Truly great family films are hard to come by. They are either too sappy or silly or both to be enjoyed by adults or otherwise too busy trying to be clever to keep a kid’s attention. Every once in awhile, the balance comes out just right and the whole family finds themselves enthralled. From the sound of it, Paddington 2 is one such movie.
Based on the children’s series by Michael Bond, the film follows the adventures of a Peruvian bear who has been adopted by a family in London. It stars Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent and Peter Capaldi. It garnered rave reviews, including raves from Gordon S. Miller, and was seriously mentioned in BAFTA conversations last year.
I’ve not yet seen the first one so I think this weekend we’ll have to make it a double feature.
Also out this week that looks interesting:
A Woman’s Devotion: Kino Lorber presents this Paul Henreid drama about a WWII vet on his honeymoon in Acapulco where two women are murdered. Luigi Bastardo has our review.
Grease (40th Anniversary Edition): The classic musical is back complete with a new transfer and loads of extras. I recently caught a special screening of the film on the big screen and you can read my review.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: Arrow Video brings us this cult classic with their usual killer packaging, restored audio/visual quality, and plenty of bonus material. David Wangberg has our review.
Unforgotten: Nicola Walker stars in this PBS mystery about the police investigation into a 39-year-old murder discovered when the bones of a young man are discovered under the footings of a demolished house.
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story: Documentary about the 1940s film star who also invented a radio system that was the precursor to modern Bluetooth technology. Kristen Lopez has our review and an interview with the director.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: In Concert: A collection of speeches and performances from the past few years of the Hall of Fame ceremony. .
Dead Man (Criterion Collection): Jim Jarmusch’s psychedelic western stars Johnny Depp as a city boy on the run from mercenaries in the Wild West. I hated it when I first saw it back in the mid-’90s but I’ve come to appreciate Jarmusch’s strange style in the years since, so I really ought to give it another try.
The Virgin Suicides (Criterion Collection): Sofia Coppola’s directorial debut is about a group of boys and their obsession with a family of doomed girls. I didn’t like this one much when it came out either, but much like Jarmusch, I’ve come to appreciate Coppola’s films since this one and I should really try it again.
Den of Thieves: Pablo Schreiber, Gerard Butler, and O’Shea Jackson, Jr. star in this action flick about a thief who gets trapped between two sets of criminals.
Hostiles: Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike star in this western about a legendary Army captain who reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory.
