STACK September 2016 Issue 143

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ALSO SCREENING
IN SEPTEMBER
Director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day ) brings
his flair for gritty action to the wild, wild west
in this remake of John Sturges' 1960 classic.
Denzel Washington leads the eponymous band
of outlaws (including Chris Pratt and Ethan
Hawke), who've been hired to take down a
corrupt industrialist who plans to plunder the
town of Rose Krick. Bullets will fly on Sept 29.
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
What do your pets get up to after you've left for
work? The answer can be found in what promises to
be the cutest and funniest animated feature of the
year – and it doesn't involve pining at the front door
until you return. Find out on Sept 8.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS
Oliver Stone's latest concerns the whistleblower
who leaked classified documents on illegal
surveillance practices by the NSA. Perfect
material for a director who favours controversial
figures and issues. Secrets revealed on Sept 22.
SNOWDEN
Originally called The Woods, until a surprise title
change revealed it to be a sequel to the found-footage
horror hit. With Adam Wingard (You're Next) directing,
this could be scary stuff. Witching begins on Sept 15.
BLAIR WITCH
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26 SEPTEMBER 2016
CINEMA
REVIEWS
It's been 13 years since we last caught up with
David Brent, star of the BBC mockumentary
series The Office. Ricky Gervais's excruciating
comic creation has since fallen to the bottom of
the corporate ladder following redundancy from
Wernham Hogg, where he was top dog. Now
he's a tampon sales rep chasing big dreams as
a rock star. Cashing in his pension funds and
taking unpaid leave, Brent hits the road with
band Foregone Conclusion for a tour that will
hopefully end with a recording contract, and
needless to say it's a foregone conclusion that
the cringe factor will be dialled up to eleven. The
world has become more politically correct but
Brent hasn't, belting out songs like "Don't Make
Fun of the Disabled" and "Native American"
to the disbelief of a scant audience and the
contempt of his bandmates. Fans of The Office
will know exactly what to expect, but should
note that this is strictly the David Brent show
– don't expect to catch up with Tim, Gareth
and Dawn. We do meet his new workmates
at Lavichem, however, including kindred spirit
Nigel (Tom Bennett), who manages to register
in a film that's a showcase for Gervais, as
does Doc Brown as the open-mike rapper
whose promising career Brent has hijacked
for his own delusional ends. Once again, the
awkward humour comes less from Brent's
abrasive persona than others reactions to
it, as captured with candid precision by a
documentary film crew. It's funny, squirm-
inducing stuff, although a last minute segue
into sentiment is unnecessary – we pity
Brent already. Scott Hocking
FURTHER VIEWING: The Office (UK): Season 1–3
A legend in his own mind.
DAVID BRENT: LIFE ON THE ROAD
RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Ricky Gervais CAST: Ricky Gervais, Jo Hartley, Doc Brown RATING: MA15+
A supernatural instrument, talking animals and
creepy aunts galore - Kubo slices in as the fourth
addition to Laika Entertainment’s animated line-
up, following Coraline and ParaNorman , and it's
another gorgeously peculiar tale. Young Kubo
(Art Parkinson) spends his days using his magical
shamisen and origami to bring extraordinary
stories to life in his small town. Much to the
dismay of the story-devoted townsfolk, he
never seems to provide an ending. But when he
accidentally summons a vengeful spirit from the
heavens, Kubo begins to live out the tales himself.
Armed only with his mystical instrument, Kubo
and his allies – the protectively cynical Monkey
(Charlize Theron) and the fearless yet childish
Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) – embark on
a journey to collect the three parts of his late
father’s mystical armour, in order to defeat the
spirit and the monsters that stand in his path.
Kubo blows its Laika predecessors out of the
water in terms of beauty. Stop-motion is a
charming medium that the studio has dominated
since 2009, and once again it creates a
magnificent world to explore. But unfortunately
many of the jokes don't quite land with an older
audience, being predominantly aimed at kids.
However, the film is not short of heartfelt
moments. A surprising highlight comes in the
form of the Sisters, voiced by Rooney Mara.
If you're looking for some of that trademark
Coraline creepiness, this is where you’ll find
it – her spine-chilling laugh alone will haunt
your dreams. Aside from the mildly flat jokes
and generally predictable plot points, this is as
magically charming as Laika's previous offerings,
with the divine music of the shamisen bound to
lift your spirits. Savannah Douglas
FURTHER VIEWING: Coraline
More magic from Laika.
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Travis Knight CAST: Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Ralph Fiennes RATING: PG