As Turkey still refuses to accept the Armenian Genocide happened – even though a full century has passed and historians have almost universally agreed it did take place – they’re probably not going to be happy with The Promise. However, the film isn’t just about the genocide, as it also takes in the fact the Ottoman Empire is in its last days, and throws in a love triangle too.
Here’s the synopsis: ‘It is 1914. As the Great War looms, the vast Ottoman Empire is crumbling. Constantinople (Istanbul), its once vibrant, multicultural capital is about to be consumed by chaos. Michael Boghosian (Oscar Isaac), arrives in the cosmopolitan hub as a medical student determined to bring modern medicine back to Siroun, his ancestral village in Southern Turkey where Turkish Muslims and Armenian Christians have lived side by side for centuries. Photo-journalist Chris Myers (Christian Bale), has come here only partly to cover geo-politics. He is mesmerized by his love for Ana (Charlotte le Bon), an Armenian artist he has accompanied from Paris after the sudden death of her father. When Michael meets Ana, their shared Armenian heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between the two men even as Michael hangs on to a promise from his past. After the Turks join the war on the German side, the Empire turns violently against its own ethnic minorities. Despite their conflicts, everyone must find a way to survive — even as monumental events envelope their lives.’
While it had been expected the film would get an Oscar qualifying release in the US at the end of last year, it’ll no be arriving in both the UK and US in April. Take a look at the new trailer below. [Read more…]
As well as all sorts of live-action reimaginings of its animated classics as live-action movies, Disney is also in the process of bringing one of its greatest live-action films back to the big screen with a sequel to Mary Poppins. That follow-up, Mary Poppins Returns, is now filming, and the first image of Emily Blunt taking on the role made famous by Julie Andrews has been released.
At one point it seemed like audiences were happy to see anything with Tom Cruise in it, but in recent years the only surefire hits he’s had are with the Mission: Impossible franchise. A couple of films ago, he was supposedly leaving the series behind, but then decided to stick around when several of his others films bombed, but people still couldn’t get enough of him as Ethan Hunt.
With Marvel, Pixar, its animated films and its live-action versions of classic animations, Disney has had huge amounts of success in the past few years. It’s also had some bombs, where films were hyped to the hilt and then underperformed at the box office. That includes John Carter, The Lone Ranger and Tron: Legacy.
I’m still not sure why the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie is called Dead Men Tell No Tales in the US, but in the UK it’s Salazar’s Revenge. Now a new trailer has arrived, which tells us more about the plot than anything we’ve seen before, and exactly why Javier Bardem’s Salazar is after revenge – which involves a very youthful Jack Sparrow.
CHIPS may be fondly remembered in the US, but it never had the same impact over here in the UK. However, Warner Bros. must feel there’s enough life in the franchise, as they’ve decided to take the 1970s Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox TV show, and turn it into a movie.
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