A manically fun animated feature, a quirky musical and a romantic comedy.
This post’s three selected films are the perfect encapsulation, old time ’80s blockbusters and arthouse indies aside, of my cinematic tastes and I am totally here for every single last one of them, especially given the stress of recent years when some bright, silly and lightly meaningful movie watching is just what the self-care doctor ordered.
Even better, they’re all coming our way fairly soon which means we don’t have long to wait to lose ourselves in all that escapist fun and hopefully emerge feeling just a little bit better about the world around us.
SNAPSHOT
“Long before he becomes the master of evil, Gru (Oscar® nominee Steve Carell) is just a 12-year-old boy in 1970s suburbia, plotting to take over the world from his basement. It’s not going particularly well. When Gru crosses paths with the Minions, including Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto—a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please—this unexpected family joins forces. Together, they build their first lair, design their first weapons, and strive to execute their first missions. When the infamous supervillain supergroup, the Vicious 6, oust their leader—legendary martial arts fighter Wild Knuckles (Oscar® winner Alan Arkin)— Gru, their most devoted fanboy, interviews to become their newest member. The Vicious 6 is not impressed by the diminutive, wannabe villain, but then Gru outsmarts (and enrages) them, and he suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. With Gru on the run, the Minions attempt to master the art of kung fu to help save him, and Gru discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.” (synopsis courtesy Bleeding Cool)
Minions; The Rise of Gru releases in Australia on 23 June and 1 July in USA and UK.
SNAPSHOT
“Making a promise to her sick mother, a pre-med student, has the summer of a lifetime in Rome, using her mom’s old journal as a guide as she slowly falls for the city’s charms, its people, and of course, the gelato. Love & Gelato is both written and directed by writer / filmmaker Brandon Camp, director of the films Love Happens and Benji previously, and creator of the “John Doe” TV series. It’s based on the best-selling novel, Love & Gelato written by Jenna Evans Welch. Produced by Viola Prestieri and Brandon Camp.” (synopsis courtesy First Showing)
Love & Gelato premieres on Netflix on 22 June.
SNAPSHOT
Two small time crooks, Mike (Flynn) and Troy (Poulter), are on a mission – the “score” – that they both expect will transform their circumstances. At a roadside café, as they wait for a rendezvous hand-over, Troy falls in love with the waitress, Gloria (Ackie), and begins to question his life choices… while the threat of real danger is driving to meet them soon. The Score is both written and directed by British filmmaker Malachi Smyth, making his feature directorial debut after one other short, and writing scripts for a few other films previously. It’s produced by Ben Pullen and Matthew James Wilkinson. This initially premiered at the 2021 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia last year. (courtesy First Showing)
The Score releases is currently available in the USA in cinema and digitally.