>>Closer
Release Date June
Director Mike Nichols
Starring Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Natalie Portman
Refreshing as it is to see a movie that deals so honestly with the realities of modern day sex and relationships, do be warned. Closer may not be the film you want to cosy up to your other half with on a candlelit evening at home.
Seldom has a movie made the notion of falling in love seemed so singularly unattractive whilst simultaneously managing to pass itself off successfully as a "romantic" film. Even more surprising is that Jude Law and Julia Roberts both star - neither one a stranger to tugging an audience's heartstrings in various rom-coms, and by the end of the film you just don't like or care about either of them.
True to form, practically every scene is underpinned with an uneasy cynicism that sourly fits in with the fact that none of the characters are either easy to empathise with or particularly likeable (ice maiden photographer Anna and mummy's boy columnist Daniel stand out in particular).
Granted, this could largely be down to the writing itself. Adapted from the stage play, Patrick Marber's script adopts a style of vicious honesty in this tale of two American women and two English men attempting to get the love thing right.
Director Mike Nichols creates the requisite trendy London, complete with red buses, pretty parks and loft spaces, but, with the exception of the veracious Larry, maintains a safe distance from the characters, never really allowing us to see what makes them tick.
The film ends up championing the blunt candour of sex-obsessed Doctor Larry and stripper Alice (Natalie Portman ensuring once and for all that any notion of Queen Amidala typecasting remains a no-no), over the self-deception of Law's Daniel and Robert's Anna. Portraying a realism that's uncomfortably all too recognisable means that whilst everyone gets their just desserts, depressingly, there are no real winners here.
In the end, Closer is a sad film. This is no story of bumbling infidelity or cold manipulation, just people causing each other pain as they desperately try to cling on to the righteousness of looking for "The One". The bad taste left in the mouth felt all too real.
James Howard
>>Constantine
Release date July
Director Francis Lawrence
Starring Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Djimon Hounsou
If the directors William Friedkin (The Exorcist), Richard Donner (The Omen), Roman Polanski (Rosemary's Baby) and Bryan Singer (The X Men) got together, it would probably result in them coming up for the plot to Constantine, a dark graphic novel come to life that takes you to hell and back.
Keanu Reeves, fresh from The Matrix, stars as occultist John Constantine, a man born with the ability to see the half breed demons from hell that try to gain entry to earth through possession.
Policewoman Angela Dodson comes to John for help in trying to solve the mystery as to why her twin sister committed suicide. As John and Angela team up, the City of Angels suddenly becomes a backdrop to hell as the duo battle demons, half-breeds and then John has a devil of a time with Satan himself.
Heaven and hell have always been good subject matter for the movies, from comedic (Woody Allen going to hell in Deconstructing Harry and finding a floor there dedicated to lawyers) to Medusa (Richard Burton bringing down planes by will alone and trying to convince all that he is the Devil). In Constantine, Hollywood's love of this genre is alive and well, where possessed girls, demons, plagues of locusts and fiery red devils are all seen to great effect.
Keanu Reeves, as the slowly dying Constantine, acts the part in an understated way, his character sending demons into hell while fearing he is heading there himself. Rachel Weisz (playing both policewoman Angela Dodson and her twin sister) adds more depth to the movie, with her character avoiding many clichés as the grief stricken cop.
Where the film falters is in its unoriginality both in the whole heaven and hell concept, which seems to rubber stamp one belief system on the movie and leave no room for others. There's also the seemingly forgotten fact that Reeves has been along the road to hell once before playing a lawyer who links up with the devil in The Devil's Advocate.
Visually stunning with some memorable standout scenes, Constantine shows that getting to heaven can be hell.
Ben Gavan
>>Hitch
Release date July
Director Andrew Tennant
Starring Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta
The ingredients were all there: Mr Popular, Will Smith in his eagerly anticipated first rom-com, a plot line to get laughs and hearts fluttering at the same time, and support from a great comic sidekick in the shape of Kevin James.
And, for the most part, Hitch hit the button. The story of New York's date doctor is undemanding, enjoyable viewing, which explores the rocky road to love for both Alex (Hitch) Hitchens (Will Smith) and his client Albert Brennaman (Kevin James).
It starts well: the scenes where Hitch sets up the hapless bachelors make you laugh, you're with Albert every step of the way in his determination to charm his celebrity object of adoration and you smile knowingly at all those ridiculous mistakes men make over and over again when trying to win over a woman's affections.
But then the movie starts hurtling rapidly down hill, partly due to the wayward plot that just chugs on too long, and the actions of the female lead, Sara Melas (Eva Mendas) which make you wonder whether she's a worthy heroine for the movie's hero. Just as Sara's romance with Hitch starts hotting up, her actions are such that I reached the "what the hell does he see in her?" point. I found I stopped caring about the central characters and the outcome of their romance. And the final act is just a predictable, embarrassing mess that lets down these clearly talented actors.
The sub-plot, however, which traces the courtship of Albert and Allegra, is a sweet storyline and, had there been more of them and less of the Hitch-Sara antics, then it would have been a much more enjoyable movie.
Having said that, Hitch still does what a good rom-com should - it makes you smile and feel warm at moments, perhaps due to a combination of Kevin James's likeable performance and Will Smith's magnetic charm. It just overstays its welcome.
Beccy Matthews
More forthcoming releases on DVD…
June
Ray
Alexander
The Aviator
Flight of the Phoenix
Spanglish
July
Hide and Seek
A Very Long Engagement
Magic Roundabout
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous