Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

 

Some people’s lives are so incredible that they deserve to have movies written about them. Nelson Mandela is one of those people. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom follows his life story from child to inmate to president, and along the way shows us what it really means to see an ideal through to fruition.

 

Born in a rural village in South Africa, Nelson Mandela (played by Idris Elba) grew up poor during the apartheid. Based upon Mandela’s 1994 autobiography of the same name, the film focuses on his time as an activist fighting the apartheid and the resulting 27-year prison sentence he was forced to serve. Mandela was an extraordinary and oft-controversial figure whose influence extended far beyond the prison walls he spent half of his life inside. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom explores the unbreakable spirit of a man dedicated to an ideal, as well as the great deeds that hard work and determination can accomplish.

 

Written by William Nicholson and directed by Justin Chadwick, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom will be released into theaters on November 29, 2013. This Weinstein Company drama also stars Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge, Riaad Moosa, Zolani Mkiva, Jamie Bartlett, Lindiwe Matshikiza, Deon Lotz, and Terry Pheto.

 

The East

 

In a world of corporate influence and power, where does your loyalty lie? The East stars writer-actress Brit Marling as Sarah Moss, a former FBI agent turned private intelligence officer who is about to face the most difficult test of allegiance she’s ever experienced.

 

 

Moss’ new employer, Hiller Brood, specializes in protecting the interests of its powerful corporate clients, at any cost. When the head of a pharmaceutical giant gets targeted by the elusive eco-anarchist group The East, Moss gets assigned to infiltrate the group and stop them before their next attack. With her skills and determination, Moss has no trouble initiating herself into the collective—but stopping them becomes another story altogether. After seeing their plans and joining them on an anti-corporate mission, Moss realizes that The East is way ahead of the counter-intelligence agency; and after living and breathing with the most committed people she has ever met, Moss begins to give The East’s goals another thought. Soon, Moss becomes torn between her duties at Hiller Brood and her newfound connection with The East. Not to mention her budding romance with the group’s charismatic leader, Benji (Alexander Skarsgard)!

 

Written by Zat Batmanglij and Brit Marling and directed by Zat Batmanglij, The East will be released into limited theaters on May 31, 2013. This Fox Searchlight Pictures drama also stars Ellen Page, Patricia Clarkson, Toby Kebbell, and Shiloh Fernandez.

After Earth

 

Danger is real, but fear is a choice. Father-and-son duo Will and Jaden Smith are at it again in After Earth, M. Night Shyamalan’s futuristic thriller about man’s return to the Earth after years of abandonment.

It has been a thousand years since mankind was forced off of the Earth by cataclysmic events, and the Earth’s ecosystem has evolved to become one of the most dangerous in the galaxy. So when teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his father Cypher (Will Smith) crash land on Earth, it doesn’t take them long to realize the enormity of what they’re up against. With his father in critical condition, Kitai must lead the journey to the nearest signal post in order to call for help. Facing an uncharted world whose plant and animal life has evolved to fight off the threat of humans, Kitai has to grow up quickly—or die. Father and son must learn to trust each other if they hope to get off the planet alive.

 

 

Written by Gary Whitta and M. Night Shyamalan and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, After Earth will be released on May 31, 2013. This Columbia Pictures (Sony) sci-fi film is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and some disturbing images.

 

Tiger Eyes

The death of a parent can take a dramatic toll on a child. In Tiger Eyes, 17-year-old Davey’s (Willa Holland) life is turned upside down when she loses her father and is forced to move from New Jersey to New Mexico with her mother and siblings.

Torn away from her home and her father, Davey no longer knows who she is or what to do. Her perspectives rapidly shift, and what used to seem important quickly becomes trivial. With her new home life deteriorating, Davey takes to exploring the surrounding wilderness. There she meets Wolf (Tatanka Means), a mysterious young Native American man, who sees past her pain and into the true woman lying beneath. With Wolf’s help, Davey pulls back from the brink of despair to find life and love waiting on the other side.

Notably, Tiger Eyes is the first major motion picture adaptation of a Judy Blume novel; the author, who has sold over 82 million books in 41 countries, is known for her more down-to-earth style of young adult novels than the standard fantasy fare. Written by Lawrence and Judy Blume and directed by Lawrence Blume, Tiger Eyes will see a limited theatrical release on June 7, 2013. This Freestyle Releasing drama also stars Amy Jo Johnson, Cynthia Stevenson, Elise Eberle, and Russell Means. Rated PG-13 for thematic material including a violent incident and some teen drinking.

Haute Cuisine

In a profession dominated by men, can a talented woman come out on top? Haute Cuisine stars Catherine Frot as Hortense Laborie, a renowned chef from Perigord who has been given the culinary opportunity of a lifetime. Based on a true story, this French-language film explores one woman’s indomitable spirit in the face of steep opposition.

No one is more shocked than Hortense when the President of France himself appoints her to be his personal cook. She quickly makes a name for herself among the snobbish and male-only kitchen staff as both an arrogant taskmaster and a rabble-rouser. It takes all her efforts to keep the “old guard” staff in line. They are indignant at being led by a woman, and the fact that she is a rural chef only adds fuel to the fire. But despite the frequent confrontations in the kitchen, Hortense’ dishes please President Mitterand (Jean d’Ormesson, making his film debut at age 87). As the chefs battle for influence over the President’s tastes, Hortense begins to see the promises that power holds—and the dangers that lie therein.

Written by Christian Vincent and Etienne Comar and directed by Christian Vincent, Haute Cuisine will be released into limited theaters on August 16, 2013. This Weinstein Company comedy/drama also stars Arthur Dupont, Hippolyte Girardot, Jean-Marc Roulot, and Philippe Uchan.

 

Nymphomaniac

Nymphomaniac tell the story of one woman’s wild adventures from birth to age 50. When Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard) finds Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) beaten and abandoned in an alleyway, he brings her home and tends to her wounds. While he takes care of her, Joe begins to recount her life story, in great detail and with many branching associations. A self-described nymphomaniac, Joe has had a wild life indeed, filled with adventure, pleasure, and pain.

Following Antichrist and Melancholia, Nymphomaniac forms the final part of Lars von Trier’s “trilogy of depression.” “The movie is what you think it is,” explains actor Shia LeBeouf. “There’s a disclaimer at the top of the script that basically says we’re doing it for real.” Featuring unsimulated sex acts and other stunts, Nymphomaniac pushes the envelope of what’s accepted in modern cinema.

Written and directed by Lars von Trier, Nymphomaniac will be released later in 2013 (exact date to be announced. This Magnolia Pictures drama also stars Stacy Martin, Jamie Bell, Christian Slater, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe, Connie Nielsen, Mia Goth, Udo Kier, Jean-Marc Barr, Caroline Goodall, Kate Ashfield, Saskia Reeves, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Hugo Speer, Felicity Gilbert, Michaël Pas, Jesper Christensen, Jens Albinus, Nicolas Bro, Cyron Melville, Shanti Roney, Omar Shargawi, Tania Carlin, Severin von Hoensbroech, and Peter Gilbert Cotton.

What Maisie Knew

Divorce can be an ugly thing, especially for a child caught in the middle. In What Maisie Knew, one young girl navigates her parents’ bitter custody battle with innocence and charm. This contemporary version of Henry James’ classic novel highlights the toll that divorce and neglect can take on a child—and the life-affirming grace that a child can bring to a parent.

Six-year-old Maisie (Onata Aprile) is caught between a rock and a hard place. Neither her father, aging rock star Beale (Steve Coogan), nor her mother, contemporary art dealer Susanna (Julianne Moore), have ever cared about her well-being. Their custody battle is just one more fight for superiority in a divorce that has become a clash of wills. As Beale and Susanna raise the stakes for their daughter, Maisie must find a way to coexist or risk losing a parent. Lauded as giving “the most remarkable performance ever seen by a child this age,” Maisie shows that there’s light in even the darkest of situations.

Written for the screen by Nancy Doyle and Carroll Cartwright, and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, What Maisie Knew will see a limited theatrical release in New York  and Los Angeles on May 3, 2013 and May 17, 2013 respectively. This Millennium Films drama also stars Alexander Skarsgard and Joanna Vanderham. Rated R for some language.

 

Into the White

In a time of war, the greatest challenge is just staying alive. Into the White follows the story of five soldiers—three German, two British—whose planes were shot down over a remote stretch of the harsh Norwegian north. Inspired by real events, this World War II biopic explores how politics and nationalism can be swept aside in the name of survival.

The Germans (David Cross, Stig Henrik Hoff, and Florian Lukas) crash land first and quickly set up camp in an abandoned hunting cabin they find nearby. It isn’t long before the British crew (Rupert Grint, Lachlan Nieboer) stumble upon the cabin and are taken as prisoners of war. However, the roles of captor and captive aren’t so clear cut. As tensions fly, the five men realize that the only way to survive is to set aside their differences and work together. Thus begins an uneasy truce to last through the winter and return to the war. But as time passes, each of them comes to see their enemies in a new light.

Written by Ole Meldgaard, Petter Næss, and Dave Mango, and directed by Petter Næss, Into the White was released into limited theaters on April 12, 2013. This Magnolia Pictures drama is rated R for language.

The Kings of Summer

In The Kings of Summer, three teens fed up with their parents set out to live on their own for a summer. Along the way, they test the bonds of their friendship and learn that family—whether born or created—is everything.

Having had enough of his parents’ draconian rule, Joe (Nick Robinson) decides to run away for the summer—but responsibly. Together with his best friend Patrick (Gabriel Basso) and an eccentric wild card named Biaggio (Moises Arias), Joe begins building a summer cabin in the woods, as far away from adult civilization as possible. The trio hope to live off the land for the summer in an ultimate act of rebellion, but they soon realize that supporting oneself and getting along with a new “family” takes a lot more effort than they expected.

The Kings of Summer is a heartwarming coming-of-age story about three friends’ struggle for independence and self-sufficiency. Garnering rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival, the film explores what it means to be an individual…and what it means to be part of a family.

Written by Chris Galletta and directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, The Kings of Summer will see a limited theatrical release on May 13, 2013. This CBS Films comedy also stars Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Alison Brie, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Erin Moriarty, Marc Evan Jackson, Thomas Middleditch, and Tony Hale.

 

Inescapable

How far would you go to save your child’s life, if your own life hung in the balance? In Inescapable, one man will have to confront his past and make some difficult decisions in order to bring his daughter to safety—hopefully without sacrificing his own life in the process.

Toronto resident Adib Abdel Kareem (Alexander Siddig) has crafted a wonderful life for himself. A confident and affluent man, Adib has a beautiful wife, a great job, and two grown daughters that he loves dearly. But his life hasn’t always been this way. When his daughter Muna (Jay Anstley) goes missing in Damascus, Adib’s dark and mysterious past comes back to haunt him in ways that he never predicted.

Born and raised in Syria, Adib had had a bright future as a military police officer—until he was forced to flee the country under unusual circumstances twenty-five years ago. He made his way to Toronto, abandoning his old life to rebuild a new one out of the ashes. But now, he must uncover a secret past he hoped to forget in order to save his daughter’s future.

Written and directed by Ruba Nadda, Inescapable was released in theaters in New York on February 22, 2013. This IFC Films thriller also stars Marisa Tomei, Joshua Jackson, Saad Siddiqui, and Oded Fehr. Rated R for some violence and brief language.