This week five new movies release nationwide in South Africa. From Iron Man 3 (aka
Tony Stark aka Robert Downey Jr.) smashing box office records worldwide, to a heart-
warming and authentic Afrikaans movie with great local talent, a Matt Damon film
about the relevant issue of fracking, to a true tale set in Mumbai to a movie that
looks at the funny side of approaching the big 4-0, it’s time to smell the popcorn!
Iron Man 3 (released on Wednesday 1 May)
This third instalment in the popular series is breaking box-office records worldwide
and is well worth the watch to experience this jaw-dropping epic (and love story).
Robert Downey Jr. is beyond superb as the brilliant Tony Stark, while Gwyneth
Paltrow, Ben Kingsley and Guy Pearce shine in their respective roles in this movie
featuring breath-taking special effects, super villains, great humour and a clever
storyline. When Stark’s personal world is being destroyed by his enemy, he has to
gather all his strength to confront the question that has secretly haunted him all his
life: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man? You have to see it
to believe it… and watch it in either 2D or 3D.
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Paul Bettany,
Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau and Rebecca Hall.
Written by Shane Black and Drew Pearce from the comics by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry
Lieber and Jack Kirby.
Directed by Shane Black.
Produced by Fairview Entertainment, Marvel Studios, Noble Media, Outlaw Sinema and
Paramount Pictures.
Released by Ster-Kinekor.
Lien se Lankstaanskoene
This made-for-television movie tells the story of a school girl and her brother who
face a tough situation at home and has to make ends meet when their mother enters
rehab. Lien has to resort to desperate measures to ensure her and her brother’s
survival. Luckily, the siblings can also rely on the kindness of strangers to see them
through their ordeal. Although light-hearted at times, this is a hard-hitting movie
about very real issues about living in today’s South African society.
In Afrikaans with English subtitles.
The movie stars Carmen Pretorius, Tiaan Kelderman, Franci Swanepoel, Johan Baird,
Hykie Berg, Elize Cawood, Jacques Gombault, Fiks Mahola, Marie Pentz, Angelique
Pretorius and Brian Webber.
Written by Derick van der Walt.
Directed by Andre Odendaal.
Produced by kykNET.
Distributed by Nu Metro.
Promised Land
Directed by Gus van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk), this timely film examines the use
of “fracking’ as a means to extract gas, and the impact that this technology is having
on the rural towns in America. As fracking directly affects South Africans, especially
those living in the Karoo, the film touches on an issue that has led to a lot of local
debate. Steve Butler is an excellent corporate salesman who is sent to close a key
rural town in his company’s expansion plans. A job that seems easy at first becomes
complicated when several locals object to the plans.
With Matt Damon, Hal Holbrook, Frances McDormand and John Krasinski.
Written by Mat Damon, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dave Eggers and John Krasinski.
Directed by Gus van Sant.
Produced by Focus Features, Imagenation Abu Dhabi FZ, Participant Media and Pearl
Street Films.
Distributed by Ster-Kinekor.
Shootout at Wadala
This movie is based on the first-ever registered encounter by Mumbai police. On 1
November 1 1982, the Mumbai Encounter Squad shot dead gangster Manya Surve at
the Vidyalankar Institute of Technology at Sangam Nagar in Wadala, Mumbai. This
shootout was registered as the first official encounter in the Mumbai police’s history
and became known as ‘Shootout at Wadala’.
With John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor,
Kangja Ranaut and Sonu Sood.
Written by Sanjay Bhatia, Abhijit Deshpande, Sanjay Gupta, Hussain Zaidi and Milap
Zaveri.
Directed by Sanjay Gupta.
Produced by Bakaji Motion Pictures and White Feather Films
This Is 40
Writer, director and producer Judd Apatow characters from Knocked Up, couple Pete
(Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) return to the big screen as they hit forty in this
movie. This Is 40 expands on the story of their relationship as audiences experience
how Pete and Debbie deal with their current state of life.
Also with Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow, Megan Fox, Anni Mumolo and Jason Segel.
Written and directed by Judd Apatow.
Produced by Apatow Productions and Forty Productions.
Distributed by UIP.
