A Viewer's Guide to Weekend Movies: 'Love' Is a Standout
Limited releases are the star of the show in this weekend's guide – unless you've really been jonesing for that Sin City sequel. If that's you, your almost decade-long search is over. For everyone else, let's break down what you can see.
In Theaters
There's nothing better about this weekend's wide releases than the past few weeks worth, but it doesn't feel as miserable. Maybe we're growing numb to it? Who knows. Anyway, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For feels remarkably unnecessary, considering the last film in the graphic novel franchise was released nine years ago and didn't do very well. But it's here, so if you're interested, have at it.
You can also get your YA on with Chloe (Grace?) Moretz with If I Stay. Based on a Gayle Forman novel, If I Stay stars Moretz as a cellist who falls into a coma after a car crash. While watching her family and friends in an out-of-body framing device, she struggles to decide whether or not she wants to wake up. The Rotten Tomatoes synopsis describes it as "ultimately more manipulative than moving," which sounds about right.
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There's also a football drama called When the Game Stands Tall out this weekend, but reviews are dismal. It's funny – a sports movie, a YA adaptation, and a comic book film should make for compelling counter-programming, but that only works when the movies are good.
In Limited Release
Luckily, there's a lot of good in this week's limited releases! Love Is Strange leads the pack with a sterling 96% approval rating on RT. Starring Alfred Molina and John Lithgow as lovers forced to move apart after getting married, the Ira Sachs-directed film was well-received after playing Sundance, and both Molina and Lithgow are possible Oscar contenders this winter.
Elsewhere in limited, we have the Mark Duplass-Elisabeth Moss duet The One I Love. If its 76% score on RT is any indication, it's certainly worth checking out – even if the reviews aren't as rapturous as they are for Love Is Strange.
Streaming on Netflix
We've got one major highlight this week: Middle of Nowhere, the Emayatzy Corinealdi-starring indie from 2012. Directed and written by Ava DuVernay, Nowhere follows a medical student (Corinealdi) whose husband gets sentenced to prison for eight years. The film was well-received upon first release, but flew under the radar a bit – now's your chance to catch up.
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Video on Demand
Only Lovers Left Alive, Jim Jarmusch's Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston-starring film about vampires, hit on demand this week. If the description "Jim Jarmusch's Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston-starring film about vampires" appeals to you, you know what you're getting. Otherwise, you might want to watch the trailer first – it's definitely an acquired taste.
Movies on TV
The Veronica Mars movie makes its HBO debut Saturday at 8 p.m., for all of you who never watched Veronica Mars the TV series but your date just cancelled and it's probably good, right? And in Hot Mess news, if you hurry, you can get home to watch Julie Taymor's The Tempest on Showtime at 4:30 today. What was she thinking? Who knows! Take some time to guess with her.
This article was originally published at http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2014/08/a-viewers-guide-to-weekend-movies-love-is-a-standout/378978/
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