releasing this week: Alice in Wonderland (3D) & Legion

Some weeks it’s hard to decide which films to highlight. Not this week! There’s about seven new films coming out this week but two I’m picking are films I’ve been waiting for for ages and ages… Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and Legion.

I know I was expecting people to have heard of Crazy Heart last week and that might have been an over-estimation but seriously this time… If you haven’t heard about Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland before now than I can only assume you’ve been… living in a cave? hiding under a rock? walking around with your eyes closed? You get the idea… This is a big film.

Now I have to admit, I’m a big Tim Burton fan but, as I mentioned in my review of Sweeney Todd, his output has been less than consistent so I try to keep my expectations down. My efforst are in vain though, I can’t help the high expectations for this one. I didn’t get to the screening at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival last Sunday (28 Feb 10) however a few people I know did and they’ve been raving about it ever since… I should have closed my ears. I’ve been closing my eyes at the trailers for the last few weeks already.

Just to talk about the film a little… There have been many many screen interpretations of the two Lewis Carroll novels. This one draws upon both the Alice books, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking-Glass but I gather it’s not a re-telling of those stories. If I have read them, I haven’t read them in ages anyway so it makes no odds to me.

My recollection of the story is based on a UK mini-series I saw years ago when I was a kid – actually, I can’t work out which series that might have been so if there’s anyone reading who might know then let me know – all I remember is that it was very expensive to make… I definitely remember that being a thing about it. I thought it was great though and I can really see how Tim Burton could do great things with Wonderland and hence… I can’t help but look forward to this… Woo! I think I’ll go see it on Saturday.

Oh, also, in case you are wondering, word from the folks who saw it last week was that it would be suitable for kids. I’ll let you know if I concur in the review after I see it…

Second film this week is Legion

I don’t really know much about Legion at all except that it’s got some great angel posing in the trailer and I really want to see that mutant granny monster. Looks funny.

Ah no, that’s a lie, I think I know a little about it… well, as far as I can glean from the trailer, God’s angry with us so he’s sent a load of angels to sort us all out. Oh yeah, also there’s some pregnant girl who has to be protected. I’m sure there will be havoc all over the place. Not everything I’ve seen in a trailer looks like an angel though so I’m in the dark about what it’s actually about.

Paul Bettany seems to be the expert in playing the serious, earnest and creepy young fella so I’m looking forward to be unsettled by him. The rest of the cast seems like fodder… which is unfortunate for Dennis Quaid but then again it’s hard to tell how big his role really is.

All in all it looks like a little slice of apocalyptic action so I’m well up for that.

Here’s the rest of the films out today in Ireland…

Ondine – Neil Jordan / Colin Farrell film set in… Cork, I believe. I’ve seen it, it’s not the worst film I’ve ever seen but I can’t in good conscience recommend that anyone go see it except for the novelty of a somewhat more genuine Ireland on the big screen.
Case 39 – Horror/thriller starring Renée Zellwegger and a creepy kid. This has moved all over the schedule so I’d be very suspicious of it…

Chloe – This was part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival so could be a good one. Thriller about a woman who hires a young woman (Amanda Seyfried)to seduce her husband. I’ve always liked Amanda Seyfried. This is a remake of a French film called Nathalie…

Exit Through the Gift Shop – Documentary about trying to find the popular but mysterious graffiti artist Banksy. Only on in Cineworld Dublin and Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield.

The Father of My Children – Another film that was in JDIFF the other week… this one is French. I gather it is inspired by the life of Humbert Balsan, though not actually about him. Another very small release, this one is in the IFI and the Lighthouse Cinema.

Alice in Wonderland, Legion, Ondine, Case 39, Chloe, Exit Through The Gift Shop and The Father of my Children are all in Irish cinemas from today, Friday 5th March 2010.