I’ll skip the diatribe about how the year in movies has been so far. It sucks. Let’s look forward.
The second half of the year brings everything from film-festival favorites and art-house Oscar bait to documentaries and big-budget blockbusters.
Perhaps what’s most intriguing about the fall is the lineup of directors. A quick scan through the slate reveals names like Clint Eastwood, Oliver Stone, Sofia Coppola, Woody Allen, David Fincher, the Coen brothers and Danny Boyle. And that’s just a taste.
The films listed here are also just a sampling of what’s
to come. But there’s enough here to start getting excited. (Release
dates are subject to change.)
September
I'M STILL HERE
Synopsis: Casey Affleck’s documentary on Joaquin
Phoenix’s fall from A-list movie stardom (and clean-shaved looks) to
the worst rapper that never was.
My 2 Cents: Is the fall of Phoenix one of the most epic
movie-star declines ever, or one of the biggest hoaxes in pop-culture
history? We probably won't get the answer with this doc. Still, it
should be entertaining as hell.
THE TOWN
Synopsis: Ben Affleck’s second directorial effort centers
around a pair of bank robbers, Doug (Affleck) and Jem (The Hurt
Locker’s Jeremy Renner) whose livelihood is constantly threatened by a
federal agent (Jon Hamm) and Doug’s love interest (Rebecca Hall), who
might be able to sell them out.
My 2 Cents: Shot with same gritty realism as his first film, Gone Baby Gone, The Town, along with a few inspired performances from Affleck and Renner, could be a sleeper hit.
YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER
Synopsis: Woody Allen is back with a London-based
melodrama that circles around the lives of several angst-ridden
romantics (including Josh Brolin and Naomi Watts) who wish to trade
their tired relationships for someone new.
My 2 Cents: Allen hasn’t fared well with melodrama in
recent years. And I'm still not over Whatever Works. If nothing else,
Stranger should be better than that. Right?
WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
Synopsis: Oliver Stone’s sequel to his 1987 manifesto on
corporate greed finds Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) fresh out of jail
and back in business. He’s promoting his book, reconnecting with his
daughter (Carey Mulligan) and mentoring/using her Wall Street trader
boyfriend (Shia LaBeouf) for his own gains.
My 2 Cents: Wall Street could bring together two things I
never thought I would see again: a good Oliver Stone movie and a great
Michael Douglas performance.
October
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Synopsis: Based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, The Social Network
tells the story of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg’s (Jesse Eisenberg)
fight to keep both the legal rights to his online community site and
real-life friendships intact.
My 2 Cents: David Fincher (Fight Club, The Curious Case
of Benjamin Button) directing is all the reason I need to hit the
"like" button on this movie.
HEREAFTER
Synopsis: Clint Eastwood directs Bryce Dallas Howard, new
muse Matt Damon and others in this drama about several couples and
their struggles with mortality.
My 2 Cents: More often than not, Eastwood’s proclivity
towards heavy-handedness weighs his films down.
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November
127 HOURS
Synopsis: Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle jumps from
the streets of India in Slumdog Millionaire to the cliff faces of the
Utah mountains to tell the true story of Aron Ralston (James Franco), a
thrill seeker who had to amputate his arm to free himself from a
boulder that nearly pinned him to his grave.
My 2 Cents: Boyle always brings a wild new vision to the
table. But can Franco rise above his mixed track record (for every Milk
there's a Spider-Man 3) and support the Oscar-winning director? I
remain skeptical.
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
Synopsis: The end is near for the boy wizard and his
schoolmates. Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) gears up for his climactic
showdown with Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).
My 2 Cents: With the series finally hitting the right
level of darkness and Fiennes actually being in it (Half Blood Prince
was lacking without him), Hallows might be the first Potter film to hit all the right notes.
December
BLACK SWAN
Synopsis: A psychological thriller from Darren Aronofsky
about an ambitious ballet dancer and her competitive relationship with
a newcomer who both seek the lead in a production of Swan Lake.
My 2 Cents: Dropping the convoluted ridiculousness of The Fountain for reality-based successes like The Wrestler, Aronosfky is becoming quite the Hollywood/art house hybrid. Black Swan could solidify him in that role.
THE FIGHTER
Synopsis: Mark Wahlberg stars as real-life 1980s boxer
"Irish" Mickey Ward, who came out of retirement for a comeback in the
’90s.
My 2 Cents: The Fighter has been Wahlberg’s passion
project for years. It had been on the ropes due to the trouble casting
Ward’s brother and trainer. Finally, Christian Bale signed on. With the
crafty David O. Russell directing, the wait will most likely have been
worth it.
TRON: LEGACY
Synopsis: The follow-up to the 1982 cult classic finds
Jeff Bridges reprising his role as Kevin Flynn. Flynn, stuck in the
Tron server for 20 years, plans an escape when his estranged son comes
to the rescue.
My 2 Cents: 1980s nostalgia never gets old, but Tron’s
special effects have. Thankfully, a flashy, hyper-active trailer shows
off the technological updates given to the long-awaited sequel. Throw
in 3-D, and Tron has the potential to be one of the most entertaining
moviegoing experiences of the year.
BIUTIFUL
Synopsis: Alejandro González Iñárritu uses his favored
spider-web structure to tell this existential tale about Uxbal (Javier
Bardem), a man who feels death creeping up behind him and seeks
redemption and clarity before it’s too late.
My 2 Cents: An Inarritu film is always a breath of fresh
air. But I’m more excited to see Bardem. His performance has already
earned a best actor award at Cannes and early Oscar buzz.
SOMEWHERE
Synopsis: Queen of melancholy Sofia Coppola delivers her first directorial effort in four years. Somewhere
concerns a freewheeling A-list actor (Stephen Dorff, ironically) whose
life is turned upside-down when his estranged daughter (Elle Fanning)
shows up at his doorstep.
My 2 Cents: Resembling something closer to Coppola’s Lost in Translation than the disappointing Marie Antoinette, Somewhere could be one of the year's biggest surprises.
TRUE GRIT
Synopsis: A Coen brothers remake of the classic John
Wayne western about a young girl who hires a group of roughneck
cowboys, led by Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges, pictured above with Hailee Steinfeld), to find her father’s
murderer.
My 2 Cents: As unholy as it is to remake a Wayne western,
the Coens are bringing a near-extinct genre back to multiplexes. And
they're re-teaming with "The Dude." All is forgiven.
BLUE VALENTINE
Synopsis: Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams star in this
drama about a couple’s six-year relationship that’s full of ups and
downs.
My 2 Cents: A Sundance darling in January, Blue Valentine
has not only garnered early Oscar buzz but it also bolsters two of the
best young actors working today. This is one the must-sees of the year.
Evhildy
