releasing this week: The Runaways and Cyrus

To be honest this week is a bit of a strange week, there are a couple of films I’m relatively keen on seeing – as the title of the article would suggest, Cyrus and The Runaways – but looking at the slate, I’d actually probably watch any of those films. There’s a bit of a mixed bag of genres but there’s no film on the list this week that I would particularly stay away from. Interesting…. but anyway.

First up this week, Cyrus.

According to IMDb there are two films called Cyrus and, oddly enough, both were released in 2010. Funny how coincidences pop up like that. The one I’m talking about is the one starring Jonah Hill and John C. Reilly. Not the one alternatively titled Cyrus: Mind of a Serial Killer. Just to be clear like.

The Cyrus I’m talking about was released in the US a few months ago and since then there’s been some decent buzz about it. A friend over there assured me that it’s definitely one to see and I trust him so I’m definitely going to give it a look. Then again I’d probably give it a look anyway. It seems to be a curious little film and one that is leaving people a little puzzled. I haven’t seen so I can’t really comment on that but I guess I can tell you about my impressions so far.

The main thing that’s standing out to me is that the cast seems to be at odds with the size of the film. I would think that John C. Reilly and Jonah Hill are pretty big comedy stars. Now, I don’t know if that’s necessarily the case in the US but it looks like that to me. After all, the last film I saw with Jonah Hill in was Get Him to the Greek and John C. Reilly’s was Step Brothers. Big films right?

However, when you look at the poster for Cyrus it’s all “Sundance Film Festival” and “Official Selection, SXSW”… Hardly where you’d be catching Greek or Step Brothers. I find that interesting. Also looking at the writer / directors, the Duplass Brothers, their credits don’t particularly spread very far. They seem to be notable for being involved in the mumblecore film movement… No, I’ve never heard of it either.

So… what does that mean? I’m hopeful that this means that it was such a great script that the guys decided to get on board and that this is going to be an funny-but-thought-provoking charming little film that I will love. Here’s hoping.

Next, The Runaways.

I like Kristen Stewart, I like her attitude. Specifically I like that fact that she hasn’t yet turned into one of those cookie cutter young actresses who seems to be floating around right now. I don’t know who they are but they all seems to have been in Gossip Girl. I’m not saying Gossip Girl isn’t a good show or anything… but seriously, how big is that cast? I’ve only actually seen Stewart in one film and I didn’t think she was any good in it but, I’m willing to give her a look in this one. Joan Jett seems to be way more her style.

Anyway, for those who don’t know, like me a few weeks ago, The Runaways were an American all-girl rock band from the ’70s. Ok, fair enough I hear you say, but the big deal about them is that they were the starting point for female rock legends Joan Jett and Lita Ford. While the band wasn’t massively successful in it’s own right, they, along with Suzi Quatro, are often cited as a major influence by the big female rock musicians over the years.

The film is based on the memoirs of one of the former members Cherie Currie and it’s produced by, among others, Joan, Jett so presumably they have enough to make the story good but not too sensationalistic. I gather it’s focused on the relationship between Currie and Jett rather than an overall look at the band, so I hope it’s not some kind of love fest or an overly nostalgic view of the past… Given the generally positive reviews that are out at the moment, I’m assuming that there must be a reasonable balance.

Here’s a taste of what they were like – Cherry Bomb

Other films releasing this week…

Going the Distance – Romantic comedy about a long distance relationship. Starring real life on-again off-again couple, Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, this may actually not be bad as it sounds. I like Drew Barrymore, I think she’s sweet and Christina Applegate and Ron Livingston also feature… I also look favourably on them. We’ve got a romcom with no-one I hate in it, so for once, I’m not going to say that I’ll never see it.

Tamara Drewe – Regular readers of the blog ( probably some followers on twitter) will know that I don’t like Gemma Arterton. I thought she was crap in Quantum of Solace, crap in Clash of the Titans and crap in The Boat That Rocked. Yeah that’s right, I can’t even be bother to come up with another adjective for her. Ok, I didn’t find entirely completely annoying in Prince of Persia, but that’s because I was trying real hard to not let her spoil the experience that was watching Jake Gyllenhaal leaping around in the desert…

I’d imagine it’s obvious now that this means I haven’t really taken much of a look at Tamara Drewe. Here’s what I do know. It’s based on a comic strip that runs in The Guardian and that strip is a modern re-working of Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Maddening Crowd. I actually read a fair bit of Thomas Hardy when I was in school… not now though. I actually can’t bring myself to find out any more about this film. I’m very unlikely to see this but for what it’s worth, the few reviews that are knocking around the place are pretty strong. So I can’t say there’s no chance I’ll see it. Then again the early reviews for Cemetery Junction were good as well… Bah.

Resident Evil: Afterlife – I know what you’re thinking… “What? There’s a horror film out this week and she’s not highlighting it?”. Yeah I know. Fact is, the Resident Evil series has completely passed me by. I look favourably at their trailers and I really like Milla Jovovich… it really does seem like the kind of film I would watch… but I know I’ll probably never see any of them. If I haven’t by now then it’ll probably never happen. I don’t even know that much about them. Well, I know they sprung out of a computer game but beyond that I’ve no idea… there’s something about zombies or a plague or a war or something? I don’t know.

Cyrus, The Runaways, Going The Distance, Tamara Drewe and Resident Evil: Afterlife are all in Irish cinemas from Friday 10th September 2010.