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UAE's latest cinema releases...

David Light delves through the UAE's latest cinema releases.

LOVE & MERCY

Salvation! something decent in this barren wasteland we call summer. Brace yourselves because this is wonderful. Somebody must be looking out for us - Love & Mercy is the much-anticipated Brian Wilson (of The Beach Boys) biopic. The tormented genius’ battle with balancing a gift for music and instant notoriety with mental illness is well documented, but this is the first time it has been brought to the big screen in a picture that has garnered near universal acclaim even from the man upon whom the film is based.

 Love & Mercy begins with Wilson’s journey into pop stardom with his band The Beach Boys. Capitalising on the 60s peace and love movement, the group’s sound is a hit around the world. His song writing strikes a chord with his contemporaries, although after a panic attack on stage, Wilson retires from touring. His situation deteriorates and the movie jumps to the 80s where, living as a virtual recluse, Wilson (played in the second half of the movie by John Cusack) is under the supervision of manipulative psychiatrist Dr. Landy played by Paul Giamatti. Everything changes when Cadillac saleswoman Elizabeth Banks enters his life.

 The Washington Post claimed Love & Mercy had “stolen the show” at the last Toronto Film Festival.

Rotten Tomatoes gives it 89% while IMDb has it at 7.9

Trivia: Brian Wilson claimed after seeing the film that it was “very factual.”

OUT OF THE DARK

The first week is always the most difficult and, aside from Love & Mercy, movie fans must be feeling the strain by now. As the brilliant looking Terminator Genisys’ promotion ramps up to fifth gear around the world, what are we left with? Out of The Dark – a film so poor it’s difficult to muster the energy to write about it.

 It’s a horror, so there may be a kitsch sort of kookiness to proceedings, but don’t hold your breath.

 Out of The Dark stars an actress of some notoriety, Julia Stiles, who we’ve always thought of as being rather good. Unfortunately times must be a bit tough between Bourne films and she opted to do this. A British family move into haunted Californian house. That’s about it. It’s jumpy, a bit creepy, but (unless you’re a die-hard fan of the genre) it’s going to be dull.

IMDb gives this 4.7 and Rotten Tomatoes has it at 28%.

Trivia: Horror films were originally inspired by literature from authors including Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley.

Just the Way You Are

Rounding off this week’s reduced releases is Filipino rom-com Just The Way You Are. She’s All That with a twist is all we can say about this film as popular guy Drake takes on a bet to date the nerdy Sophie and get her to fall in love with him in 30 days. Is everything quite as it seems, however, given Sophie’s smarts and cunning?

Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano star in this romance.

IMDb gives this 7.6

Trivia: Liza Soberano was born in California and had to take intensive Tagalog lessons when she moved back to the Philippines in order to get decent projects.