Five Films You Can’t Miss in May 2015

Far From the Madding Crowd

Renowned, primarily, for co-founding the Dogme 95 movement alongside Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg’s finest work has always come in his homeland of Denmark, with Festen and The Hunt standing out in particular. But that’s not to say he hasn’t dipped into English language productions either, with both Dear Wendy and It’s All About Love. His latest is not only English language, but an intrinsically English tale, adapting Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd. With Carey Mulligan and Matthias Schoenaerts on board, we could be in store for something rather special.

Top Five

There was a time when the study of one creatively inclined man’s life in New York was a task best left in the hands of Woody Allen. But now, it’s an honour bestowed upon Chris Rock – as following on from his terrific display in 2 Days in New York, comes Top Five – where he plays a comedian who wants to be taken seriously as an actor, only to be convinced by his fiancé to broadcast their wedding on her new TV show. On both writing and directing duties too, this is a modern, hilarious character study that a certain Woody Allen would even be proud of.

Mad Max: Fury Road

More often than not, remakes are needless additions to the cinematic calendar every year, doing little but to point towards an industry running low on original, innovative ideas. But anyone who has watched the trailer for George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road will hold their hands up and admit, that this particular remake looks really damn good. With Tom Hardy in the lead, and with Charlize Theron and an almost unrecognisable Nicholas Hoult in support, here’s a apocalyptic nightmarish production that looks like the very stuff dreams are made of.

San Andreas

Despite hitting upon pertinent, emotional themes – it seems that any realism in Brad Peyton’s San Andreas becomes something of a side-note, as the film – which depicts the devastation caused by a meteoric earthquake in California, is full-on, relentless blockbuster entertainment. Dwayne Johnson plays the lead, which is rather appropriate, as let’s face it, when faced with a life or death situation, there really isn’t anybody else in the world that would make you feel more comfortable coming to save your life than The Rock.

Tomorrowland: A World Beyond

When Brad Bird made the move from Pixar animations to live action, he surpassed expectations with a remarkable addition to the Mission: Impossible franchise. He’s now back, once again away from the animation studio, to deliver his latest endeavour Tomorrowland: A World Beyond, starring George Clooney in the leading role. This adventurous sci-fi is based around the ‘Tomorrowland’ area of the Disneyland Parks, and if the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise – based on a particular attraction – is anything to go by, Disney could well be on to yet another winner with this one.