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Netflix Alternatives: Blake Lively goes immortal and Russel Crowe releases directorial debut

Sabrina movie poster

(Photo courtesy of Mirage Enterprises) 


Imagine this: Friday rolls around, and you decide you want to go to the movies. There’s only one problem. You look up the week’s new releases, and none of them strike your fancy. Feeling disappointed, you open Netflix and scroll endlessly trying to find something that grabs your attention.

Each week, reporter Shane Weinstein takes a look at what major motion pictures are hitting theaters and offers suggestions of alternate films to take in on Netflix. Here are his alternatives for the week of April 24, 2015.

New This Week: “Age of Adeline” (Starring Blake Lively and Harrison Ford)

Netflix Alternative: “Sabrina” (1995, starring Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond)

Blake Lively stars in this week’s biggest release, “Age of Adeline.” Lively plays Adeline, a young woman born at the turn of the 20th century. After a freak accent, she becomes immortal. After living a series of solitary lives, she meets a man for whom she might give up her immortality. Ford plays a former lover who recognizes her despite his age.

If sci-fi and romance sound like an odd mix, check out “Sabrina,” a solid romantic comedy also starring Ford. He plays a man trying to break up his brother’s relationship due to it interfering with a business deal. Although it's not one of his more memorable films, “Sabrina” makes for an entertaining entry to Ford’s resume.

(Photo courtesy of Metanoia Films)

New This Week: “Little Boy” (Starring David Henrie, Emily Watson and Jakob Salvati

Netflix Alternative: “Bella” (2006, starring Tammy Blanchard and Manny Perez )

Also hitting theaters this week is “Little Boy.” Set during World War II, the film follows a 7-year-old who sets out to end the war and bring his father home. If the film’s clichéd story is too much, take a look at director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde’s precious film, “Bella.”

The movie follows a waitress and a cook who find their lives intertwined for a day. Although there may not be any big names, the film features solid performances and impressive direction showcasing Monteverde’s great talent.

New This Week: “The Water Diviner” (Starring Russell Crowe, Olga Kurylenko and Jai Courtney)

Netflix Alternative: “Gladiator” (2000, starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix)

In limited release this week comes Russell Crowe’s directorial debut, “The Water Diviner.” Crowe also stars in the film as an Australian man searching for his three sons after the Battle of Gallipoli.

If the film doesn’t interest you, watch Crowe give one of the finest performances in his career with “Gladiator.” The Ridley Scott-directed Oscar winner is one of the best epics ever made and is more than worth revisiting.

That’s it for this week. Be sure to check back next week when I’ll have alternates for “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and more.

Contact this reporter at seweinst@asu.edu or on Twitter: @S_Weinstein95

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