Welcome dear readers to this month of May at the movies. And, you know, no big deal or anything, but we’ve also moved into a new home here at THEPLAYLIST.NET. So we hope you’ve had a look around already, or will do so after reading this month’s breakdown of what’s coming to theaters.
With that out of the way, now on to the column at hand. This first coming weekend of May will launch the summer blockbuster season, of course, and Marvel‘s “Captain America: Civil War” will no doubt kick things off with a healthy return at the box office (it’s already killing it overseas). Will it be a sign of an overall busy, profitable season or will this just be another feather in the cap of Disney‘s stranglehold over the box office?
Meanwhile, My Film Of The Month pick, “The Lobster,” will make fractions of fractions compared to the grosses from that of the typical tentpole, but that doesn’t mean the film itself is any less deserving of your attention. Find out below why it’s this month’s must see film, and make sure to look at the other twelve entries that made the final list.
“A Bigger Splash”
Synopsis: While vacationing on a Sicilian island with her boyfriend, a rock star receives an unexpected visit from an old flame and his seductive daughter.
What You Need To Know: Per Jessica Kiang’s Venice review, this latest feature from Italian director Luca Guadagnino (“I Am Love“) is an “enjoyable slice of sunshine noir, with the emphasis on the sunshine.” This reworking of the 1969 Jacques Deray title, “La Piscine,” which Kiang added, “owes most of its plot to that film, but other elements come from Patricia Highsmith and Alfred Hitchcock, and still others again from that well-worn European tradition dedicated to exploring the conflicting currents of sexual desire among small groups of louche sophisticates lounging around in fabulous clothes, accessorized with a scowl.” And that cast will no doubt look dynamite in those clothes, with Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenaerts and Dakota Johnson as the film’s key players. “What’s most refreshing about Guadagnino’s approach here is that there’s none of the sludgy ennui that normally characterizes those rather self-involved dramas… it’s not deep, nor refined, in fact it’s kind of trashy at times. But you can still make a solid, buzzy rock ‘n’ roll album track out of trash.”
Release Date: May 4th (limited)
“Captain America: Civil War”
Synopsis: Political interference in the Avengers’ activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man.
What You Need To Know: Sure, it probably should just be called “Avengers 3” or whatever, but this latest from Marvel’s golden boys, the Russo Brothers, who’ve been given the keys to the actual Avengers kingdom and are no doubt in pre production stages for the two-part ‘Infinity War’ films coming in a few years, is garnering some of the strongest critical notices in this massive franchise’s still young existence. Our review from Russ Fischer had plenty of praise and some unavoidable comparisons to another massive comic book movie teamup: “Arriving so quickly on the heels of ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice‘, there’s a temptation to treat this Marvel sequel as a rebuttal to DC’s recent effort… However, the two films are couldn’t be more different in their perspectives and methods… As big as this movie is, ‘Captain America: Civil War” thrives on a smaller, human scale. Striking and consistently engaging, the Russos deftly craft compelling blockbuster entertainment out of a moral and emotional conflict, and that’s more impressive than any overblown display of loud and vulgar power.”
Release Date: May 6th
“The Lobster”
Synopsis: In a dystopian society, single people must find mates within 45 days or risk being transformed into animals.
What You Need To Know: The film of the month, by quite a margin. Oli Lyttelton wrote our official review out of Cannes last year for this latest, English language-debut, from brilliant Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (we named his 2010 masterpiece “Dogtooth” as the #2 best film of this decade so far). Oli liked it so much that he chose “The Lobster” as his #1 favorite film of 2015 on his personal list, where he gushed enthusiastically about the film’s myriad qualities: “All movies — all the good ones, anyway — are relationship movies. But there are relationship movies and Relationship Movies… no film this year, and maybe no film since ‘Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind,’ has dissected the whys and whats of being in a relationship, or not, on a macro level as well as ‘The Lobster.’” Dryly funny and wickedly smart, Lanthimos is a master at creating wholly original worlds using everyday, mundane materials. And his transition into English language filmmaking is a smooth one. I can’t wait to see it again myself and feel confident this will be a favorite at The Playlist by year’s end.
Release Date: May 13th (limited)
Erik- High-Rise, in my opinion, is probably better if you haven’t read the novel. There is so much substance to Ballard’s writing that while reading, one must thing (as I thought upon rereading), “[Ben] Wheatley is maybe the only one to correctly helm this adaptation.” So when I finally saw it, imagine my dismay. You’re 100% correct- it is a muddled, rushed mess. A pretty one, though- no?