Home Entertainment Movies out today: ladies take the lead

Movies out today: ladies take the lead

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Lucy

From writer/director Luc Besson comes Lucy, an action-thriller with a shaky premise that tracks a woman accidentally caught in a dark deal, who turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.

Yes, we know the whole “you only use 10% of your brain” thing is wildly inaccurate, but nevertheless Besson has managed to pull off an ambitious, creative and entertaining film that shouldn’t be taken too seriously. With 3.5/5 from Kervyn, it’s likely that Lucy is your best bet for new films opening this weekend.

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Tammy

On the other side of the coin from Lucy is Tammy, Ben Falcone’s latest comedy starring Melissa McCarthy. The titular Tammy is having a bad day. She’s totaled her car, gotten fired from her job and finds her husband cheating on her with the neighbour. So it’s time to take her boom box and book it. The bad news is she’s broke and without wheels. The worse news is her grandma, Pearl (Susan Sarandon), is her only option-with a car, cash, and an itch to see Niagara Falls. Not exactly the escape Tammy had in mind. But on the road, with grandma riding shot gun, it may be just what Tammy needs.

According to critics, Tammy is painful and cringe-worthy, and even with Melissa McCarthy’s main shtick of being brash and uncouth, it still falls flat, with laughs few and far between. I don’t know about you but I think I’ll give this one a miss.

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Lovelace

In 1972-before the internet, before the porn explosion-Deep Throat was a phenomenon: the first scripted pornographic theatrical feature film, featuring a story, some jokes, and an unknown and unlikely star, Linda Lovelace. Escaping a strict religious family, Linda discovered freedom and the highlife when she fell for and married charismatic hustler Chuck Traynor. As Linda Lovelace she became an international sensation-less centerfold fantasy than a charming girl-next-door with an impressive capacity for fellatio. Fully inhabiting her new identity, Linda became an enthusiastic spokesperson for sexual freedom and uninhibited hedonism. Six years later she presented another, utterly contradictory, narrative to the world-and herself as the survivor of a far darker story.

While critics have praised Amanda Seyfried’s performance as Linda Lovelace, the film is overall weighed down by politics and doesn’t quite do its fascinating subject matter justice. Lovelace scores 54% on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Hard to Get

TK is a handsome and charming womaniser who runs at the first mention of commitment. His life changes when he meets Skiets, the one woman immune to his charms. Skiets is an adrenaline junkie who earns a living as a petty criminal. If TK is to have any chance with her, he will have to survive a gauntlet of dangerous undertakings. It isn’t long before Skiets attempts to steal a car from the most feared man in town, Mugza, and things get messy. TK and Skiets end up in a brawl with Mugza, only narrowly escaping to Johannesburg in Mugza’s car. In Johannesburg, Gumede, a charming, quirky businessman, comes to their rescue. Or so it seems. They may find love, but will they discover that crime doesn’t pay?

Directed by Zee Ntuli, Hard to Get stars Pallance Dladla, Thishiwe Ziqubu, Paka Zwedala, Israel Makoe and Jerry Mofokeng.

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Die spook van Uniondale

Die Spook van Uniondale tells the story of the legend of The Ghost of Uniondale. Stefan is on his way to visit his parents in the beautiful Baviaanskloof. He drives through Uniondale, where his car overheats. A temporary solution gets him to the small town of Willowmore, where he’s stranded for the weekend. When strange characters that are almost too good to be true surround him, he is in for a life-altering experience in the heart of the Klein Karoo.

Directed by Pierre Smith, Die Spook van Uniondale is billed as a devilishly witty film about love lost and new love found. And it’s obviously in Afrikaans.

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Last Updated: August 29, 2014

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