Film News South Africa

#OnTheBigScreen: A shipwrecked couple, Ethan Hunt returns, and the Teen Titans go to Hollywood

Adrift, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Broken Promises 4-Ever, Room(H)ates (Sous le même toit), The Snow Queen 3: Fire and Ice and Teen Titans Go! To the Movies open at local cinemas this week.

Adrift

Adrift is based on the inspiring true story of two free spirits whose chance encounter leads them first to love and then to the adventure of a lifetime.

As the two avid sailors set out on a journey across the ocean, Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) and Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin) couldn’t anticipate they would be sailing directly into one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. In the aftermath of the storm, Tami awakens to find Richard badly injured and their boat in ruins. With no hope for rescue, Tami must find the strength and determination to save herself and the only man she has ever loved.

It's an unforgettable story about the resilience of the human spirit and the transcendent power of love

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Over the past two decades, Tom Cruise has produced, starred in, and performed in the most mind-blowing stunts in the Mission: Impossible films, a global cultural phenomenon that has grossed more than $2.8bn worldwide, making it one of the most successful franchises in movie history.

Now he returns for the sixth film in his role as Impossible Missions Force (IMF) team leader Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

According to Cruise, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is a culmination of all of the previous films in the series. Mission: Impossible – Fallout finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames) along with some familiar allies (Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan) in a race against time after a mission gone wrong.

Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby also join the dynamic cast with writer-director Christopher McQuarrie returning to the helm.

Broken Promises 4-Ever

The fourth instalment in the Broken Promises franchise by the well-known award-winning director, producer, and scriptwriter Kumaran Naidu.

The film follows the antics of the Padayachee family and all the favourite characters from the previous movies: Amsugi, Reuben, Saras, Bommi, and the others. "Broken Promises 4-Ever is a modern take on the dysfunctional family,” says Naidu.

Amsugi’s (Kogie Naidoo) grandson, Mandoza (Theshen Naicker), is desperate to get married. But he is afraid of making the mistakes his father Reuben (Neel Pillay) made when he met Mandoza’s mother. However, Mandoza is rejected by Skye (Kajol Sewgobind), his girlfriend, as she feels that he needs to ask her father, Kallan (Kumaran Naidu), for permission. Skye is also concerned that they are rushing into things as she has not yet met Mandoza’s family. A trip to Durban takes place, with everybody excited to receive Mandoza. Unfortunately for him, all his plans to make a good impression on Kallan go down the drain. On top of that, Kallan is not happy about Skye being involved with a non-Christian.

Room(H)ates (Sous le même toit)

The new French rom-com Room(H)ates (Sous le meme toit) can almost be seen as a slapstick take on the Lafosse movie, which portrayed a pair of separated parents forced to live under the same roof.

Starring Louise Bourgoin and Gilles Lellouche as a married couple that decides to call it quits, only to wind up stuck together in the same house, this middling effort from writer-director Dominique Farrugia (Bis) offers a few laughs amid lots of predictable plotting, gags and sexist innuendo.

It’s much more morose than funny, with a pair of leads who never look like they want to be under the same roof, let alone on the same movie set. Still, the film opened first in France this week, while its Gallic charms could push it into Francophone and other markets looking for easy comic fodder.

The Snow Queen 3: Fire and Ice

Kai and Gerda’s family possess a special talent for getting into trouble.

When they become adults, Kai and Gerda decide to go in search of Gerda’s parents, although they will have to tackle a lot of problems along the way.

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies finds our egocentric, wildly satirical superheroes in their first feature film extravaganza - a fresh, gleefully clever, kid-appropriately crass and tongue-in-cheek play on the superhero genre, complete with musical numbers. It seems to the teens that all the major superheroes out there are starring in their own movies - everyone but the Teen Titans, that is!

But de facto leader Robin is determined to remedy the situation and be seen as a star instead of a sidekick. If only they could get the hottest Hollywood film director to notice them. With a few madcap ideas and a song in their heart, the Teen Titans head to Tinsel Town, certain to pull off their dream. But when the group is radically misdirected by a serious supervillain and his maniacal plan to take over the Earth, things really go awry. The team finds their friendship and their fighting spirit failing, putting the very fate of the Teen Titans themselves on the line!

Directed by Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida Michail with the voices of Will Arnett, Kristen Bell, Greg Cipes, Scott Menville, Khary Payton.

Read more about the latest film releases: www.writingstudio.co.za

About Daniel Dercksen

Daniel Dercksen has been a contributor for Lifestyle since 2012. As the driving force behind the successful independent training initiative The Writing Studio and a published film and theatre journalist of 40 years, teaching workshops in creative writing, playwriting and screenwriting throughout South Africa and internationally the past 22 years. Visit www.writingstudio.co.za
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