Superboys of Malegaon

(PG) ***

Fan Boys!

Hollywood, look out! Bollywood comes of age big time in the delightful Superboys of Malegaon. Made by the newly minted MGM Studios under new James Bond owner Amazon comes this breath of fresh air accounting of a group of young men out to make a movie. Based on a true story you can’t help but be in awe of the entire spectacle. Even Steven Spielberg would be chuckling to himself at just how these nobodies managed to pull the whole thing off. Check out this highly engaging movie at various Cineplex Cinemas and select Landmark Theatres around B.C. Thanks to Touchwood PR.

Made in Hindi Indian with English subtitles Superboys of Malegaon is an uplifting tale of good old fashioned hard work, guts and determination. Our tale follows the tried and true plight of a group of young dreamers who just want to make a movie in their city. Faced with family opposition and a lack of funds this is the classic case of people being told their idea is stupid and just can’t be done. Needless to say the boys refuse to give up or give in and press on. Apart from this grand desire the movie also touches on some serious social issues that have confronted Indian and other societies such as arranged marriages and health care concerns.

Exuberant, heart-felt and lots of good humour help bring this delightful true story to life.

My Dead Friend Zoe

(PG) ****

Second Thoughts!

Compelling. Considerate. And full of compassion. That about sums up My Dead Friend Zoe. Give it up and give in to small independent cinema. Despite having a few big stars it’s the story and acting of the “smaller” performers who turn in some memorable performances here. Consider this film to be symbolic of the little movie that could. My oh my there’s a lot going on in this small gem from 504PR now staking out its territory at select Cineplex Screens and Landmark Theatres around B.C.

War is hell. Someone smart said that back in the day and was 100% right. Move onto 2016 where we encounter two young women pressed into duty for the army in Afghanistan. The friendship that Merit and Zoe would forge on the battlefield would come home to haunt them and others upon their return to Portland Oregon when their tour of duty ended a few years later. Both Sonequa Martin-Green and Natalie Morales are sensational as the long term buddies whose friendship is put to the test when they return.

Yes, we’ve all heard about post dramatic syndrome and the way vets have been treated when they return to civilian life. All that plight and trouble is on full view when Merit must cope with not only the pressure and demons she encountered while overseas, as if that wasn’t hard enough, but the difficulty she must face with an aging family member. Just how this plays out is meticulously crafted by director/writer Kyle Hausmann-Stokes and brilliantly presented by Ms Martin-Green who absolutely hits it out of the ballpark. It’s hard to imagine a seasoned veteran actress doing a better job.

Imagine having a movie that includes acting heavyweights Ed Harris (Absolute Power) and Morgan Freeman (Seven) not taking the lead. instead their compassionate and caring work as a respective therapist and career military man simply adds to the intensity of this well written well thought out movie that was actually inspired by real events.

Though some folks have suggested this film has elements of comedy they are wrong. Forget about the romance and sporadic jokes thrown at it. My Dead Friend Zoe is all about just how screwed up someone can get during and after going to war. It’s a lesson some of our leaders should learn from. And heed.

Last Breath

Fail-Safe?

Films based on real events can be hit or miss affairs. On the plus side in a big way is Last Breath, a terrific tale from Elevation Pictures now on screen at select Cineplex Cinemas and lucky Landmark Theatres around B.C.

Talk about an original movie. Backed up by a few Hollywood stars Last Breath is a film whose title is true to form. Actually everything about this movie is true. And scary. It recounts just a harrowing experience that befalls a sort of salvage operation deep in the bowels of the earth some 300 meters under water. In reality a group of brave men and women engage in a complicated repair job that suddenly, somehow goes astray. Look at the close quarters as a sea awakening and gut check on a vessel not unlike the ancient Seaview from the classic Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea or the even more recognizable USS Enterprise exploring the ocean flower.

We all appreciate living a good life in the modern world. Sometimes we take the littlest of things for granted – like heating your home. So when a deep underwater cable suddenly somehow comes undone at the bottom of the ocean, who you gonna call? Definitely not Ghostbusters. Instead quite naturally the Scottish government calls In the company who installed and upkeeps this vital undersea cable.

Now this firm has done repair work before. When a team of professionals sets out to fix the mess one of their deep sea dives goes wrong. Two men take the plunge but only one scientist resurfaces. Back on Board the mothership panic sets in as the lone diver is slowly losing oxygen. So it’s a battle against time In this ticking time bomb of a movie that’s as tense as it gets.

You can cut the tension with a knife as Chris Lemons and Dave Yuasa take the plunge while wingman Duncan Allock guides them down from above. Cast as these real life hero’s are Finn Cole, Simon Liu and Woody Harrelson. Each of these characters is exceptionally well defined from start to finish as we see the great pressure they are under when what should have been just a standard repair job turns into a life and death struggle with lives at stake and the clock ticking. Talk about a real pressure-cooker.

Emotions run high throughout Last Breath. Just a great atmosphere puts you right at the heart of the action. Filmed largely underwater as well as just above the surface all the acting here is superb.and reliable Cliff Curtis (Colombiana) also is in hand as a steady as he goes Captain mostly responsible for bringing his crew home safely.

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