This weekend, thrillers dominate the new releases coming to theaters near you. First up is the true-life-inspired drama, “Ford v Ferrari,” starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale as a motorsports duo who set their sights on winning the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans competition against all odds.
Remember the hit 1970s detective TV series, “Charlie’s Angels”? Well, its 2019 incarnation makes a big splash this weekend, starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska as a trio of private detectives.
Meanwhile, those looking for a mystery film can check out “The Good Liar,” in which Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren play a pair of elderly online daters.
Here’s what to see and what to skip this weekend:
Movies Out This Weekend
“Ford v Ferrari” — Christian Bale, Matt Damon; directed by James Mangold
From James Mangold, the director of “Walk the Line” and “Logan,” comes a true-life-inspired drama about two resolute men — the visionary American car designer Caroll Shelby and the lionhearted British driver Ken Miles — whose indomitable friendship changed the course of the motorsports racing history.
It is 1963, and Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts), president of Ford Motor Co., makes headway in his bid to acquire the famous Italian auto manufacturer Ferrari. But when Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone) sees a contractual clause stipulating that the Ferrari founder would be surrendering control of his product, Enzo withdraws from the negotiations. In turn, Henry wages war on Enzo, vowing that Ford is “gonna burry Ferrari at Le Mans.”
Enter Caroll Shelby (Matt Damon), winner of the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans — an annual event dubbed as the most difficult race in all of motorsports. However, due to a grave heart condition, the Texas native has altogether abandoned the racing world. Instead, he has long since re-invented himself as a successful car designer.
Eventually, Ford hires the gifted Shelby to design the ultimate race car, a driving machine that can potentially beat a supreme Ferrari on the unforgiving French race track. Soon, Shelby assembles his own crew of engineers and mechanics including his old pal, the fearless and eccentric test driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale).
Over the next couple of years, Shelby and Miles set their sights on the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans — but the road to victory will come at a steep price as the best pals try to pursue the next-to-impossible!
See it. The high-octane film has a resilient heart that beats as fast as 200 mph and an unshakable soul that revs up 7,000 rpms of pure entertainment delight.
Watch the trailer:
“Charlie’s Angels” — Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska; directed by Elizabeth Banks
Fans of the hit 1970s detective series, “Charlie’s Angels,” will recall that the TV show was about the crime fighting adventures of three gorgeous women working for a private detective agency called The Townsend Agency. The firm’s owner was a mysterious millionaire named Charlie — also known as Charles Townsend — who left the day-to-day operations to his right hand man, Bosley.
Like the TV series, the 2019 update comes with a plot that brings together three new young Angels. However, this time around, the story comes to life in writer-director Elizabeth Banks’s millennial version that has female empowerment written all over it.
Kristen Stewart plays the lead Angel, Sabina, a free-spirited New York heiress, whose impulsive nature irritates her fellow Angel Jane (Ella Balinska), who happens to be a former MI-6 agent. Luckily, their handler Bosley (Banks) makes sure that the two frenemies get along for the most part. Last but not least, wannabe Angel Elena (Naomi Scott), a computer hacker and a scientist, completes the crew.
So, what’s the Angels’ mission? To save a sustainable energy source from being stolen and weaponized by villainous miscreants.
See it. While the jokes land flat every now and then, the movie is still worthwhile.
Watch the trailer:
“The Good Liar” — Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen; directed by Bill Condon
Based on Nicholas Searle’s novel, Bill Condon’s latest thriller follows a consummate con man as he sets his sights on his latest unsuspecting mark.
In the film, Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren play a pair of elderly online daters, Roy and Betty, who, for their first date, meet in a London gastropub. Betty is cheerful and trusting, while Roy exudes confidence and suavity. Seemingly, both old-timers are nervous — but Roy is laying the groundwork to swindle the rich widow.
It will just be a matter of time before Roy and Betty begin to bond and gauge each other further, setting in motion a cat-and-mouse game that is full of surprises and a minefield of puzzling twists and turns.
In the end, will we be able to truly tell who the good liar is?
See it. Simply put, Mirren and McKellen are superb together!
Watch the trailer:
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