The Inbetweeners 2 Kills The Expendables 3

The Inbetweeners 2 has made more the £22 million at the UK box office since it’s release just two short weeks ago. Last weekend alone the comedy sequel took in £4.31 million to remain comfortably on top of the UK chart. By sharp contrast the much anticipated third installment in The Expendables action franchise fell dramatically short of expectations, managing just third place with £1.69 million from it’s first four days of release. Marvels latest mega-hit Guardians of The Galaxy also easily eclipsed The Expendables 3 during it’s third week on release.

While the phenomenal success of The Inbetweeners sequel is hardly a surprise given the impressive box office achievements of the first big screen adventure for the popular TV show, the disappointing showing for The Expendables 3 may prove significant and jeopardize Sylvester Stallone’s ambitious plans to continue the franchise through several more films.

The Expendables 3 also struggled in the American box office, finding itself buried under Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Guardians and yet another low budget comedy Let’s Be Cops. Most significantly perhaps The Expendables 3 only took $16 million which is only around half of what either of the previous films in the franchise managed.

At the very least this box office news may cause Sly to rethink the budget and marketing strategy for future Expendables efforts. It also makes the possibility of an unexpected third Inbetweeners sequel seem ever more likely.

Interviews below for both films:

Men, Woman & Children Official Trailer

Here’s the first official trailer for Men, Women & Children, the new film from Up In The Air & Juno writer/director Jason Reitman. Based on the novel by Chad Kultgen and out later this year, the strong ensemble cast includes Ansel Elgort , Adam Sandler, Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Jennifer Garner, Dean Norris and J.K. Simmons.

The film seems set to continue Reitman’s impressive pattern of deftly exploring emotional intimacies whilst clearly posing provocative questions about wider social issues and the modern world. Official Synopsis below:

Men, Woman & Children  follows the story of a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. The film attempts to stare down social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the proliferation of illicit material on the internet. As each character and each relationship is tested, we are shown the variety of roads people choose – some tragic, some hopeful – as it becomes clear that no one is immune to this enormous social change that has come through our phones, our tablets, and our computers.

Stephen Daldry Trash Poster

Check out the first official one sheet poster for Trash, the new film from Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry. Set in Brazil the film follows three kids who make an astonishing discovery in a garbage dump soon find themselves running from the cops while trying to right a terrible wrong. The film also stars Martin Sheen and Rooney Mara, set for a release in January 2015.

Official International trailer here as well, although be warned it may test your foreign language skills:

Alleluia Review

The Plot

Smooth, sophisticated hustler, Michel (Laurent Lucas) meets his match when he tries to woo single mother, Gloria (Lola Duenas) out of her money. After she offers to stay with him and help him flatter other women out of their money, Michel soon finds that his new found partner in crime may be crazier and more lethally dangerous than he ever expected.

The Good

Alleluia begins almost like a pleasant romance as Gloria is forced into a date with a Michel after they meet online. But as act one (of four) ends, things take a sudden sinister turn and Duenas’ character makes an incredible transformation, quickly becoming barely recognizable as the unsure single mother she started out as. As each act progresses to the next, with Michel moving onto his next target, Gloria becomes increasingly unstable and deranged as she  struggle with having to watch the man she loves romancing other women.

Whilst Laurent Lucas is just as talented an actor as his co-star, his effortless seduction techniques are somewhat upstaged by Duenas. Together they make a great team, with the chemistry between the two displayed naturally. But when looking at the two main stars singularly, Duenas’ Gloria is surely the dominant half of their on screen partnership. Her conversion from single, insecure parent to controlling, powerful killer is performed so subtly and yet so suddenly, leaving the audience suitably sunned. Thinking back to the film’s opening scene will leave audiences bemused how things slipped so quickly and subtly into nightmarish horror.

Director Fabrice du Welz accompanies this beautifully, approaching the violence with a ‘less is more’ attitude for the most part, with emphasis on the ‘more’. For while violent scenes are relatively gore free, du Welz still manages to make the experience as shocking as possible.

The Bad

A few problems with the script does bring Alleluia down a touch. Certain scenes and events just don’t seem to have been thought out as clearly as they should have been. The major one being an out of the blue musical performance by Duenas as she serenades her lover. Although it manages to finish with a fantastic bit of dark humour, the scene still feels out of place and somewhat distracting as an unexpected and inexplicable sudden shift in tone.

Just as confusing is the way in which Gloria’s daughter is swept out of the story in one simple scene which seems rushed to some degree. Almost as if the writer had forgotten that the young girl couldn’t fit into the rest of the story at a certain point and so quickly went back and slotted in a few lines of dialogue without thinking it through.

As well as this, Lucas’ character development seems rather unrealistic in regards to his reaction to Gloria’s horrific transformation. This is partly why Gloria’s development feels so shocking by the films end, as Michel appears to let her get away with an awful lot before he even attempts to do something about it. And when he does wake up to the fact that Gloria is essentially sabotaging each and every hustle he tries, his initial attempt at solving the problem is so incredibly feeble.

The Ugly Truth

Lola Duenas is the undisputed star of the show, with Gloria’s psychotic transformation quickly proving the film’s captivating main attraction, as she dramatically overpowers the film’s supposed villain in every way. Whilst Alleluia is not without it’s odd and uneven moments,  overall it’s still an entertaining watch with some light touches of dark humour.

 

Jackie Chan wants major Expendables 4 Role

Having missed out on appearing in The Expendables 3 due to a clash with his commitments to film Chinese Zodiac, Jackie Chan has emphatically reiterated his desire to have a major role in planed sequel The Expendables 4.  Speaking to Red Carpet News in London during a rare visit to the UK, Jackie confirmed that he would not be satisfied with just a brief cameo in the ensemble action franchise but would clearly be enthusiastic about working with Sylvester Stallone.

Interview clip below: