A romcom, with a tenuous central premise even by romcom standards; powered by liberal use of the music of Celine Dion; and also starring Celine Dion. Who plays herself.
Less a film, and more a strain of weaponised uncool lethal enough to send Quentin Tarantino fans scurrying for safety in a lead-lined bunker, Love Again sees the Canadian diva make her big screen debut this week – but will it go the way of Titanic, or the way of the Titanic?
Elsewhere, Diane Keaton and pals are off on tour in Book Club: The Next Chapter, and it’s Eurovision party time at York cinemas on Saturday…
New releases
Love Again
If you’re going to get lessons in love, you might as well get them from a woman who’s soundtracked one of the most swooning cinematic romances of all time.
That seems to be the premise of this romcom, which casts Celine Dion as, well, Celine Dion, who finds herself aiding and abetting the burgeoning love affair between two lost souls in the form of Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Outlander’s Sam Heughan.
The story sees grieving Mira (Chopra Jonas) begin sending texts to her deceased fiancé’s phone – but unbeknownst to her, the number has been transferred to jaded music journalist Rob (Heughan), who quickly finds himself captivated by her heartfelt confessions.
The smitten Rob becomes determined to find the mystery texter, but how can he hope to seek her out and win her heart? Perhaps a certain Canadian singing sensation he’s just been asked to interview could lend him a hand…
| Cert 12A, 104 mins | |
| Cineworld, City Screen, Everyman, Vue | |
| From Fri May 12 | |
| More details |
The Eight Mountains
A childhood friendship is rekindled in this highly acclaimed, soulful drama, set against the beautiful backdrop of the Italian Alps and hailed by the Guardian as ‘the straight Brokeback Mountain’.
Beginning in 1984, the film sees city dweller Pietro make a new friend in local boy Bruno while on holiday with his parents in the latter’s idyllic yet impoverished mountain village – only for their magical summer together to come to an abrupt end courtesy of tension between their families.
Fate conspires to reunite them as adults many years later, and their friendship acquires a new depth as they resolve to build a house high up in the Alps.
| Cert 12A, 147 mins | |
| City Screen | |
| From Fri May 12 | |
| More details |
Book Club 2: The Next Chapter
Diane Keaton’s quartet of book-loving, wine-quaffing senior citizens head out to Italy for more misadventures in this follow-up to the 2018 original.
The story sees best friends Diane (Keaton), Vivian (Jane Fonda), Sharon (Candice Bergen) and Carol (Mary Steenburgen) travel to the Continent for a once-in-a-lifetime trip ahead of Vivian’s marriage to old smoothie Arthur (Don Johnson).
The grappa flows, secrets are revealed and flames both old and new are encountered as the gang discover that you’re never too old to learn a few more life lessons – or to have a quick bunk-up in the back of a water taxi.
| Cert 12A, 108 mins | |
| Cineworld, Everyman, Vue | |
| From Fri May 12 | |
| More details |
Other screenings
Eurovision party and other new releases
Showing daily at City Screen throughout the week, new documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Story takes us back in time through the highs and lows of the much-loved actor’s life, from his Back to the Future superstardom to his ongoing struggles with Parkinson’s disease.
Featuring interviews with the man himself interspersed with plenty of clips from throughout his career, this promises to be a nostalgic and moving portrait of an inspiring figure, on screen and off.
With all eyes on Liverpool this Saturday night, it’s no surprise to see that cinemas are giving us the chance to experience the Eurovision Song Contest in all its OTT glory up on the big screen.
All four York cinemas will be hosting a Eurovision party, with the event itself preceded by a preview screening of BBC3’s new dating show I Kissed a Boy.
If you need help making your mind up, City Screen and Everyman are including a complimentary drink with your ticket; Cineworld and Vue are presumably just trusting you’ll get high on all the sequins. Ted and Dougal for the win!
If you haven’t quite got the Eurosong fever, then Vue have a mosh-tastic alternative on Saturday night in the form of Machine Gun Kelly: Mainstream Sellout Live From Cleveland, a concert doc of the rap-rocker’s 2022 homecoming show.
Plus, there are further musical discoveries to be had this week in the form of two documentaries: Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd (Everyman, Mon 15th) puts the spotlight on the prog rock group’s enigmatic frontman, while Little Richard: I Am Everything (City Screen, Tues 16th) is a celebration of the flamboyant rock ‘n’ roll icon in all his multifaceted glory.
Family-friendly films
The kitty’s still sitting pretty when it comes to your budget viewing choices this weekend, with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish showing at Cineworld (Sat 13th, Sun 14th, tickets £2.50) and City Screen (Sat 13th, tickets £3.30).
Cineworld and Vue also have screenings of underwhelming-sounding caper Little Eggs: An African Rescue on Sat 13th and Sun 14th (tickets £2.50 at Cineworld, £2.49 at Vue), while How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World concludes the popular fantasy saga at Vue (Sat 13th, Sun 14th, tickets standard price, £6.99 – £9.99).
Wes Anderson double bills and a Tarantino classic: old favourites back on the big screen
With Wes Anderson’s eagerly-awaited new film Asteroid City out next month, City Screen are giving fans and newcomers a tour of the idiosyncratic director’s glittering back catalogue over the next few weeks, in the form of five double bills.
Each pairing is linked by a shared theme, and this week it’s ‘brothers on a journey’, with Anderson’s lesser-seen 1996 debut Bottle Rocket followed by his 2007 Indian odyssey The Darjeeling Limited – hop on board at City Screen on Sun 14th.
Also on Sun 14th, regular Anderson collaborator Willem Dafoe stars in The Florida Project, the latest film in City Screen’s ongoing celebration of hit-making US indie studio A24.
A lyrical, child’s-eye portrait of life on the margins, this 2017 gem from director Sean Baker (Tangerine, Red Rocket) follows the day-to-day lives of a six-year-old girl and her single mother in a budget Florida motel in the shadow of Disney World – as ever, screenings in this season are free to City Screen members and £8.00 for non-members.
On Mon 15th, City Screen’s season in honour of versatile British director Ben Wheatley continues with his most recent release, 2021’s In the Earth, an acclaimed sci-fi horror conceived and shot in 2020 in the early months of the pandemic.
Over at Vue, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy reaches its apex with 2008’s all-conquering The Dark Knight, showing on Sat 13th.
And finally, grab a Royale with Cheese and head on down to Everyman for a 90s classic, as Jules and Vincent get philosophical about fast food in Pulp Fiction, showing in the Throwback strand on Sun 14th and Tues 16th.