Film Focus - June '06
Published 5th Jun 2006 by Brad Brasier

At The Odeon & Cineworld
?United 93? follows the doomed flight of the one plane that failed to reach it?s target on September 11th 2001. With the full support of the victim?s families, British director Paul Greengrass has fashioned a truly authentic and unbearably tense film that stands as a testament to bravery and courage of the passengers onboard. ?Perfect Storm? director Wolfgang Peterson returns to the ocean for another water soaked disaster in ?Poseidon?. With some impressive special effects and a decent cast (including Kurt Russell and Richard Dreyfuss), it?s a surprisingly inventive piece of popcorn entertainment.

At The Duke of York?s
?Thank You For Smoking? follows the story of Tobacco industry lobbyist Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) whose million dollar smile and gift of the gab ensures that any negative press related to smoking can always be spun to act in his employers favour. With a great central performance from Eckhart and a wonderfully witty script, this provides a perfect alternative to those noisy summer blockbusters. Another one to look out for is ?36?, a crime thriller hailed as the French ?Heat? and starring screen legends Gerard Depardieu and Daniel Auteuil.

On the Small Screen
By far the best of this months DVD releases, Steven Spielberg? s ?Munich? tells the story of 5 men selected to exact revenge on those responsible for the murders at the 1972 Olympic games. It?s an intelligent and thought provoking film featuring an excellent central performance from Eric Bana. If the big screen re-make has got you in the mood, ?The Poseidon Adventure? gets a timely special edition release and proves that the original (starring Gene Hackman) is still the daddy.

Future Films
The big budget sequel to ?Pirates of the Caribbean? arrives in the shape of ?Dead Man?s Chest?. Promising more shamefully enjoyable adventures with Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Johnny Depp all reprising their roles, it could well rule the box office when arrives in July. A look ahead to September sees the release of ?Pathfinder? starring Karl Urban (?Lord of the Rings?, ?The Bourne Supremacy?) as a Viking child raised by Native Americans who must fight his own kind when invading Vikings murder his adopted family. Expect epic action, weepy romance and plenty of blood in what looks set to be the next ?Last of the Mohicans?.

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