Staying In – Jan 23

Arts & Culture

ISSUE NO: 146

Staying in with
Adam Gunton

A Man called Otto

Released: 6 January

Tom Hanks stars in this remake of a Swedish film which was an adapation of the book “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman. Hanks plays Otto, the ultimate grumpy old man. He hates people, has a strict routine and a fuse shorter than the Hulk. Following the loss of his wife, he wants to give up and end it all. A young family moves in on his street and the friendship he builds with them starts to change his outlook on life and the world. The plot is very paint by numbers and you can see where it’s going but it’s heartwarming and watchable with a great performance from Tom Hanks. It’s perfect January viewing; when the nights are long and it feels like spring is forever away, we need an uplifting story to get us through to February.

Watch the trailer here

Babylon

Released: 20 January

Damien Chazelle, the director of Whiplash, La La Land and First Man brings us a film about the early days of Hollywood starring Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire, Olivia Wilde and Flea; you know, Flea, from the band Red Hot Chilli Peppers and from challenging Marty McFly to a drag race in Back To The Future Three. Not much is known about the plot but it follows the rise and fall of multiple people during the period of time where Hollywood transitioned from silent films to films with sound in the late twenties. The trailer is crazy with big performances and beautiful shots. Knowing Chazelle’s back catalogue, it’s going to be big, with music being a large feature. This is surely going to be a contender for awards season

Watch the trailer here

Empire of Light

Released: 9 January

Sam Mendes previously wowed us with 1917, Spectre and Skyfall. Now he’s back with something more grounded and personal. Acting powerhouse, Olivia Colman, leads a cast including Michael Ward, Colin Firth and Toby Jones. The story is about the power of human connection and is set in an English costal town in the early 1980s. Expect Colman to bag herself another Oscar nomination for her role in this film.

Watch the trailer here

Plane

Released: 27 January

I’ve given you the sentimental and the award-worthy. Now it’s time to bring the tone down with some ridiculous action. Gerard Butler plays a pilot who is forced to land his commercial aircraft during a terrible storm. The spot he lands in, however, is in a war zone. Of course, being Gerard Butler, he has to get involved. He teams up with Mike Colter (Luke Cage, The Good Wife) to try and protect his passengers and find a way to get them home safely.

Watch the trailer here