… these movies in March:

…. Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, it’s based on the book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation written by John Carlin.

South Africa, 1995. Nelson Mandela is in his first mandate as president and decides to use the Rugby World Cup to overcome decades of hate and violence between white and black in South Africa. Mandela manages to get help from François Pienaar, captain of the South-African rugby team, who before meeting the president never had any definite thoughts about the Apartheid.

… Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton, starring Mia Wasikowska and Johnny Depp. Tim Burton used Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll, as the basis of his story, actually a sequel to the original stories.

In the film Alice Kingsleigh, now 19, attends a party at a Victorian estate shortly after the death of her beloved father. There she spots a white rabbit wearing a waistcoat and pocket watch. In shock and confusion, she runs off into a maze and follows the White Rabbit through it, only to later tumble down a rabbit hole into Underland (more commonly referred to as “Wonderland” by its inhabitants), a place she visited ten years before, yet doesn’t remember. In Wonderland she’ll meet many of her old friends and will rediscover herself.

The story of the film has been released in book format, as well as a Visual Companion. There are also at least two annotated versions of the original texts: in paperback or an illustrated version in hardback.

… Dear John, directed by Lasse Hallström, starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, based on the book of the same name by Nicholas Sparks.

A young soldier on leave meets the woman of his life and they start a relationship. When he’s sent away for a year, they try to keep their relationship through letters.

… Solomon Kane, directed by Michael J. Bassett, starring James Purefoy in title role. Not really based on one book, but on a series of stories published in comic magazines. The character was created by the same author who created Conan, Robert E. Howard, and has been later re-released as graphic novels by Dark Horse Comics. A novelization has also been released this February.

The movie tells the origins of Solomon Kane and is hoped to be the first of a trilogy of movies. Kane is a mercenary of Queen Elizabeth I fighting in Africa, but after an encounter with a demon, The Reaper, he realizes he must seek redemption or have his soul damned to Hell. He returns to England and lives a life of peace, converting to Puritanism, but soon the doings of an evil sorcerer upset his plans and he must take up arms again.

… The Road, directed by John Hillcoat, starring Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall, Charlize Theron and Guy Pearce.

Based on the Pulitzer prize-winning novel of same title, by Cormac McCarthy, it’s an epic post-apocalyptic tale of survival of a father and his young son as they journey through a barren America destroyed by a mysterious cataclysm.

… Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, directed by Susanna White, starring Emma Thompson, who also wrote the screenplay to this sequel to her first 2005 Nanny McPhee movie.

Based on a series of books about Nurse Matilda, written by Christianna Brand, the film shows Nanny McPhee coming back to the Green’s farm to help them deal with cousins from the big city, and to help the family keep the farm. She’ll use her own kind of magic to make things go well, though in an unexpected way.

… Millenium part 3: Gerechtigheid, directed by Daniel Alfredson, starring Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist. Based on the third installment ook of the Millenium trilogy, written by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. The English language translation The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest is available either in hardback, trade paperback, and pocket paperback, too.

Lisbeth Salander is hospitalized after the dramatic events following the meeting with her father. Mikael Blomqvist continues to uncover the reason’s why Lisbeth has been treated so harsh by the Swedish authorities. Another journalist from the Millenium magazine is found murdered in his apartment while working on a series of articles about human trafficking. Is there a connection between his murder and Lisbeth?

… How to Train Your Dragon, computer-animated film produced by DreamWorks Animation, it is based on the book of same name by British author Cressida Cowell.

Hiccup is a teenager Viking misunderstood among his kind due to his offbeat sense of humor. On the island of Berk, fighting dragons is a way of life. When Hiccup finally entangles one with a bolas-shooting cannon, he ends up befriending the dragon and this relationship flips his world upside down. He’ll try to convince his tribe that they don’t need to be dragon-slayers.