The first weekend of February brings with it three new wide releases, and it’s quite the eclectic bunch. There’s a goofy comedy from high-brow iconic auteur brothers, a sappy Nicholas Sparks adaptation, and, er, a British costume drama horror comedy.
That last one is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, based on the novel of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith, which is a zombie-apocalypse parody of the Jane Austen novel. Lily James (Cinderella) stars as Elizabeth Bennet, who — in addition to finding a marriageable man to ensure her future — must also fight back against the outbreak of the living dead. I have no idea what to make of this one. Zombies are the rage right now, but will the masses turn out for a British period piece, even if it’s a comedic genre mashup? I’ve never seen the appeal of James, whom I find so annoying as Lady Rose on Downton Abbey. Also, the film was written and directed by Burr Steers, best-known for the Zac Efron movies 17 Again and Charlie St. Cloud — can he handle the historical romance elements and sheer Englishness of this environment? After all, for this kind of thing to work, it needs to bring the genuine Austen aesthetic and then destabilize it. The supporting cast includes such familiar faces as Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, and Lena Headey… but none of them are actors that particularly excite me. I love 19th-century English stories, and I enjoy zombie narratives, but I can’t muster much enthusiasm for this one. Reviews are pretty negative too.
Also opening this week is The Choice, the latest weepy romance adapted from a Nicholas Sparks novel. This time, the leads are Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies). I’m not certain what that titular choice will entail, but there’s sure to be tears and melodrama. I’m pretty sure you’ve either never heard of this film or been looking forward to it impatiently with heart a-flutter for months. I’ve actually never seen a Nicholas Sparks movie. Not one. Should I bother? Director Ross Katz’s most recent film was last year’s tepidly received indie Adult Beginners. I haven’t seen that either. This new one has received savage reviews from critics, but that doesn’t often stop Sparks adaptations.
I’ve saved the best for last this week. The third wide release of the week is also certainly the first must-see film of 2016 — Hail, Caesar! Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, the film is a comedy set in Hollywood in the 1950s about a professional fixer working hard to keep the scandalous behaviour of his movie star clients out of the press. Coen Brothers comedies always boast all-star casts, and this one includes Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johannson, Jonah Hill, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Channing Tatum — plus Alden Ehrenreich (Beautiful Creatures, Stoker) in a potentially breakthrough role. Hail, Caesar! is the Coens’ first film since 2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis, which was such a masterpiece and my #2 film of that year. So you can say that I’m eager to see this new one. I’ll have a lot more to say, surely, once I do.
In limited release this week is Regression, a new thriller from Spanish writer-director Alejandro Amenábar (The Others, The Sea Inside). Ethan Hawke stars as a detective investigating the sexual abuse of a young woman (Emma Watson) by her father, leading him to Satanic cults and human sacrifice rituals. The film apparently opened in Canada last fall, though this is the first I hear of it. It’s gotten awful reviews. Also opening this week is horror anthology Southbound, which premiered last fall at TIFF.
What are you planning to see this weekend?
