ENGLISH MOVIE ROUND-UP – THINGS TO DO IN GENEVA

ENGLISH MOVIES IN GENEVA THIS WEEK:

Highlights of English films showing in Geneva.

by Sarah Scaddan

THE MECHANICS OF POWER – Vice

Christian Bale plays Dick Cheney, the former U.S. Vice President in this biographical comedy/drama. Bale nails it as the resilient, backstabbing, front-stabbing, ruthlessly ambitious Cheney.

Showing at Cinérama Empire, Pathé Balexert.

THE BAD GUY WHO’S REALLY A GOOD GUY – Ralph breaks the Internet

The sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, video bad guy Ralph, leaves the comfort of his game to save his best friend and her video game, Sugar Rush. Funny, entertaining with some heartfelt moments.

Showing at Pathé Balexert, Cinema Voltaire.

CYBERPUNK ACTION -– Alita – Battle Angel

Based on Yukito Kishiro’s manga series Gunnm, Alita is set in year 2563 after a catastrophic war has devastated the planet. The plot involves hunter-warriors, cyborgs, violence and great computer generated special effects. The plot is too dumb for adults unless one is unnaturally obsessed with AI, and action too violent for children. No thanks.

Showing at Arena Cinemas, Pathé Balexert, Cinema Voltaire.

A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP – The Wife

Joe and Joan Castleman have been married for 40 years. Joe has a public role as a Great American Novelist soon to be awarded the Noble Peace Price. Joan is the woman behind the scenes. The Wife is a clever, subtle and moving portrait of a hidden woman brought to life by a fantastic performance by Glenn Close.

Showing at Cinérama Empire

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME – Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

An ambitious, complex and predictably frenetic sequel, which totally clicks into place (see what I did there?). Personally, I don’t need to ever see another Lego movie, but this will appeal to small humans.

WACKY TAKE ON HISTORICAL DRAMA – The Favourite

It’s the early 18^th century, England is at war with France and a frail Queen Anne (played brilliantly by Olive Coleman) occupies the throne. She has little interest in ruling the country, preferring to play with her many pet rabbits and other eccentric activities. Her close friend and lover, Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead. When an impoverished cousin (Emma Stone) of the Queen joins the staff and becomes close to Lady Sarah and the Queen, things start to get interesting. A genuinely funny, wacky take on a historical drama

Showing at Ciné 17, Le City, Les Scala, Pathé Balexert

SURVIVAL, RELAPSE AND RECOVERY – Beautiful Boy

Based on the best-selling pair of memoirs of New York Times writer David Sheff and his son Nic, Beautiful Boy chronicles Nic’s drug addiction. A heartbreaking tale of survival, relapse, and recovery, with some powerful performances. However it really isn’t as moving as one would expect, leaving you a tad unengaged, sporadically checking your watch.

Showing at Les Scala, Pathé Archamps, Cinéma Rouge et Noir

LAST IN THE TRILOGY – How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Now chief and ruler of Berk alongside Astrid, Hiccup has created a gloriously chaotic dragon utopia. When the sudden appearance of female Light Fury coincides with the darkest threat their village has ever faced, Hiccup and Toothless must leave the only home they’ve known and journey to a hidden world thought only to exist in myth. Visually stunning and poignant way to end this beloved trilogy.

Showing at Ciné 17, Pathé Balexert

LOVE AND INJUSTICE – If Beale Street Could Talk

Set in early 1970’s Harlem, Fonny and Tish are childhood sweethearts looking forward to planning a life together. Everything changes when Fonny is accused of a crime he did not commit. A powerful condemnation of racism and social injustice, a timeless love story and a beautifully produced film.

Showing at Cinérama Empire, Cinema Rouge et Noir

BUG SAGA – Miniscule – Mandibles from Far Away

Dialogue free bug saga that will charm all ages. In the conditioning unit of a small chestnut can factory in a quiet little country village as winter slowly settles, a young ladybug gets trapped by accident in a cardboard box shipped to the Caribbean. His parent sets off for the paradise archipelago to find his little kiddy bug and free him.

Showing at Pathé Balexert, Pathé Archamps, Cinéma Voltaire, Cinérama Empire, Arena Cinémas, Cinéma Rouge et Noir.

MULTI-AWARD WINNING – Green Book

When Tony Lip (Mortensen), a bouncer from an Italian-American neighbourhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley (Ali), a world-class Black pianist, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on “The Green Book” to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism, danger-as well as unexpected humanity and humour-they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime. Green Book recently won three Golden Globes including best motion picture.

Showing at Ciné 17, Arena Cinemas, Cinéma Bio, Pathé Balexert, Pathé Archamps, Cinéma Rouge et Noir.

CLINT EASTWOOD FEST – The Mule

Clint Eastwood directs, produces and starts in The Mule, playing a man in his 80’s, down on his luck, who is offered good money for a driving job. Unbeknownst to him, he is trafficking drugs for a Mexican cartel. In thoughtful, solid film and the only film about drug trafficking that you can take your grandparents to.

Showing at Cinérama Empire, Arena Cinemas, Pathé Balexert, Cinema Voltaire, Pathé Archamps

YOU CANNOT CONTAIN WHO YOU ARE – Glass

Glass is the sequel to Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016), cumulatively forming the Eastrail 177 Trilogy. Glass finds David Dunn (Bruce Willis) pursuing Kevin Wendell Crumb’s (James McAvoy) superhuman figure of The Beast in a series of escalating encounters, while the shadowy presence of Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) emerges as an orchestrator who holds secrets critical to both men.

Showing at Pathé Balexert

KEIRA KNIGHLY STARS – Colette

Keira Knightly stars as Colette, pushed by her husband to write novels under his name. Upon their success, she fights to make her talents known, challenging gender norms. I think you have to really love Keira Knightly to find joy in this film. I don’t.

Showing at Ciné 17

ALL HAIL JULIA ROBERTS – Ben is Back

Julia Roberts plays Holly Burns, a mother whose 19 year old son Ben unexpectedly returns home after being ‘dismissed’ early from rehab. With a history of substance abuse and a ruinous past, Holly is wary but delighted to have her son home. Then the nightmare begins. Although every moment of this film contains a high level of dread, you come to care for this mother and son so deeply and urgently. A little thin on plot but phenomenal work by Julia Roberts & Lucas Hedges.

Showing at Cinema La Pati

AIR GUITARS AT THE READY – BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

A celebration of Queen and the unique Freddie Mercury, played expertly by Rami Malek (Mr Robot). Bohemian Rhapsody follows the band from conception onwards, and if you love rocking out to Queen hits, this will be a good 2 hours and 14 minutes of your life. It is not a documentary, glossing over some of the elements of Mercury’s identity and life that make him so absolutely fascinating, but great entertainment.