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PREVIEW OF UPCOMING FILMS IN SOUTH AFRICA
PLEASE NOTE: Information correct at time of going online. Release dates received from Nu Metro, Ster-Kinekor and UIP for films due for release in South Africa. Dates are subject to change. For information on cinemas where films are released, visit  www.numetro.co.za   www.sterkinekor.co.za   www.labia.co.za




Showing from March 5
ALICE IN WONDERLAND From Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton comes an epic 3D fantasy adventure, A magical and imaginative twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time. JOHNNY DEPP stars as the Mad Hatter and MIA WASIKOWSKA as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen's reign of terror.  The all-star cast also includes ANNE HATHAWAY, HELENA BONHAM CARTER and CRISPIN GLOVER. The screenplay is by Linda Woolverton.Capturing the wonder of Lewis Carroll's beloved "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1865) and "Through the Looking-Glass" (1871) with stunning, avant-garde visuals and the most charismatic characters in literary history, ALICE IN WONDERLAND comes to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D. Go behind the scenes
DAYBREAKERS Lionsgate takes vampires in a new direction with the futuristic sci-fi thriller.  The year is 2019. A mysterious plague has swept over the earth, transforming the majority of the world's population into vampires. Humans are now an endangered, second-class species - forced into hiding as they are hunted and farmed for vampire consumption to the brink of extinction. It's all up to Edward Dalton, a vampire researcher who refuses to feed on human blood, to perfect a blood substitute that might sustain vampires and spare the few remaining humans. But time and hope are running out - until Ed meets Audrey, a human survivor who leads him to a startling medical breakthrough. Armed with knowledge that both humans and vampires will kill for, Ed must battle his own kind in a deadly struggle that will decide the fate of the human race. Go behind the scenes
PRECIOUS Lee Daniels's "Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire" is a vibrant, honest and resoundingly hopeful film about the human capacity to grow and overcome. Set in Harlem in 1987, it is the story of Claireece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a sixteen-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. She's pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her mother (Mo'Nique), a poisonously angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is a place of chaos, and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write. Precious may sometimes be down, but she is never out. Beneath her impassive expression is a watchful, curious young woman with an inchoate but unshakeable sense that other possibilities exist for her. Threatened with expulsion, Precious is offered the chance to transfer to an alternative school, Each One/Teach One. Precious doesn't know the meaning of "alternative," but her instincts tell her this is the chance she has been waiting for. In the literacy workshop taught by the patient yet firm Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins a journey that will lead her from darkness, pain and powerlessness to light, love and self-determination. Go behind the scenes of Precious

Showing from March 12
NINE ***** In stark contrast to the traditional conventions of the musical genre, Rob Marshall refines his winning formula of Chicago; his innovative and daring fusion of an introspective journey where characters express themselves through music and movement, and an external journey that portrays a conflicted and mundane physical journey, offer a vibrant and fast-paced spectacle.  Marshall knows how to fully adapt his crafty and stylished approach on stage to that of film, allowing the story and characters to explode. Through Marshall's apt visual sense, the award-winning Broadway musical sensation inspired by the movies comes full circle back to the screen stirringly re-invented as the richly cinematic story of an artist's epic mid-life crisis.  Besides the visual impact it is incredibly sexy, seducing the senses with a rich tapestry of titillating routines that can melt an iceberg. Passion, fantasy, lust, love, art, style, delusions, dreams - life has always been a circus for world-famous 1960s movie director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) . . . only now he can't escape it in the vibrant and provocative dramatic musical. Renowned for his brilliant moviemaking and desired by many, Guido is about to kick off production on his highly anticipated ninth picture, ITALIA, when, suddenly, the bottom drops out of both his ample creative powers and his fervid love life, as they simultaneously unravel out of control.  Surrounded by a panorama of astonishing women--his tempting mistress Carla (Penelope Cruz), his devoted wife Luisa (Marion Cotillard), his muse Claudia (Nicole Kidman), his costume designer and confidante Lilli (Judi Dench), a flirty journalist from Vogue (Kate Hudson), an instructive prostitute from his childhood (Stacy Ferguson) and his beloved Mamma (Sophia Loren) - Guido searches for inspiration and possible salvation amid the free fall.  Based on the Tony Award winning Broadway musical NINE, with book by Arthur L. Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and adaptation from the Italian by Mario Fratti, the film is written by Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella.  Go behind the scenes of Nine
EVERYBODY'S FINE ***** This heartfelt dramatic comedy presents a family picture that is all too common in our modern world. Parents and siblings living hundreds of miles apart, too distracted with the stress of modern life to find time to call each other and too preoccupied with their own family and friends to find time to visit home. Frank Goode (Academy Award-winner Robert De Niro) has spent his adult life working in a local wire factory earning every dollar he can to support his family. Recently retired, he realizes that over the years he has spent too little time with his four children and that it's time to reconnect. Frank travels to see his son David 'the artist' in New York, his daughter who is 'high up in advertising' in Chicago, his son Robert 'the orchestral conductor' in Denver and finally Rosie his youngest who is a 'dancer in a Vegas show' but before long it becomes clear to Frank that his children are not quite as happy or successful as his wife had always reported. Returning home from a journey that ends with the revelation of a family tragedy, Frank has the insight and confidence to report to his wife that despite everything "everybody's fine." Based on 'Stanno Tutti Bene' originally written and directed in the Italian language by Academy Award  winner Giuseppe Tornatore in 1990, "the film was written and directed by Kirk Jones ("Waking Ned Devine," "Nanny McPhee") based on the original film and is produced by Gianni Nunnari, Ted Field, Vittorio Cecchi Gori and Glynis Murray.  Go behind the scenes of Everybody's Fine
SHUTTER ISLAND From Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese, and based on the best-selling thriller by Dennis Lehane, comes Shutter Island, a tale of haunting mystery and psychological suspense that unfolds entirely on a fortress-like island housing a hospital for the criminally insane.  The year is 1954, at the height of the Cold War, when U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are summoned to Shutter Island to investigate the implausible disappearance of a brilliant multiple murderess from a locked room within the impenetrable Ashecliffe Hospital.  Surrounded by probing psychiatrists and dangerously psychopathic patients on the remote, windswept isle, they arrive into an eerie, volatile atmosphere that suggests nothing is quite what it seems. 
With a hurricane bearing down on them, the investigation moves rapidly.  Yet, as the storm escalates, the suspicions and mysteries multiply each more thrilling and terrifying than the next.  There are hints and rumors of dark conspiracies, sordid medical experiments, repressive mind control, secret wards, perhaps even a hint of the supernatural, but elusive proof.  Moving in the shadows of a hospital haunted by the terrible deeds of its slippery inhabitants and the unknown agendas of its equally ingenious doctors, Teddy begins to sense that the deeper he pursues the investigation the more he will be forced to confront some of his most profound and devastating fears.  And he realizes that he may never leave the island alive.  Go behind the scenes of Shutter Island
REMEMBER ME In the romantic drama "Remember Me," Robert Pattinson plays Tyler, a rebellious young man in New York City who has a strained relationship with his father (Pierce Brosnan) ever since tragedy separated their family. A moving love story about redemption, discovery and the value of life, REMEMBER ME is the tale of ordinary people learning to live again after suffering extraordinary loss. Years after college student TYLER ROTH's brother killed himself, Tyler still doesn't know where to put his pain. He's a good guy, but during a night out on the town, he confesses to a misdemeanour he didn't commit and gets in trouble with a heavy-handed cop. In a light-hearted game of payback, Tyler flirts with the cop's attractive daughter, ALLY, not realizing they share unexpected common ground. When Ally reveals that her mother was brutally murdered, Tyler sees how deeply he has buried his own private grief. He and Ally fall in love, enabling them to take the first tentative steps out of their anguish. Their biggest obstacle is the truth: Tyler knows he has to admit to Ally why he first asked her out--and risk losing her.Tyler discovers that grief doesn't have to poison everything. Loss can be overcome, together. Energized by the possibility of a life with Ally and eager to start fresh with his family, Tyler can feel all the rifts and scars beginning to heal. Life is good. He doesn't know--and neither does she--that one final test still lies before them. Infused with humor and romance, REMEMBER ME tells an unforgettable story about two wounded people brave enough to try again. Its emotionally stirring ending reminds us just how important it is to grab hold of what's important, to love passionately--and live loudly--every day of one's life.. Go behind the scenes of Remember Me
THE BOX Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger, delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. But, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world; someone they don't know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity. Directed by Richard Kelly, with Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella Go behind the scenes of The Box
SIMON BOCCANEGRA Four decades into a legendary Met career, tenor Plácido Domingo makes history singing the title role in Verdi's gripping political thriller, which is written for a baritone. Adrianne Pieczonka, Marcello Giordani, and James Morris are his co-stars in this moving and tragic story of a father and his lost daughter. James Levine conducts.Production: Giancarlo del Monaco; Adrianne Pieczonka, Marcello Giordani, Plácido Domingo, James Morris. Expected Running time: 3 hours, 40 minutes, 2 intermissions

Showing from March 19
SAW VI *** Die-hard fans will be able to slowly unravel the puzzle and take a journey into the warped mind of a serial killer who is trapped like an animal and needs to escape the web of his own killing spree. Yes it is bloody and has all the required twists. than the Saw VI concludes the second trilogy of the series that focused on the posthumous effects of the Jigsaw Killer and the progression of his successor, Mark Hoffman. In the film, Hoffman sets up a new trap for an insurance executive while the FBI trails the last living Jigsaw accomplice suspect, Peter Strahm. The film's plot has a heavy emphasis on the present day economic struggle of the government attempting to regulate healthcare in the United States.Kevin Greutert, who served as the editor for all the previous Saw, made his directorial debut with Saw VI. Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, the writers for both Saw IV and V, returned to write the film. Charlie Clouser, who provided the score for all previous Saw films, also returned to compose the score for the film. It stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor and Betsy Russell.
THE BLIND SIDE The remarkable true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by a well-to-do white family who help him fulfil his potential.  At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome.  As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.  He is projected to be one of the first players taken in this year's NFL draft
THE TOOTH FAIRY Dwayne Johnson is "The Tooth Fairy," also known as Derek Thompson, a hard-charging minor league hockey player whose nickname comes from his habit of separating opposing players from their bicuspids.   When Derek discourages a youngster's dreams, he's sentenced to one week's hard labour as a real tooth fairy, complete with the requisite tutu, wings and magic wand.  At first, Derek "can't handle the tooth" - bumbling and stumbling as he tries to furtively wing his way through strangers' homes…doing what tooth fairies do.  But as Derek slowly adapts to his new position, he begins to rediscover his own forgotten dreams.
SPREAD A fresh, funny, and racy look at the trials and tribulations of sleeping your way to a life of privilege in Los Angeles. Comic and karmic, the film is an "immorality tale" about a gorgeous guy who gives women what they want in order to live exactly as he likes. In "Spread," Nikki (Ashton Kutcher) isn't a gigolo. He's a sexual grifter, a fun-loving, freeloading hipster who understands his greatest assets are his looks and sexual prowess, which he uses to charm his way into the hearts of the city's richest women and enjoy their lifestyle. Nikki's latest conquest is Samantha (Anne Heche), a stunning middle-aged lawyer who gives him more than he's ever had before. But then he meets a gorgeous waitress his own age named Heather (Margarita Levieva). who lives by playing the same game.  Sexually charged by a game of one-upsmanship, each shows the other their best grifts, and they unexpectedly begin falling in love - the one thing they can't do in the life they lead. Soon, the truth of their unfolding relationship forces a choice between love and money, and Nikki has to decide whether he can live on his own once and for all in the hopes of finding something real.
THE HURT LOCKER If war is hell, why do so many men choose to fight?  In an age when armies consist not of draftees but of volunteers, and men willingly thrust themselves into military action, sometimes the rush of battle is a potent and alluring attraction, even an addiction.  This is an intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat.  When a new sergeant, James (Jeremy Renner), takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge (Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty), by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat.  James behaves as if he's indifferent to death.  As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James' true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.  

Showing from March 26
ARMORED *** Crime thriller film directed by Nimród Antal, written by first-time screenwriter James V. Simpson, and starring Matt Dillon, Jean Reno and Laurence Fishburne. A crew of officers at an armored transport security firm risk their lives when they embark on the ultimate heist….against their own company. Armed with a seemingly fool-proof plan, the men plan on making off with a fortune with harm to none. But when an unexpected witness interferes, the plan quickly unravels and all bets are off.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON From the studio that brought you "Shrek," "Madagascar" and "Kung Fu Panda" comes "How To Train Your Dragon" -- an adventure comedy set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons, based on the book by Cressida Cowell. The story centers around a Viking teenager, who lives on the island of Berk, where fighting dragons is a way of life. Initiation is coming, and this is his one chance to prove his worthiness to his tribe and father. But when he encounters, and ultimately befriends, an injured dragon, his world is turned upside down.
DON QUIXOTE The most well-known and resilient adaptation of Don Quixote is that of Russian choreographer, Marius Petipa, that first premiered in 1869. Alexander Gorsky revitalized the work in a 1902 performance including the famous Anna Pavlova, who danced the role of the street dancer and eventually was responsible for bringing the piece to the West in 1924. The ballet became a staple of the Moscow Bolshoi Ballet and Leningrad Kirov Ballet's repertoire and was regularly modified as it was restaged. Don Quixote is a ballet known for its colorful characters that portray their personalities and emotions through distinct choreography. Petipa's version of Don Quixote, to the music of Minkus, is the standard ballet version of the tale and features the popular virtuoso pas de deux that has been performed countless times as a concert piece. 'This Kirov production of Don Quixote always gives me infinite pleasure. I enjoy every time the play performed in front of the Don by the Vaganova Academy students before the windmill scene. The students were also delightful as the twelve cupids framing the corps de ballet in the dream scene.' Ballet Magazine. 'Sarafanov was technically invincible from start to finish, and strongly partnered Novikova. He is without doubt one of the most brilliant male virtuosos in the world now. Sarafanov was breathtaking in his impeccable series of double tours en l'air alternating with multiple pirouettes in the grand pas de deux, and his grands jetes en manege.' Ballet Magazine
THE LAST STATION ***** Written and directed by Michael Hoffman (A Midsummer Night's Dream, One Fine Day, Soapdish, Restoration), this engrossing new film recounts the drama of the final year in the life of the great Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy. It is a true story that covers the eternal themes of passion, love, family, greed, intrigue, conflict and revolution. It focuses on two contrasting love stories - the extraordinary relationship between Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) and his wife of 48 years, the immensely impassioned Sofya (Helen Mirren), and the burgeoning love between Valentin (James McAvoy), Tolstoy's idealistic young private secretary, and Masha (Kerry Condon), a teacher equally committed to the writer's values. At the same time, the film shows that Sofya is engaged in a ferocious battle for her husband's soul. She believes that Tolstoy's wealth should be left to the family. She is fighting tooth and nail against Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), the zealous keeper of the Tolstoyan flame, who is adamant that the writers' fortune should be bequeathed to the Russian people. All these elements come together in a gripping climax as Tolstoy nears the end of his life at a remote little railway station in the Russian countryside.  The film is adapted from the best-selling novel by Jay Parini, who drew on the diary entries of Tolstoy's closest relatives and friends.
THE TOURNAMENT Every seven years a tournament takes place in an unsuspecting town where 30 of the world's deadliest killers battle to see who is best and for the ten million dollar cash prize. Returning champion Joshau Harlow (Ving Rhames) is back because he has been informed that one of this year's contestants is responsible for the death of his wife. Each contestant has a tracking marker surgically implanted inside them so that they (and the viewers) can track their opponents. A parkour style assassin (Sebastien Foucan from Casino Royale) cuts out his tracker and ditches it in a cup of coffee which is then drunk and swallowed by alcoholic Father Joseph Macavoy (Robert Carlyle). Chinese assassin Lai Lai Zen (Kelly Hu) realizes quickly that Joseph Macavoy is not a player and decides to keep him alive.

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