Films for the first Quarter
View(s):For movie goers and cinema lovers, the New Year will bring a number of cinematic treats in the coming three months. Among the line up are Downsizing, Darkest Hour, Fifty Shades, Pacific Rim Uprising Freed, Phantom Tread and Mary Magdalene which are to be released in the first quarter of the year.
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Pacific Rim
Imported by Liberty Cinemas Ltd, the collection include sci-fi comedy dramas, historical war dramas, erotic romance stories, science fiction and tales on Bibilical characters.
‘Downsizing’ directed by Alexander Payne stars Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau and Kristen Wiig in the main cast. The film is a social satire in which a man realises he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself to five inches tall, allowing him to live in wealth and splendour.
The film narrates around a couple who decides to undertake a newly-invented procedure to shrink their bodies so they can start a new life in an experimental community. When the wife refuses the procedure at the last minute, the husband has to reassess his life and choices after befriending an impoverished activist.
British war drama ‘Darkest Hour’ directed by Joe Wright revolves around testing time for Britain’s new Prime Minister Winston Churchill. During the early days of World War II, the fate of Western Europe hangs on the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler, or fight on against incredible odds. Gary Oldman starring as Winston Churchill the film follows his early days as Prime Minister, as Hitler closes in on Britain during World War II.
Written by Anthony McCarten, the film also starts Ben Mendelsohn, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, and Ronald Pickup in lead roles.
Within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) must face one of his most turbulent and defining trials: exploring a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or standing firm to fight for the ideals, liberty and freedom of a nation. As the unstoppable Nazi forces roll across Western Europe and the threat of invasion is imminent, and with an unprepared public, a skeptical King, and his own party plotting against him, Churchill must withstand his darkest hour, rally a nation, and attempt to change the course of world history.
The third and the final installment of the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ trilogy, ‘Fifty Shades Freed’ directed by James Foley and written by Niall Leonard is to be released in the coming months. Based on the novel of same name by E. L. James, the film follows ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ in 2015 and ‘Fifty Shades Darker’ in 2017.
Believing they have left behind shadowy figures from their past, newlyweds Christian and Ana fully embrace an inextricable connection and shared life of luxury. But just as she steps into her role as Mrs. Grey and he relaxes into an unfamiliar stability, new threats could jeopardize their happy ending before it even begins.
It stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, respectively.
Worldwide release scheduled for March 23 by Universal Pictures, ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’, a Hollywood sci-fi is another film to be released in March here. Directed by Steven S. DeKnight and written by DeKnight, Emily Carmichael, Kira Snyder, and T.S. Nowlin, the film depicts Jake Pentecost, a son of Stacker Pentecost, who reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots, including rival Lambert and 15-year-old hacker Amara, against a new Kaiju threat.
The film is the sequel to the 2013 film Pacific Rim, and stars John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Jing Tian, and Adria Arjona, with Charlie Day, Burn Gorman, and Rinko Kikuchi returning in their roles from the original film.
Critically acclaimed 2017 American historical drama ‘Phantom Thread’ is another movie in the Liberty cinemas line up here.
Chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2017, ‘Phantom Thread’ received two nominations for the 75th Golden Globe Awards: Best Actor – Drama (Day-Lewis) and Best Original Score.
‘Mary Magdalene’, a film based on the Biblical character written by Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett and directed by Garth Davis will be released for Easter this year. Scheduled to be released in the Britain on March 16, the film stars Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Tahar Rahim.
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Fifty Shades Freed
![Panthom-of-Thread](http://www.sundaytimes.lk/180114/uploads/Panthom-of-Thread.jpg)
‘Phantom Thread’
![Matt-Damon-in-Downsizing](http://www.sundaytimes.lk/180114/uploads/Matt-Damon-in-Downsizing.jpg)
Matt-Damon in Downsizing