Best new movies and videos for week of Oct 6: The Watchlist
Get your groove on with Chris Pratt, or give Ben Affleck and Tom Cruise another chance. Eli Glasner runs down this week's list of what's worth watching on the big screen and at home.
Heading out or staying in, this is your guide for what to watch this week
In Theatres
- Gone Girl - The ultimate anti-date movie Gone Girl is another instant classic from Director David Fincher. Icy cool, comedic and with a wicked edge, Gone Girl shouldn't disappoint fans of the book (Gillian Flynn did write the screenplay) and will give you new respect for Ben Affleck. (full review)
- Mommy - Xavier Dolan continues to work out his Oedipal issues to our benefit in the latest film from the Quebec wunderkind. A story of material love, stubbornness and a dangerous obsession, Mommy reunites Dolan with his muse Anne Dorval but the real revelation is Antoine-Olivier Pilon as the young son Steve - a ticking time bomb of dangerous cargo. (VIDEO | Xavier Dolan talks music and movies)
- Skeleton Twins - Any film that begins with the possibility of a double suicide has no right to be this amusing, but then again it does have SNL's Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, not to mention Jefferson Starship. Funny, sad and smart stuff. (full review)
- Guardians of the Galaxy - I'd go watch this again, just for the scene where Chris Pratt dances to Redbone. (full review)
- Edge of Tomorrow - Remember the time before Tom Cruise became a punching bag for Scientology when he was an effortlessly funny, charismatic actor? That guy returns in this Groundhog Day meets Starship Troopers Sci-fi drama. Cruise playing the hero can be dull (see Oblivion, or wait don't) but overwhelmed and outgunned? He's great. (full review)
- Obvious Child - Aching and authentic, not to mention hilarious, Obvious Child is a story about a stand-up comedian trapped between her last relationship and a new one, which results in an unwanted pregnancy. An abortion comedy? Not quite, but director Gillian Robespierre tiptoes through the potential minefield with ease aided by the effervescent performance of Jenny Slate who, I'm sure, is going to become Hollywood's new favourite girlfriend any day now.
- Chef - While it wasn't a home run on the big screen, for a rental or VOD director Jon Favreau's Chef is comfort food you can sink your teeth into. Ignore the product placement and social media subplot and instead tuck into this road-trip tale about a chef rediscovering his passion (and his son.) Don't watch this one on an empty stomach! The screen sizzles with food on film. (full review)
- Tim’s Vermeer - From the minds of Pen and Teller comes this documentary about a single-minded quest to unlock the secrets of painter Johannes Vermeer. Tim Jenison is an inventor with the time, money and most importantly, the patience to try and prove his theory on how the Dutch master created such photorealistic paintings. Brush stroke by brush stroke the big picture comes into view with this facinating look at where art and effort collide.