New Releases (28/11/13)

How busy, and not particularly interesting, is this week? Hitting cinemas are Carrie, One Chance, How I Live Now, Austenland, Magic Magic, Fill The Void, The Darkside and White Lies. Now, I am not sure where some of these films are being released, but I understand they will all be programmed somewhere nationally from Thursday.

At Dendy Newtown there will also be advanced screenings of The Spectacular Now and Closed Circuit (December 5).

Carrie - A re-imagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother (Julianne Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom. Based on the best-selling novel by Stephen King.

One Chance - From the director of The Devil Wears Prada, One Chance is the inspirational true story of Paul Potts, a shy, bullied shop assistant by day and an amateur opera singer by night. Paul became an instant YouTube phenomenon after being chosen by Simon Cowell for 'Britain's Got Talent.' Wowing audiences worldwide with his phenomenal voice, Paul went on to win 'Britain's Got Talent' and the hearts of millions. Fresh from celebrating his Tony Award-winning Broadway run in 'One Man, Two Guvnors', BAFTA winner James Corden stars as Paul Potts and is supported by an acclaimed ensemble cast.

How I Live Now - Set in the near-future UK, Saoirse Ronan plays Daisy, an American teenager sent to stay with relatives in the English countryside. Initially withdrawn and alienated, she begins to warm up to her charming surroundings, and strikes up a romance with the handsome Edmund (George MacKay). But on the fringes of their idyllic summer days are tense news reports of an escalating conflict in Europe. As the UK falls into a violent, chaotic military state, Daisy finds herself hiding and fighting to survive. Review by Kwenton Bellette at Graffiti With Punctuation.

Set in the near-future UK, Ronan plays Daisy, an American teenager sent to stay with relatives in the English countryside. Initially withdrawn and alienated, she begins to warm up to her charming surroundings, and strikes up a romance with the handsome Edmund (George MacKay). But on the fringes of their idyllic summer days are tense news reports of an escalating conflict in Europe. As the UK falls into a violent, chaotic military state, Daisy finds herself hiding and fighting to survive. - See more at: http://www.magpictures.com/howilivenow/#sthash.0f8FCVx3.dpuf

Set in the near-future UK, Ronan plays Daisy, an American teenager sent to stay with relatives in the English countryside. Initially withdrawn and alienated, she begins to warm up to her charming surroundings, and strikes up a romance with the handsome Edmund (George MacKay). But on the fringes of their idyllic summer days are tense news reports of an escalating conflict in Europe. As the UK falls into a violent, chaotic military state, Daisy finds herself hiding and fighting to survive. - See more at: http://www.magpictures.com/howilivenow/#sthash.0f8FCVx3.dpuf

Set in the near-future UK, Ronan plays Daisy, an American teenager sent to stay with relatives in the English countryside. Initially withdrawn and alienated, she begins to warm up to her charming surroundings, and strikes up a romance with the handsome Edmund (George MacKay). But on the fringes of their idyllic summer days are tense news reports of an escalating conflict in Europe. As the UK falls into a violent, chaotic military state, Daisy finds herself hiding and fighting to survive. - See more at: http://www.magpictures.com/howilivenow/#sthash.0f8FCVx3.dpuf

Set in the near-future UK, Ronan plays Daisy, an American teenager sent to stay with relatives in the English countryside. Initially withdrawn and alienated, she begins to warm up to her charming surroundings, and strikes up a romance with the handsome Edmund (George MacKay). But on the fringes of their idyllic summer days are tense news reports of an escalating conflict in Europe. As the UK falls into a violent, chaotic military state, Daisy finds herself hiding and fighting to survive. - See more at: http://www.magpictures.com/howilivenow/#sthash.0f8FCVx3.dpuf

Set in the near-future UK, Ronan plays Daisy, an American teenager sent to stay with relatives in the English countryside. Initially withdrawn and alienated, she begins to warm up to her charming surroundings, and strikes up a romance with the handsome Edmund (George MacKay). But on the fringes of their idyllic summer days are tense news reports of an escalating conflict in Europe. As the UK falls into a violent, chaotic military state, Daisy finds herself hiding and fighting to survive. - See more at: http://www.magpictures.com/howilivenow/#sthash.0f8FCVx3.dpuf

Austenland - Romantic comedy about a 30-something woman whose lifelong obsession with all things Jane Austen lead her to an eccentric theme park based on the author's writings, and into the company of a handsome young suitor. For as long as she can remember, Jane Hayes (Keri Russell) has treasured the writings of the author behind such literary classics as Emma, and Pride and Prejudice. For years, Jane had been stashing away funds in hopes that someday she would be able to afford a trip to Austenland - a place where the die-hard fan can be completely immersed in the elegant world of the beloved author.

Magic Magic - Sebastian Silva's Magic Magic is more aptly described as a dark psychological drama with tense overtones. Juno Temple stars as Alicia - an emotionally fragile young woman in her early 20's with a murky history. She joins her cousin Sarah (Emily Browning), Sarah's boyfriend Agustín (Agustín Silva), the couple's eccentric friend Brink (Michael Cera) and Agustín's sister Barbara (Catalina Sandina Moreno) for a retreat in the countryside, but from the beginning, things don't go as planned. In the days that follow, tension erupts between Alicia and the other members of the group, particularly Brink, who displays extreme anti-social tendencies and grows fond of malevolently pushing the girl's buttons. After Sarah returns, all hell threatens to break loose and it becomes increasingly apparent that Alicia is now teetering on the brink of a full-scale mental breakdown. 

Fill The Void - 18-year-old Shira is the youngest daughter of the Mendelman family from Tel Aviv. She is about to be married off to a young man of the same age and background, which is a dream-come-true for her.  On Purim, her 28-year-old sister, Esther, dies while giving birth to her first child.Everything changes when a match is proposed to Yochay - Esther's late husband-to a widow from Belgium. Yochay feels it's too early, although he realizes that sooner or later he must seriously consider getting married again. When Shira’s mother finds out that Yochay may marry the widow and move away with her only grandchild, she proposes a match between Shira and Yochay. Shira will have to choose between her heart's wish and her family duty.

The Darkside - The award-winning creative force behind the exquisite Samson and Delilah return with a ground-breaking and unnerving project - true stories from the other side. Aboriginal people live on the threshold of two worlds - one of everyday reality and the other of spirits, demons and entities. They can live an ordinary life with dead ancestors and demons all vying for space. Director Warwick Thornton assembles a collection of poignant, sad, funny and absurd ghost tales from across Australia and brings them to life with some of Australia's most iconic actors as the storytellers.

White Lies - A story about the nature of identity: those who deny it and those who strive to protect it. Paraiti (Whirimako Black) is a medicine woman. She is the healer and midwife of her rural, tribal people - she believes in life. But new laws are in force prohibiting unlicensed healers. On a rare trip to the city, she is approached by Maraea (Rachel House), the servant of a wealthy woman, Rebecca (Antonia Prebble), who seeks her knowledge and assistance in order to hide a secret which could destroy Rebecca's position in European settler society. If the secret is uncovered a life may be lost, but hiding it may also have fatal consequences. So Paraiti, Maraea and Rebecca become players in a head on clash of beliefs, deception and ultimate salvation. 

Weekly Recommendation: White Lies is New Zealand's candidate for Foreign Language Film at this year's Academy Awards, so as it is potentially the best film to be released from the country this year. It could be worth seeking out. Warwick Thornton's latest project also sounds fascinating, but opportunities will be limited. I feel like I have seen the entirety of One Chance in the trailer so I am going to skip that, and Austenland just doesn't sound very good. I am intrigued about How I Live Now - I really liked Kevin McDonald's The Last King of Scotland and Touching the Void - so I'll make the time to catch it, while my sole recommendation this week happens to be the only one I have seen. That is Magic Magic. With great performances from the young cast, this bleak, unsettling thriller delves into the various anxieties of traveling, the mounting psychological trauma that accompanies the warped consciousness associated with insomnia, and the degradation of a young person from repeated bouts of shame and embarrassment.