Upcoming Releases - May '11

Here is a selection of films due out in UK cinemas next month.


Water For Elephants - 4th May
Drama
120 mins
12A certificate
Main cast: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz
Director: Francis Lawrence

'Based on the acclaimed bestseller, Water For Elephants presents an unexpected romance in a uniquely compelling setting. Veterinary school student Jacob meets and falls in love with Marlena, a star performer in a circus of a bygone era. They discover beauty amidst the world of the Big Top, and come together through their compassion for a special elephant. Against all odds - including the wrath of Marlena's charismatic but dangerous husband, August - Jacob and Marlena find lifelong love.'

Official site: http://www.waterforelephants.com/


Tree of Life - 4th May
Drama | Fantasy
138 mins
TBC certificate
Main cast: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain
Director: Terrence Malick

'Tree of Life is a period piece centered around three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son of two characters (Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain) witnesses the loss of innocence.'

Official site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thetreeoflife/


Hanna - 6th May
Action | Crime | Mystery
111 mins
12A certificate
Main cast: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams
Director: Joe Wright

'Hanna (Ronan) is a teenage girl. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a solider; these come from being raised by her father (Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland. Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.'

Official site: http://hannathemovie.com/


Priest - 6th May
Action | Horror | Sci-Fi
87 mins
12A certificate
Main cast: Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Karl Urban, Maggie Q
Director: Scott Charles Stewart

'A western-fused post-apocalyptic thriller set in an alternate world ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest (Bettany) from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on an obsessive quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece's boyfriend (Gigandet), a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q) who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.'

Official site: http://priest-themovie.com/


Take Me Home Tonight - 13th May
Comedy | Drama
97 mins
15 certificate
Main cast: Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler
Director: Michael Dowse

'It's the late 1980s, when Wall Street is riding high, and it seems as if the entire country is cashing in on the bumper profits. Matt Franklin, a brilliant young MIT graduate, has walked out on his well-paid position at a local lab and taken a low-level job as a video clerk, much to his father Bill's consternation. His best buddy Barry has just gotten fired from his job, his brainy sister Wendy is getting hitched to her vapid boyfriend Kyle, and the gorgeous Tori Frederking, long-time object of Matt's unattainable adoration, is suddenly back in the picture. Now, on one wild, woolly and irresponsible evening, everything is coming to a head, with explosive results.'

Official site: http://www.iamrogue.com/takemehometonight


The Way - 13th May
Action | Adventure | Comedy
128 mins
12A certificate
Main cast: Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, James Nesbitt
Director: Emilio Estevez

'The Way is set along the thousand-year-old Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. It tells the moving story of Tom Avery, played by Sheen, an American father who travels to France to reclaim the body of his estranged son who died in a storm at the start of the famous route in the Pyrenees. Avery cremates his son's remains, placing them in his backpack, and starts off on the journey his son never made to Santiago.'

Official site: http://www.theway-themovie.com/


Attack the Block - 13th May
Action | Sci-Fi
88 mins
15 certificate
Main cast: Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway, John Boyega
Director: Joe Cornish

'Attack the Block is a fast, funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an alien invasion of savage alien monsters. It turns a London housing estate into a sci-fi playground, a tower block into a fortress under siege, and teenage street kids into heroes. It's inner city versus outer space.'

Official site: http://attacktheblock.com/


Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - 18th May
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
141 mins
TBC certificate
Main cast: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush
Director: Rob Marshall

'Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed adventure. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Cruz), he's not sure if it's love - or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the "Queen Anne's Revenge," the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past.'

Official site: http://www.disney.co.uk/pirates-of-the-caribbean/index.jsp


Win Win - 20th May
Comedy | Drama
106 mins
15 certificate
Main cast: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Tambor
Director: Thomas McCarthy

'Disheartened attorney Mike Flaherty (Giamatti), who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, stumbles across a star athlete through some questionable business dealings while trying to support his family. Just as it looks like he will get a double payday, the boy's mother shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything.'

Official site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/winwin/


The Hangover Part II - 26th May
Comedy
Running time and certificate: TBA
Main cast: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong
Director: Todd Phillips

'In the follow-up to the record-breaking hit comedy "The Hangover," Phil (Cooper), Stu (Helms), Alan (Galifianakis) and Doug (Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu's wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don't always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can't even be imagined.'

Official site: http://hangoverpart2.warnerbros.com/index.html



Information obtained from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, http://www.filmdates.co.uk/, and the films' official websites.