Viceroy's House - movie review

Today we have a rare treat: two perspectives on a new film soon to be in cinemas! Two of our library staff were lucky enough to attend a special pre-screening of Viceroy's House, starring Hugh Bonneville and Gillian Anderson, as well as attend a Q & A with the director, Gurinder Chadha.

Viceroy's House is in cinemas from 11 May.

---

Gurinder Chadha – of Bend It Like Beckham fame - has done a tremendous job of portraying a very complex historical event. The division of British India and the formation of the independent dominions of India and Pakistan resulted in devastating violence and the displacement of approximately 10-12 million individuals - including Chadha’s grandmother. Viceroy’s House focuses on the last Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, as he oversees India’s bittersweet transition to independence. It’s not a light topic, nor is it simple – in fact it’s staggering, as is practically anything apropos of the kaleidoscopic realm of Indian religion and history.

But Chadha manages to make this film light in many fine ways. It’s a classic upstairs downstairs take (catch Hugh Bonneville aka Mr. Downton Abbey starring as Mountbatten) and there are plenty of chaste British laughs to be had – obliviously racist elders, long suffering wives (Gillian Anderson aka Dana Scully is expert here, naturally), Jane Austen references, posh people and their little dogs (and horses). There’s a romantic subplot that’s definitely okay to unashamedly indulge yourself in because of its serious and revolutionary context (and because Manish Dayal and Huma Qureshi are both beautiful and brilliant.)

However, none of these things are at the expense of being truly chilling, horrific and revealing. The murky dealings of the men in power are punctuated brilliantly by touching domestic scenes of bustling villages comprised of Muslim, Hindu and Sikh families – and by shocking archival footage of the massacres that eradicated many of these communities. Without spoiling anything for those not quite au fait with their British-Indian history, Viceroy’s House is a revelation of invisible networks of power, political scapegoats, and of the cost of independence - and who ultimately pays it.

I laughed, I cried, and I found Michael Gambon as General Hastings Ismay more odious than as Albert Spica in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Lover. Overall I give Viceroy’s House a 7/10 and highly recommend seeing it.

This review by Amber of Parnell Library.

---

The timeliness of the release of this movie coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Partition of India in 1947. The end of the British Raj after 300 years of domination over India, to the birth of two nations, India and Pakistan. This in itself would be an epic task for any director to undertake. Director Gurinder Chadha (Bend it like Beckham) hasn’t disappointed. 

Eight years in the making, before Downtown Abbey, a parallel is notable to Viceroy House (the building is now known as Rastrapati Bhavan).  Viceroy House is a period drama with divisions, upstairs home to the last Viceroy of India, Louis Mountbatten (Hugh Bonneville, Downtown Abbey) his Vicereine Edwina (Gillian Anderson, The X-Files), below-stairs the 500 domestic servants, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh. It sets the stage with the Mountbatten’s arrival to give independence to India through to the aftermath of partition. 

Inside Viceroy House multiple viewpoints are explored between the key players. It is entertaining viewing. The theme traces the mechanism, political relationships against a background of civil unrest, pro-independence challenges and a romance. A romance between two of Mountbatten’s staff, a Hindu boy, Jeet (Manish Dayal) and Aalia, a Muslim girl (Huma Quereshi). A sign…hope for the future?

Mohandas Gandhi (Neera Kabi), Jawarhal Nehru (Tanveer Ghani), Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Denzil Smith) the actors playing these roles have a physical resemblance to the people they personified. Hugh Bonneville unfortunately does not, and at times this gets in the way of a convincing portrayal of Mountbatten. Gillian Anderson showcases Edwina Mountbatten’s style and comes across as astute, showing and understanding complexities with a genuine concern for the people. A very slight hint of the Edwina - Nehru relationship.

Controversial too, is the partition map drawn up two years earlier by Winston Churchill himself; is Mountbatten thus a pawn in an pre-prepared secret war cabinet plan? With Britain’s “divide and rule” policy drawn out on religious boundaries this would bring atrocities, death, destruction, and a mass migration of 14 million people in opposite directions, Muslims to West and East Pakistan, Hindus and Sikhs to India. Death toll: one million.

A deeply personal connection for Gurinder Chadha as her own family (grandparents) were caught up in these tragic events. This movie is based on research from the British Library and guided from the book The Shadow of the Great Game, by Narendra Singh Sarile (2006). The music is composed by A.R. Rahman of Slumdog Millionaire fame. Ben Smithard’s cinematography is splendidly shot….while the use of black and white newsreels heightened the storytelling. Would I go and see it again: yes!

This review by Manjula of Avondale Library

Our reviewers were generously provided with complimentary tickets to an advanced screening.

Disney's Pete's Dragon - movie review

I'm not ashamed to admit that I spent 60 percent of this film trying not to cry into my 3D glasses lenses. It's so sad and it's so sweet! Disney are the kings of pulling at the heart strings. They don't hold back with their orphans (Pete played by Oakes Fegley); their talented actors (Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Karl Urban); their thoughtful music score (note however, that it is not a musical!); their lost dog picture book allegories (꒰๑•̥﹏•̥๑꒱); or their lost dragons!

Elliot the dragon is an especially quality piece of CGI from Weta Digital, and he was clearly perfectly thought out to appeal to kids. I'd certainly buy a stuffed Elliot, and I wouldn't be surprised if I saw him in Disneyland stores on my next visit! Think...enormous, green, fluffy dog, with all the cute doggy mannerisms.

I'm a little too young to remember the original Pete's Dragon (1977) with any clarity, so this charming remake was entirely new to me, and likely will be to most children. Although elements of the animated dragon remain (clumsiness, traditional neck spines, a vivid green shade), new Elliot is the perfect cuddly protector. I haven't seen so many small children so quietly enthralled in a long time.

More than anything, this film evoked nostalgia and memories in me! Every moment of lush New Zealand greenery was a reminder of my own childhood, which consisted on occasion of playing for hours on end, nearly completely alone, in the New Zealand bush.  Although my young dragon years were spent trespassing in private bushland behind Blackpool Beach on Waiheke Island, the lush foliage of the filming locations, particularly the Rotorua Redwoods Forest, will feel familiar to many bushwhacking kids and adults.

As a child it certainly seemed as if a taniwha could rise at any moment from the underground streams that ran through the bush, and in Disney's Pete's Dragon, this thrill finally becomes real!

Disney's Pete's Dragon opens in New Zealand cinemas on Thursday 15 September, 2016.

Our thanks to Disney for providing tickets to an advanced screening for our reviewer.

Alice Through The Looking Glass - Movie Review

Many of us have an enduring affinity with Alice in Wonderland in at least one of its many incarnations. I have fond memories of an obsession with my cassette tape copy of the original Disney film’s soundtrack. A Unbirthday Song was my cue to pick up the (toy) mic and subject my house to the gift of karaoke.

Later in life I was given the opportunity to study the original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass through the excellent Annotated Alice, which explains literally everything you might ever want or need to know about the satire-dense texts.

Most film-goers now will be well aware of Disney’s 2010 Tim Burton-helmed reimagining of Alice in Wonderland. The lush backgrounds, elaborate wardrobes, extensive special effects, and expanded storyline have inspired a renewed interest in the classic cult film adaptation, and it was inevitable that a sequel would follow up on Mia Wasikowska’s plucky 1800s Alice.

Central to the film's heart are the themes of family bonds, forgiveness, regret, and as always with Alice themed works, the importance of personal fortitude. Alice (Mia Wasikowska) and the Hatter (Johnny Depp feat. oodles of make-up and special effects) find their pasts having a direct effect on their presents in both Underland and 1800s London. As always, the adventure is sparked by the both of them having discovering that something formerly concrete to their lives is not quite as it seems…

Expect another gorgeous wardrobe of gloriously vivid and textured outfits for every character, especially those of Alice and the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). Particularly of note are the numerous fantastic stylised naval uniforms, many of which I left the theatre coveting.

As Through the Looking Glass follows directly on from the first film you may want to take advantage of a rewatch of the first (the DVD is conveniently available from Auckland Libraries), as Through the Looking Glass is a complex story, traversing time and space…I won’t say much more so as not to spoil any plot points!

Very young children may find the fast paced and intricate plot difficult to follow, but the visual spectacle was more than enough entrance most watchers at my session. Much like Maleficent, Disney’s newest reimagining of a classic, is no rigid re-enactment of the original tale, and you can expect to enjoy an engrossing original story with much homage to elements of the books.

Our thanks to Disney for providing tickets to an advanced screening for our reviewer.

6 Movies that are Better than the Books they were Based on (IMHO)

Books that are better than the movie are ten cents for twelve (you know, a dime a dozen) but I really had to do some serious pondering to come up with some movies that surpassed their source material. Here’s my list of 6 movies that succeeded in spite of being based on books that were all just like blah blah blah.

American Psycho
It’s kinda hard to read a book with your eyes closed but that is how I got through ‘American Psycho’. The promising beginning soon descends into page after page of murder! madness! misogyny! mutilation! without really going anywhere - at least, nowhere that I wanted to go. The movie has all of that, but one thing the book doesn’t have but really needed: character development.

Once Were Warriors
Am I allowed to say that? The movie just made such a massive impact and was so accessible in a way that a novel could not be. Of course, the movie succeeds in part because of the depth of the source material but…it’s just BOOM! you know?

The Devil Wears Prada
A chick-lit novel about fashion would be easy to slate, but it’s actually not a bad read. It’s entertaining enough: there’s a beginning, a middle and an end. There’s just something that the movie has that the book does not: Meryl Streep. She gives her fashion editor character a depth that the book lacks.

Trainspotting
I owned this book for years before I even got past the first few pages, what with all that Scottish dialect and no speech marks. Just watch the movie, it’s so much easier. And it has a great soundtrack.

Girl with a Pearl Earring

Yawns all round! But the movie has Colin Firth, so it wins by a smidge.

Anne of Green Gables
This is highly controversial of me to say, but mostly because Anne of Green Gables was technically a miniseries, not a movie. Come on! You know I’m right. The book is great, lots of chapters about Anne’s various shenanigans in Avonlea, but it’s all a bit old-timey in structure and I want a bit more direction from my novels. Many of the books’ scenes just work better after being tweaked a bit for the movie to really bring out the humour, drama and sadness. Plus, Megan Follows is the Best Anne Shirley Ever and Gilbert Blythe is a stone cold fox. Facts.

Well, I’m done dancing with the devil for now. There’s nothing left to do but invite the outpouring of offence in the comments below. Do you agree or disagree with my 6 choices? What movies do you think are better than the books? Who’s hotter, Colin Firth or Gilbert Blythe? Post your comments below!

The holiday catch-up - DVDs

Forget getting together with extended family or the chance to finally spring-clean your house, now it's actually summer. Christmas is a time to catch up on all the great films and shows you missed out on during the year. All you need is 15 minutes of sun per day to get your recommended dose of vitamin D. The rest of the time, draw your blinds, relax your eyes from the harsh glare, and float away on a wave of unreality.

(If you really will miss removing sand from your orifices and clothing and sheets for days on end, I recommend eating mince pies or chips in bed while you watch. Ready-salted chips provide the greatest seaside authenticity. Or you could just explode a beanbag and sit on the filling after turning on your fan heater.)

Scriven's picks for best holiday watching:

Lulu and the Bankrobber
This TV show is a bit like a Danish Outrageous Fortune - if you're not afraid of subtitles, you really should take a look. Lulu is the fond but long-suffering fiancee of Leon, who has a long criminal past and some very dodgy friends and family. When he's arrested just after saying "I do" at their wedding, it's up to Lulu to find out exactly why and save their house from foreclosure. Leon swears he's been framed, but can she really trust him? Cue various encounters with lawyers, Serbian prostitutes, Turkish mobsters, motorcycle gangs, suspicious cops, hormonal teenagers and lots more. By turns scary, funny and touching, you'll want to watch right to the end. If you like this, also try The Bridge.

The Angels' Share
A Ken Loach movie that's a bit more uplifting than usual. A group of Scottish petty crims on a community work programme come up with a plan to get them out of their dead-end lives for good. I won't spoil the plot, but it involves some very rare whisky, some very clever tactics and that fantastic, dark Scottish humour, with Loach's fantastic eye for the realities of British life. A wee gem.

Despicable Me 2
One for the whole family. If you haven't seen it yet, buy it or rent one of our bestseller copies. You've no hope of getting it before April otherwise. Those little minions are back, every bit as yellow, cute and punchy as ever, in a plot that involves former archvillain Gru going undercover to find a mystery nemesis who's stolen a potentially dangerous substance that turns cute little things into violent purple monsters. I think you can guess where this leads...

Argo
Now's your chance to see this, if you haven't. Nailbiting and funny, and beautifully shot, it's the Oscar-winner by Ben Affleck about the 1980 siege of the US embassy in Iran, and how they managed to smuggle some American embassy staff out of the country under cover as Canadian film-makers. Deserves the hype.

Much Ado About Nothing
Haven't seen this yet, but it's by Joss Whedon, he of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and so forth, and I personally can't wait to see what he's done with the play. It was shot over just a few days at Whedon's house, starring a whole bunch of unknown actors, and it's been updated and given the Whedon treatment. It's got great reviews.

Wreck-It Ralph
Another family movie that's actually a lot better than it sounds. I was a bit dubious about watching a movie with video game characters from the 80s (or pretend ones, anyway) and a villain who wants to be a hero. I mean, it just sounded so cheesy. But it had a lot of heart, some sarcastic humour and some really great chase scenes and I actually thoroughly enjoyed myself. Kids will love it - and maybe you will too.

The Bletchley Circle
Those of you who like Call the Midwife may not have come across this short TV series set during the 1950s. A group of women were codebreakers at Bletchley Park during World War II, and are rather adrift now that the war is over. Until one of them decides to hunt down a serial killer by charting patterns in his behaviour, even when the cops think they're mad. More sisters doing it for themselves.

And if you haven't seen The Hobbit yet, it's probably about time you did. Not Jackson's best, admittedly, but the scenery's fantastic, and Martin Freeman makes it all worth watching. Plus number two is supposed to be pretty awesome, and you won't know who all those people being toasted and eaten are if you haven't seen this. You know you want to see the dragon. So get to it.

Stalking the catalogue: Movie dinners - Reel recipes from your favourite films

"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chanti."
- Sir Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs

This isn't just any ordinary cookbook. Oh, no sir, it's not. In fact...

"Let us get one thing straight here: The delectable dishes celebrated in this book are not available at your local multiplex cinema concession stands. Gloopy nachos and fluffy hotdogs are not what this book is about. These lovingly made recipes are for those movie moments that made you look away from the popcorn bucket, and up at the big screen and think 'Ooh, I bet that tastes amazing.!'
 - Becky Thorn in Movie Dinners

Bridget Jones' Diary had blue soup. A Fish Called Wanda had fish ceviche. Diner had poutine. American Pie had apple pie. Blazing Saddle had rude baked beans. Sweeney Todd had meat pie. (In a word: UGH). Garfield had lasagna. Annie Hall had lobster. Fatal Attraction had rabbit stew. Lost? Thorn's Movie Dinners is a cookbook of the strangest kind in that it contains recipes from big screen movies. Is it just me, or does that seem like a win/win situation? Food. And drink. (Including a velvet hammer from Cocktail, although I'm not so in love with the idea of a chocolate martini or a 'a horse's neck,' WHAT EVEN IS THAT?). And film. And dessert. WIN. And yes, before you ask, you will find a recipe here for liver, fava beans (and a nice Chianti) because no self-respecting movie cookbook would be without it. (Although EWW I'm not eating it).

If strange cookbooks with a rather unusual theme are your kind of schtick, look no further than here. Allons-y.

Title: Movie dinners: Reel recipes from y our favourite films
Author: Becky Thorn
Publisher: London: Portico, 2010

I can't believe this is happening

Or Documentaries that'll open your mind without stretching your brain.

Not quite sure when watching documentaries became socially acceptable, rather than something only bereted and be-scarfed New York tri-hards and your dad did. Maybe it was when Big Brother and Survivor became acceptable forms of entertainment. After all, they're not scripted or directed at all. Right?

Ahahahahaha, I am witty.

Anyway, there are some really great-sounding films or series out there that are - at least supposed to be - completely factual. Here are some highlights.

Imposter
I couldn't believe this was real when I heard about it. A 13-year-old boy is kidnapped from his home in America, and disappears for three and a half years. Then he pops up again, and his family welcomes him back with open arms. Even though he is pretty obviously not from America, or in fact, their child. What would motivate someone to pretend to be someone else's child, and - to my mind, more importantly - why on Earth would the family go along with it? Mind you, The Simpsons got there first with Principal Skinner.

Project Nim
In the 1970s, they conducted experiments to see if they could teach a chimp to talk and behave like a human. This film is the result. The packet says: "What we learn about his true nature - and indeed our own - is comic, revealing and profoundly unsettling."

First Position
Think Fame or Spellbound for ballet dancers. How far will kids go to win a prestigious dancing award? Once you've watched this, have some fun and watch the mockumentary version, Razzle Dazzle.

Civilization
We're all doomed. DOOMED! Apparently. Niall Ferguson takes us through the rise - and he says, the fall - of western civilisation, explaining how we in the west came to dominate the world, and why it can't possibly last.

Happy
What makes you happy? This documentary interviews people in India, the States and all around the world, finding out whether money really does buy happiness - or is it something else? The film has already won multiple prizes.

Louis Theroux: The Odd, the Bad and the Godly
Louis Theroux is always worth a watch - the Englishman who loves nothing better than to expose the foibles of his counterparts across the Atlantic. Here he investigates the prescription of medicine to hyperactive children, extreme religion and also visits settlements in Jerusalem and the West Bank to interview the settlers risking their lives for the expansion of their country.

Conspiracy
Explores some of the biggest conspiracy theories in the world (read: the United States of America), from Area 51 and the aliens to whether the CIA and the Nazis ever collaborated. Says it lays out the facts so viewers can make up their own minds. Who doesn't love a good conspiracy theory?

7 Signs of the Apocalypse
And now for a bit more scaremongering...What if the Book of Revelation is right, and we're in for the last days? Could the signs be happening right now, under our noses? Woooooo...This documentary examines the evidence. (P.S. Then go for a walk and an ice cream. You're fine.)

And if you're wanting a little more help selecting just the right documentary for you, here are some tips from Filmofilia.

Love to hate

I can be pretty judgemental. In fact, what I think are well-phrased arguments delivered in a persuasive manner can sound, to some people, like the pronouncements of God, or Simon Cowell. It's not until I notice them cowering in a corner with their eyes darting all over the place that I realise I've frightened them off - yet again. Whoops.

I still get incredibly hurt when friends say "But you don't like anything". It makes me sound like Bitchelinda de Curdlemilk-Snottington. There are many things I love. Beyond reason. I just - know when I don't.

So this week I'm unmuzzling my inner critic. Celebrating my darkest disdainianism. Pooh-poohing till it's positively unsanitary.

Step in, if you dare, to Scriven's Gallery of Horrors. Feel free to request any of the titles on this list, by the way - it's only my opinion.

James Patterson - Any title
Poor guy. He gets a bad rap from critics, he really does. And it's wholly undeserved. Fact is, he doesn't even write most of his stuff anymore. I think a computer programme does it through algorithms or something of that nature. Or possibly they've finally trained gibbons to type. That would explain the short chapters. There are only so many words in their vocabulary.

In three words: Kill Alex Cross.

Dan Brown - Any title
Yeah, well, so, I'm picking on the easy targets. Anyway, there's nothing I could possibly write that 1,000,023 other critics haven't already spewed out. I confess, I did enjoy The Da Vinci Code, which was a fine, suspension-of-disbelief thrill ride. Then everyone else started raving and it totally lost its appeal. Come on, guys, even I got the mirror writing before Robert I'm-supposed-to-have-a-doctorate-in-this Langdon. So did my dog. It's not Pride and Prejudice.

Lee Child - Any title
Meh.

Now that's spare storytelling.

Titanic - James Cameron
I remember seeing the trailer for this movie and snorting "Who's going to want to see that crap?" That year I realised why everyone bullied me.

But the rest of the world is wrong. You're all wrong.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Trilogy
I don't hate The Hobbit. I don't even dislike it. It makes the list, however, because I find it totally overrated. As a children's story, which it is, it's just OK. As a seminal work of inspiration to generations of hippies - wtf? It gets brownie points for being first among fantasies, but that's all. To me it's just a pleasant, slight bunch of episodes about a hairy little humanoid - and the movie is even more episodic. Three films? I nearly fell off my chair.

But I repeat - Martin Freeman can do no wrong. Ever.

Bones - TV series
I found this sort of thing funny when I was 14. Not!

Glee - TV series
What's all the song and dance about? Aaaand that was about as funny as the show. Like, eww?

Elementary - TV series
They put that up against the BBC version? It's like watching West Auckland FC playing Brazil...Wearing flippers.

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
Nasty screwed-up people trying to screw each other up even more. Nope.

Miranda - TV series
Haha. Nope. Or Is It Just Me?

The Simpsons - TV series
I used to love The Simpsons. It was the cleverest, funniest thing on TV for a long time. A long time ago. Now it's a positive telezombie. Retire it before the torches come out.

I could not possibly comment on Game of Thrones because I just can't bring myself to watch it. So, does anyone out there agree with me? What do you love to hate?

Can the movie be better than the book?

There's nothing greater than the pleasure of reading a good book - unless it's sitting in the movie sneering "That's NOT how it goes in the book".

I'm a serial offender. If there's a film coming out, I'll have to read the book first, just to assert its superiority to everyone in the neighbouring seats. Good thing there aren't any more Tangy Fruits, or I'd have candy concussion by now. Although Giant Jaffas do pack a wallop from above.

Anyway, because I haven't read either Beautiful Creatures or Warm Bodies (or, for that matter, The Great Gatsby), you're going to have to tell me what you thought. How do they compare? How about The Perks of Being a Wallflower?

There are a small percentage of movies that were actually better than the book, in my estimation. I liked Stardust better, for example, because I found it wittier than Neil Gaiman's original, and the ending was happier. I am a sucker for one of those. Yet I like The Iron Giant better than The Iron Man even though the ending is not quite so happy, because it has more action, and they did the character of Hogarth so well. It's a woman's prerogative, etc.

And one of you graphic novel readers, please tell me - why did Alan Moore hate V for Vendetta?

On the other hand, the Best Picture-winning Slumdog Millionaire wasn't even in the same ballpark as Q & A, which was magnificent. Why did they change it? WHY?? And as for the adaptation of my favourite kids' book, The Dark is Rising (aka The Seeker...) Even the trailer was trash.

Did anyone enjoy The Hobbit film better than the book? Is anyone not horrified they've split it into three? Does anyone else secretly wish Smaug would just bloody toast them all?...(Except you, Martin. You're awesome.)

Stream of consciousness over.

*For copies of any of these books, visit your magical local library. No terms and conditions apply.

The book before the film

Hollywood has always raided literature for its ideas - some of the most successful films of all time are based on books, from The Shawshank Redemption to The Princess Bride to The Help. Could anyone not laugh when Miss Hilly ate that chocolate pie?

In turn, when film versions come out, requests for the book skyrocket. Anyone who's ever been number 1784 in line for The Hunger Games can attest to this. This, then, is advance warning for those lucky enough to read this blog. In no particular order, here's what you can look forward to at the movies over the next year. Need I mention The Hobbit?

Get your requests in now, before the lines get too long!

Les Miserables

In my humble opinion, the best musical of all time, and a pretty good book as well. The new film version (based on the stage show) is out for Christmas. Former Kiwi Russell Crowe is the relentless Inspector Javert, Hugh Jackman is the hero Jean Valjean, and poor, broken Fantine is played by a skeletal Anne Hathaway. Advance previews look - and sound - fantastic. Read what it's all about now, before the barricades go up.






The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Still playing the schoolgirl, Emma Watson is the love interest of shy freshman Charlie (Logan Lerman, who also plays Percy Jackson in a forthcoming screen adaptation). Along the way, Charlie endures the suicide of his best friend, some tough family secrets, and being shown the realities of life by two seniors who take him under their wing. It's a coming of age story that is already a hit with teens, and will be even bigger after this. There's a New Zealand connection here too - Melanie Lynskey plays Charlie's Aunt Helen.




The Spook's Apprentice

This is a genuinely grisly, well-written series for kids with tough stomachs. It is being very loosely adapted in America as The Seventh Son, with an international cast. I really do hope the Americans get this one right, as it was a very British-flavoured series, and the original kids were thirteen. Being 31, I'd have said Ben Barnes was a bit old for the title character, but he's still worth a look. I mean, the film is...Out in October 2013.






Anna Karenina

Another literary classic back on the big screen. If you haven't read this yet, now is the time. Set in late-19th-century Russia high-society, the aristocrat Anna Karenina enters into a life-changing affair with the affluent Count Vronsky, played - I'll have to see this to believe it - by the young Aaron Taylor-Johnson, of Kick-Ass fame. Anna is played by Keira Knightley, and Kelly Macdonald, Jude Law and Matthew Macfadyen have supporting roles.






The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Read (or re-read, or in fact, watch) The Wizard of Oz to get yourself on the yellow brick road to Oz: The Great and Powerful. This new movie, due in March 2013, is a prequel to the famous story, showing how Oz first came to the land that bears his name. It has a starry cast: James Franco, Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams, and the colours look lovely too.






Cross

Upcoming film Alex Cross is very loosely based on Cross by James Patterson. Tyler Perry plays detective - yep - Alex Cross, who is on the hunt for a serial killer who murdered a family member. See if you can spot which elements are from the book. Due here in November.









Safe Haven

Yet another Nicholas Sparks romantic weepie, like The Lucky One, Dear John, Message in a Bottle, The Notebook...Yes, pretty much everything the man has written appears on screen. Beautiful but private Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: with Alex, a widowed store owner with two young children; and with her plainspoken neighbour, Jo. But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts her . . .Out for Valentine's Day in the US, starring Cobie Smulders and Josh Duhamel.



Cloud Atlas

A rather indefinable - some said unfilmable - movie starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant, and directed by the Wachowski siblings. Various lives are intertwined and reincarnated, influencing each other, including a reluctant voyager crossing the Pacific in 1850; a young Islander witnessing the nightfall of science and civilisation; a genetically engineered "dinery server" on death row - one a killer who becomes a hero, one a man played by a woman. One act of kindness can ripple through time to cause a revolution. If that sounds like your bag, grab the book. It's had rave reviews.



The Life of Pi

One of the most anticipated films of the year, based on one of the most read books of the last decade. A tiger, a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra and a boy are afloat on a raft in the middle of the ocean. The tiger turns to the hyena and says...Just kidding. You'll have to read it to find out what really happens. Due November.





One Shot

Enough with the Tom Cruise jokes. Let's see if he can really play the part of action man Jack Reacher. Guess we'll find out in short order...The movie Jack Reacher is based on the ninth book in the series, One Shot, in which five people are mysteriously killed by a sniper. But what's the motive? Hits New Zealand on January 3.








Mr Pip

No confirmed release date on this adaptation of Kiwi author Jones's book, but soon...Hugh Laurie is Mr Watts, the school teacher in Bougainville, where rebels are trying to close the copper mine poisoning their island, and to drive the redskin army from Papua New Guinea into the sea. Thirteen year old Matilda is infatuated with 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens, which Watts is reading to his students. She writes 'Pip' in the sand and decorates it with shells. The redskins see it, and decide they must track Pip down. Who is this rebel leader? The search will have devastating consequences for Matilda, Mr Watts and the entire village.