Two divorced parents travel to Bali after learning their daughter, Lily, is planning to marry a local, Gede, whom she has just met. They decide to work together to sabotage the wedding to prevent Lily from making the same mistake they made twenty-five years ago.

There’s nothing better than a good romantic-comedy to make you laugh, cry and leave the cinema with a smile, and Ticket To Paradise provides all of those things, plus a few unexpected twists, and it’s a straight-up good time out at the cinema. Directed by Ol Parker (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again), Ticket to Paradise is a rom-com which switches up it’s setting and characters. Finding a new way into the genre with two divorced parents who are completely contemptuous of each other, they soon have to put their differences aside for what they think is the benefit of their daughter after her sudden marriage news. With its beautiful tranquil Bali setting, fun character moments and funnier laughs, Ticket to Paradise is a rom-com that packs in plenty of fun, and takes its audiences by surprise.

The pairing of Julia Roberts and George Clooney in Ticket to Paradise is utterly perfect, who with their effortless chemistry, and ability to riff off of each other, the laughs come quick, and the energy is kept fun. As divorced parents Georgia and David both bring a great mix of emotions to their two characters as a pair of bickering divorces which keeps things interesting. Clooney is effortlessly charming as David, yet also high-strung and holding onto the wrong decisions of his past. Roberts is the over-the-top perfectionist as Georgia, and she’s ready to outdo her ex-husband at every moment. But the pain of her past weighs on her, and her journey in this movie suggests the possibility of a better future. Both of these characters are different from anything that Clooney and Roberts have played before, and they each get to explore new rythms with their performances in this film.

Thanks in part to their effortless chemistry together, Clooney and Roberts make Ticket to Paradise a very fun watch. Whether it’s their creative antics to sabotage their daughter Lily’s (Kaitlyn Dever) wedding, or the classic moment where an over indulgence for beer pong leads to some straight-out loud dance moves set to House of Pain’s classic ‘Jump Around’, all the fun ends up on the screen. And both these A-listers will have you in hysterics. But while the laughs might be hilarious, there are also some very tender moments in Ticket to Paradise, with the ideas of family, love, forgiveness of the past and enjoying the good stuff when you can having a big impact on this narrative. And this makes the story that much sweeter.

Ticket to Paradise is an enchanting tale of how unexpected love can heal the past, and the pairing of Julia Roberts and George Clooney leads to pure gold. Their wit, charm and chemistry make this film a very fun watch, and audiences are certain to enjoy it. So do yourself a favour and don’t save the good stuff for later and get along to this fun-filled watch right away.

Image: Universal Pictures

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Drug addicted teenage boy Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges) shows up unexpectedly at his family’s home on Christmas Eve and forces his mother Holly (Julia Roberts) to come to turns with his addictions. Placed in an exceedingly difficult situation, Holly must decide on just how far she wants to go to help him overcome his demons.

Director Peter Hedges lays his subject matter bare in his study of the evils of drug addiction and how this problem not only consumes the addict but also everyone else around them. Raw and unflinching, Hedges packs his film into a very tightly concentrated narrative that unfolds the night before Christmas, and as the hours pass you feel the mounting pressure of Ben’s addiction way on his family. While audiences are not strangers to the idea of drugs on film, I’d happen to say that Ben is Back is more concerned with how these problems affect those around the users, rather than the users themselves, and here these real-world horrors really mount up as Ben drags his family back further into the choices of his past that have very present consequences.

Taking the lead in the film is Academy Award winner Julia Roberts and in her performance as distraught mother Holly Barnes she completely goes from A-Z. While Roberts has always had a handle on the dramatic I almost feel that Ben is Back is her most savage performance to date as she brings a very real reaction when her drug addict son arrives on her doorstep on the edge of Christmas. While everyone tries to persuade her to push him away, Holly simply can’t do this and her mothers love stays true. And it’s this exact love that will be tested like no other through the film’s harrowing events.

As she takes it upon herself to once again look after Ben through his one night of freedom she witnesses first hand the horrors of her son’s addiction, and we slowly learn just how much of a toll this has taken on her. Part of what makes Roberts so convincing in the role is that you never know where she is going to turn and there is always a chance that things will get a lot worse for Holly and Ben. But as a mother, she simply cannot look away and she’ll do anything to protect her son from himself. It’s a truly remarkable performance and Roberts definitely pulls at your emotions on all your emotions here.

Taking on the role of Holly’s drug addict son Ben is Lucas Hedges, who also happens to be the son of director Peter Hedges, and the young actor really takes you for a ride here. While he might be all boyish-charm and innocent youth you come to learn that his habits have turned him into a literal devil who has hurt so many people throughout his short life and that his uncontrollable longing for the release of any possible drug has made everyone turn from him except his mother. Hedges really brings a lot of sympathy to the character and as you see him struggle with his addiction you find yourself feeling equal parts of hate and sorrow for him. It’s a performance that marks Hedges out as a performer to really keep an eye on and we’ll be looking forward to seeing where he goes next.

Shot with a beautiful cool style that picks up the cold beauty of a winter Christmas, Ben is Back draws you into two unique worlds: the wholesome, warm family life of Barnes family and the decrepit and pained world that Ben has chosen to inhabit. Hedges direction is subtle and he’s shot the film with an almost documentary feel that relies heavily on handheld camera work, and the production really narrows your focus to the film’s narrative and imbues Holly’s chase with a frenzied kinetic movement as she desperately tries to get her son through a very long night.

Ben is Back is an unflinching look at a modern nightmare and its narrative really plays with your emotions. While its content might be harsh, it’s central theme of love triumphing above all else will really pull at your heartstrings and absolutely move you.

Image: Roadshow Films

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Akin to a Hitchcockian psychological thriller, The Secret in Their Eyes depicts the haunting story of a relentless detective chasing after the murderer of a fellow colleague’s daughter.

Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Ray, a former District Attorney Investigator for a counter-terrorist group following the 9/11 attacks. His partner-in-crime, Jess (Julia Roberts), begins as a cheeky detective, eventually becoming a ghost of her former self after the death of her daughter. Meanwhile, Claire (Nicole Kidman) is Ray’s unrequited love interest-turned District Attorney, who tries to keep him under control as Ray resurfaces the case thirteen years later.

The film has a unique rhythm and interesting pace. Piece by piece, leads come together, but only in the very end do all the dots connect. Similar to Hitchcock’s films, writer and director Billy Ray promotes suspense, asking the audience to play detective until the very end. You never know what is lurking behind hidden corners in this thriller; blood is shed, bleach is poured, and it’s a thrill to watch. Editor Jim Page and Billy Ray have so delicately woven this story together that it falls nothing short of an art form.

Julia Roberts deserves every bit of praise for her stunning performance. While her last few films have been a mix of hard-hitting dramas (August: Osage County, The Normal Heart) and lighter pieces (Mirror, Mirror, Larry Crowne), Roberts strikes harder this time, reminding us why she’s the best. Despite the harrowing subject matter, it’s an absolute joy to see her go deep into the role of a woman haunted by loss and living a life sentence of pain.

Ejiofor’s Ray on the other hand is a man with a plan, fully determined to achieve justice for Jess, though perhaps a little misguided. Ejiofor delivers a wonderful, indomitable performance, propelling the story forward to a twisted conclusion. Though different in many ways, these characters are all tough – they need to be in order to deal with a villain like Marzin (Joe Cole). Although he appears less often in the film than the main trio, Marzin is a twisted and taunting narcissistic psychopath who becomes a shadow. The chase to hunt this man down is gripping, and will undoubtedly keep audiences on the edge of their seats until the end credits.

Secret in Their Eyes will be released in New Zealand and Australia on November 19, 2015,  November 20, 2015 in the US and in the UK on March 4, 2016.

Image source: Roadshow Films.

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