This week’s column is an eclectic mix of movie genres ranging from romantic drama to pulse-pounding action. In Gone Girl, a man is accused of murdering his missing wife, with The Expendables 3 the gang returns for one more go around, this time, they must fight against an old enemy who wants to end the gang for good and in Third Person moviegoers are thrust into the lives of three couples in three different cities, whose lives interlock in some way. All three movies have high-end celebrity star power, which will certainly bring people to their local movie theaters on each movie’s opening day. Yet, some of the celebrities are delving into roles and situations their fans haven’t seen them tackle before, which could either aid or hurt their respective careers. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if changing movie genres pays off for some of these well-loved celebrities.
Gone Girl is a dramatic thriller starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. It’s based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn, who also wrote the screenplay for the film. Affleck and Pike play Nick and Amy Dunne, a seemingly happy married couple, but then Amy goes missing and Nick, though leading the charge to find her, is accused of murdering her. This highly dramatic role is a departure for Affleck, who usually sticks to light action fare and comedy. The trailer shows him emoting every morsel of emotion as his character fights against the public notion that he killed his wife. Co-starring Neil Patrick Harris, Missi Pyle, Tyler Perry and Sela Ward, lies, deceit and secrets will keep moviegoers guessing as to what really happened to Amy Dunne. It opens in theaters on Friday, October 3.
The Expendables 3 is an action/adventure/thriller and the second sequel to the wildly popular 2010 original. Returning cast members include Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture and Arnold Schwarzenegger. New additions to the cast include Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Kelsey Grammer, Kellan Lutz, Victor Ortiz and Mel Gibson. This go-around Barney (Stallone) and his mercenary gang must fight to keep themselves alive against an old friend turned foe, Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson.) Judging from the trailer, even more explosions, combat and good old-fashioned fighting are again the order of the day. With the additions of so many A-list celebrities, the seats of your local movie theaters are sure to be packed on the opening day of this actioner. It opens in theaters on Friday, August 15.
Third Person is a romantic drama revolving around three love stories of three interwoven couples in three different cities: Rome, Paris and New York. Starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Olivia Wilde, Liam Neeson, Kim Basinger, Adrien Brody and Maria Bello, it premiered at the 2013 Toronto Film Festival. Mysteries, miscommunications, intrigue and romance fill this intricately woven story. It opens in theaters on Thursday, April 24.