bill Murray) had with Daisy (Laura Linney), his distant cousin, and the drama surrounding the infamous visit to upstate New York by the King and Queen of the United Kingdom.
Despite decent performances from Murray and Linney “Hyde Park on Hudson” doesn’t live up to expectations. Murray is charming, but not convincing and Linney simply doesn’t have enough to do. The comedy aspects of the story are played up quite a bit and while that does seem to smooth out the fact that FDR wasn’t the least bit faithful to his wife it also makes the film feel a bit too vapid.
Not Fade Away
2 out of 5 Stars
Director • David Chase
Starring • John Magaro, Jack Huston and Will Brill
Rated • R
Recommended to • Those looking for a disjointed journey into the world of a group of 1960s musicians destined for nowhere.
A group of New Jersey friends form a band in hopes of emulating their heroes The Beatles and the Rolling Stones while caught in the shadow of the Vietnam War.
On paper “Not Fade Away” is the sort of film that I’d love. My first love was and will always be music and while the ’60s might not be my decade of choice I’ve come to appreciate the music of the era. Sadly, “Not Fade Away” is populated entirely with characters that only think of themselves. The film never develops any sort of rhythm, which makes it all feel disjointed and more like a random selection of scenes rather than a cohesive story. There’s a little insight to the era, the confusion and rebellious spirit, but it never feels real. If there had been a likable character to accompany on this journey the film might have been more palatable.
(Copyright 2013 Sinclair Broadcasting Group.)
Mainstream
1. Les Miserables (PG-13)
2. Lincoln (PG-13)
3. Silver Linings Playbook (R)
4. Django Unchained (R)
5. The Impossible (PG-13)
Family
1. Frankenweenie (PG)
2. Life of Pi (PG)
3. Rise of the Guardians (PG)
4. Wreck-It Ralph (PG)
5. ParaNorman (PG)
Art House
1. Argo (R)
2. Holy Motors (NR)
3. The Sessions (R)
4. Hitchcock (PG-13)
5. Anna Karenina (R)
Promised Land
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Director • Gus Van Sant
Starring • Matt Damon, Frances McDormand and John Krasinski
Rated • R
Recommended to • Those looking for a well meaning, but ultimately disappointing drama from Matt Damon and director Gus Van Sant.
Steve (Matt Damon) works for a natural gas company. His job is to use his small-town charm to convince the people of an economically depressed community to sell the rights to whatever natural gas might be found beneath their farmhouses and fields at the lowest price possible. Some towns just can’t be bought.
Despite having a strong cast, which also includes Frances McDormand, Rosemarie DeWitt and John Krasinski (who co-wrote the film with Damon), “Promised Land” never materializes into the intelligent and timely drama it wants to be. The performances feel flat and the script is too preachy to be effective.
The Impossible
4 out of 5 Stars
Director • Juan Antonio Bayona
Starring • Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland
Rated • PG-13
Recommended to • Those looking for a gorgeous and thrilling film featuring a tremendous performance from Naomi Watts.
Maria (Naomi Watts), Henery (Ewand McGregor) and their three children are vacationing at a resort in Thailand when a massive tsunami hits the coast and obliterates the resort and the surrounding area.
Based on a true story (the real family was Spanish) “The Impossible” is very good disaster film with an excellent performance from Naomi Watts. The film features excellent special effects, beautiful cinematography, a gripping story and solid performances from the cast. Director Juan Antonio Bayona (“The Orphanage”) has done a wonderful job of crafting a story that is terrifying and uplifting at the same time.
Hyde Park on Hudson
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Director • Roger Michell
Starring • Bill Murray, Laura Linney and Olivia Williams
Rated • R
Recommended to • Die hard fans of Bill Murray or Laura Linney and history hounds.
“Hyde Park on Hudson” explores the love affair FDR (Bill Murray) had with Daisy (Laura Linney), his distant cousin, and the drama surrounding the infamous visit to upstate New York by the King and Queen of the United Kingdom.
Despite decent performances from Murray and Linney “Hyde Park on Hudson” doesn’t live up to expectations. Murray is charming, but not convincing and Linney simply doesn’t have enough to do. The comedy aspects of the story are played up quite a bit and while that does seem to smooth out the fact that FDR wasn’t the least bit faithful to his wife it also makes the film feel a bit too vapid.
Not Fade Away
2 out of 5 Stars
Director • David Chase
Starring • John Magaro, Jack Huston and Will Brill
Rated • R
Recommended to • Those looking for a disjointed journey into the world of a group of 1960s musicians destined for nowhere.
A group of New Jersey friends form a band in hopes of emulating their heroes The Beatles and the Rolling Stones while caught in the shadow of the Vietnam War.
On paper “Not Fade Away” is the sort of film that I’d love. My first love was and will always be music and while the ’60s might not be my decade of choice I’ve come to appreciate the music of the era. Sadly, “Not Fade Away” is populated entirely with characters that only think of themselves. The film never develops any sort of rhythm, which makes it all feel disjointed and more like a random selection of scenes rather than a cohesive story. There’s a little insight to the era, the confusion and rebellious spirit, but it never feels real. If there had been a likable character to accompany on this journey the film might have been more palatable.
(Copyright 2013 Sinclair Broadcasting Group.)
