Kate Black, the Breakfast Club’s Movie Maven with this week’s new movie releases:
Dream House is a psychological thriller starring Daniel Craig as a high profile editor who decides to quit his job and move his family away from New York City to a quieter neighbourhood. However, it’s not too long before the family discovers the disturbing history of their new home. Co-starring Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, and Elias Koteas, this mystery unfolds in a slow moving predictable fashion. Through no fault of award winning director Jim Sheridan, this ill fated film was unfortunately sabotaged by the production company which left the final cut of the film lacking two essential elements of a successful thriller; mystery and suspense.
Rating: While it’s still entertaining to watch a talented cast work their magic, this disappointing thriller suffers from lost potential.
Drive is the 2011 Cannes winning dramatic crime thriller based on James Sallis’ novel about a man, only known as ‘Driver’, who works as a stunt driver and mechanic by day, and hires himself out as a getaway wheelman at night. Played exquisitely by Ryan Gosling, Driver lives by a strict code until he meets and falls for his vulnerable neighbour Irene, played by Carey Mulligan. This flick is a stylish, smart, violent thriller made better by a sexy soundtrack and incredible ensemble performances from Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, and Ron Perlman.
Rating: Drive is a high voltage thriller with an unusual mix of grit and subtlety. It’s not just a movie for lovers of car chases and stunts, although the action/driving scenes are spectacular.
The Thing is the sci-fi prequel to John Carpenter’s highly successful 1982 sci-fi horror flick of the same name. This prequel begins when paleontologist Kate Lloyd, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, is asked by Dr. Sander Halyorson, played by Ullrich Thomsen, to join and assist a team of Norwegian scientists in Antarctica who have discovered an alien life form frozen in ice. This version could have been better as it is adapted material, but instead the director opted for too much CGI and not enough thoughtful suspense.
Rating: While not as masterful as the predecessor, this graphic tale is certain to please fans of the genre and at the very least raise interest in the previous two ‘Thing’ features.