Mad about movies: Films to see in UAE this weekend

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Any and everything to do with King Arthur has always fascinated us, ever since we were gifted a prized book about Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table back in childhood. Guy Ritchie's take on Arthur, whose historical existence has been debated extensively with different schools of thought forming different opinions over the centuries, stars Sons of Anarchy's Charlie Hunnam as the legendary king.
hen his father is murdered and his kingdom taken over by his uncle Vortigern (Jude Law), Arthur grows up the hard way till he pulls the famous sword (Excalibur) from the stone and is forced to acknowledge his royal lineage. We've heard Arthur's story many times, read about it in books and seen it in movies, but we really can't get enough of knights, swords, kings, chivalry, duels and medieval love stories, so a trip to the cinemas this weekend is a sure thing.
"Guy Ritchie's cheerfully ridiculous Arthur is a gonzo monarch, a death-metal warrior-king," writes Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian. Sounds brilliant to us.
IMDb gives it 7.6
Trivia: This is the first installment of a planned six films series. Goody.

The Dinner

Having been privy to an advance screening of The Dinner ahead of interviewing the lovely Richard Gere for today's cover story, we can assure you that this intense, disturbing and often melancholic film about two sets of parents meeting at a fancy restaurant to discuss their kids' involvement in a violent crime, is a must-watch. The Dinner tackles some dark themes and ends rather abruptly, but even if a serious film is not your cup of tea right now, do check this one out for its brilliant acting talent if nothing else.
Steve Coogan, famous for his comic roles, skillfully portrays a father plagued by mental illness and Gere of course is, as always, on top of his game. "Art house audiences and fans of challenging adult cinema are in for a treat, intense as this fine acting showcase is," writes critic Pete Hammond of deadline.com in his review. We agree.
IMDb gives it 5.5 (but don't let that deter you)
Trivia: The film is based on a novel by Herman Koch.

Spark: A Space Tail

Jessica Biel, Hilary Swank and Susan Sarandon voice-star in this animation about a teenage monkey Spark, who along with his friends Chunk and Vix, is out to rescue a kingdom (Planet Bana) overtaken by an evil overlord, Zhong. Peter Sobczynski of rogerebert.com hasn't been kind in his review, calling the film "an utterly lifeless and profoundly unoriginal animated effort that is desperately lacking the very thing in its title." Maybe we'd be better off revisiting some classics like Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast (time to dust off the old DVD player).
IMDb gives it 5.2 (maybe you should let that deter you)
Trivia: Is Eric Bana on planet Bana? (Ignore feeble attempt at joke, go watch King Arthur or The Dinner - or both)