STACK NZ Mar #82

DVD&BD REVIEWS

visit stack.net.nz

A reluctant hero. BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK

An unlikely champion. QUEEN OF KATWE

Release Date: 08/03/17

Format:

Release Date: 08/03/17

Format:

Often the perceptions of wartime heroism can vary greatly from the realities, and it’s a theme that’s explored by Ang Lee in this adaptation of Ben Fountain’s satirical novel of the same name. A war correspondent catches baby-faced Iraq war army specialist Billy Lynn (Joe Alwyn) on camera, risking his life to drag his wounded sergeant to safety. The footage goes viral back home, unleashing a maelstrom of nationalistic fervour that culminates in Billy and his unit buddies riding in a stretch Hummer to be a part of the half-time show at the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving game

It’s dynamic! It’s thrill a minute! It’s... chess! Well, we tried. Sure, it may not be the greatest spectator sport, but chess is a marvel of strategy, and a game that most anybody can have a go at but which few truly master. In classic Disney style, Queen of Katwe is based on a true tale, in this case that of Phiona Mutesi, a chess prodigy from the slums of Uganda. Taken under the wing of a chess-loving missionary at the age of 10, Phiona shows an uncanny fervour and aptitude for the game. Being a Disney adaptation you may expect Phiona’s first

– complete with added Destiny’s Child. They ride with a film producer, are wined and dined by the Cowboys’ boss (Steve Martin), and winked at by cheerleaders. But the OTT production triggers memories and more in squad members – after all, war is hardly mere half-time entertainment. AF

tournament to be the crescendo of the story, but instead we’re privy to several of her years, as she dreams of a better life... A collision of Slumdog Millionaire and Searching for Bobby Fischer , director Mira Nair ( Monsoon Wedding ) gives real good feel-good. AF

Wilder. Drunker. Badder. BAD SANTA 2

Welfare woes. I, DANIEL BLAKE

Release Date: 24/03/17

Format:

Release Date: 22/03/17

Format:

Back in 2003, Billy Bob Thornton really put the ‘ho’ into the Chrissie season as the hard drinking, foul-mouthed (well, foul everything, really) Willie Soke. Despite being a shell of a man, he found some redemption in a story that managed to combine the sleaziest of humour with genuine witty subversion and a surprising amount of heart. Billy Bob aims to recreate that Christmas miracle in this sequel, which sees Thurman Merman (aka ‘The Kid’) grown up yet still wide-eyed and clueless, plus the return of Willie’s little ‘friend’ Marcus and the arrival

We usually encounter various levels of bureaucracy daily. But the circuitous inefficiency that unemployed 59-year-old carpenter Daniel Blake (stand-up comedian Dave Johns) – only out of work on doctor’s orders due to a recent heart attack – encounters from Britain’s Jobcentre beggars belief. It’s the first time in his life that he’s required government assistance, yet he’s engulfed by a relentlessly frustrating stream of petty officialdom overload. He finds some sanity in father figure duty for a young single mother and her two kids who are in a similar situation, but ultimately how far

of his mother, Sunny (Kathy Bates). In true Soke style, Willie, Marcus and ‘Mom’ plan a heist on a kids’ charity – and also in true Soke style, things go horribly awry... Another relentless gag-fest, Billy Bob’s bleary and world-weary Santa remains the highlight of this anti-festive gift. AF

can a system that’s supposed to assist when needed push a man, when they appear to want to do anything but help? Worship-worthy cinematic curmudgeon Ken Loach nabbed the Cannes Palme d’Or for this bleak yet brilliantly witty and sadly relevant flick. He bloody well deserved it. AF

30

MARCH 2017

jbhifi.co.nz