/ 30 July 2004

All the August releases

MOVIE MONTHLY: Take an armchair trip around the globe with <i>Around the World in 80 Days</i>. Or perhaps bone-chilling blood and gore is more your thing in <i>Cabin Fever</i>. Or perhaps feline femme fatale Halle Berry in <i>Catwoman</i> will get you off the couch and off to the cinema. Dave Chislett rounds up this month's new releases.

The Actors

Directed by Connor McPherson and starring Michael Caine and Michael Gambon, this is a wry British comedy of mishaps. A classical actor (Caine) tries to rip off some local mobsters, with the assistance of a junior actor (Dylan Moran). Written by Neil Jordan of The Crying Game fame, this scenario would seem to be loaded with potential for a rollicking ride. Opens August 6

Anything Else

Written by, directed by and starring Woody Allen, Anything Else takes up the vintage Allen themes of insecurity, artistic production and relationships. Jason Biggs is Jerry Falk, an aspiring writer living in New York City who falls in love at first sight with Amanda (Christina Ricci), leading inevitably to a split with the woman who has hitherto been his girlfrind. Sounds very Allen indeed! Also starring Stockard Channing, Glenn Close, Danny DeVito, Jimmy Fallon and Diana Krall. Opens August 27

Around the World in 80 Days

Yet another remake of the Jules Verne classic set in the 1870s. This one stars Steve Coogan as intrepid traveller and inventor Phineas Fogg, with Jackie Chan as his aide, Passepartout. Naturally, with Chan in the role Passepartout now has considerable martial arts skills, and this 80 Days more fights than before, as the travellers wend their way across the globe from London to Turkey, China and the United States. Opens August 27

At Five in the Afternoon

The winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes last year, At Five in the Afternoon is set in US-occupied Afghanistan and examines the roles of women in this charged and changing country. Directed by Samira Makhmalbaf and starring Abdoligani Yousefrazi, Agheleh Rezaie and Razi Mohebi, this is said to be tough going — bleak, yet hallmarked by striking visuals. Opens August 6

Before Sunset

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, who star as the lead characters in this romantic tale, were deeply involved in the scripting of this sequel to Before Sunrise, the off-beat, bittersweet love story in which they also starred. The film traces the re-acquaintance of Jesse (Hawke), an American writer, and Celine (Delpy), a Frenchwoman working for an environmental organisation, nine years after their initial meeting. Directed by Richard Linklater, Before Sunset will appeal to lovers of the unusual. Opens August 20

Broken Wings

Written and directed by Nir Bergman, Broken Wings focuses on the lives of the Israeli Ullman family after the death of their father. Starring Orly Silbersatz, Maya Maron and Nitai Gaviratz, this is a sombre, melancholy movie that examines the effects of loss and survival. Opens August 20

Cabin Fever

A quirky piece of horror gross-out, this is the tale of a group of five college friends on vacation at a remote mountain cabin. They contract a flesh-eating virus and, one by one, they start to die. Panic follows. Opens August 6

Catwoman

Another comic-book character comes to the big screen. Catwoman is the story of shy artist Patience Philips, who gets transformed into Catwoman. Starring Halle Berry and Benjamin Bratt, it has lots of special effects and action. Whether it will contain some emotional depth and a convincing storyline is another matter. Opens August 13

Chronicles of Riddick

The follow-up to science-fiction action picture Pitch Black brings back Vin Diesel as ex-convict Riddick. In the new movie, the universe it at risk from a race of “necromongers” who convert or kill all in their path. Riddick is the prophesised saviour. Featuring a well-conceived and presented alternate world, this one is probably better than it looks. Opens August 6

Envy

In this comedy, Ben Stiller and Jack Black team up as Tim and Nick, best friends, neighbours and co-workers. Their peaceful loser world is turned on its head when one of Nick’s get-rich-quick schemes actually succeeds. Of course, Tim is envious and things get out of control when a drifter (Christopher Walken) joins the fray. Directed by Barry Levinson. Opens August 13

Godsend

A sinister tale directed by Nic Hamn. When their son dies, a young couple, Jessie (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) and Paul (Greg Kinnear), are befriended by a doctor at the forefront of genetic research (Robert DeNiro). On his urging they clone their son from his own DNA. But all is not ideal in this seemingly perfect solution, as the boy turns out to be not quite the son they knew. Opens August 20

Kaena

A French animated feature set on an alien planet that is home to Axis, a gigantic coiling plant that stretches high above the clouds. Yet the plant is dying and all those who depend on it are threatened with extinction. To save the day, Kaena, a rebellious, high-spirited teenage girl, must defy the high priest and her people’s ancestral beliefs to save the day. Kaena is voiced by Kirsten Dunst. Opens August 13

Laws of Attraction

A romantic comedy starring Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore as two divorce lawyers who fall for each other. Advance word has it that, despite the high-profile leads, this is a bit of a stinker. Opens August 6

The Notebook

From Nick Cassavetes, the director of Denzel Washington vehicle John Q and son of legendary free-form filmmaker John Cassavetes, The Notebook follows two young lovers, Allie Nelson and Noah Calhoun, who are separated by World War II and then reunited by chance. The action cuts between these two at different stages of their lives: united as young lovers and as an old couple. A sentimental movie, it seems, but also praised for some fine acting and great cinematography. Opens August 20

Raising Helen

Obviously intended as a comedy vehicle for the lovely Kate Hudson, this will be aiming straight at the centre of the “family values” audience. Unexpectedly saddled with three kids after the death of her sister, Helen Harris (Hudson) has to learn fast. Directed by Penny Marshall, who made Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride. Opens August 27

Soul Plane

After winning a court case against an airline, Nashawn Wade (Kevin Hart) creates the full-service airline of his dreams, complete with sexy stewardesses and funky music in a hot on-board dance club. Full of hip-hop in-jokes, some fairly ribald and tasteless humour, Soul Plane is said to be pretty funny from start to finish. Prepare for some crazy humour and an appearance by Snoop Dog. Opens August 13

Super Size Me

This documentary looks at the increasing problem of obesity among average Americans. Director Morgan Spurlock decided to eat only from McDonald’s for one whole month, and see what happened. Monitored by (increasingly horrified) doctors and dieticians, he eats and drinks nothing that isn’t on the McDonald’s menu. If this one doesn’t put you off fast food, nothing will! Opens August 20

Sylvia

Starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig as Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes respectively, this intensely emotional movie follows the course of their troubled marriage. Reactions have been mixed; but then it is always hard to portray the lives of poets and writers, and it must have been hard to avoid turning this into an upmarket soap opera. Opens August 13

Touching the Void

Directed by Kevin Macdonald, this is a docudrama about two climbers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, and their ill-fated attempt to scale the Siula Grande mountain in Peru. They got to the top, but disaster struck on the way down. Moving between interviews with the protagonists and a recreation of the climb and descent, the movie has been hailed for its gripping story. Probably not for those with vertigo or agoraphobia, though. Opens August 27

You Got Served

Another hip-hop ghetto movie about two kids, Elgin (Marques Houston) and David (Omari Granberry), who lead their own dance crew. They enter a local dance contest and come up against some rough characters. The movie is likely to feature, at least, some incredible dance scenes. Opens August 20

Compiled by Dave Chislett. Release dates correct at time of going to press. Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11, announced in these pages as to be released in July, has now been postponed to early 2005