Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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Worth Waiting For Mama (Rated PG-13) by HEATHER GRIFFITHS When I heard that Mama (101 that investigators certainly should minutes) had been pushed from a have found, but did not. I mean, 2012 release to a 2013 release, I maybe I'm naïve, but I think when got worried. Unless it comes to tracking they are avoiding a down a guy that kills Harry Potter movie, a bunch of people and then kidnaps a when studios start couple of kids, the playing with release police would maybe dates it's usually a show a little interest bad sign. See: Red in finding them. Dawn, World War Z. Anyway, mounHappily, this was an tain men. They find exception to a northe car crash, find mally reliable rule the cabin and find because Mama was the girls. Victoria pretty darn good. (Megan Charpentier) Guillermo del and Lily (Isabel Toro, sticking close Nelisse) are filthy to his comfort zone, and fast and creepy produces a film and have a tendency that is thematically to sway as if preparlinked to his favorite ing to pounce. They themes of small, sad are brought back to children touched by civilization with very the supernatural. little language and few basic skills. Sitting in the director's chair is first Dr. Dreyfuss (Daniel Kash) turns time director Andre Muschietti, them into his pet project and sucwho created the short upon which cessfully argues that Annabel and the feature film is based. He does Lucas should get custody. Annabel a fantastic job with the story and is thrilled. She tries her best, and he knows how to make creepy kids despite a few growing pains it seems even creepier. However, I was not like Uncle Lucas is going to make it in love with the big creature reveal work. But then things get creepy. of Mama because CGI tends to look The girls make surprisingly rapid like CGI — horror is much scarier progress in behaving like civilized when unrealistic effects are kept in children (Victoria more than Lily), the shadows. The film opens with an abandoned and the family moves into a huge home subsidized by Dr. Dreyfuss car. It is 2008, just after the finanand filled with recording equipment. cial crisis, and a man named Jeffrey Too bad this is a horror movie be(Nikolaj Coster-Waldeau) has just cause of course, things must become finished indulging in a killing spree. horrible. Uncle Lucas falls down He takes his children and heads as the stairs while investigating spooky far from civilization as he can get. goings-on, leaving an ill-prepared Some strange things happen on the Annabel to play mommy with two way to nowhere in particular, and girls who need more attention than the children end up alone in a cabin she wants to offer. with no supplies. Overall, this is a solid horror Time jumps five years forward. hit that also plays with themes of A couple of young hipsters are still forgiveness, loss, change and ininvested in the case of the missing adequacy. Chastain delivers one of girls and their dad. Uncle Lucas her best efforts and the two kids do (also Nikolaj Coster-Waldeau) lives with Annabel (Jessica Chastain, con- a good job with material that would be beyond the years of most children tinuing her quest to appear in every their age. Heads up, in avoiding the movie released this year), and they obvious clichés the director made get very excited when a couple of mountain men find the girls living in sure there was no standard happily ever after Hollywood ending. an isolated cabin. Now showing at Wynnsong 7, So, much as I like the movie … Carmike 12 and here's the thing: I can totally buy Carmike Market into supernatural intervention keeping otherwise helpless children alive; Fair 15. I don't know if I buy into the cabin going undiscovered for HEATHER GRIFFITHS, Contributing five years since it was in walk- Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. ing distance of the car crash WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NEW EXHIBIT at Gallery 208 The Works of Liviana Cassoti Premiere Opening at Gallery 208 FREE, public is invited. Refreshments will be served. Come meet the artist Thursday, February 28, 2013 5:30 - 7 p.m. 208 Rowan St., Corporate offices of Up & Coming Weekly Presented by: 5$<125 /$: ),50 Catering by Liz FEBRUARY 6-12, 2013 UCW 21