Pieces of a Woman

From IMDb: A grieving woman embarks on an emotional journey after the loss of her baby. Released January 2021

Matt: Well this just gave me goosebumps. Absolutely right up my street, and judging from this trailer I’m surprised there isn’t more awards talk beyond Vanessa Kirby (albeit thoroughly deserved, no doubt), but I would genuinely love to see this grow into a much bigger contender. Shia LaBeouf did some amazing work last year with Honey Boy and The Peanut Putter Falcon and I’m always excited to see what he does next. And Ellen Burstyn is something of a scene-stealer so I can’t wait to see what curveball she throws at us here!

Clare: So I am not going to watch this trailer – I’m really interested in the film which has mostly positive reviews from the festival circuit, but anyone who has seen it has posted not to watch the trailer as it’s best to go in cold. I’m guessing Netflix have done the usual thing of giving away the whole film. Excited to finally watch it in January though!

Mary: I have heard about how good Vanessa Kirby is in this and she really does look electrifying. This looks like such a personal film and such a heartbreaking subject. I think this will be fantastic.

Sarah: Well this looks absolutely heartbreaking. Vanessa Kirby looks like she’s putting in a fantastic performance, although I hope we see a little more of Shia in the film than we do in the trailer. As Clare has said, I’m also worried the trailer has pretty much given away most of the film. Will have to get the tissues ready for this one.

Tom & Jerry

From IMDb: Adaption of the classic Hanna-Barbera property, which reveals how Tom and Jerry first meet and form their rivalry. Released March 2021

Mary: What in the actual hell is this!!! No, absolutely not, I would prefer to remember this classic duo as they should be remembered.I feel embarrassed for the actors 

Matt: I’ll put it out there and say I really like the blend of live-action and 2D (3D?) animation, and seeing the cartoon slapstick integrated into the real-world environments… But everything else is completely wrong. Perhaps worst of all is the desperate attempt to modernise when in fact Tom & Jerry works *because* of it’s timelessness. This will flop.

Sarah: I agree with Matt on the blend of animation and live-action, it actually looks pretty impressively done and seems to mix well. But that is the only good thing I can say about it. The rest looks so cringeworthy, I’d be embarrassed to watch it.

Matt: You really can’t win with something like this. Do you go full animation with it? But then you only have to watch some of the more recent Tom & Jerry cartoons and movies to know what a bad idea that would be. Do you go for more realistic looking characters that are integrated into the real world, and face the kind of backlash that Sonic the Hedgehog received? Or do you go down the Who Framed Roger Rabbit route and mix 2D animation with the real world? Well, they’ve gone for the latter option, but to be honest, they really should have just left these classic characters well alone and not bothered trying to bring them back at all. I’ve just watched this trailer for a second time, having slept on my first viewing, and it’s not actually as bad as I first thought. I love Tom & Jerry, but this does still look like a very, very bad idea

Clare: I’m going to be nice and say that if I was 10, I would probably have been very up for this. I was a big Tom & Jerry fan in primary school. As everyone has already said, the animation is actually really well done, but it’s the acting from the human cast that has me starting to cringe, and I also wonder how this could stretch to a feature-length piece. But, I do think it could find an audience.

Chaos Walking

From IMDb: A dystopian world where there are no women and all living creatures can hear each others’ thoughts in a stream of images, words, and sounds called Noise. Released January 2021

Sarah: This is probably one of the best trailers I’ve seen in a long time! I’m not the biggest fan of Daisy Ridley but I will quite happily watch anything with Mads Mikkelsen in. Looks quite interesting and action-packed. I was worried that the plot sounded rather familiar, until I realised I’d read the book this is based on 

Clare: I have to say, this didn’t do anything for me. I didn’t think it was bad in any way, I just have no interest? It’s the kind of film I would probably end up seeing at the cinema on a quiet weekend. If it goes straight to VOD? I might skip it.

Lee: I’m not quite sure what’s going on in this and it seems quite a strange concept, but it’s certainly one of the most interesting trailers I’ve seen for a while. I have faith in everyone involved in this though, in front of the camera and behind it, so I am excited and hopeful.

Matt: So Children of Men meets Bird Box, basically? I’m also a bit confused, not that it looks bad though! I reckon it’s probably one of those allegorical concepts that works better in a novel than it does being depicted literally, but I can’t say it’s not got me intrigued.

Mary: This is based on a trilogy by Patrick Ness which I’d like to read, I had no idea a film was in the works. The premise is interesting and the cast is great, I hope they pull it off 🤞

Godmothered

From IMDb: A young and unskilled fairy godmother that ventures out on her own to prove her worth by tracking down a young girl whose request for help was ignored. Coming to Disney+ 4 December 2020

Sarah: Urgh this made me cringe so much. I love Disney but this just seems far too similar to Enchanted, but nowhere near as magical and sweet. Call me cynical but I really don’t have any interest in watching this.

Mary: I’m making room for this one, I was so impressed with Jillian Bell in Brittany Runs a Marathon I’d like to see this funnier lighter side. I think this will be sugar-coated and sickly sweet but it’s Christmas, right? That’s what it’s all about! I’m game 

Clare: Oh this looks like it will be ridiculously cheesy but also adorably charming? As Mary mentioned, Bell was very impressive in Brittany Runs a Marathon so it will be nice to see her in a different role and I’ve always been a huge Isla Fisher fan (90s Home and Away was life). The costumes look gorgeous and if this year has taught me anything, I’m actually a huge sucker for a Christmas themes rom-com?

Lee: I am getting some Enchanted vibes from this, which is pretty frustrating considering a sequel to that movie (Disenchanted) has been on the cards for the last decade now! I would much rather have seen more Amy Adams, but as Mary and Clare have already said, Jillian Bell was great in Brittany runs a marathon, so fingers crossed for this. It looks like it could be fun.

Matt: So Enchanted meets Elf, basically? The first 30 seconds made me feel ill, but I enjoyed the rest of the trailer and I think it could be a good laugh (providing all the best laughs haven’t already been given away!) Starring… Kelly Clarkson? I can’t not see it!

We Can Be Heroes

From IMDb: When alien invaders kidnap Earth’s superheroes, their children must team up and learn to work together if they want to save their parents and the world. Released January 2021

Sarah: I hate to be a cynic but child-orientated films like this are my worst nightmare. I’ve never seen the Lava Girl and Shark Boy film and don’t have any real interest in seeing this either although I do love Pedro Pascal. Definitely one the parents and kids will no doubt enjoy, but this isn’t for me.

Clare: This looks fun and cute. I’ve not seen Spy Kids or Sharkboy and Lava Girl, but I did love Sky High when I watched it earlier this year. There’s definitely a place for films like this, and I hope it finds its audience.

Lee: I’ve not seen Sharkboy and Lava Girl but the Spy Kids movies got a lot of plays in our house while my daughter was growing up and I was definitely a fan. This looks in keeping with that style and spirit so I’m happy to give this a shot

Matt: Spy Kids was one of my favourites! But this won’t be. It is very colourful though.

Mary: One for the kids I reckon, and only the kids. I can’t see adults getting much out of this one. I loved Spy Kids as a kid but I think I have definitely outgrown this style.

One Night in Miami

From IMDb: One Night in Miami is a fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 60s. Released 26 December on Prime Video

Lee: I missed this one at the London Film Festival last month, but I saw some mixed reactions towards it at the time from those that did see it. From the trailer, I can’t tell whether I’ll like it or not, but the fact that it’s coming to Prime means that I’ll definitely be checking it out.

Matt: Having seen the title of this film around for SO long, it’s just nice to finally see something from it – until now I don’t think there was even a poster! On paper it’s not easy to grasp what the story is “about” but I’m interested to find out. By the sounds of it this will be a widely-nominated film, but my instinct tells me not to expect any major wins…?

Mary: This sounds too surreal to be true, I wonder how close to reality it actually is. I’m on the fence about this, it is an interesting premise but it could fall flat. It won’t be topping my to watch list.