As the shadow of Winter begins to loom across the land, there are worse places to hide from it’s chilling embrace than the local cinema. Actually, we like watching movies all year round so the season has nothing to do with it. Let’s ignore Earth’s voyage through the cosmos then, and focus on six films you should be getting your butt to this month. Or – if you are too much of a stay-at-home crybaby – read on for our picks of June’s direct-to-home-video titles.
Jurassic World – June 11th
Twenty-two years after the disastrous events of Jurassic Park, the vision of founder John Hammond is now reality – a fully-functional theme park open to the public, and populated by dinosaurs. While staff member Owen (Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy) conducts research into the fearsome velociraptor, scientists at the park are cooking up a new, genetically-modified dinosaur in the lab… Quick pop quiz, people – do you think this is a good idea? This couldn’t be a movie if it was…
Marshland – June 11th
Moody mystery set in the Spanish Deep South, 1980. Two detectives, ideologically miles apart, investigate the brutal murder of two young woman in a forgotten rural town. Winner of 10 Goya Awards (Spanish Oscars), including Best Film, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay. We hosted previews of Marshland last month, with the people of New Zealand giving this four stars out of five. Read their reviews.
Love and Mercy – June 25th
Genius Beach Boys songwriter Brian Wilson is the subject of this biopic. With younger and older incarnations played by Paul Dano and John Cusack respectively, Love and Mercy traces the success of the Beach Boys from clean-cut surf band, through to Wilson’s duel with The Beatles to make the best records in the world, culminating in his masterpiece Pet Sounds and then his nervous breakdown and subsequent, controversial, therapy.
Inside Out – June 25th
From Disney/Pixar and the director of Up, a film set inside a little girl’s head where five emotions – Joy, Anger, Disgust, Fear and Sadness – try to guide her through life. Not just offering commentary on the girl’s experiences, the emotions steer her through her days until a series of mishaps strand Joy and Sadness deep inside her consciousness and where they must embark on a series of adventures to return to their “control room” and restore emotional balance.
Far From the Madding Crowd – June 25th
Carey Mulligan and Matthias Schoenaerts lead this adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s 1874 literary classic that delves into the complicated nature of passion, attachment and independence through a woman’s relationship with three men. From the director of the Oscar-nominated The Hunt.
Minions – June 25th
Animated laugher, following the history of the little minions from Despicable Me. At the dawn of time, starting as yellow, single-celled, organisms, Minions evolve through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters. Continuously unsuccessful at keeping these masters – from T. Rex to Napoleon – the Minions find themselves without someone to serve and fall into a deep depression.
The One I Love – June 3rd
The basics: Surreal romantic-comedy starring Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) and Mark Duplass (Safety Not Guaranteed). The plot – described by Variety as “a challenge to discuss without spoiling a good deal of the fun” – involves the couple being sent on a dizzying weekend getaway, in an attempt to repair the cracks in their relationship.
The buzz: 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety calls it a “smart crowd-pleaser, featuring spectacular performances”, while AV Club notes “Lader’s clever screenplay questions what people truly want and expect from their partners”.
Camp X-Ray – June 11th
The basics: Kristen Stewart stars in this Guantanamo Bay drama as a newly-assigned soldier, who strikes up an unusual friendship with a detainee (Peyman Maadi, A Separation). Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
The buzz: 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. “Stewart seems out to prove her potential with this solemn drama,”reckons New York Daily News, adding “for the most part, she succeeds”.
The Salvation – June 11th
The basics: Set in 1870s America, Mads Mikkelsen (TV’s Hannibal) leads this Western as a mild-mannered settler who dishes out bloody revenge on the men who murdered his family. But when the fatal act gains the attention of more ruthless men, the townsfolk turn their backs on the foreigner, forcing him to take the gunmen on by himself.
The buzz: 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. Hollywood Reporter notes the film “is assembled of nothing but the most elemental components of the Western, which gives genre specialists a lot to recognize and analyze and newcomers something to enjoy for its own sake”.
The Cobbler – June 17th
The basics: Adam Sandler stars as a shoe repairman who’s lost his joy for life – until he discovers he can take on the appearance of his customers by wearing their shoes. From the director of The Station Agent, this is one of Sandler’s occasional semi-dramatic turns, free of his usual gang of chump mates, except one Mr. Steve Buscemi. Along with some guy called Dustin Hoffman.
The buzz: 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, themselves describing this as “a slight step up from Adam Sandler’s recent comedies, but while its cloying sentiment proves a more palatable substitute for his usual crass humor, it still isn’t terribly compelling”.
Last Knights – June 17th
The basics: Clive Owen, Morgan Freeman, and The Dark Horse himself, Cliff Curtis, get down with some swordplay in this medieval action-adventure that pits a fallen warrior (Owen) against a corrupt and sadistic ruler to avenge his dishonoured master. Possibly not historically accurate…
The buzz: 16% on Rotten Tomatoes. Time Out puts it to the sword thusly: “This is an unrelentingly dour take on the fantasy genre, ditching the wizards, dragons and rampant nudity – aka, the fun stuff”.
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby – June 24th
The basics: The breakdown of a couple’s marriage is examined in this drama starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy. Also released as two separate films, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby delves into the subjectivity of relationships by weaving together the pair’s differing perspectives.
The buzz: 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. “Worth watching for Chastain’s fierce performance”, says Entertainment Weekly, while AV Club reckons the film “tows the line between just enough and a bit too much”.
Rosewater – June 24th
The basics: Departing Daily Show host Jon Stewart makes his directorial debut with this true story about a journalist (Gael García Bernal), imprisoned, interrogated and beaten in Iran for 100 days during 2009. Accused of helping with an attempt to overthrow the Iranian government, one of the pieces of evidence against him was a clip from… The Daily Show.
The buzz: 77% on Rotten Tomatoes. New York Magazine says “it turns out to be a sly, layered work, charged with dark wit along with horror”. Village Voice notes “there’s vitality and feeling in it, the secret ingredients so often missing from even the most well-intentioned first features”.
