The best films to see in Beijing's cinemas this November
Image: courtesy Medusa Film
This month, more Hollywood blockbusters make their way to Chinese cinemas. Here are our picks of the best ongoing and upcoming releases in November.
Frozen II
Video: Via QQ
Six years after the hugely popular Frozen, the sequel sees Elsa (voiced by Kristen Bell) and company travelling beyond their homeland into the ancient forest of a magical land to discover the origins of Elsa's power in order to save the kingdom.
📍On general release Fri 22.
The Farewell
Video: Via QQ
Based on the personal story of the writer and director Lulu Wang, this bittersweet and maturely witty family drama tells the story of Billi (played by the amazing Awkwafina), a young American-born Chinese whose family decides not to tell her grandmother that she has cancer. Poignant and sometimes funny, the film brilliantly captures cultural differences between the East and the West. Read the full Time Out review here.
📍On general release Fri 22.
The Legend of 1900
Image: courtesy Medusa Film
Enjoy a 4K restoration of Tornatore's classic on the big screen more than 20 years after its initial release. 1900 is the story of an orphan, left on a ship as a baby, who was eventually forced to learn how to survive on his own when his adopted father passed away and ends up displaying musical talent like no other. Tim Roth stars as the protagonist in this award-winning film that has scooped up 21 awards including the Golden Globes award for Original Score and other awards for its Director, Production Design and more.
📍On general release Fri 15.
They Shall Not Grow Old
Image: courtesy House Productions
A documentary about the First World War directed by Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit), They Shall Not Grow Old shows real footage provided by the Imperial War Museum, most of which has never been shown before to the public. For the film, which was first released last year to commemorate the war's centenary, Jackson restored and colourised footage of Tommies in the trenches, presenting it in 3D and augmenting it with audio gleaned from 600 hours of archival interviews with veterans.
📍On general release Mon 11.
Midway
Image: courtesy AGC Studios
Based on the story as told by the people who were involved in the Battle of Midway, a turning point during the Second World War and starring Woody Harrelson and Patrick Wilson, the film restores the June 1942 battle through the eyes of a few soldiers and pilots.
📍On general release Fri 8.
Charlie's Angels
Image: courtesy Columbia Pictures
The 1976 television series has been made into two popular action flicks bearing the same title released in 2000 and 2003 respectively. The 2019 iteration (produced and directed by Elizabeth Banks) sees the female ensemble (Naomi Scott, Kristen Stewart and Ella Balinska) parachuting, car-racing and gun-fighting against the bad guy, this time someone who possesses a very dangerous technology.
📍On general release Fri 15.
Terminator: Dark Fate
Video: via QQ
With James Cameron (Avatar) and Tim Miller (Deadpool) as producer and director respectively and the comeback of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the original Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), Dark Fate continues the story by following Sarah Connor’s new mission to protect a young girl from a new kind of liquid Terminator. Read the full Time Out review here.
📍On general release.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Image: courtesy Walt Disney Pictures
Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) and soon-to-be-queen Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning) have to join forces despite their complicated past in order to fight against a new villain and protect their kingdom and the magical creatures inside it. Read the full Time Out review here.
📍On general release.
Gemini Man
Image: courtesy Heyday Films
Gemini Man, directed by Ang Lee, is an American action-thriller starring Will Smith, Clive Owen, Elizabeth Winstead and Benedict Wong. Will Smith acts as Henry Brogan, a retired hitman working for the government. Henry finds out that he is being pursued by another hitman who seems to know him very well, and later discovers that the hitman is actually a younger clone of himself. Read the full Time Out review here.
📍On general release.
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