This week’s column runs the gambit between movie genres from comedy to fantasy to drama and even action. The Intern follows a retired widower, who decides to go back to work and ends up becoming an intern at an online fashion web site. Jem and the Holograms revolves a small town girl and her three sisters’ journey through music superstardom. Finally, American Heist details a pair of brothers forced to commit a major bank heist. All three films have fantastic, A-list celebrities in their casts, which is assured to bring crowds of their fans to each movie’s opening day. In addition, many of the celebrities are playing roles way outside their comfort zones and in movie genres their fans aren’t accustomed to seeing them in, which could be good or bad for the movie and/or that particular celebrity.
The Intern is a comedy directed and written by Nancy Meyers. It stars Robert DeNiro, Anne Hathaway, Adam DeVine from the Pitch Perfect movies, Anders Holm from the Comedy Central sitcom Workaholics and Rene Russo. The plot centers around Ben Whittaker (DeNiro,) a retired widower, who finds retirement to not be everything he thought it would be. So, he decides to rejoin the workforce through a community outreach program and ends working as a senior intern at an online fashion web site run by Jules Ostin (Hathaway.) The film’s trailer illustrates how Whitaker tries to blend in with his significantly younger co-workers and the hilarity that ensues as he struggles to impress his new also much younger female boss. DeNiro and Hathaway make a superb comedic team as their two characters unexpectedly bond and end up learning from each other. It opens in theaters on Friday, September 25.
Jem and the Holograms is a dramatic fantasy adventure flick that revolves around a small town girl whose underground videos make her a global sensation. Then, she and her three sisters navigate the world of music superstardom and learn some valuable life lessons. Starring Juliette Lewis, Molly Ringwald, The Boy Next Door’s Ryan Guzman, Aubrey Peeples from the ABC musical television drama series Nashville, Hayley Kiyoko from the CBS police drama television series CSI: Cyber and Insidious: Chapter 3’s Stefanie Scott, the film’s trailer displays how thanks to her sister, unbeknownst to her, uploading a video of her singing, a young girl becomes an overnight music sensation. What follows is a recording contract and a trip to Hollywood for her and her three sisters as their journey chronicles the ups and downs of musical fame. It opens in theaters on Friday, October 23.
American Heist is a dramatic actioner starring Jordana Brewster, Hayden Christensen, rapper Akon and Adrien Brody. Based on the 1959 film The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery, the movie’s storyline deals with the lives of brothers James and Frankie (Christensen and Brody, respectively.) James owes his life to Frankie, who took the fall and went to prison for a crime they committed together. Years later, James has turned his life around and Frankie is being released with no money or a place to live. The two are then forced to commit a bank heist or James’ girlfriend, Emily (Brewster) will be killed. The motion picture’s trailer exhibits pulse-pounding action, edge of your seat thrills and exemplifies the bond between brothers. It opens in theaters on Friday, July 24.