Films released on February 2, 2024, brought a captivating blend of storytelling and cinematic excellence to the silver screen.
ARGYLLE
Universal Pictures
Released Friday 2 February
Synopsis: Reclusive author Elly Conway writes best-selling espionage novels about a secret agent named Argylle who’s on a mission to unravel a global spy syndicate. However, when the plots of her books start to mirror the covert actions of a real-life spy organization, the line between fiction and reality begin to blur.
Cast: Sofia Boutella, Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ariana DeBose
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Cert: 12A
MIGRATION
Universal Pictures
Released Friday 2 February
Synopsis: A family of ducks decides to leave the safety of a New England pond for an adventurous trip to Jamaica. However, their well-laid plans quickly go awry when they get lost and wind up in New York City. The experience soon inspires them to expand their horizons, open themselves up to new friends, and accomplish more than they ever thought possible.
Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Keegan-Michael Key, Awkwafina, and Danny DeVito
Director: Benjamin Renner
Cert: U
Also released this week:
AMERICAN FICTION
Curzon
Release date: Friday 2 February | Cert: 15
FAB UK Review:
Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison (Oscar nominated Jeffrey Wright) is an unfulfilled book author who is barely making a living until he writes a book that’s just plain incomprehensible and which mocks literary cliches from black writers. This new book that he has written makes him more popular than ever. yes, it’s a work of fiction, in a new film appropriately titled ‘American Fiction.’
What triggered this? You see Monk attends a book event where popular and best selling author Sinitra Golden (Issa Rae) discusses her latest book – it’s a runaway hit! So Monk gets the idea to write F*ck – his publisher raves about it but Monk hates what’s he’s written – it’s not him and it is not his style – he wrote it as a joke. Nonetheless the book is a runaway hit (Monk uses a fake name as the author). Meanwhile Monk is dealing with a mother who is not very well and he tries sharing caring duties (and costs) with his sister (Tracie Ellis Ross). Meanwhile his brother Clifford (a fantastic Sterling K. Brown in aN Oscar-nominated role) is newly out of the closet and enjoying (perhaps too much) the gay lifestyle…..while Monk can’t seem to deal with a new relationship that he has developed with a neighbor across the street from his mother’s house. It’s all a lot of drama in a film that is all about the acting. Written and directed by newcomer Cord Jefferson, ‘American Fiction’ is funny and dramatic but leaves you feeling a bit empty, kind of like a long book you’ve read that you really didn’t enjoy.