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The Friday Feeling – Movies out this week

Friday has come around again very quickly and there’s a full slate of brand new movie releases this week, including a brand new Irish production. It’s rare that we get to pimp an Irish movie so I’ll give it it’s on special section at the end.

First up is the new movie from Oscar winning director Steven Soderbergh and follows quick on the heels of last months The Informant!. The Girlfriend Experience focuses on five days in the life of Chelsea, a high-class call-girl who offers more than sex to her clients, but companionship and conversation, the so called “girlfriend experience.” Earning $2000 an hour, and with a devoted and accepting boyfriend, Chelsea thinks she has it pretty sweet, but you never know who you might bump into in these shady dealings. Shot entirely on digital video the movie has a very fresh and crisp feel. Real-life porn actress Sasha Grey excels here in a largely sex-less role. She exudes power, confidence, fraility and fear, and the camera loves her. The tight and compact script, from Ocean’s 13 writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien, clocks in at 77 minutes, and the time just whizzes by. A strong movie about human nature, which explores peoples love of voyeurism this is a worthy addition to Soderberghs already impressive collection.

Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly, fresh from a critical pasting with Southland Tales, returns to thriller/fantasy mode with new movie The Box. The basic premise is this: What if someone gave you a box containing a button that, if pushed, would bring you a million dollars…but simultaneously take the life of someone you don’t know? Would you do it? And what would be the consequences? Given this choice over life and death is Norma Lewis, a teacher at a private high school and her husband, Arthur, an engineer working at NASA. With 24 hours to choose what do they do? Cameron Diaz stars as Norma, while James Marsden plays Arthur and both leads put in a fine performance. The plot however is a bit of a mess. It’s clearly an intriguing notion but Kellys imagination gets away from him and the movie suffers as a result. Absurb but interesting this movie isn’t for everyone. That said if you loved Donnie Darko you’ll most likely enjoy this. It’s just nowhere near as good.

Me and Orson Welles is another film from a movie directing Richard. This time it’s Linklater director of Dazed and Confused, and Before Sunrise/Sunset. Me and Orson Welles, based on Robert Kaplow’s novel of the same name, tells the story of a teenager, Richard Samuels, who is hired to star in Orson Welles’ production of Julius Caesar, where he becomes attracted to a career-driven production assistant. Culch killer Zac Efron stars as Richard, Claire Danes is the object of his affection, with Christain McKay in the unenvious position of depicting movie legend Welles. The movie is attracting good reviews, particularly for McKay’s portrayal of the temptestous auteur. The look and setting of the movie is also drawing rave reviews and I am very much looking forward to checking this out at the first available opportunity.

The 4th and final big release of the week is The Descent: Part 2. This is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2005 horror film The Descent, and somehow side-steps the inherent problem with the non-sequel enticing end to that movie. Part 2 picks up immediately after the events of the first and sees sole survivor sarah emerge from the experience a shell of her former self. Unconvinced by her shocking story the local Sherriff forces her back into the caves to prove it’s validity. And it all kicks off again. There’s a new director on-board, first-timer Jon Harris, and he performs his job admirably. The movie looks better than it’s £3.5 milion budget would suggest and the frights are well orchestrated. If you can get round the somewhat nonsencial plot then the movie is actually decent enough and plenty scary. The original was better but this has merit.

Also released this week are:

Planet 51, an animated alien invasion film (where we are the invading aliens) starring Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Seann William Scott, Gary Oldman and John Cleese.

Departures, a Japanese movie about an unemployed celloist who play at funerals. Don’t let that scare you as the movie won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2009 Oscars.

Cracks, a boarding school movie about unheathly obseesion and jealousy, starring Eva Green, Juno Temple, Maria Valverde, Imogen Poots and Ireland’s own Sinéad Cusack.

Last but not least I bring you news on Situations Vacant, a new Irish movie! The plot focuses on the life of one Mr. Dave Bracken, a unemployed guy who can’t decide between looking for a job or someone to love. All of his mates are in a similar predicament, unable to maintain employment for any considerable length of time and making up their qualifications as they go along. So it’s a comedy of sorts. Diarmuid Noyes (of Father Ted fame) plays Dave, Sam Corry his married friend who hates his wife Tom and Shaun Dunne is vinny a not-all-together bright builder who works for Boyzone’s Mikey Graham. Our good friends over at Entertainment.ie and Movies.ie seem none too enamoured with the film but I’d like to see for myself before casting judgement. come on it’s Irish, it deserves at least that.