I’ve seen some great movies from this year so far (even though there are scads that I wanted to see that I missed out on in theatres). And by the looks of things, there are plenty of other really promising films still to be released. “Oscar season” is pretty much in full swing now, so you can expect some of the best movies of the year to be released in the next couple of months. Here’s a look at some upcoming films that I’m excited for. I probably won’t end up seeing many of them in theatres, though (especially since so many are in limited release). My local theatre is generally a piece of crap and never gets anything other than dumb comedies, kids’ movies, and blockbuster horror/action flicks. Though I was pleasantly surprised when it belatedly got (500) Days of Summer (but the theatre was pretty empty when I went on the first night they had it, so I guess that doesn’t really encourage them to get more of those types of movies). But it’s just nice to know what’s out there, even if I’ll have to wait a few months to see it.
November 13
Pirate Radio
This trailer seems to follow me to whatever movie I see in theatres. But unlike the trailer for I Love You, Beth Cooper, I don’t get angrier and angrier every time I see it. Rather than making me want to throw something at the screen, it makes me want to get up and do something epic (I’m not sure what, exactly, though). It seems to have a fun, carefree spirit to it (a la Almost Famous), and Phillip Seymour Hoffman is the MAN.
Other Releases of interest:
Uncertainty (Limited)
The Messenger (Limited)
Dare (Limited)
Fantastic Mr. Fox
November 20
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
I know, I know. It just looks fun, okay? While the first film wasn’t great, I didn’t think it was as bad as most people did (I’d give it a 6/10). I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve read all four books, and this one was probably my favourite (I was always rooting for the doomed Bella/Jacob romance). One of my best friends is a big fan, so I’m planning to go with her to see it.
Other Releases:
Broken Embraces (Limited)
Missing Person (Limited)
November 25
Me and Orson Welles (Limited)
(What a shamelessly swoon-inducing Zac Efron photo!) I’m in the camp that believes that, deep-down, Zac Efron is actually a talented actor. The trailer looks better than I’d expected, and it seems to have a fun, screwball vibe to it.
Other Releases:
The Road
December 4
Up in the Air (Limited; wide release December 25?)
I can’t stand George Clooney, yet I was at The Men Who Stare at Goats last night. Logically, they had the trailer for Up in the Air playing beforehand. I’d been split on this movie. I’m a huge Jason Reitman fan (Juno and Thank You For Smoking are two of my favourite films of the decade). His films capture this feeling that I feel, but have never been able to convey in anything that I’ve said, written, or done in my life. Yet, I was convinced that Clooney wouldn’t be able to get that feeling across, and would ruin the movie. But after seeing that trailer last night (I’d seen a different online that hadn’t done too much to convince me), I’m so excited for this movie. It looks just as good as Reitman’s other films, and for once, Clooney seems to have an earnest and honest on-screen persona.
Other Releases:
Brothers
December 11
A Single Man (Limited)
I find the premise of this film fascinating, and the trailer is exciting, suspenseful, and artistic. As if that weren’t enough, the cast is superb (Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult, Matthew Goode, Ginnifer Goodwin). I like that it doesn’t seem like your typical Oscar bait film (while Invictus looks good, it could probably be accused of that), yet it’s still getting decent buzz already. From what I can tell, it looks like my kind of movie.
Other Releases:
The Lovely Bones (Limited)
Invictus
Did You Hear About the Morgans? (This will likely turn out to be terrible, but Hugh Grant is the king of romantic comedies, and the trailer had a couple of genuinely funny moments)
December 18
Nine (Limited; wide release December 25)
I’m excited to see Daniel Day-Lewis sing. It’s got a great cast, and a director who’s had success with this kind of project before (even though I didn’t like Chicago much). Perhaps my interest has waned slightly, but that’s only because there are other films that look great, which are starting to steal my attention away from this one (An Education, A Single Man, Up in the Air)
Other Releases:
Avatar
December 25
Sherlock Holmes
With all the serious, Oscar-grabbing films out there, nothing could be more welcome that a big fun, exciting Christmas movie. I feel like I talk endlessly about how awesome Robert Downey Jr. is, but it can’t be said enough times. I saw the poster up for this one last night, so I know that my movie theatre is getting it. You can be sure I’ll be dragging whoever will go with me to see it.
Other Releases:
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Limited)
It’s Complicated
Let me know what you think of my choices. Have you seen any of these at TIFF or other film festivals? Do you think I’m wasting my time with New Moon (okay, even I know that the answer is “yes”)? What movies are you excited for?
Times Like Those 