Reel magic: Movie Reviews

Adam Zacharias delves through the UAE’s latest cinema releases

Transcendence

Johnny Depp stars in this intriguing sci-fi blockbuster which looks at mankind’s rapid, continued leaps in technology and how they may both help and threaten the human race.

Depp plays Will Caster, a famous and controversial figure in the field of artificial intelligence. His goal is to somehow combine a vessel which is both all-knowing yet human in its way of functioning – thus finding the perfect mix of mechanical and organic.

This quest sees Will targeted by extremists, who view his plans as dangerous. But the scientist perseveres with his vision – going so far as to use himself as a test subject, much to the concern of his fellow academics, including his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall).

Reviews are yet to come out for the $100 million movie, which marks the directorial debut of Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister (The Dark Knight, Inception).

Oculus

Despite amassing respectable critical reviews, low-budget horror Oculus didn’t set the US box office alight upon its release last weekend.

The $5 million flick sees young Tim Russell (Brenton Thwaites) sent to a mental institution for the murder of his parents, an event which he blames on a malevolent supernatural force that possesses an old mirror in their home.

A decade later, Tim is released and vows to start afresh. However, his sister Kaylie (Karen Gillan) is determined to prove that her sibling is innocent of his horrific crime. To prove this, she must delve into the mirror’s dark history.

“Less concerned with fake shocks and show-me violence than the grimly calibrated rotting of personalities, Oculus is one of the more intelligently nasty horror films in recent memory,” said Robert Abele of The Los Angeles Times.

“Oculus is haunting because it messes with your head. That’s where the ghosts are,” said Tom Long of The Detroit News.

Oculus currently has a 72% rating on rottentomatoes.com and a 7.1/10 rating on imdb.com.

The English Teacher

Set in smalltown Pennsylvania, this comedy-drama sees Julianne Moore play Linda Sinclair, an isolated English teacher who eschews both friendships and relationships in favour of her cats and her books.

This changes when one of her star pupils Jason (Michael Angarano) returns to town, having failed to make it as a playwright in New York. With Jason on the verge of giving up his dream to attend law school, Linda decides to put on his complex play as a high school production.

“This is a brisk comedy, with some formulaic moments made better by a top-notch cast,” said Claudia Puig of USA Today.

“The English Teacher is a tragedy masquerading as a comedy and doing a disservice to both,” said Betsy Sharkey of The Los Angeles Times.

The English Teacher currently has a 42% rating on rottentomatoes.com and a 5.8/10 rating on imdb.com.