Hercules (opens Jul 24)
The Fates have decided that it is in our destiny to endure yet another action flick about the Greek hero Hercules. The film is based on a comic series by Steve Moore, with everyone’s favorite former wrestler Dwayne Johnson playing the titular Grecian demigod. This incarnation of Hercules starts of as a down in the dumps mercenary who is blinded by wealth, until the king of Thrace summons him to fulfil a greater providence.
Third Person (Opens Jul 24)
Paul Haggis’ new film is reminscent of his Academy Award-winning drama Crash, with a sprawling ensemble cast and interweaving narratives. Liam Neeson stars as Daniel, a novelist who engages in mind games with his ambitious mistress (Olivia Wilde). Adrien Brody plays a scalper of fashion designs and Mila Kunis an unstable mother. As the film ploughs on, it becomes apparent that everything has something to do with Daniel and his grand metafictional novel.
Hateship Loveship (Opens Jul 24)
Adapted from Nobel laureate Alice Munro’s works, the film sees funnywoman Kristen Wiig take on a dramatic role as a shy, dowdy housekeeper who moves to a rural town to care for a dysfunctional family. She ends up getting catfished by her young charge (played by Hailee Steinfeld) into thinking she is exchanging emails with the girl’s father when it is really the girls who are playing a juvenile prank. While critics have questioned the shaky directing, the exploration of messy relationships remains at the heart of the film.
Shakespeare Wallah (Jul 24, 7.30pm)
The 1965 film about the lives of a family of Shakespeare actors in India will be screened at the Arts House as part of its But is the Book Better program. The film has pretty solid credentials, too: it’s part of the Criterion Collection and two-time Academy Award winner Ruth Prawer Jhabvala wrote the screenplay. Free with registration.
Anonymously Yours (Jul 25, 7.30pm)
Part of local volunteer-run organisation EmancipAsia’s film outreach program, this documentary undercovers the exploitation of women sold into sexual slavery in Southeast Asia. The documentary picked up an honorable mention at the United Nations Association Film Festival in recognition of the awareness it has raised about modern day human trafficking. The screening takes place at the Arts House screening room and admission is free.
2001: A Space Odyssey (Jul 26, 8pm)
Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1968 sci-fi flick was inspired by Arthur C. Clarke’s “The Sentinel”, a short story which revolves around human interaction with mysterious extraterrestrial machine-creatures. Screened as part of the National Museum’s Under the Banyan Tree series, the film delves into the issues of artificial intelligence and human evolution. Admission is free.
Bancs Publics (Jul 29, 8pm)
Part of Alliance Française’s Cine Club screenings for the month of July is Banc Publics (or, Public Benches). Featuring a stellar cast, the film explores the seemingly mundane happenings around a town square: the interactions of people in a shop across, a lonely man sitting on a bench and squabbling families. Tickets are available through Sistic.
