The films to see in York this month – March 2015

The Oscars are over and done with, but there are still plenty of big films coming up, says movie writer Isis Dunthorne

After a thrilling awards season and some amazing movies coming out in the past few months March is going to be a bit more chilled out movie-releases-wise.

We were bombarded with Oscar-tipped pictures throughout January and February, so much so that even though I’ve seen 11 movies so far this year there are still a few I feel I’ve missed out on!

No worries though, many of the Best Film nominees are being replayed at all of York’s local cinemas if you want to catch up! As well as that, there are still plenty of new films coming out too – let’s take a look at what’s on offer…

Family films

Cinderella (and Frozen Fever)

A live-action retelling of one of the most beloved fairy tales of all time about an orphaned girl (Lily James) named Ella.

Kept as a servant by her wicked stepmother (Cate Blanchett), she is shown a way out by a charming prince (Richard Madden) and a fairy godmother (Helena Bonham Carter).

Not only that, but accompanying the picture will be a short animated follow-up to the smash hit movie Frozen.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya

An old bamboo cutter discovers a tiny princess in a shining stalk of bamboo, and on taking her home and handing her to his wife, the small figure morphs into a baby.

The mysterious, magical girl grows at a surprising speed and enthrals all who encounter her – but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.

Animation from Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata and with voices from Chloe Grace Moretz, Darren Criss and James Caan.

Drama

Still Alice

Now crowned as Best Actress in the Oscars for her performance in this very movie Julianne Moore starts as 50-year-old linguistics professor Alice Howland, a happily married mother of three, who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

This heart-breaking yet life-affirming story shows Alice’s determination to hold onto her identity as she struggles under the attack of this debilitating mental disease.

X+Y

Inspired by the story of maths whiz and former York College student Daniel Lightwing, X+Y hits cinemas this month.

After losing his father at an early age Nathan (Asa Butterfield) is now a socially awkward teenager and maths prodigy on the autism spectrum.

When he lands a spot on the British Squad at the International Mathematics Olympiad he begins to find more than just the answers to his maths conundrums as he explores new confidence and new love.

Divergent Series: Insurgent

The latest instalment of the dystopian Divergent series sees Tris confronting her inner demons to fight a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart.

She must find out what her family sacrificed their lives to protect, and why the rulers of the Erudite faction will stop at nothing to hide the truth.

Starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort and Theo James.

Kill the Messenger

Jeremy Renner plays Gary Webb, an American journalist who, in the Nineties, exposed the CIAs involvement in drug and arms trafficking, and so, even after being pressured not to, published his evidence in the series Dark Alliance.

As a result he experienced a vicious smear campaign fuelled by the intelligence service. Soon Webb found himself defending his integrity, his family, and his life.

Sci-fi

Chappie

Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie tells the story of a near future when crime is patrolled by an oppressive mechanized police force.

When one police droid, Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself.

As powerful, destructive forces start to see Chappie as a danger to mankind and order, they will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo and ensure that Chappie is the last of his kind.

Comedy

Unfinished Business

A hard-working small business owner (Vince Vaughn) and his two associates (Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco) travel to Europe to close the most important deal of their lives.

But what begins as a routine business trip goes off the rails in every imaginable way, including unplanned stops at a massive sex fetish event and a global economic summit.

The question is: can Vince Vaughn be funny again…?

 
Don’t forget, some of the top films from the Oscars are being reshown at many of York’s local cinemas, these include…