Preview This! "Burnt"

Opening this week at a theatre near you:

"Burnt"  (2015)

Adam (Bradley Cooper) was an up-and-coming chef who flamed out due to his drug use and his arrogant behavior which caused him to lose his prized possession, his restaurant.  He now is trying to put his life back together, and, maybe, if everything goes well, he can open another restaurant. "Burnt" Website

What to Watch For:  The cast includes Sienna Miller, Daniel Bruhl, Omar Sy, Emma Thompson, and Uma Thurman.

Word on the Street:  Foodies are going to want to see this film as it gives an inside look at a restaurant kitchen.

My Take:  The script is written by Steven Knight who wrote one of my favorite films of the past few years, "Locke" (2013).

"Our Brand is Crisis"  (2015)

Jane (Sandra Bullock) is one of America's premiere campaign managers. She is sent to South America to help get a new leader  (Joaquim de Almeida) elected. Her problem is the candidate is behind in the polls, and her rival (Billy Bob Thornton) is the manager of the opposition. "Our Brand is Crisis" Website

What to Watch For: The film is a fictionalized account based on the 2005 documentary of the same name.

Word on the Street:  Sandra Bullock felt so strongly about this film that this is the first film she has produced since 2005.

My Take:  I'll take a Sandra Bullock film any day.

"Room"  (2015)

At age 15 Joy (Brie Larson) was kidnapped by Old Nick (Sean Bridges) and placed in a shed in his backyard.   Seven years later Joy and her five-year-old son, Jack (Jacob Tremblay), haven't seen the outside other than the small skylight in the ceiling. Joy has a plan to get her son out, but it may kill her. "Room" Website

What to Watch For:  The film is based on the bestselling book of the same name. The author, Emma Donoghue, says the story was not based on any specific real-life case.

Word on the Street:  Film critics are already talking that this could be an Academy Award role for both Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay.

My Take:  I have loved Brie Larson since I saw her back in 2013 in "The Spectacular Now" and "Short Term 12."

"Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse"  (2015)

On the eve of their last campout, three scouts (Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan) band together to fight a zombie invasion of their town. "Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse" Website

What to Watch For:  The director of the film, Christopher Landon, certainly knows his horror films as he wrote the last three "Paranormal Activity" films and the 2007 film "Disturbia."

Word on the Street:  Some fans are upset that the film was given an R rating, meaning that teens under 17 can't see this film without an adult.

My Take:  Looks like a fun film that I hope follows the horror/comedy tradition of such films as "Tucker and Dale vs. Evil" (2010) and "Cabin in the Woods" (2012).

"Truth"  (2015)

In 2004 then-President George W. Bush was in the middle of a  tight re-election campaign.  Producer of the "Sixty Minutes 2," Mary Mapes (Cate Blanchett) gets information, including some damning documents that Bush might have gone AWOL during his time in the National Guard. After the program detailing the AWOL airs, Mary and CBS network star Dan Rather (Robert Redford) come under fire for possibly forged documents that they used in their program. "Truth" Info

What to Watch For:  The film is based on Mapes' memoir "Truth and Duty: The Press, the President and the Privilege of Power."

Word on the Street:  The film has been in development since 2007 and didn't get going until Robert Redford came on board.

My Take:  Anytime Blanchett is on screen, there is a possibility of an Oscar-winning performance.

Note: CW Atlanta - WUPA-TV is owned and operated by CBS, Inc.

"Peace Officer"  (2014)

This is a documentary film about police militarization in the United States. "Peace Officer" Info

What to Watch For:  The film won the Documentary Feature Competition Grand Jury Prize at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival.

Word on the Street:  Audiences at film festivals have been moved by this hard-hitting and touching film.

My Take: I missed this film at the SXSW Film Festival, so I will be sure to catch it when it plays here.

If you can't get to the movie theatre this weekend, then stay at home and watch movies on Atlanta's CW.

Sunday

1:00 pm

"The Object of My Affection"  (1981)  George (Paul Rudd) and Nina (Jennifer Aniston) seem like the perfect couple in their Brooklyn apartment. One problem: George is gay.  Things get complicated when Nina gets pregnant. Her boyfriend (John Pankow) wants to get married, but Nina isn't going for that. Can George and Nina's friendship survive a baby?

3:00 pm

"Happy Birthday to Me"  (1981)  Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson)  has returned to a private school after surviving a deadly accident and regenerative brain surgery.  Virginia suffers from memory loss, and, after a series of brutal murders of her friends, Virginia tries to put together what happened the night of her accident.