Movie Releases – 26 December 2014

Unbroken (2014)

Stars: Jack O'Connell, Takamasa Ishihara, Domhnall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund

Director: Angelina Jolie

Genre: Action/Drama/Sport/War

3 Arts Entertainment, Jolie Pas, Legendary Pictures

Time: 137 min

Rating: PG-13

Plot

After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis Zamperini spends a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he's caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

The Interview (2014)

Stars: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Randall Park, Lizzy Caplan

Directors: Evan Goldberg/Seth Rogen

Genre: Action/Comedy

Columbia Pictures, LStar Capital, Point Grey Pictures

Time: 112 min

Rating: Restricted

Plot

In the action-comedy The Interview, Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) run the popular celebrity tabloid TV show "Skylark Tonight." When they discover that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is a fan of the show, they land an interview with him in an attempt to legitimize themselves as journalists. As Dave and Aaron prepare to travel to Pyongyang, their plans change when the CIA recruits them, perhaps the two least-qualified men imaginable, to assassinate Kim Jong-un.

(Due to cyber attacks at Sony and terrorist threats from North Korea the Premiere to this movie was cancelled and Cinaplex Canada delayed the release of this movie. It’s sad to see studios and theatres bow down to these scum. More so since the film was made locally here in British Columbia.)

Into the Woods (2014)

Stars: Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine, Emily Blunt

Director: Rob Marshall

Genre: Comedy/Family/Fantasy/Musical

Lucamar Productions, Marc Platt Productions, Walt Disney Pictures

Time: 124 min

Rating: PG

Plot

Into the Woods is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a musical format that follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel-all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them.

American Sniper (2014) (limited)

Stars: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman

Director: Clint Eastwood

Genre: Action/Biography/War

Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, Mad Chance Productions

Time: 132 min

Ratings: Restricted

Plot

Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home to his wife and kids after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind.

The Gambler (2014)

Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, John Goodman, Brie Larson

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller

Paramount Pictures, Winkler Films

Time: 111 min

Rating: Restricted

Plot

Jim Bennett is a risk taker. Both an English professor and a high-stakes gambler, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster and offers his own life as collateral. Always one step ahead, Bennett pits his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring and leaves his dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy mother in his wake. He plays both sides, immersing himself in an illicit, underground world while garnering the attention of Frank, a loan shark with a paternal interest in Bennett's future. As his relationship with a student deepens, Bennett must take the ultimate risk for a second chance...

Big Eyes (2014)

Stars: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Krysten Ritter, Danny Huston

Director: Tim Burton

Genre: Biography/Drama

Silverwood Films, Electric City Entertainment, Tim Burton Productions

Time: 105 min

Rating: PG-13

Plot

A drama about the awakening of the painter Margaret Keane, her phenomenal success in the 1950s, and the subsequent legal difficulties she had with her husband, who claimed credit for her works in the 1960s.

Two Days, One Night (24 December 2014 - limited)

Stars: Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, Catherine Salée, Batiste

Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne/Luc Dardenne

Genre: Drama

Les Films du Fleuve, Archipel 35, BIM Distribuzione

Time: 95 min

Rating: PG-13

Plot

Sandra, a young Belgian mother, discovers that her workmates have opted for a significant pay bonus, in exchange for her dismissal. She has only one weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses so that she can keep her job.

Beloved Sisters (2014)

Stars: Hannah Herzsprung, Florian Stetter, Henriette Confurius, Claudia Messner

Director: Dominik Graf

Genre: Drama/History/Romance

Bavaria Filmverleih- und Produktions GmbH, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), Wega Film

Time: 138 min

Rating:

Plot

The aristocratic sisters Charlotte and Caroline both fall in love with the controversial young writer and hothead Friedrich Schiller. Defying the conventions of their time, the sisters decide to share their love with Schiller. What begins playfully, almost as a game among the three of them, soon turns serious as it leads to the end of a pact.