Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/441179
VII This week maltatoday, Sunday, 4 January 2015 It's certainly a more interesting prospect than Terminator: Genysis, which despite the presence of fan- favourite Emilia Clarke of Game of Thrones fame – not to mention Arnie himself – looks to be yet another limp attempt at revitalising a franchise that has well and truly run its course. Thanks to the critical and com- mercial success of Skyfall, however, the James Bond brand is very healthy these days, and the announcement that its upcoming instalment, Spec- tre, will feature the likes of Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained), Monica Bellucci and French It-Girl of the moment Léa Seydoux only bolsters confidence in this new instalment. Though Daniel Craig has expressed bemusement over his commitment to the character he's chained to play, the fact that the new film will be drawing on classic Bond adversaries – SPECTRE – is a further indication that the series will be taking a turn for rollicking, light- hearted fun when compared to their 'grimdark' counterparts. But if the Bond franchise is redis- covering its joie de vivre with baby steps, the people who brought you Kick-Ass (though, notably, not Kick- Ass 2) will be gladly appropriating the vintage James Bond vibe for their own purposes, as the Matthew Vaughn- directed Kingsman: The Secret Service, adapted from the comic book by Mark Millar, looks to be a fun espionage romp with a far more anarchic edge than the comparatively stodgy Bond stable would allow. And if Kick-Ass is anything to go by, it'll probably feature far more gratuitious violence and colourful language, and appeal to a younger (but not too younger) demographic than the one traditionally netted by the Bond films. Not that the kids will be left behind this year. There's live-action adapta- tions of both Cinderella and The Jungle Book – which look like unnec- essary rehashes of animated classics, not that the kids are likely to notice. There's also the fairy tale prequel Pan, with Hugh Jackman as Captain Hook, and Minions, the inevitable spin-off about the adorably incoherent yellow worker-critters of the Despicable Me franchise. Young adults, on the other hand, can look forward to the conclusion of the Hunger Games franchise, with Mockingjay – Part 2 hitting the screens in November. Here's hoping that the final instalment doesn't botch the superlative atmosphere and nar- rative tempo that made its immediate predecessor such a notable example of its genre. No such hope for latter- day entries like The Maze Runner 2 and Divergent: Insurgent, which are likely to ride the wave rather than supply fresh takes on a trendy-as-hell sub-genre. Book adaptations will remain a vi- able cash cow this year though, with Fifty Shades of Grey inevitably reeling in the many fans of the EL James erotic bestseller to the multiplexes. But it remains to be seen whether this knee-jerk adaptation will really have legs beyond its open- ing weekend, given that Fifty Shades buzz has more or less died down and that its cast is nothing to write home about. Entertainment for adults that is not necessarily 'adults-only' entertain- ment will thankfully make something of a presence in the sphere of main- stream cinema. Mawkish OAP drama will once again have its day in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, reuniting Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and Dev Patel in their ongoing Indian soft-focus romance. J.C. Chandor's A Most Violent Year has reeled in some of the hottest char- acter actors of the moment – Oscar Isaacs and Jessica Chastain – to tell the story of an immigrant couple try- ing to make good in New York during the statistically bloodiest year in the city's history. Chandor is a promising director, with last year's dialogue-free All is Lost being a challenging entry in the mainstream sphere. Just as having Robert Redford's performance in that film probably helped to get it made, A Most Violent Year will likely benefit from Isaacs and Chastain's star power, given that the pair have proven they can straddle mainstream hits and award-baiting dramas seamlessly (they've put their names to films by Christopher Nolan, the Coen Broth- ers, Zack Snyder and Terrence Malick amongst others). Chandor's film is an exciting pros- pect because if it works, it means we would get the version of American Hustle that we deserve. Chastain will also be mak- ing an appearance in Crimson Peak, Guillermo del Toro's gothic chiller which will also boast the likes of Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska among its ranks. Though he's played in some big sand- boxes in the past – and got a chance to direct The Hobbit before the resched- uling started getting on his Mexican man-tits – he's not one to play by the book, and has an earnest respect for genre traditions that could go either way. We've yet to get the Michael Keaton- starring awards magnet Birdman to our shores, in which the former Batman goes 'meta' in a story about an actor, famous for playing the titular superhero, makes a desperate bid for artistic credibility by attempting to stage a production of Raymond Carver's short story What We Talk About When We Talk About Love... all the while being haunted by a mani- festation of his masked alter ego. Less risqué but just as themati- cally dense will be Inherent Vice. Ostensibly about a retired private detective (Joaquin Phoenix, leading a star-studded cast) plunged into the whirlwind of a corporate conspiracy in 1960s America, the film is a dream team project. Directed by Paul Tho- mas Anderson (Boogie Nights, The Master) from the novel of the same name by Thomas Pynchon (V, Grav- ity's Rainbow), chances are that this won't just be a period-accurate film noir pastiche. Seasoned chroniclers of the 'American condition' both, Pynchon and Anderson are likely to deliver a scathing dissection of a key era in the continent's history. A complex treatment of America should be of interest to us all. After all, most of the films detailed above originate from there… which is a tell- ing, and enduring, phenomenon. for profit: 2015 in cinema Star Wars: The Force Awakens Fifty Shades of Grey Mad Max: Fury Road A Most Violent Year