We made it! February was alright. Deadpool slashed records in half and ended up being a success. Embrace of the Serpent went from being the hidden Foreign Language Film nominee at the Academy Awards to being one of the most talked about contenders. This is starting to bode well for March: The final month in the typical cinema-slump moments of the year. We will continue to get Oscar gold on DVD and Blu-Ray, and we occasionally got Oscar gold this early on in the year (The Grand Budapest Hotel was a March release, believe it or not). We’re at the turning point of the dismal three months of film (where films too weak to be Oscar contenders or blockbusters are usually dumped), and let’s hope the trickling joy that came from February continues to seep into this month. Let’s check out what we have, because there is quite a lot to go through!
New Theatrical Releases:
Zootopia
Release Date: March 4
Directed By: Byron Howard (Tangled), Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph) and Jared Bush (Co-Creator of Disney XD)
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate
IMDb Summary: In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a fugitive con artist fox and a rookie bunny cop must work together to uncover a conspiracy.
Why I Am So Excited: The trailer that came out last year seemed very sure of itself. We’ve seen animated films have confidence before and not meet up to expectations (remember Madagascar?). However, the early reviews of this animal rampage have been quite strong. Will Zootopia be a niche animated film, or will it be another Disney home run? There’s apparently a lot of smarts and creativity, so consider me stoked!
Watch the Trailer HERE
Knight of Cups
Release Date: March 4
Directed By: Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line)
Starring: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Freida Pinto, Antonio Banderas
IMDb Summary: A man reflects upon some of his past relationships
Why I Am So Excited: Okay, I get it. Malick isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (no pun intended). In fact, that cast featured above may be a bit misleading. Malick’s infamous for featuring key cast members for very brief moments of the respective film (poor Adrien Brody). However, Malick either makes peculiar artistic films or masterpieces. Working yet again with photographical genius Emmanuel Lubezki (The Tree of Life, Gravity, The Revenant, Birdman), Malick has given us his take on Federico Fellini’s commentary of upper class woes that will surely be at least stunning to look at (if not a success to those of us who love the bulk of his work).
Watch the Trailer HERE
Midnight Special
Release Date: March 18
Directed By: Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Mud)
Starring: Michael Shannon, Adam Driver, Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton
IMDb Summary: A father and son go on the run after the dad learns his child possesses special powers.
Why I Am So Excited: Jeff Nichols is a Southern states visionary. Give the man a huge budget after his acclaimed movies won the indie circuits over, and you’re sure to see ambition. This is Nichols’ take on John Carpenter, and if you look at the talented cast (including Nichols favorite Shannon), something is quite promising with Midnight Special. I’m expecting a Spielbergian homage to science fiction cinema akin to J.J. Abrams’ film Super 8, and that’s a good thing.
Watch the Trailer HERE
Release Date: March 25
Directed By: Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Man of Steel)
Starring: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Jesse Eisenberg
IMDb Summary: Fearing the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on Superman, while the world wrestles with what kin of a hero it really needs. With Batman and Superman fighting each other, a new threat, Doomsday, is created by Lex Luthor. It’s up to Superman and Batman to set aside their differences along with Wonder Woman to stop Lex Luthor and Doomsday from destroying Metropolis.
Why I Am So Excited: Give me a second to breath. That IMDb synopsis was exhausting.Why I Am So Excited, Take 2: Well, I am not a big fan of Zack Snyder’s films (outside of how well he can create an identity for each of his projects), there has been a massive amount of promotional work done for this film. When I spoke to screenwriter David S. Goyer about his fascination with mythology, I got a sense of one thing: When Goyer’s vision works, it bloody well works (he helped write the story for The Dark Knight). Maybe there will be enough going on with this sequel to Man of Steel that will give it that literary oomph the previous film was lacking. Hopefully there won’t be too much clutter, though (that is one huge cast, for starters).
Watch the Trailer HERE
New On Blu-Ray:
Room
Release Date: March 1
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Directed By: Lenny Abrahamson (Frank, What Richard Did)
Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers, Joan Allen
IMDb Summary: After five-year-old Jack and his mother escape from the enclosed surroundings that Jack has known his entire life, the boy makes a thrilling discovery.
Why This is Worth Getting: Sure, 2015 has seen its share of heavy hitting frontrunners for most of the awards season (Spotlight, The Revenant, Mad Max: Fury Road), but Room was a smaller film that was on the same level. Brie Larson has shattered those who always missed her and has made those of us who have rooted for her proud. Tremblay is a terrific child actor who has a bright future ahead of him. Essentially, Room is a powerful film that does more with the little it has. It’s one thing to know what the film is about, but it’s another to actually experience it.
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Danish Girl
Release Date: March 1
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69%
Directed By: Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables)
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ben Winshaw, Amber Heard
IMDb Summary: A ficticious love story loosely inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda’s marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili’s groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.
Why This is Worth Getting: While this film definitely has its flaws (some of it is far too black and white or romanticized), I have a huge amount of respect for it. I feel it is quite an underrated film. Hoisted by incredible performances by Redmayne and Vikander (two of this generation’s best actors) and with great cinematic aesthetics, The Danish Girl certainly should not be ignored simply because of the negative attention it has received (the novel it was adapted from was hardly factually accurate either, so why should one piece be more punished?). Who knows? You may be as surprised as I was.
Watch the Trailer HERE
Victoria
Release Date: March 8
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Directed By: Sebastian Schipper (Mitte Ende August)
Starring: Laia Costa, Frederick Lau
IMDb Summary: A young Spanish woman who has newly moved to Berlin finds her flirtation with a local guy turn potentially deadly as their night out with his friends reveals a dangerous secret.
Why This is Worth Getting: This German thriller is all shot with one take. It lasts for two and a half hours and features a good chunk of improvised dialogue. It is a film that could easily not have worked, and yet it radiates so vibrantly. With the single take and the claustrophobic surroundings, Victoriafeels quite real and frightening. Watch it for how successful the experiment is alone, and you may find yourself a won-over fan.
Watch the Trailer HERE
Carol
Release Date: March 15
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Directed By: Todd Haynes (Far from Heaven, I’m Not There)
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Kyle Chandler, Sarah Paulson
IMDb Summary: An aspiring photographer develops an intimate relationship with an older woman.
Why This is Worth Getting: It is such a shame that Carol dropped completely out of the awards race once it got snubbed of the grand Best Picture nomination (despite getting a decent amount of other nominations). It’s as if the tremendous acting, the gorgeous shots and the powerful story have all simply been forgotten. Let this release date bring life back into one of the most poetically moving films of 2015. It simply deserves your attention, and it’s devastating to think that it got cast aside in the first place.
Watch the Trailer HERE
Brooklyn
Release Date: March 15
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Directed By: John Crowley (Closed Circuit, Is Anybody There?)
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Domhall Gleeson
IMDb Summary: An Irish immigrant lands in 1950’s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.
Why This is Worth Getting: What a charming film! Brooklyn is so pleasant and well-spirited that it may be impossible to hate it. The story is identifiable for the most part, but once you get to the stunning ending, you will see how nicely this film comes full circle. Brooklyn is more than just a love letter to identity; It’s a portrait of life.
Watch the Trailer HERE
Criterion Release of the Month:
Bicycle Thieves (originally titled The Bicycle Thief)
Release Date: March 29
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Directed By: Vittorio De Sica (Umberto D., Two Women, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow)
Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell
IMDb Summary: Set in post-WW2 Italy, a working class man’s bicycle is stolen. Him and his son set out to find it.
Why This is Worth Getting: This remastering of the Italian neorealist classic gets a noteworthy treatment. On this new Blu-Ray edition of the film, Criterion offers you an essay by critic Godfrey Cheshire, a documentary on De Sica by veteran Cesare Zavattini and more. If you want to see how one of Italy’s finest directors paved the way for cinema across the globe through its depressing realism, Bicycle Thieves is that film.
Watch the Trailer HERE
