Reel News: Week of Sept. 3 — The Cold Light of Day, The Words, Safe, Five-Year Engagement

Theatrical Releases This Week

The Cold Light of Day
Director: Mabrouk El Mechri
PG-13; 93 mins
Trailer

Will Shaw (Henry Cavill) goes to Spain for a weeklong sailing vacation with his family but his whole world turns upside down when the family is kidnapped by intelligence agents hell-bent on recovering a mysterious briefcase, and Will suddenly finds himself on the run. (Synopsis by Summit Entertainment)

A film that manages to spectacularly underwhelm even when following the action-thriller template. Desperately selling Cavill as the “next big thing” is not going to get you very far, and it shows. Most disappointing, however, is Bruce Willis’ attachment to this mess.

The Words
Director: Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal
PG-13; 97 mins
Trailer

Starring Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde and Zoë Saldana, the layered romantic drama The Words follows young writer Rory Jansen who finally achieves long sought after literary success after publishing the next great American novel. There’s only one catch – he didn’t write it. As the past comes back to haunt him and his literary star continues to rise, Jansen is forced to confront the steep price that must be paid for stealing another man’s work, and for placing ambition and success above life’s most fundamental three words. (Synopsis by CBS Films)

A movie based on a novel which itself shouldn’t exist outside of the barista recommendation section at Starbucks. The paper-thin plot does little to help the ensemble cast, even as talented as they are. Usually you would be better served just reading the book. In this case, skip both.

DVD Releases This Week

Safe
Director: Boaz Yakin
R; 95 mins.
Trailer

A second-rate cage fighter on the mixed martial arts circuit, Luke Wright lives a numbing life of routine beatings and chump change…until the day he blows a rigged fight. Wanting to make an example of him, the Russian Mafia murders his family and banishes him from his life forever, leaving Luke to wander the streets of New York destitute, haunted by guilt, and tormented by the knowledge that he will always be watched, and anyone he develops a relationship with will also be killed. But when he witnesses a frightened twelve-year-old Chinese girl, Mei, being pursued by the same gangsters who killed his wife, Luke impulsively jumps to action…and straight into the heart of a deadly high-stakes war. (Synopsis by Lionsgate)

Little more than another installment of the “Transporter” series –another film where Statham looks angry while punching people in the face. An action romp suitable for an easy-viewing night, but it isn’t worth much else.

The Five-Year Engagement
Director: Nicholas Stoller
R; 124 mins.
Trailer

The director and writer/star of Forgetting Sarah Marshall reteam for the irreverent comedy The Five-Year Engagement. Beginning where most romantic comedies end, the new film from director Nicholas Stoller, producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) and Rodney Rothman (Get Him to the Greek) looks at what happens when an engaged couple, Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, keeps getting tripped up on the long walk down the aisle. (Synopsis by Universal)

This might be the best option this week, but that isn’t saying a lot. The film is a cross between a comedy and an exploration of relationships which feels more natural than many of its genre counterparts. However, the film is far too long and spends more time spinning its wheels than creating conflict. That just makes for a bland movie.