Shadows on the Wall

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Shadows reviews Trailers and other previews... ALL COMMENTS BY RICH CLINE
C O M I N G S O O N to the UK...	O N T H E H O R I Z O N can’t hardly wait...
16 Nov SUSPIRIA HELL FEST ADRIFT IN SOHO BOYS [JONAS] (Fr) 23 Nov ASSASSINATION NATION POSTCARDS FROM LONDON 30 Nov * DISOBEDIENCE ROMA (Mex) 7 Dec: SORRY TO BOTHER YOU TIDES WHITE BOY RICK 14 Dec: 1985 IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE LIZZIE THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT Jan-Mar STAN & OLLIE THE FAVOURITE LIFE ITSELF * PADRE (It) MONSTERS AND MEN BEAUTIFUL BOY COLETTE DESTROYER BURNING (Kor) CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK C O M I N G U P . . . • THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS. AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD. THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES. WIDOWS. THE FRONT RUNNER. BEING FRANK. ON THE BASIS OF SEX. BOY ERASED. • JUST FRIENDS. WOMAN UP. THE WILD PEAR TREE. RAINBOW BRIDGE MOTEL. FALSE CONFESSIONS. * Thessaloniki. CHAINED FOR LIFE. GIRL. INSECT. JOY. MANTA RAY. MAPPLETHORPE. RAY & LIZ. TOUCH ME NOT. WE. LFF. Raindance. Flare: CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS. MY DAYS OF MERCY. • CREED II. RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET. ROBIN HOOD. N O U K R E L E A S E D A T E . . . ANYTHING BENJAMIN BORDER (Swe) THE BREAKER UPPERERS EATEN BY LIONS HEAVY TRIP (Fin) HAPPY NEW YEAR, COLIN BURSTEAD HARD PAINT (Br) JUST CHARLIE LOVE, CECIL THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT PAPI CHULO RBG SAUVAGE (Fr) SHADOW (Chn) SHELTER (Isr) THE SONG OF SWAY LAKE SUMMER '03 SUPPORT THE GIRLS WE THE ANIMALS THE WHITE CROW * films I've seen, reviews en route See also: SHADOWS FILM FEST	WIDOWS dir Steve McQueen; with Viola Davis, Jacki Weaver, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Carrie Coon, Cynthia Erivo, Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Robert Duvall, Jon Bernthal, Garret Dillahunt; Fox 18/UK release UK 9.Nov.18, US 16.Nov.18 Steve McQueen hasn't made a film yet that wasn't a masterpiece, so hopes are high for this one, his first dip into remake territory with an adaptation of Lynda LaPlante's British TV series about mob wives taking over their husbands' business. The casting is simply astonishing, an eclectic group that's bound to provide a lot of sparks. The film opened the London Film Festival (after its premiere in Venice), so awards season is clearly beckoning. FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD dir David Yates; with Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Zoe Kravitz, Carmen Ejogo; Warner 18/UK release US/UK 16.Nov.18 JK Rowling's spinoff franchise looks like a full-on industry now, with a steady stream of sequels planned. Expect more cool wizardy effects anchored by the endlessly charming Redmayne and his band of misfit pals. All eyes will be on Law this time round to see what he does with the younger Dumbledore (surely they won't go there, but we hope they do). And obviously Depp will be much more involved this time around. It can't help but be a lot of fun. ROBIN HOOD dir Otto Bathurst; with Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn, Jamie Dornan, Paul Anderson, Eve Hewson, Josh Herdman, Tim Minchin; Lionsgate 18/UK release US/UK 21.Nov.18 Acclaimed TV director takes the step to the big screen with this action thriller, which looks frankly bonkers. In the trailer, captions about "the unheard story" seem a bit ridiculous when such an iconic folktale has clearly been transformed into a hyperactive modern-style thriller. But never mind. Egerton is proving to be one of the most reliable actors out there, and the lack of obvious supporting cast members makes it even more interesting. If nothing else, it looks like stylish fun. CREED II dir Steven Caple Jr; with Michael B Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Sylvester Stallone, Phylicia Rashad, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Wood Harris, Russell Hornsby; Warners 18/US release US 21.Nov.18; UK 30.Nov.18 So those Rocky roman numerals re-appear for the sequel to Ryan Cooglar's staggeringly good spinoff, continuing the saga of Stallone's bludgeoned prize fighter into the next generation. This Stallone-penned sequel extends this idea, with Lundgren reprising his iconic role as Ivan Drago, with his son (Munteanu) taking on Jordan's Creed Jr. Now in the Marvel universe, Cooglar has had to step back from this film, so we'll see how Caple does taking on what clearly is an unstoppable franchise. RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET dir Phil Johnston, Rich Moore; voices John C Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch, Jack McBrayer, Gal Gadot, Taraji P Henson, Alan Tudyk, Ed O'Neill, Alfred Molina; Disney 18/US release US 21.Nov.18, UK 30.Nov.18 OK I admit that the first Wreck-It Ralph isn't one of my favourite Disney animations - I enjoyed it, even though it felt very gimmicky. And this one seems to be turning even more postmodern as it explores Disney itself - including Star Wars and all of the Disney princesses (apparently they're saving Marvel for next time). So I'm sure I'll be a little annoyed by all the clever referencial bits. But it also means that it'll be a lot of fun. WELCOME TO MARWEN dir Robert Zemeckis; with Steve Carell, Diane Kruger, Leslie Mann, Janelle Monae, Gwendoline Christie, Merritt Wever, Matt O'Leary, Eiza Gonzalez; Universal 18/US release US 21.Dec.18, UK 1.Jan.19 Based on a documentary, this feature seems ideally suited to the skills of Zemeckis, who always likes to push barriers with technology. It's the story of a man who built a model town to help focus after a trauma - and this movie will bring his fantastical stories about the tiny people in it to life. The imagery looks stunning, and the cast is refreshing - actors who are good at keeping drama grounded. THE SISTERS BROTHERS dir Jacques Audiard; with Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C Reilly, Riz Ahmed, Rutger Hauer, Carol Kane, Niels Arestrup, Rebecca Root; Anapurna 18/Fr release US 21.Sep.18, UK tbc Acclaimed French filmmaker Jacques Audiard goes West - to 1850s Oregon - for this story about sibling assassins hunting down a gold prospector who makes an offer one of the brothers may not be able to resist. It's bound to be a lot more than that, with a remarkable cast lined up to add plenty of unexpected character wrinkles. And the setting looks impressive too. Still no word on a UK release date, and I missed it at the London Film Festival. THE CURRENT WAR dir Alfonso Gomez-Rejon; with Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicholas Hoult, Michael Shannon, Tom Holland, Katherine Waterston, Tuppence Middleton, Matthew Macfadyen, Tom Bell; Weinstein 17/UK release US/UK tbc The beefy cast makes this look interesting, and perhaps far more gripping than would be expected for a movie about scientists battling to be the one to standardise the lightbulb. Cumberbatch, Hoult and Shannon play Edison, Tesla and Westinghouse, respectively, with added oomph from the terrific Holland, Waterston, Middleton, et al. And Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) is an intriguing choice as director. Alas, since it's a Weinstein production it's been pulled from the release schedule. Also on my want-to-see list... Autumn: BOY, ERASED THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB Winter: ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL AQUAMAN BUMBLEBEE MARY POPPINS RETURNS MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS MORTAL ENGINES THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN ON THE BASIS OF SEX GLASS THE LEGO MOVIE 2 CAPTAIN MARVEL EVERYBODY KNOWS SHAZAM No UK release date: 10 X 10 FUTURE WORLD KRYSTAL THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE MOWGLI
Release dates: British film release schedules are much more fluid than American ones, so please be patient as I try to keep up with UK distributors. I'm working to keep this list up-to-date as they keep trying to outfox me. I'm sure it's personal. Embargoes: Britain's Film Distributors Association asks us to hold reviews until the week of release, and some distributors are even more restrictive. Normally, once the film is shown to a paying audience, either on release or at a festival, the full review can appear on the site. © 2018 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall HOME \| REVIEWS \| NEWS \| FESTIVAL \| AWARDS \| Q&A \| ABOUT \| TALKBACK