Best new movies and videos for week of Nov 10: The Watchlist

Eli Glasner | CBC News | Posted: November 11, 2014 5:41 PM | Last Updated: November 11, 2014

Heading out or staying in, this is your guide for what to watch this week

Media | 4 stars for Interstellar

Caption: CBC Arts reporter Eli Glasner implores us to see the new Christopher Nolan movie on the biggest screen you can find

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In Theatres

Interstellar - An awe-inspiring mash note to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, Christopher Nolan’s own space odyssey isn’t without its faults. The dialogue is mushy at times, and the plot warps with some storytelling wormholes. But there are exciting things here for fans of the gritty filmmaker: a sense of warmth, hope for humanity and simply some of the most pulse-pounding out-of-this-world action sequences you’ll see this year. (full review here)
The Overnighters - "I don't say 'no' very well," are prophetic words from charismatic Pastor Jay Reinke, a man who turned his North Dakota church into a makeshift homeless shelter during an oil boom. Director Jesse Moss captures a character for the ages in this powerful documentary about suspicion, secrets and the tattered casualties of the American Dream. Not to be missed.
Whiplash - Any movie that can create the proverbial hero-defusing-a-ticking-time-bomb scene with a drum solo deserves a look. Yes, J.K. Simmons (as the tyrannical teacher) and Miles Teller (as the wannabe Buddy Rich) play their asses off, but the real hero is editor Tom Cross who brings the sizzling big band numbers to life. (full review here)
Birdman - Let’s keep the percussion theme going with a movie scored by Antonio Sanchez. The Grammy-winning drummer improvised Birdman's drum track with director Alejandro González Iñárritu talking him through each scene. The result is a relentless, frenetic sort of energy that perfectly compliments this backstage farce about needy actors and Hollywood’s empty-headed heroes. (full review here)
Dear White People - Director Justin Simien's caustic look at race on a college campus rightly picked up the special jury prize at Sundance. The first-time director has a Wes Anderson-style flair for composition and delivers dialogue that drops like depth charges: ("You're more Banksy than Barack," for example.) Aided by Tessa Thompson—who shines as Sam White, the radical but weary voice of the Dear White People radio show—the film is overly earnest but offers some passionate and potent stuff.

On video, Netflix or VOD

Image | Philip Seymour Hoffman in A Wanted Man

Caption: Philip Seymour Hoffman played Günther Bachmann, the head of the German intelligence unit, in the spy thriller A Most Wanted Man. (Roadside Attractions)

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A Most Wanted Man is a spy thriller with a sobering reminder of what we lost with the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman plays Günter, the head of a German agency, who is trying to stop a terrorist in the post 9-11 age. Based on the book by John Le Carré, A Most Wanted Man offers a drab battle ground where bureaucracy and paranoia are the primary foes. (full review here)

How to Train Your Dragon 2 - Hiccup, everyone’s favourite Viking pacifist, returns in this followup to the smash hit from Dreamworks. With Canadian screenwriter Dean DeBlois at the helm, there’s a marked maturity in the storytelling. The stakes are high, so get the tissue box ready. (full review here)

Zero Theorem - Sure, Terry Gilliam's latest movie didn’t get much of a theatrical release, but at least you can stream it on Netflix. Christoph Waltz stars as a brilliant but distracted computer hacker trying to unlock the secrets of existence. He’d almost figure it out too, if it weren't for all those damn pop-up ads. A tech-savvy update to Gilliam’s classic Brazil—Zero Theorem is a pleasure to puzzle over.