Christmas 2016 - What to Watch

2016 hasn't been the best year for cinema, full of box office flops and critical failures. But this month is looking a lot more promising. Here's a full list of what you should be looking forward to seeing this holiday season!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story



Kicking off the Star Wars anthology films, Rogue One is arguably the most anticipated film of 2016. Rogue One will give us a brief look into what to expect from the upcoming "Anthology" films that Disney have planned for the Star Wars Franchise.

"In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves."

After the Force Awakens left a lot of fans feeling cheated after a regurgitated story, will Rogue One give us Star Wars fans the fresh new look at the Universe that we are thirsty for? Featuring an ensemble of brand new characters and a sprinkle of some familiar faces, so far Rogue One has seemed to hit the sweet spot.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE!


La La Land



Damien Chazelle's brand new musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone looks to be a pretty promising contender for several Academy Awards this year. Damien Chazelle is definitely not unfamiliar to Oscar buzz after the incredible success of his 2014 film "Whiplash", he's already proven to us he's capable of making an incredible film, but will he charm us again with "La La Land"?

"The story of Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a dedicated jazz musician, struggling to make ends meet while pursuing their dreams in a city known for destroying hopes and breaking hearts. With modern day Los Angeles as the backdrop, this musical about everyday life explores what is more important: a once-in-a-lifetime love or the spotlight."

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE!

Jackie



Natalie Portman stars in "Jackie" a political biopic directed by Pablo Larrain explores the life of Jacqueline Kennedy after the assassination of her husband. A psychological look at what the first lady had to deal with after she was widowed whilst she tries to fulfill her husband's legacy.

"Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband's historic legacy."
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE!

Silence



Early screenings of Martin Scorsese's new film "Silence" have hailed it as a masterpiece. Scorsese's passion project has been in development since 1990 will be most definitely a main contender in the 2017 Academy Awards. Starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver and Liam Neeson the film is rich with on screen talent that brings so much promise to the film.

"The story of two Christian missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor (Liam Neeson) - at a time when Christianity was outlawed."

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE!

Sully



Tom Hanks stars in biopic of real life pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger who miraculously landed a plane in the Hudson River without any fatalities and quickly become an international hero. Clint Eastwood's "Sully" deals with the aftermath and how Sully was questioned by authorities who believed he made the wrong decision.

"On Jan. 15, 2009, Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) tries to make an emergency landing in New York's Hudson River after US Airways Flight 1549 strikes a flock of geese. Miraculously, all of the 155 passengers and crew survive the harrowing ordeal, and Sullenberger becomes a national hero in the eyes of the public and the media. Despite the accolades, the famed pilot now faces an investigation that threatens to destroy his career and reputation."

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE!

Assassin's Creed



Movies adapted from video games often fail miserable after abuse from critics. 2016 has been no different after "Warcraft" was torn apart by critics. Assassins Creed is a chance for video game moves to shake off this bad reputation. Justin Kurzel directs Michael Fassbender in a fresh story based on the very successful game franchise "Assassin's Creed".

"Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day."

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE!

Passengers



Hollywood's biggest stars Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt star in the unique science fiction film "Passengers". The story of 2 people who wake up 90 years early during a 120 year travel through space whilst the rest of the ship's crew are left in hyper sleep.

"On a routine journey through space to a new home, two passengers, sleeping in suspended animation, are awakened 90 years too early when their ship malfunctions. As Jim and Aurora face living the rest of their lives on board, with every luxury they could ever ask for, they begin to fall for each other, unable to deny their intense attraction... until they discover the ship is in grave danger. With the lives of 5000 sleeping passengers at stake, only Jim and Aurora can save them all."

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE!

Taxi Driver - Movie Review - Classic Film of the Week

A compelling and unsettling film exploring many of the fears, aches, and dislocations of contemporary urban life.

Travis Bickle (Robert de Niro) is a lonely, frustrated, and disoriented young Vietnam veteran from the Midwest who is working as a night cabbie in Manhattan. He despises "Sin City" with all its pimps and prostitutes, pushers and perverts. As a taxi driver, he stays somewhat sealed off from this ugly external world. He exists in the private space of his room and his cab — two isolated realms serving as a womb. Travis is the anonymous man. The other people to whom he should normally relate in his development as a person have become constant irritants and challenges to his self-will. By the middle of the film, his womb has been transformed into a fantasy chamber giving him the only opportunity he has to assert himself as the center of the universe.

Director Martin Scorsese who did such a masterful job using New York City as a backdrop for Mean Streets again succeeds in capturing the frantic and frightening side of the metropolis. Whether the scene is set in the slummy East Village, as the Bellmore Cafeteria (a hangout for hack drivers) or at Columbus Circle, the picture is a continuing presentation of an oppressive urban soulscape — the ever unfriendly environment.

Travis prowls the city in his cab. The wretched tenements, the glare of traffic lights at night, the eerie vapors emanating from the streets — all combine to create a feeling for Manhattan as an evil octopus. We begin to feel claustrophobic — closed in and pressed upon. The atmosphere of the film is feverish with constant intimations of impending violence.

Travis is hungry for love and recognition. He aggressively inserts himself into the life of Susan (Cybill Shepherd), an attractive, bright, and socially conscious woman who is working at the campaign headquarters of Presidential candidate Charles Palatine (Leonard Harris). Their encounters at her office, over coffee in a restaurant, and on one date are both bizarre and extremely revealing. The relationship is doomed from the start. Seeing her as "an angel in this filthy mess," Travis puts Susan on a pedestal. When he discovers that she is something less than an angel, his despair deepens.

If he can no longer be an adoring prince, Travis wants to be a savior. He showers his affections upon Iris (Jodie Foster), a twelve-year-old hooker who is the property of Sport (Harvey Keitel), a self-obsessed pimp. The taxi driver offers Iris some money in hopes that she will leave the city and the degradation of her life as a prostitute. She laughingly tells him: "I don't know who's weirder — you or me." But we know.

One of the movie's more poignant scenes takes place one night at the Bellmore Cafeteria. Travis tries to convey to Wizard (Peter Boyle), a veteran cabbie, what he feels about the meaninglessness of his life. He struggles to into words his depression, anger, and bewilderment. Although Wizard is somewhat tuned into that same feeling, he can offer nothing except the suggestion of cheap thrills. This vignette works on a gut level; it puts before us in a very realistic way the many situations in our lives when we have played either the role of victim or adviser. And when the scene is over, we feel the sense of loss in both the failure to communicate and the botched opportunity to help a despondent friend.

Robert De Niro's performance as the nervous and psychopathic Travis is a tightrope act of sustained intensity. It is to the actor's credit that he can involve us so deeply with this person's disequilibrium and rage. De Niro doesn't allow us to distance or disassociate ourselves from this character. He places us in the cab and by the sheer insistence of his performance takes us along for the whole ride This is acting worthy of an Academy Award.

Although Taxi Driver contains an assassination attempt on a Presidential candidate, the movie is not about that subject. By taking us inside a killer's mind, it reveals a very important truth: most murders are little murders. What shocks is the ease with which basic human aches can add up to murder — the working out of private grudges thought political symbols (Travis tries to get back at Susan through Palatine) and the sudden anger which finds release against whoever is at hand (the stomach-turning carnage of the film's finale). Taxi Driver is not for those who are unable to handle cinematic violence.