STACK #161 Mar 2018

CINEMA REVIEWS

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GAME night RELEASED: Feb 22 DIRECTOR: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein CAST: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, RATING: MA

ALSO SCREENING IN MARCH

A playful and propulsive action-comedy.

You can probably count on one hand the number of Hollywood comedies in the last year or so that are genuinely funny. Game Night is one of them – a breezy and consistently amusing romp that yanks a bunch of suburbanites out of the comfort zone of pub trivia and couch Charades and into a madcap murder mystery. Married couple Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams) host a weekly game night for a bunch of friends, which is taken up a notch when Max's wealthy brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) arranges an elaborate mystery

evening. Once it begins, the line between what is real and staged becomes increasingly blurred, with the group dodging bullets and bad guys in a dangerous game that doesn't play by the rules – or pause for breath. To say more would spoil the fun, and Game Night is tremendous fun. It's a major step up from the previous films of writer-directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, Horrible Bosses and the Vacation remake, which were largely reliant on gross-out gags and forced humour. Instead, this playful and propulsive action- comedy boasts a smart and snappy script that zings with movie trivia and references to delight film buffs, as well as perfect comic timing from the ensemble cast. Jesse Plemons in particular is a standout as Max and Annie's creepy cop neighbour, who doesn't take kindly to being left out of game night. And Bateman and McAdams are perfectly matched, throwing themselves into exaggerated roles with winning chemistry. Low on plot but high on entertainment value, Game Night is a winner – and the perfect date movie. Scott Hocking schoolgirls ought not even be aware of. Of course, she also faces all the same problems – growing up, losing friends, struggling with money, fitting in, struggling with boys, getting accepted into college… Lady Bird mentions that she lives on the wrong side of the tracks, and it’s not simply a metaphor. 2002 Sacramento, to her, is not the place for a teen with a burgeoning social life – or hopes of one, for that matter. Saoirse Ronan (pronounced “Sur-sha” – you’re welcome) is captivating, perfectly encapsulating what it’s like to grow up and live the ‘stressful’ life of a teenager. Put simply, Lady Bird is a snapshot of an adolescent life – as if someone simply stepped into Christine’s life, recorded a short portion, and then departed. Nothing is omitted, no matter how bleak. Lady Bird is nothing we haven’t seen before, but it's more honest than most coming-of-age dramas. It’s as much about Ronan’s character’s relationship with her mother as it is her perspective on life, and it’s a pair of eyes that most people could do to look through. Greta Gerwig’s picture is as virtuous and sincere as they come. Alesha Kolbe

TOMB RAIDER

From a bunch of polygons in a 1990s video game to being incarnated by Angelina Jolie in two film adaptations, Lara Croft has come a long way. The Tomb Raider reboot, starring Alicia Vikander, looks more like the recent game releases than ever, with Lara a directionless 21-year-old who eventually decides to investigate her father’s disappearance seven years earlier. Her legend begins on March 15.

RELEASED: Feb 15 DIRECTOR: Greta Gerwig CAST: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Timothée Chalamet RATING: M LADY BIRD

When the kaiju launch a new all-out assault on humankind, it's time for the Jaeger masters to fire up those giant mechs and take the battle to the monsters. John Boyega and Scott Eastwood join the fight on March 22. PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING

Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is unhappy with the name her parents gave her at birth, and as such has made the decision to christen herself Lady Bird. With this new name comes a fabricated personality and the ability to live the life she has created under her pseudonym, rather than the one she believes to be fit for a Christine. Lady Bird has a normal life. She lives at home with her parents (Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts), and her brother (Jordan Rodrigues) and his girlfriend. The family has never been particularly wealthy, but have always managed to get by. She gets through school the way most people do – confiding in her best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein) and discussing matters Christian An honest snapshot of adolescence.

The Stone Age versus the Bronze Age in a soccer match that will determine the fate of the cavemen's valley home. The latest from Aardman animation kicks off on March 29. EARLY MAN

JLaw plays a Russian spy, Dominika Egorova, whose cover is a prima ballerina. She’ll seduce you, she’ll kill you and then, we presume, perform a graceful pirouette on your grave. Out March 1 . RED SPARROW

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MARCH 2018

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