Streaming Picks
If you're watching with the kids, an adaptation of the classic story The Secret Garden is free to stream on Amazon Prime and available to rent. In fact, if you have Amazon Prime, you should take advantage of it—Barbara Streisand's award-winning performance in Funny Girl is only available until the end of March. And if you are just looking for a feel-good film, While You Were Sleeping, from the golden age of romantic comedies, is on Netflix.
Critics Roundup
In Mistaken for Strangers, which releases today in theaters, Tom Berninger documents his time with his older brother Matt, of rock band The National, on tour. Indiewire calls the documentary a "witty, meandering story about a witty, meandering black sheep that never reaches beyond the average aspirations of its goofball star." But it's less about the band and more about Matt and Tom's sibling relationship. The A.V. Club says the film depicts "a funny weird and entirely believable relationship that just happens to be set in proximity to one of the best bands of the moment." And The Dissolve describes Mistaken for Strangers as a "multifaceted self-portrait," one of a man "with talent and not quite enough drive and focus, haunted by a brother who has all of the above in abundance."
Brothers seem to be a theme this week. Hide Your Smiling Faces also premieres today, and follows two brothers as they come of age through a tragic experience—the death of a friend. The Dissolve says it's "a strongly promising first effort." But "don't be surprised if, three or four films down the road, it retroactively looks much more singular."
The critics also inform us that there is nothing in Breathe In we haven't seen or heard it before. And Sabotage, by David Ayer, write and director of End of Watch, doesn't amount to much more than "pulpy mush" (read the full review here).
Movie News
The much-talked about epic Noah by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky finally premieres today. We have a review as well as an interview with Aronofsky and more. In another Christian take on the film, Crosswalk says Noah sets a new standard for movies that are spiritually engaging and also entertaining.
Duck Dynasty, and one of television's favorite families, the Robertsons, is losing viewers. Reports are that the fifth season finale had about 30% lower overall viewership than the third and fourth season closers (read the report here).
Now that awards season is over, it's time to start thinking about the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Director Andrea Arnold (best known for her gritty films about working- and middle-class England, Red Road and Fish Tank) was announced this week as the head of the Cannes Jury at Critics Week, and many are speculating about which films will be shown at the festival (here's one take from The Guardian).
Heather Cate is a spring intern with Christianity Today Movies and a student at The King's College in New York City.
