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052 MAY 2015 JB Hi-Fi
It's good to see Mark Wahlberg in a dramatic role
where he isn't playing a cop. In this slick remake of
the 1974 film that starred James Caan, Wahlberg plays
a self-destructive English literature professor with a
gambling problem and a mountain of debt to unsavoury
characters. Despite losing plenty on the blackjack tables,
Wahlberg's compulsive gambler remains indifferent to
his financial plight, so it's difficult to feel any sympathy
for his cynical character. But there's plenty to enjoy in
the terrific performances from Jessica Lange, as his
frosty cashed-up mother, and a bald and fearsome John Goodman
as a loan shark, whose repayment terms make payday lenders seem
reasonable. Screenwriter William Monahan (The Departed) has a flair
for colourful dialogue and tough guy ranting, which also pays dividends.
The stakes are high.
THE GAMBLER
Release Date: 27/05/15 Format:
Hollywood's output of inspirational true stories continues
to introduce viewers to individuals who triumph over
incredible odds. Louis Zamperini's story is a great example;
an Olympic athlete who became a bombardier during World
War II, survived a plane crash into the ocean, and spent
47 days adrift before being captured by the Japanese Navy
and interred in a POW camp. Unbroken is a testament to
Zamperini's courage and fortitude, adapted from Laura
Hillenbrand's bestselling biography (with input from the
Coen brothers) and directed for the screen by Angelina Jolie.
It's a big, epic and ambitious film, and Angelina impressively pulls it off; you
can't fault her skill behind the camera, nor the committed performance by
rising star Jack O'Connell (Starred Up). But something gets lost in translation:
the film is never as involving or as moving as it should be. • See page 38
A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.
UNBROKEN
Release Date: 14/05/15 Format:
You can usually expect two things from Canadian
filmmaker Atom Egoyan – a non-linear narrative and
a cold and chilly atmosphere. His latest movie, The
Captive, doesn't disappoint; Egoyan has crafted a
fractured, slow burn mystery involving the abduction
of a child and her father's desperate search for
answers. Scott Speedman and Rosario Dawson play
the detectives investigating the disappearance of
another woman, whose connection to the kidnapping
of Ryan Reynolds' daughter soon becomes apparent.
This is a deeply disturbing thriller that taps into every parent's worst
nightmare and adds a frightening new perspective on the subject
of Internet predators. A companion piece to Denis Villeneuve's
Prisoners – just don't watch them both as a double feature!
Gone girl.
THE CAPTIVE
Release Date: 13/05/15 Format:
When cyber-terrorism creates chaos in the financial
markets and compromises a nuclear plant in Hong
Kong, convicted hacker and tech genius Chris
Hemsworth is offered a temporary get-out-of-jail-
free card in exchange for assisting the FBI to track
down the person responsible. Directed by Michael
Mann, who's been absent from screens since
2009's Public Enemies, Blackhat is a topical techno-
thriller saturated in the filmmaker's signature visual
dazzle and neon glow, with the camera plunging
into and traversing the datastream in a flashy sequence worthy
of David Fincher. Having bypassed local cinemas, this is a home
entertainment exclusive and is best viewed on Blu-ray to better
appreciate Mann's visual tour de force. Like Swordfish, only better.
Hack attack.
BLACKHAT
Release Date: 14/05/15 Format:
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