At The Movies

Simon Morris joins the rest of the world in being unimpressed by the new Snow White, though he wonders how much worse it is from a string of Disney cover-versions over the years. He also checks out The Last Showgirl, featuring the return of Pamela Anderson, and New Zealand horror film The Rule of Jenny Pen, with an A-List cast.

The Rule of Jenny Pen is the latest by New Zealand director James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark), about a rest home terrorised by a patient and his sinister doll. Starring Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow, it became a favourite of horror legend Stephen King (“one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.”)

Snow White is the controversial remake of the Disney animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. StarringRachel Zegler (West Side Story) and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), it’s currently scoring a record low 1.9 on IMDb. Can it be as bad as they say? Directed by Marc Webb (500 Days Of Summer).

The Last Showgirl tells the story of a 50-plus Las Vegas dancer suddenly forced to confront her life and her future when her show Le Razzle Dazzle finishes after 30 years. Featuring a Golden Globes-nominated performance by Pamela Anderson (Baywatch) with Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All At Once) and Dave Bautista (Dune).

Simon Morris accepts that, for all the hard work of everyone on a movie, most people are just looking at the actors. Three character studies this week, including Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, based on weeks of actors’ improvisations… Black Bag, in which a spy investigates six possible traitors, including his own wife... and the last – and some say the best – of the Six Wives of Henry the Eighth, Catherine Parr in Firebrand.

Black Bag sees American director Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike) get into John Le Carre territory – a spy drama where two married agents suspect each other of leaking valuable information. What’s more important, their marriage or their country? Stars Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds), Cate Blanchett (Borderlands) and Pierce Brosnan (Mamma Mia).

Firebrand tells the story of Catherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of the brutal Henry the Eighth. Can she keep her head while staying true to her faith? Stars Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) as Catherine, Jude Law (The Talented Mr Ripley) as Henry, with Erin Doherty (TV’s Adolescence) as the “firebrand heretic”, Anne Askew.

Hard Truths is Mike Leigh’s Bafta nominated study of a woman consumed by anger at the world, despite the best efforts of her family. Featuring a multi-award-winning performance by the brilliant Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets & Lies).

Mickey 17 is Bong Joon Ho’s (Parasite) unique take on science fiction, in which a lowly worker is regularly killed doing dangerous jobs, only to be revived to die another day. Stars Robert Pattinson (Twilight), Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things), Naomi Ackie (Blink Twice) and Steven Yeun (Minari).

White Bird is a spin-off from the movie Wonder, in which young Auggie’s tormentor learns a lesson from his grandmother, a survivor from the Nazi occupation of France. Stars Dame Helen Mirren and directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland).

Spit sees low-life criminal John Spitieri (Gettin’ Square) return after 20 years for his own movie. Can Spit conquer the bad guys, bond with his young nephew, get his new Syrian mate safely employed, all the time staying out of jail? As he says, everyone deserves a seventh chance. Stars David Wenham (Lord of the Rings).

Simon Morris glances at the recent Oscars, and finally gets to see the last nominee for Best Picture, Amazon Prime’s Nickel Boys. Also on this, the Millenial At The Movies, Swedish mockumentary The Last Journey, and a new take on legendary Swiss hero William Tell.

Nickel Boys may have been overshadowed at the Oscars, but it was already a critical favourite before it finally dropped on Amazon Prime this week. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead (The Underground Railroad), it’s directed by RaMell Ross and stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (King Richard).

The Last Journey is a Swedish The Trip-style blend of fact and fiction by popular TV documentary stars Filip and Fredrik (Hasselhoff – A Swedish Talkshow). Filip wants to retrieve his father’s lust for life, and comes up with a novel way of doing it.