MEAN GIRLS
Paramount Pictures
Released Wednesday 17 January
Synopsis: New student Cady Heron gets welcomed into the top of the social food chain by an elite group of popular girls called the Plastics, ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George. However, when Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend, she soon finds herself caught in their crosshairs.
Cast: Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp
Directors: Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr
Cert: 12A
FAB UK review:
All the hype is true – #Mean Girls is a #fetch and fun movie!
Exactly 20 years after the Tina Fey / Amy Poehler / Lindsay Lohan smash hit about naïve teenage girl Cady Heron (Lohan) navigating her way through the social hierarchy of a modern American high school after years of homeschooling by her mom in Africa and trying so hard to fit into her new school. The original took place before Facebook and Instagram were invented so this new version is modernised with lots of emojis and hashtags to fill everyones social media feed. Did I mention it’s fun fun fun? Angourie Rice is fantastic as the new girl (Cady) at school who befriends two ‘alternative’ students – Auli’i Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey. They advise her to work her way into Regina George’s (Renee Rapp) circle of friends, and once she does, it’s more than just trying to be accepted by them, she has bigger ambitions (one including getting a hot guy in class to pay attention to her). Winningly we get Fey back in the role of a teacher and luckily Lohan back as well! Unfortunately Poehler is nowhere to be seen.
There are dozens of laugh out loud moments and a couple cringey moments (a horny male teacher is just weird). But it’s all good fun, set to some catchy and fun music, with a great message at the end that we should all follow. Let’s hope another 20 years doesn’t go by for the next one – but there is a stage show touring about later this year if you haven’t had enough.
THE HOLDOVERS
Universal Pictures
Released Friday 19 January
Synopsis: A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school’s head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War.
Cast: Paul Giamatti
Director: Alexander Payne
Cert: 15
FAB UK review:
‘The Holdovers ‘ is a typical Alexander Payne film – slow at the start, builds up slowly with small bits of tension and drama, and great performances and a message at the end.
But it’s the performances that really stand out. Paul Giamatti is fantastic (and after a stellar career now winning awards and may in March finally get an Oscar) as the patient and not so ‘patient‘ teacher who is tasked with ‘taking care’ of the freshmen who have nowhere to go over Xmas break. He bonds with Angus (Dominic Sessa) and they literally go on a journey together, getting to know, understand and tolerate each other (the message). Oscar and BAFTA nominated Da’Vine Joy Randoplh is very good as the cook who’s tasked with feeding the holdovers (as they’re called). ‘The Holdovers’ is a quiet and simple film that leaves you with an big impression and a Giammati performance that will enthrall you.
Also released this week:
THE CIVIL DEAD
Bulldog Film Distribution
Release date: Friday 19 January | Cert: TBC