Others have tried and failed at successfully adapting Frank Herbert’s acclaimed science fiction novel for the big screen, most notably in 1984 when surrealist filmmaker David Lynch released a version to an almost universally poor reception. However, with impressive genre credits such as Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 to his name already, writer and director Denis Villeneuve has stepped up to the challenge of Dune.
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After a film career that has spanned around half a century so far, veteran writer and director Woody Allen gets nostalgic about reckless youth in his latest comedy A Rainy Day in New York. The plot follows a student couple whose impromptu getaway to Manhattan inadvertently splits into two separate adventures. Rich kid Gatsby Welles (Timothée Chalamet) runs into old friend Chan (Selena Gomez) as he dodges a reunion with his family, whilst his aspiring journalist girlfriend Ashleigh (Elle Fanning) gets more than she bargained for when interviewing a hotshot filmmaker for the school paper.
Since Louisa May Alcott’s seminal coming-of-age novel Little Women was published in 1868, there have been countless adaptations of the material. The latest version is written for the screen and directed by Greta Gerwig, who has recently transitioned from indie actress to award-nominated filmmaker. The plot follows the struggles of the March family during the American Civil War as four sisters near the end of childhood; Jo (Saoirse Ronan) is a budding writer, Meg (Emma Watson) has traditional aspirations, Amy (Florence Pugh) longs for a taste of the finer things in life, while Beth (Eliza Scanlen) is a highly talented pianist but is reluctant to share her music. Together and apart, we see the women contend with love, death, and marriage as they fight for independence in a society dominated by men.
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Acclaimed Belgian writer and director Felix van Groeningen makes his English language debut with biographical drama Beautiful Boy. Based on memoirs by father and son David and Nic Sheff, the plot explores drug addiction through the perspective of a loving parent. When David (Steve Carell) discovers that his son Nic (Timothée Chalamet) has been using marijuana, cocaine and crystal meth, he promptly checks him into a rehabilitation clinic, and the affliction soon puts a strain on their relationship.
As an actress, Greta Gerwig is known for her quirky roles in indie movies, rising through the improvisational mumblecore movement and riding the crest of the hipster wave for the flat-white generation. Having co-written on several projects that she has appeared in, she has moved behind the camera to write and direct Lady Bird, a coming-of-age comedy drama set in Sacramento, California. The plot follows attention-seeking teenager Christine ‘Lady Bird’ McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) who is in her final year of high-school. Whilst clashing with her strong-willed mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf), she navigates her way through the trials and tribulations of bad boyfriends, prom pressure, and deciding what she wants to do with the rest of her life.
Cinema Perspective 