Five movies not to miss this month – March 2013

Now that the excitement of the Oscars is over, we can look forward to what may or may not make next year’s Academy Awards shortlists. March sees a number of new releases, here’s a quick round-up of most appealing films on offer.

Oz, The Great and Powerful

This isn’t a re-make of the Wizard of Oz, but it’s a prequel. It’s a fantasy adventure inspired by the story of the Wizard of Oz and stars James Franco as Oscar Diggs, Mila Kunis, Reachel Weisz and Michelle Williams. Oscar works for a travelling circus but gets taken to the Land of Oz when a tornado whisks away the hot air balloon he is in. In Oz, he is hailed as a wizard hero who will bring peace to the people of Oz.

Side Effects

This psychological thriller sees a story of intrigue and catastrophe unfolding around a woman called Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) who murders her husband Martin (Channing Tatum) whilst taking an experimental anti-depressant drug. Jude Law stars as the psychotherapist Jonathan Banks who prescribed the drug, with Catherine Zeta-Jones playing the role of Emily’s former psychologist and, perhaps, her current conspirator.

Identity Thief

If you’re looking for comedy then give Identity Thief a try. It’s a film about unassuming businessman Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) who has his identity stolen by a woman (Melissa McCarthy), who then proceeds to live it up on Patterson’s bank account. Directed by Seth Gordon and written by Craig Mazin, this is a laugh-a-minute caper that is definitely light entertainment!

Trance

Danny Boyle directs this British drama film which is due for release on 27^th March. The plot centres on a fine art auctioneer who employs a hypnotherapist to find a lost painting. Things become complicated and the stakes get high with the presence of the gang of criminals the auctioneer is mixed up with and when the effects of hypnosis, desire and reality all begin to interact. The cast includes James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel and Rosario Dawson.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

As the title implies, this Tommy Wirkola film is all about what happened next to Hansel and Gretel. They grew up to become witch hunters and now they’re on a mission to save abducted children due to be sacrificed in a Blood Moon ritual by a coven of witches. The main thrust of the movie seems to be how many ways can you maim or kill a witch, so if you like lots of blood and violence, this film should appeal. Otherwise, give it a miss!

 

The editorial unit