Rocks superhero world
Lieutenant Mitch Buchannon, a county lifeguard who takes his job very seriously. The sands of Emerald Beach, Florida, are his kingdom and the staff are all considered family.
Enter arrogant pretty boy Matt Brody (Zac Efron), a swimmer with two Olympic gold medals to his name and a reputation as the “Vomit Comet” after an unfortunate incident in a swimming pool.
Can fatherly Mitch teach cocky Matt a life lesson or two? They are obliged to bond before working together to expose dastardly drug smugglers in a lame plot that feels like a rejected episode of Miami Vice. It even requires the deeply tanned, muscle-bound Efron to don drag for no obvious reason.
David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson have brief cameo roles for old times’ sake but the film is witless, crude and disappointing. (Cert PG; 118mins) THE past is a comfort and a refuge for the lead character in After The Storm, a typically sensitive, delicately handled family drama from Japanese director Koreeda Hirokazu. Fifteen years ago Ryota (Abe Hiroshi) was a promising, prize-winning young novelist. Now he scrapes together a living as a private detective, squandering his earnings on gambling and often unable to provide child support payments for his son.
Then an approaching storm forces Ryota to spend the night with his former wife Kyoto (Yoko Maki) and their son Shingo (Taiyô Yoshizawa). Nothing really changes but over the course of these warmly observed events, Ryota slowly comes to believe in second chances and the possibility that his life could be different. It is a small but heartfelt victory in a poignant, award-winning drama. (Cert PG; 66mins) THIS Swiss stop-motion animation gem is similar in style to Coraline and was Oscar-nominated earlier this year for Best Animated Feature.
Courgette is the nickname of 10-year-old Icare. When his alcoholic mother dies, Courgette is sent to an orphanage where he soon becomes a target for bullies. The arrival of the cool, mysterious Camille changes everything.
Delightful and touching, this is that rare film that should appeal to children and adults alike. A melancholy journey through childhood tragedy to a brighter future, it handles complex theories with sensitivity. It is funny but conveys important sentiments about trauma, survival, the kindness of strangers and our shifting sense of what a loving family can be. Highly recommended. (Cert 15; 94mins) ITS heart may be in the right place but Dough doesn’t quite rise above its predictable storyline. Elderly widower Nat Dayan (Jonathan Pryce) runs a kosher family bakery in London’s East End that has definitely seen better days.
Seeking an assistant, he takes a chance on Ayyash (Jerome Holder), the Muslim teenage son of his cleaner. Then Ayyash’s stash of marijuana winds up in the challah bread mix, creating the biggest seller in years.
A warm-hearted, old-fashioned (Cert 15; 98mins) IN The Shepherd, Anselmo (Miguel Martin) lives a spartan life. Tending to his flock, he has his dog for company and red wine and a Dickens novel for the dark nights.
He has no interest in the property developers who want to buy his land which puts him at odds with a community where many are desperate for money. This lean, lyrical drama veers towards melodrama but remains absorbing.