What to do when a stormy forecast clouds big plans for a beautiful Cape May County day? When in doubt, an afternoon at the movies is a classic choice. While the summer winds down, there are still plenty of highly anticipated feature film releases to come. Here, we preview those that seem to be generating the biggest Hollywood buzz.
“Premium Rush”
Release Date: August 24th
Dodging speeding cars, crazed cabbies, open doors, and eight million cranky pedestrians is all in a day’s work for Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the best of New York’s agile and aggressive bicycle messengers. It takes a special breed to ride the fixie – super lightweight, single-gear bikes with no brakes and riders who are equal part skilled cyclists and suicidal nutcases who risk becoming a smear on the pavement every time they head into traffic. But a guy who’s used to putting his life on the line is about to get more than even he is used to when a routine delivery turns into a life or death chase through the streets of Manhattan. When Wilee picks up his last envelope of the day on a premium rush run, he discovers this package is different. This time, someone is actually trying to kill him.
“Hit & Run”
Release Date: August 22nd
“Hit & Run” is a comedy about a young couple (Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard) that risks it all when they leave their small town life and embark on a road trip that may lead them towards the opportunity of a lifetime. Their fast-paced road trip grows awkwardly complicated and hilarious when they are chased by a friend from the past (Bradley Cooper), a federal marshal (Tom Arnold) and a band of misfits. Dax Shepard wrote and directed this hilarious thriller and stars alongside real-life fiancée Kristen Bell.
“Lawless”
Release Date: August 29th
“Lawless” features true story of the infamous Bondurant Brothers: bootlegging siblings who made a run for the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia. In this epic gangster tale, inspired by true-life tales of author Matt Bondurant’s family in his novel “The Wettest County in the World”, the loyalty of three brothers is put to the test against the backdrop of the nation’s most notorious crime wave.
Shia Labeouf stars as the youngest Bondurant brother, Jack, who is described as an inmpressionable, sensitive yet smart character. He tries desperately to live up to his brothers, who are seen as local heroes, and hopes to gain their respect by any means necessary. Jack’s love interest, Bertha Minix, is played by Mia Wasikowska. Thought quiet, pious, and pure, Bertha slowly warms to Jack’s charms and channels her own rebellious streak. Guy Pearce stars as the Bondurant Brothers’ nemesis as Special Deputy Charlie Rakes. The “indestructible” Bondurant brother, Forrest, is played by Tom Hardy while Jason Clarke stars as the eldest Bondurant, Howard, who managed to escape the carnage of the Great War but continues to struggle with what he has seen and done in the trenches and drinks moonshine to forget.
Film.com top critic Eric D. Snider shares his opinion of “Lawless” stating, “Even with its throat-slittings and brass-knuckle-bashings, it’s the most lighthearted thing director John Hillcoat has made. There are plenty of laughs here, interspersed with cringes and gasps.”
*Plot and review information courtesy of rottentomatoes.com
By Megan Kummer