What's on the big screen this week
IT'S the post-Oscars slump, when most movie houses hold off on releasing their big films for the year.
But there are still a few new films hitting our screens this week. An unbelievable real-life heist is dramatic fodder for King of Thieves.
British greats Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent (playing a baddie of sorts for once) and Tom Courtenay headline the film, which depicts how a group of retired crooks almost pulled off one last, lucrative robbery.
French acting legend Isabelle Huppert gives a committed and unnerving performance in the psychological thriller Greta.
A Dog's Way Home offers up family-friendly viewing with its story of a determined dog's journey to reunite with her owners.
Here are this week's highlights of the big screen and why you should see them:
King of Thieves (M)
A true crime film about a crew of retired crooks who nearly pull off a major heist in London's jewellery district.
Why you should see it: What might have been an interesting study of human frailty, as old grudges resurface and self-interest causes the whole enterprise to implode, eventually runs out of puff - a bit like the characters themselves.
Greta (MA 15+)
A young woman befriends a lonely widow who's harbouring a dark and deadly agenda towards her.
Why you should see it: Isabelle Huppert commits herself fully to the role of sexagenarian psychopath - audiences would expect no less - but not even her promising partnership with co-star Chloe Grace Moretz can transcend an uninspired screenplay.
A Dog's Way Home (PG)
A female dog travels four hundred miles in search of her owner throughout a Colorado wilderness.
Why you should see it: This heart-warming adventure film is cute but never rises above mediocrity.
Continuing
Stan & Ollie (PG)
Laurel and Hardy, the world's most famous comedy duo, attempt to reignite their film careers as they embark on what becomes their swan song - a gruelling theatre tour of post-war Britain.
Why you should see it: Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly take the bromance to a whole other level in this Laurel and Hardy biopic. Read the review.
Vox Lux (MA 15+)
This film follows the rise of Celeste from the ashes of a major national tragedy to pop super stardom. The film spans 18 years and traces important cultural moments through her eyes, starting in 1999 and concluding in 2017.
Why you should see it: A bejewelled Natalie Portman soars in this probing look at the temptations and pitfalls of modern celebrity. Read the interview.
Alita: Battle Angel (M)
Alita, a cyborg who has no memory of who she is, slowly discovers that she contains powerful ancient technologies that were thought to have been lost.
Why you should see it: Three-hundred-year-old cyborg Alita has the mind of a teenage girl, the idealised body of a gym junkie, and the eyes of a doe. She's barely complex enough to sustain a tub of popcorn. Read the review.
What Men Want (M)
When Ali is passed up for a promotion, she questions what else she needs to do to succeed in a man's world... until she gains the ability to hear men's thoughts.
Why you should see it: This gender-swapping remake is very likeable, in large part due to dynamic leading lady Taraji P Henson.
Happy Death Day 2U (M)
Tree Gelbman finds she's reliving the same day repeatedly after being hunted and killed by a masked assailant.
Why you should see it: This fast-paced sequel builds on the darkly funny tone of the original, having more fun with its dangerous wrinkle in time. Read the interview with Israel Broussard.
At Eternity's Gate (PG)
A look at the life of painter Vincent van Gogh during the time he lived in Arles and Auvers-sur-Oise, France.
Why you should see it: Willem Dafoe delivers a committed performance in this look at the famous Dutch master's final troubled days.
If Beale Street Could Talk (MA 15+)
A woman in Harlem desperately scrambles to prove her fiancé innocent of a crime while carrying their first child.
Why you should see it: Director Barry Jenkins' adaptation honours the great American novel on which it is based and is a strong follow-up to Moonlight. Read the review.
On The Basis of Sex (M)
The inspiring origin story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a passionate young lawyer who dedicates herself to ending gender discrimination when she takes on a ground-breaking case in 1975.
Why you should see it: This well-acted biopic delves into RBG's incredible life and career as much as it can in the time allowed but you can imagine a whole series based on her incredible achievements. Read the review.
Cold Pursuit (MA 15+)
A snow plow driver seeks revenge against the drug dealers he thinks killed his son. Based on the 2014 Norwegian film.
Why you should see it: Fans of the 2014 Norwegian film In Order of Disappearance, on which this is based, will be pleasantly surprised by the quality of this Liam Neeson-helmed remake. But Neeson's recent racist remarks in an interview have thrown the film's premiere into chaos. Read the review.
Green Book (M)
Tony Lip, a working-class Italian-American bouncer, takes on a job as a chauffeur for Dr. Don Shirley, a highly-educated African-American classical pianist, on a two-month tour of concert venues in the racially charged deep south.
Why you should see it: The chemistry of Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali anchor this smooth-running comedy drama. Read the review.
