The year for biopic films
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Jobs
Jobs:The Steve Jobs biopic starring Ashton Kutcher became the first trailer ever to debut on the social networking and photo sharing site Instagram. Directed by Joshua Michael Stern, it first premiered at Sundance but is now generating more hype as its release date draws close. Abysmal ratings on sites like rotten tomatoes (where it got an aggregate of 43% as critics panned Kutcher’s performance) have done much to lower expectations. Fans of Steve Jobs himself may go anyway – they’ve been told to expect the “extraordinary” of the “original innovator and ground-breaking entrepreneur who let nothing stand in the way of greatness” and who changed “technology – and the world – forever.” Clearly, this film is set to be reverential, a turn off for people who aren’t fans of Apple and Ashton Kutcher and believe it or not, there are a few of those around. ‘Jobs’ will be in theatres beginning
The Butler
The Butler: ‘You hear nothing, you see nothing, you only serve.’ The Butler, based on the true story of a black man who served eight US presidents, stars Forest Whitaker stars as Cecil Gaines (a.k.aEugene Allen). This extraordinary man grew up in the cotton plantations but between 1952 and his retirement in 1986, he joined the White House and rose a lowly pantry man to the head role, Maître d’.
Oprah Winfrey returns to the big screen for her first major role since 1998’s Beloved, playing Gaines’s wife, Gloria. Their son Louis, played by David Oyelowo, becomes a freedom fighter during the civil rights era, a choice that strains the bond between father and son. The film is also notable for a heavy weight cast of various worthies including Robin Williams, James Marsden, Alan Rickman, John Cusack and Jane Fonda who all play various presidents and first ladies. ‘The Butler ‘ will be in theatres beginning August 16
The Fifth Estate
The Fifth Estate: Here’s another exciting film, in part because of a name: Benedict Cumberbatch. Benedict who appears in BBC’s Sherlock Holmes should make a great Julian Assange (even if that blond wig isn’t particularly flattering.) This biopic is reportedly based on two different books: ‘Inside WikiLeaks’ byDaniel Domscheit-Berg, while the other is ‘WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy’ written by two reporters from British newspaper The Guardian. According to director Bill Condon, ‘the crux of the movie’ is the relationship between Assange and Domscheit-Berg, onetime spokesperson for WikiLeaks.After several attempts, Cumberbatch himself apparently got to chat with Assange. We’ll have to wait and see how good his portrayal will be. ‘The Fifth Estate’ will be in theatres beginning October 18.
Long Walk to Freedom
Long Walk to Freedom: As Nelson Mandela lay in a hospital in Pretoria with a severe lung infection, the Weinstein Company released the first official trailer for‘Long Walk to Freedom’ – it arrived just in time for time to mark the former South African president’s 95 birthday.
Directed by Justin Chadwick, the film stars Idris Alba as Mandela andNaomie Harris as Winnie, Mandela’s wife.(Harris is best known for her role as Eve in Skyfall.) Based on his autobiography by the same name, it promises to introduce the leader we know and the man we don’t. ‘He was public enemy #1. Hunted by the police. Feared by the government,’ the trailer proclaims. ‘Revolutionary. Outlaw. Rebel.Fighter.Radical.Liberator.’ This translates into guns and bombs – there’s a high density of both in the trailer. We follow Mandela as he leads his nation out of apartheid, beginning from the revolutionary’s childhood in a rural village to his inauguration as South Africa’s first democratically elected president.
‘Mandela:Long Walk To Freedom’ will be in theatres beginning November 29
Saving Mr Banks
Saving Mr. Banks: Just the excuse we were waiting for to watch Mary Poppins again, but really who needs one? Easily up there amongst the most anticipated films of 2013, ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ claims to tell the true story behind the making of the iconic movie. The film revolves around Mr. Disney’s efforts to bring his daughters’ favorite book, P.L. Travers’ Mary Poppins, to life on the big screen.Unfortunately, the recalcitrant author is less than willing for him to do so. Travers who is played by the wonderful Emma Thompson is matched against a jovial Tom Hanks in the role of Walt Disney (the latter apparently watched 39 hours of informal interviews while prepping for the role). A great cast includes the likes of Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths and Kathy Baker. ‘Saving Mr Banks’ will be in theatres beginning December 20
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