Posted by Welcome back, fellow geeks, to This Week in Theaters – where Bob writes his thoughts on everything possibly coming to your town this weekend! We’ve got a light week ahead!
Glass, Thriller/horror/superhero Narrative, Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sarah Paulson. 129 Minutes.
Glass is the only wide release, and is likely to be the first widely-talked about hit of 2019. Two years after the surprise hit of Split, M. Night Shyamalan presents a sequel to both Split and Unbreakable – as a coda scene in Split revealed they share the same world when Bruce Willis’s David Dunn appears. What a twist! Split was a return to good filmmaking from Shyamalan, after a nearly there return in The Visit, and years of awful, so damned awful, films. It’s fair to say after The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs Shyamalan got a little up his own ass leading to the travesty that is Lady in the Water. It’s actually rather good to see someone come back from the bottom (see also The Happening and The Last Airbender… or don’t, for your sanity).
How does Glass look? I’m rather excited, but concerned. The trailer seems like there is a lot going on and the dialog seems a little on the nose. I’m excited to see Dunn, Elijah Price/Glass and Kevin/The Beast again. Split wouldn’t have worked without James McAvoy’s performance – a lesser performance would have made the movie a cheese fest. I do wonder, even with the villains teaming up, how much of an issue that really is. Kevin kidnaps people and is strong but the Beast is more of a blunt object. Glass takes planning to do his acts. I’m kinda hoping this ties in more of the Shyamalan films. It would incredibly silly, but imagine Cole Seer from Sixth Sense, the Blind Girl from The village and Hot Dog Guy from The Happening all coming in! (and Aang from Last Airbender for good measure, why the hell not).
Anya-Taylor Joy returns from Split and we get a new character in Sarah Paulson. Both actresses I always enjoy. Some of my concern is with the Paulson character, though. I’m afraid we’ll get a lot of Shyamalan droning about “What makes a hero” and self-myth and things like that through her. Cody and I will find out on the 17th at 745!
Reviews so far have been middling, coming to 41 on metacritic. The headlines say it’s underwhelming and poorly thought out. We’re all still gonna see it to find out for ourselves, I’m sure. — UPDATE: Cody and I saw it, REVIEW HERE.
In Limited Release, there are two:
An Acceptable Loss, Drama/Thriller Narrative. Written and Directed by Joe Chappelle. 102 minutes. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Tika Sumpter.
Worlds collide: Jamie Lee Curtis in a flick from the director of Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (Part VI)! Nothing to do with that series though. Tika Sumpter plays someone in the government, not sure what her role is but enough to okay a strike on Syria. Jamie Lee Curtis is a politcian trying to kill her. They had previusly worked together on intelligence and that strike, but turns out it’s a lie so Sumpter goes on the run. Looks a bit muddled, and damn that blue filter on the trailer. I have no interest, honestly. Currently sitting at a 35 on Metacritic from 4 reviews.
Adult Life Skills, comedy/drama narrative, written and directed by Rachel Tunnard. Starring Jodie Whitaker. 96 minutes.
So this was made three years ago, and with “Doctor Who’s Jodie Whitaker” looks to be cashing in on that connection. It is the story of adult (wo)man child, Whitaker, as she makes a connection with the odd kid neighbor. Of course, she must learn to grow up and move on from whatever is keeping her down. Trailer looks a bit twee, quirky, and cutesy. Didn’t do much for me. Reviews are about 50 at Metacritic.
