New titles that hit cinemas in Thailand this week.
Les trois mousquetaires: D’Artagnan (The Three Musketeers - Part I: D'Artagnan)
Directed by Martin Bourboulon.
Who’s in it?
François Civil, Vincent Cassel and Romain Duris.
What’s it about?
D'Artagnan arrives in Paris trying to find his attackers after being left for dead, which leads him to a real war where the future of France is at stake. He aligns himself with Athos, Porthos and Aramis, three musketeers of the King.
Why watch it?
Shot back to back with its sequel “The Three Musketeers: Milady” (2023) for a total shoot of 150 days that started on August 16, 2021 and wrapped on June 3, 2022.
Anatomie d'une chute (Anatomy Of A Fall)
Directed by Justine Triet.
Who’s in it?
Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud and Milo Machado Graner.
What’s it about?
The story begins when Samuel is found dead in the snow outside the isolated chalet where he lived with his wife Sandra, a German writer, and their partially-sighted 11-year-old son Daniel. An investigation leads to a conclusion of "suspicious death": it's impossible to know for sure whether he took his own life or was killed. Sandra is indicted, and we follow her trial which pulls the couple's relationship apart. Daniel is caught in the middle: between the trial and their home life, doubts take their toll on the mother-son relationship.
Why watch it?
Justine Triet wrote the film for Sandra Hüller. This is their second collaboration after Sibyl (2019).
All Fun And Games
Directed by Eren Celeboglu and Ari Costa.
Who’s in it?
Asa Butterfield, Natalia Dyer and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth.
What’s it about?
A group of Salem teens discover a cursed knife that unleashes a demon that forces them to play gruesome, deadly versions of childhood games where there can be no winners, only survivors.
Why watch it?
In the beginning of the movie, the narrator states that accused witches were burned, hanged and drowned. This is false. In Salem, 25 men, woman and children died, 19 by hanging, one by being pressed to death with large rocks and five died while in custody. Burning at the stake was only practiced in non-English speaking countries, like Germany. The "swimming test" is mostly an urban legend promoted centuries later. Instead the accused (again in Europe) were tested for their ability to stay afloat, suggesting that unholy persons would be rejected by the water.
Dream Scenario
Directed by Kristoffer Borgli.
Who’s in it?
Lily Bird, Nicolas Cage and Julianne Nicholson.
What’s it about?
A hapless family man finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. When his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom.
Why watch it?
At one point Ari Aster was directing the movie with Adam Sandler in the main character. After Kristoffer Borgli's film Sick Of Myself (2022) got good reviews, it encouraged Ari and A24 to let him direct his own script. Kristoffer wanted Nicolas Cage instead of Adam for the main character.
Dec 20
Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom
Directed by James Wan.
Who’s in it?
Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck and Patrick Wilson.
What’s it about?
Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father's death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman's family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.
Why watch it?
Momoa was the first to pitch a story for an "Aquaman" (2018) sequel, and he received a story credit, making him the sixth person to receive writing credit for a comic book superhero film that he also starred.
