At this point, the variety of the cinema offer in the coming month is usually praised. For December, however, it turns out to be not so easy, because a film start outshines them all: “Avatar 2: The Way of Water” is in the starting blocks and the competition noticeably avoids the visually stunning return to Pandora, which director James Cameron (68 ) 13 years after the hitherto most successful film of all time conjures up on the big screen. And yet cinema fans don’t look down the drain for whom “Avatar” was just “Pocahontas” in blue – thanks to brave women and a brave hangover.
The new film by Emmy winner Maria Schrader (57) tells of the risky journey of two journalists who uncovered the widespread abuse of power against women in the US film business in 2017. Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan, 37) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan, 39) break the great silence in Hollywood: They expose business meetings in hotel rooms as sexual assault and encounter a web of repression, blackmail and fear. With their courageous research, they not only give the affected women their voice back, but also trigger a worldwide wave of solidarity.
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The meaning of “She Said” can be illustrated with a telling anecdote: According to US media, judge Lisa Lench stopped the jury in another trial against sex offender Harvey Weinstein (70) not to watch the Schraders trailer
The action of the “Avatar” sequel takes place more than a decade after the original. During this time, the main characters of “Avatar”, former human Jake Sully (Sam Worthington, 46) and native Na’vi Neytiri (Zoe Saldana, 44), have apparently pushed ahead with their family planning – three biological children (two sons and one daughter) together, they also raise a human adoptive child together. But the undisturbed harmony on Pandora is once again disturbed by the greed of the people.
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“Avatar” is still the most commercially successful film in cinema history. Part two will also undoubtedly be a huge success – forecasts are already circulating that the film will gross up to 175 million US dollars on its opening weekend in the USA alone. Despite the success of the original, critics criticized the ultimately well-known “imperialists versus natives” story, which lived above all from its visual appearance. But the Marvel Universe has been reliably delivering this bombast for over a decade now. What could also harm the dramaturgy of part two is the knowledge that Cameron has three (!) more “Avatar” films planned to be released by 2028.
Even a hangover can have an unpleasant awakening. After countless risky journeys and careless adventures, Puss in Boots is horrified to discover that his passion for danger has finally come at a price – he has already used up eight of his nine lives in his thirst for adventure. In order to provide the urgently needed new vitality, the charming whiskered crook embarks on the long journey to the Black Forest to find the mythical wishing star there. Unfortunately, with only one life left on the cat account, this venture turns out to be unusually risky, so that not only serious restraint is required, but also a little support in the form of the adorable and sneaky Kitty Velvet Paw and the cheerful, talkative four-legged friend Perro.
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Christmas time is family time. For those who want to go to the cinema as such, abuse drama and sci-fi wars of conquest are not the first choice at best. But what young and old can agree on very quickly: A tomcat in boots can hardly be topped on the cute scale. It’s been over ten years since the character who found her sugary origins in “Shrek” got her first solo film. Anyone who sneaks into the cinema without the kids or wants to give them cinematic English lessons should get the original version. Nothing against Benno Fürmann (50) as the voice of the title character, but Antonio Banderas (62) as “Puss in Boots” and Salma Hayek (56) as his cat companion are unbeatable for “Desperado” reasons alone.
