New Releases for the week of August 30 - September 5
Mad Max: Fury Road
Years after a nuclear holocaust wiped out most of civilization, Max (Hardy) is captured by the minions of tyrannical leader Immortan Joe (Keays-Byrne), and it looks like his days of freedom are over. As a universal blood donor, he's too valuable to kill, so he's kept as a prisoner. When the trusted Imperator Furiosa (Theron) is sent to lead a convoy to collect gasoline from a nearby settlement, Max is taken along to keep the sickly Nux (Hoult) alive with his blood. Shortly after their departure, though, Immortan Joe discovers that Furiosa has smuggled out his five wives and intends to take them somewhere they'll be safe and free from his tyranny. A high-stakes vehicle chase across the shattered desert wasteland ensues, with Max and Furiosa ultimately setting aside their distrust and differences to do everything in their power to keep ahead of Immortan Joe's mad army, and to protect the young women in their care.
Director: George Miller. Stars: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne. 2015. 120 min. Action.
I'll See You in My Dreams
Themes of aging and the changes that it brings to life are at the forefront of this dramedy. Carol Petersen (Danner) is a retired songstress and widow who feels like her life is falling apart after the death of her beloved dog. The daily activities that used to bring her joy, such as playing bridge with her friends or gardening, now seem empty and hollow. Luckily, her friends are supportive, and at their urging she strikes up a friendship with her pool boy (Starr), reconnects with her estranged daughter (Akerman) and even begins pursuing an exciting new love interest (Elliott).
Director: Brett Haley. Stars: Blythe Danner, Martin Starr, Malin Akerman, Sam Elliott, Rhea Perlman, June Squibb. 2015. 92 min. Comedy.
Broken Horses
After years away from his family following the death of his father, concert-level violinist Jacob Heckum (Yelchin) returns to his small hometown at the urging of his impressionable older brother, Buddy (Marquette), who has fallen in with a dangerous drug gang. Jacob vows to save his brother, at the risk of angering the gang's ruthless boss, Julius Hench (D'Onofrio).
Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Stars: Anton Yelchin, Chris Marquette, Vincent D'Onofrio, María Valverde, Thomas Jane, Sean Patrick Flanery. 2015. 101 min. Drama.
Fear the Walking Dead, on AMC
Madison (Kim Dickens) tries to stop Nick (Frank Dillane) from experiencing crippling withdrawal in this new episode. At the same time, Travis (Cliff Curtis) sets out to find his son, Chris (Lorenzo James Henrie), before Los Angeles falls.
Hannibal, on NBC
Hugh Dancy stars as a criminal profiler who's forced to turn to serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) for help solving cases. The psychological thriller was inspired by the Thomas Harris novel "Red Dragon,” and also stars Laurence Fishburne and Gillian Anderson.
Gotham, on Fox
As the summer winds down, catch up with rookie police detective James Gordon (Benjamin McKenzie) as he patrols the streets and fights corruption. Set before the era of Batman, the drama traces the rise of Gordon and several supervillains.
Mistresses, on ABC, CTV
The friends turn to each other for guidance and support as they deal with tumultuous romantic entanglements. Inspired by the U.K. series of the same name, the show follows the scandalous lives of four women.
Extant, on CBS, Global
A season of twists and turns continues as Molly (Halle Berry) searches for a way to save humanity from a potential alien threat. Now in its second season, the drama chronicles the life of a female astronaut who mysteriously became pregnant in space.
Storage Wars, on A&E
Dial up the heat and go behind the scenes in this special edition of A&E's hit reality series. In this new episode, Mary is forced to venture outside of her comfort zone, and Darrell doesn't let Brandon's bad mood damper his desire for a score.
Banished, on CBC
While everyone is surprised to discover that Freeman (Russell Tovey) is still alive, Major Ross (Joseph Millson) is still haunted by a personal loss. This British series is set in Australia’s first penal colony, established in 1788.
New Releases for the week of August 23 - 29
Aloha
Defence contractor Brian Gilcrest (Cooper) flies to Hawaii to strike a deal for the arms company that he works for with a group of natives. While visiting the beautiful Pacific islands, he reconnects with Tracy (McAdams), the woman he nearly married more than a decade earlier. Attempts to rekindle their old romance run into some speed bumps, though, when the chemistry between Brian and the beautiful Air Force pilot assigned to be his escort (Stone) threatens to ignite more than just a casual attraction. Meanwhile, Brian’s eccentric and egotistical boss’s (Murray) plans for the beautiful Hawaiian landscape may not be as benevolent as they first appeared.
Director: Cameron Crowe. Stars: Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Bill Murray, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, Alec Baldwin. 2015. 105 min. Romance.
Citizenfour
The story behind whistleblower Edward Snowden is exposed in this Academy Award-winning documentary. In 2013, the former NSA contractor released classified documents and exposed a far-reaching surveillance program, a revelation that is still rocking America and the world today. Accused of being both a traitor and a hero, here that story is finally told.
Director: Laura Poitras. Stars: Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Glenn Greenwald. 2014. 114 min. Documentary.
Two Days, One Night
Sandra (Cotillard) suffers a minor nervous breakdown at the solar panel factory where she works and takes some much-needed time off to recuperate. Back on the factory floor, her co-workers divvy up her responsibilities and find that, by working slightly longer hours, they can easily cover Sandra’s position. Seeing this, the factory’s management makes the employees an offer: if they agree to keep working the extra hours to make Sandra’s position redundant, they’ll receive a sizeable one-time bonus. Upon her return to work, Sandra learns that her job is in the hands of her co-workers, and she must work to convince the cash-strapped employees to turn down the money and let her keep her job. It won’t be easy, though, since most of the factory workers have families of their own and are struggling to make ends meet.
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne. Stars: Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, Pili Groyne. 2014. 95 min. Drama.
Katrina: 10 Years After the Storm, on ABC
A decade after the devastating hurricane that rocked the United States, Robin Roberts takes a look at the lasting effects of the storm. This program profiles those who have suffered and honours those still working to rebuild New Orleans.
