The Great Gatsby
Baz Luhrmann gives this Great American Novel a florid makeover, luxuriating in the flapper dresses and opulent decadence of the Jazz Age. Leonardo DiCaprio is the titular Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who pines for the beautiful, married socialite Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan). Amidst several other affairs and debauches, narrator Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) sees the American Dream fracture and break.
Mud
While exploring an island near their hometown, two teenage boys stumble upon a man calling himself Mud (Matthew McConaughey), the kind of dirt-encrusted vagrant your mother probably envisaged when she told you not to talk to strangers. But talk to Mud the boys do, and he spins them a tale about his romantic history, convincing them to help him reunite with his one-time love, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon).
Before Midnight
It’s been 18 years since Before Sunrisefirst introduced us to Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke), a pair of 20-somethings who serendipitously meet and spend an evening together. Nine years later came sequel Before Sunset, reuniting the couple when they’re older and more jaded. Fast-forward to now and Before Midnightsees Celine and Jesse married with kids, comparing their reality with their youthful dreaming.
The Hangover Part III
The ‘Wolfpack’ returns for another outing, except this time the guys are not actually hungover! Instead, it’s a crazed mobster (John Goodman) who’s giving the guys a headache, compelling them to track down drugged-up Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong).
What Maisie Knew
Taking its cue from Henry James’ late Victorian classic, this modern retelling sees the eponymous 6-year-old used as a pawn in the sparring between her self-involved parents (Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan). Shot from the perspective of Maisie, the film dramatizes how dysfunctional parents might appear to a child.
Pieta
Violence, redemption and revenge stalk this Golden Lion-winning Korean flick, which follows a brutal loan-shark enforcer who is reunited with a woman claiming to be his long-lost mother. A seed of humanity is gradually sown – though not before stomach-turning scenes of cannibalism, mutilation and incest.
We Steal Secrets
Documentary-maker Alex Gibney turns his camera on one of the most notable causes celebres of our time: the trial of US Army whistleblower Bradley Manning. But the details of this scandal are only one part of a broader story, one which explores the history of WikiLeaks and its polarizing founder, Julian Assange.
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