January 2016

THIS MONTH AT THE UK CINEMA

Hey guys, it’s January (well, it’s a bit late as I only started again this week) and we’ve had some great films released already this month and there are still many more to come. So let’s get started.

We’ll start with those already out, so first is Joy. This comedy-drama has a star line-up with Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper acting alongside Jennifer Lawrence who plays the title character, Joy. This semi-biographical film tells the story of Joy Mangano who founded a powerful family business dynasty after being an overnight success with the invention of the Miracle Mop. 

Another big name film already out is Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight  starring Samuel L. Jackson and Kurt Russell. In the film, set soon after the US civil war, eight strangers take cover from a blizzard in a stagecoach stopover but soon they realise that they might not all make it to their destination. 

If you want a lighter film to watch, Sleeping with Other People is now out. In this romantic comedy, Jake (Jason Sudeikis) meets Lainey (Alison Brie) twelve years after having a one-night stand. Both having disastrous love-lives, they rekindle their friendship and promise to keep it plutonic but whilst helping each other with their own relationships, a mutual attraction between the two builds.

The final two are released today in the UK. First is Creed, the next chapter in the Rocky story. The son of former heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, Adonis Johnson (Michael Jordon) has boxing in his blood and so seeks out Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) and asks him to be his trainer. After agreeing to train him, Adonis soon gets his shot at a title but does he have the determination to win? 

Second is The Revenant. Inspired by true events, legendary explorer Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) suffers a bear attack and then is left for dead by his own hunting team. Glass has to overcome unimaginable grief to survive a harsh South Dakota winter in an attempt to get revenge on his friend John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and other members of his team. 

Of the films still to be released, we start with The 5th Wave. In this sci-fi action adventure, based on a novel of the same name, 16 year old Cassie (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a girl trying to survive and find her brother amidst an alien attack. Now on the run, and after surviving the first four waves of attack, she must find him before the fifth wave.

Next is the second film from Robert De Niro this month, Dirty Grandpa. Dick (De Niro) is the foul-mouthed grandfather of Jason Kelly (Zac Efron) who is tricked into driving down to Florida with his grandpa a week before he is due to get married. Once there, Dick tries to show Jason how to enjoy life to the full with frat parties and karaoke and they start to form the bond that they never had.

And finally we have Youth, a drama in which Fred (Michael Caine), a retired orchestral conductor, and Mick (Harvey Keitel) a film director, are on a relaxing holiday is the Alps. Whilst Mick tries to finish the screenplay for what might be his last big film, Fred is offered the chance to conduct again for someone you cannot really refuse, but he has no intention to returning to his musical career.

 

Whilst there are plenty of good films released this month with others like The Danish Girl, Room, The Big Short and Our Brand is Crisis, these are my top picks for January.

UK Release Dates

Joy                                        - 01 January 2016       TRAILER

Sleeping with Other People      - 01 January 2016       TRAILER

The Hateful Eight                    - 08 January 2016       TRAILER

Creed                                    - 15 January 2016       TRAILER

The Revenant                         - 15 January 2016       TRAILER

The 5th Wave                         - 22 January 2016       TRAILER

Dirty Grandpa                         - 25 January 2016       TRAILER

Youth                                     - 29 January 2016       TRAILER