It was never in doubt as to which movie I would choose as my top pick for the second half of this month. With the script written by J.K. Rowling herself, author of the Harry Potter books from which came the top-grossing film franchise of all time, comes a new film series inspired by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a book on Harry, Ron and Hermione's recommended reading list for Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class. Named after the fictional textbook and set in the Potterverse, the first film sees magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrive in 1920's New York with a mysterious suitcase intending to continue researching and rescuing magical creatures. But when No-Maj Jacob Kowalski accidently sets free some of Newt's creatures, into a city on the verge of war between the magical and non-magical communities, Scamander and his friends must now recover the creatures before tensions become too much.
After one of the biggest movies of the year, the next two are both smaller films, based on very different true stories of devotion, courage and perseverance, each of them as inspiring as the other.
First is A United Kingdom, the story of Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo), King of Bechuanaland (modern day Botswana), and Ruth Williams, a London office worker who met, fell in love and got married in 1948. Their international and interracial relationship was disapproved of by many but together, Seretse and Ruth defied their families, as well as the South African apartheid and the might of the British Empire, to allow their love to triumph over every obstacle in their way, transforming both of their nations and inspiring the world.
And the second film is probably the smallest film of the fortnight; Mum's List. Singe (Rafe Spall) and Kate (Emilia Fox), a couple from North Somerset in the UK, had their lives turned upside-down when Kate was diagnosed with an incurable form of breast cancer. Over her last few days, she created her list: writing her thoughts and memories down, to help the man she loved create the best life possible for their two sons, after she was gone.
The next film, Indignation, I mentioned way back in July when it was released in the USA but now it has a UK release date. I'm not going to write the whole synopsis again, but if you want to read it, you can here. However, I will say little bit about it; the film shows a Jewish atheist student who starts at a Christian college where attending church is part of studying there. Being a student can mean being rebellious but can he fight against the social order, especially when he is distracted by a fellow student.
Life as a teenager is often awkward and seemingly terrible but high school junior, Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) is especially awkward in The Edge of Seventeen. Her high school experience has never been great with her brother, Darian (Blake Jenner) being the perfect golden-boy loved by everyone and apparently that include Nadine's best friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). When Nadine discovers this, she feels more alone than ever but finds an ally and mentor in history teacher Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson) and an unexpected friendship arises with a thoughtful boy, Erwin (Hayden Szeto) gives her a glimmer of hope for the future.
In a more dramatic, grown up version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Brad Pitt is back in another spy film, Allied, but this time as an American intelligence officer during the Second World War. Whilst on a deadly mission in North Africa, Max Vatan (Pitt) meets Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard), a French Resistance fighter. When the pair are reunited in London, the relationship they had continues to grow but when an accusation is made against Marianne, the ongoing pressures of war puts their relationship to the test.
UK Release Dates
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 18 November 2016
Indignation 18 November 2016
Mum's List 25 November 2016
First is A United Kingdom, the story of Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo), King of Bechuanaland (modern day Botswana), and Ruth Williams, a London office worker who met, fell in love and got married in 1948. Their international and interracial relationship was disapproved of by many but together, Seretse and Ruth defied their families, as well as the South African apartheid and the might of the British Empire, to allow their love to triumph over every obstacle in their way, transforming both of their nations and inspiring the world.
And the second film is probably the smallest film of the fortnight; Mum's List. Singe (Rafe Spall) and Kate (Emilia Fox), a couple from North Somerset in the UK, had their lives turned upside-down when Kate was diagnosed with an incurable form of breast cancer. Over her last few days, she created her list: writing her thoughts and memories down, to help the man she loved create the best life possible for their two sons, after she was gone.
The next film, Indignation, I mentioned way back in July when it was released in the USA but now it has a UK release date. I'm not going to write the whole synopsis again, but if you want to read it, you can here. However, I will say little bit about it; the film shows a Jewish atheist student who starts at a Christian college where attending church is part of studying there. Being a student can mean being rebellious but can he fight against the social order, especially when he is distracted by a fellow student.
Life as a teenager is often awkward and seemingly terrible but high school junior, Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) is especially awkward in The Edge of Seventeen. Her high school experience has never been great with her brother, Darian (Blake Jenner) being the perfect golden-boy loved by everyone and apparently that include Nadine's best friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). When Nadine discovers this, she feels more alone than ever but finds an ally and mentor in history teacher Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson) and an unexpected friendship arises with a thoughtful boy, Erwin (Hayden Szeto) gives her a glimmer of hope for the future.
In a more dramatic, grown up version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Brad Pitt is back in another spy film, Allied, but this time as an American intelligence officer during the Second World War. Whilst on a deadly mission in North Africa, Max Vatan (Pitt) meets Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard), a French Resistance fighter. When the pair are reunited in London, the relationship they had continues to grow but when an accusation is made against Marianne, the ongoing pressures of war puts their relationship to the test.
UK Release Dates
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 18 November 2016
Indignation 18 November 2016
A United Kingdom 25 November 2016
Allied 25 November 2016 Mum's List 25 November 2016
The Edge of Seventeen 30 November 2016
