What to See This Week (05/20/22)
Downtown Abbey: A New Era
IN the latest chapter of Downton Abbey, the Crawley family goes on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess’s newly inherited villa. Directed by Simon Curtis, the film stars original cast members Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, and Penelope Wilton. Joining them are new cast members Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye and Dominic West. The Wrap’s Nicholas Barber writes, “Fans of the television series may not care. The director, Simon Curtis (who is coincidentally married to McGovern) ensures that they get what they want, e.g., enviable tailoring, swirling orchestral music, whooshing drone shots of the Granthams’ honey-colored home, and a comforting, relentlessly nice atmosphere in which every crisis can be sorted out in minutes, and every unattached person has a soulmate waiting for them. But it was disingenuous of the filmmakers to use the phrase ‘A New Era,’ because the film relies wholly on its viewers’ affection for characters and situations they have seen many times before. Anyone who isn’t a diehard Downton Abbey devotee will wish they were watching The Gambler instead.” Review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer gives the film a score of 77%. The film is showing in select Ayala Malls Cinemas.
MTRCB Rating: PG
Memory
WHEN expert assassin Alex (Liam Neeson) refuses to complete a job for a dangerous criminal organization, he becomes a target. FBI agents and Mexican intelligence are brought in to investigate the trail of bodies, leading them closer to him. Alex has the skills to stay ahead of his pursuers, except for one thing: he is struggling with severe memory loss, affecting his every move. Directed by Martin Campbell, the film also stars Guy Pearce, Monica Belluci, Harold Torres, Taj Atwal, and Ray Fearon. The Washington Post’s Michael O’Sullivan writes, “Memory is by no means a deep film. But there’s something here that lends the familiar proceedings a bittersweet aftertaste that lingers in the mind. That’s the film’s mix of moral ambiguity and the regret of someone for whom it’s too late to undo the past, but not perhaps to rectify the present, even when the law can’t.” Review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer gives the film a score of 30% while the audience score is 82%.
MTRCB Rating: R-13
Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon
THE STORY follows a young girl and her Spirit Guides, Dillo, a cute and humorous armadillo, and Vaca, a goofy oversized tapir, who work to save their home in the Amazon rainforest. Directed by José Zelada and Richard Claus, the animated film features the voices of Lola Raie, Bernardo De Paula, Naomi Serrano, Alejandra Gollas, Joe Hernandez, and Dino Andrade. The Guardian’s Cath Clarke writes, “A family animation from Peru that spins a magical tale in the Amazon with a cast of mythological creatures from rainforest legend — and importantly, it’s told from the perspective of indigenous characters.” Review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an audience score of 82%.
MTRCB Rating: G
