November at the Movies
Moriyo Aiyeola takes a look at the films opening in cinemas this month
Just as the leaves of autumn fall crisp and golden, welcoming in the colder seasons, it seems like everything at the cinema is just heating up. Film-goers are now being treated to “Awards Season,” when studios queue to release their projects in time for BAFTA, Golden Globe and Oscar consideration in early 2017. After a fairly lacklustre series of summer movies, what remains is hopeful expectation that we will be able to perch ourselves in front of a promising line up for the winter.
The Accountant – Friday 4th November
Dividing critics across the pond, Ben Affleck’s latest foray into acting is unlikely to bring him the Awards decoration he enjoyed with Argo in 2012. However his latest role as a socially awkward, freelance accountant working for organised criminals promises to be an exciting, action heavy experience. The following he has gained from his particularly strong performance in the mediocre Batman vs. Superman can hopefully be sustained in this latest outing.
Nocturnal Animals – Friday 4th November
Director and legendary designer Tom Ford returns suitably stylishly to film after his stunning debut with A Single Man in 2009. Starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal, a woman is forced to confront a dark past that haunts her upon the receiving of a manuscript sent by her first husband. A stunning trailer promises another visceral and intense emotional experience with a consistently strong and subtle performance from Adams.
A Street Cat Named Bob – Friday 4th November
A street cat manages to give a young man’s life positive meaning. Drug-addicted and homeless, it will take the power of a feline to pick him up. Starring up and coming British actor Luke Treadaway, this quirky little addition to the list, based on the book of the same name, screams Britishness and charm.
Arrival – Thursday 10th November
Amy Adams pops up again in this science fiction drama. Don’t go into this one expecting Independence Day; Arrival is a slow burner but that has not hurt its positive reception. Adams plays a linguistic professor who must find out how to communicate with newly arrived extra terrestrials amidst oncoming global war. Relevant to modern politics and an interesting take on Hollywood’s recent trend to space films, Arrival is not to be missed.
The Innocents – Thursday 10th November
Set in 1945 Poland, a French Red Cross nurse is persuaded to help a group of pregnant nuns. Its all female cast is reflected in its female-led behind-the-camera team and takes on a much welcomed interpretation of the war film from the perspective of women. Religion conflicting with War is a long running narrative, but The Innocents is a foreign language drama that promises a new and powerful look into the debate.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Friday 18th November
An opportunity to return to J.K Rowling’s wizarding world should be enough to get most down the cinema at least once this month. Eddie Redmayne stars as a magical Zoologist in this Harry Potter spin-off set in 1920s New York. Whether it can replicate the financial and qualitative success of the Potter series is open to question. However, one can hope the magic and spirit will leap off the screen and if that happens, audiences will at least be glad to have been given this opportunity to return to what they have loved for so long.
A United Kingdom – Friday 25th November
Amma Asante’s Belle from 2013 injected diversity into the British, Austen-type period drama by telling the story of Dido Belle, an eighteenth century black aristocrat. Once again race is brought to the forefront of her new film where Rosamund Pike and David Oyelowo’s interracial romance must fight against the restrictive socio-political forces of the 1940s British Empire.
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