Now that summer’s hustle and bustle is over, it’s time for the annual autumn onslaught of early Oscar-baiters. From gritty dramas to trippy period pieces to a new James Bond—with some Halloween scares thrown in for good measure—get the skinny from Hollywood.com critics Kit Bowen and Brian Marder on what to watch out for from Labor Day through Thanksgiving. Check the Movie Calendar for a complete list.
Kit’s Picks
The Black Dahlia (9/15)
Who: Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank; directed by Brian De Palma
What: Revolving around one of Los Angeles’ most fascinating unsolved murder cases of all time, Dahlia is a tale of obsession, love, corruption, greed and depravity. The best kind, right? Set in 1947, it starts with the grisly murder of fledgling Hollywood starlet Betty Ann Short—aka “The Black Dahlia”—and then follows the two hardboiled L.A. detectives (Eckhart, Hartnett) who become mired in the ensuing investigation.
Why: We need another L.A. Confidential. Similar to that Oscar winner, Dahlia just screams pulp fiction and film noir, made even more intriguing by the fact it’s a true story. It’s a combination that makes sense. Plus, De Palma also seems up to his old tricks. Remember how good he was at thrilling us with his earlier crime dramas, such as Dressed to Kill and The Untouchables? Dahlia is definitely right up his alley.
The Grudge 2 (10/13)
Who: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Amber Tamblyn, Arielle Kebbel, Jennifer Beals; directed by Takashi Shimizu
What: That disturbing meowing Asian kid and his long-haired, guttural sound-producing, multi-jointed freak of a mother are at it again. This time a young woman (Tamblyn) is exposed to the same evil, cursed ways that afflicted her sister (Gellar) after she comes to Tokyo to investigate her sister’s untimely demise. Suddenly, the supernatural forces, whatever they are, brings her together with a group of previously unrelated people who attempt to unlock its secret to save their lives.
Why: Because that disturbing meowing Asian kid and his long-haired, guttural sound-producing, multi-jointed freak of a mother completely creeped us out in the original, that’s why—and we want more!
Marie Antoinette (10/20)
Who: Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Asia Argento, Rip Torn; directed by Sofia Coppola
What: With a decidedly modern, pop culture-y spin to 18th century French history, the story revolves around the naïve and beautiful, Austrian-born Marie Antoinette (Dunst), who, betrothed to King Louis XVI (Schwartzman), enters the opulent French court, steeped in conspiracy and scandal. Without guidance, adrift in a dangerous world, the young girl rebels against the isolated atmosphere of Versailles—such as dying her hair pink and wearing tennis shoes—and becomes France’s most misunderstood monarch.
Why: Antoinette was simultaneously booed AND applauded at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Of course, the French don’t like it when you mess with them, but still, that’s quite an endorsement. Besides, no matter what the young brilliant Coppola (The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation) sets her mind to, we just like the way that mind works.
The Prestige (10/20)
Who: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine; directed by Christopher Nolan
What: In 1878, two young rival stage magicians become embroiled in webs of deceit and exposure, secrets and revelations, as they feud to outwit and destroy one another. And at the peak of their careers, their bitter rivalry also brings about terrible consequences. Yeah, you don’t really want to piss off a magician—could make you disappear forever.
Why: Films about 19th century magicians must be all the rage this fall. Already released is the Edward Norton/Paul Giamatti starrer The Illusionist about a conjuror in love with a duchess out of his league. Yet somehow, under the expert guidance of director Nolan, Prestige looks like it may raise the bar to a whole other level.
Casino Royale (11/11)
Who: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelson, Judi Dench; directed by Martin Campbell
What: This is the James Bond people will remember from the original book, sans high-tech gadgets, overblown action sequences and outrageous villains. In Casino Royale, Agent 007 gets to the nitty gritty, as we follow him on a trail of dirty tricks and violence in the Bahamas. Stakes are raised and terrifying climaxes are reached.
Why: OK, so Daniel Craig is the new, blonder James Bond. He doesn’t exactly look the part but big deal. Get over it. You know he can act and has some smooth moves, evident by his suave turn in Layer Cake. The thing is, Casino Royale is going back to basics, painting a more realistic super agent adventure, and we should at least give it—and the talented Craig—the benefit of the doubt. Just so long as they keep the theme song.
Honorable Mentions:
Hollywoodland (9/8)
As yet another film highlighting old Hollywood, the film recounts the life of the late George Reeves (Ben Affleck)—who in the 1950s immortalized the superhero Superman on television—and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death of an apparent suicide in 1959. Apparently, having a torrid affair with the wife of a studio boss complicates Reeves’ life a bit. Also starring Adrien Brody and Diane Lane.
The Last Kiss (9/15)
Zach Braff, the writer/director/star of the delightful indie Garden State, takes his second stab at feature film. This time, however, he drops the hyphenates and simply stars as one of a few 30 year-olds struggling to adapt to adulthood while their aging parents face middle age. Also starring Jacinda Barrett, Tom Wilkinson and Blythe Danner.
Flags of Our Father (10/20)
Here’s the equation: Classic WWII story about the soldiers who raised the American flag at Iwo Jima plus a young, hip cast (Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach) plus director Clint Eastwood equals a big-time Oscar contender. One would think, anyway.
For Your Consideration (11/17)
Gotta love Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy for turning improvisational banter into a theatrical art form. The creators of hilarious improv classics as Best in Show and A Mighty Wind gather their troops once again (Catherine O’Hara, Parker Posey, Harry Shearer, Bob Balaban, John Michael Higgins—to name a few) to highlight the phenomenon known as the “Award Season” after their little indie gets big Oscar buzz.
[PAGEBREAK]Brian’s Picks
The Departed (10/6)
Who: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen; directed by Martin Scorsese
What: Set in present-day Boston, the police are waging war on organized crime. A young undercover cop, Billy (DiCaprio), is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by a crazed kingpin (Nicholson). Meanwhile, Colin (Damon), a tough young criminal, is infiltrating the police department as an informer for the mob syndicate. But when both the gangsters and the cops learn there’s a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin must race to uncover each other’s identities before being caught.
Why: That cast, for one. To have four bona fide megastars would be almost gratuitous anywhere else—yes, even you, Ocean’s 11, 12 and 13—but not here, not for Scorsese. And speaking of the Goodfellas fella, we’re thrilled to welcome the director back to his grittier roots—not that we were exactly turned off by his Oscar/epic phase in recent years (and not that The Departed is anti-Oscar). If, like most, you enjoyed Boston-based Mystic River, don’t miss this crime saga. But as was the case with River, The Departed is about much more than just crime.
Babel (10/27)
Who: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal; directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
What: If you saw 21 Grams and/or Amores Perros, you know that Inarritu is a synopsis saboteur, but… After two Moroccan boys test-fire a rifle, a single bullet reaches further than ever imagined. Ultimately, four groups of total strangers are forever connected as a result. Among them is an American couple (Pitt and Blanchett) on vacation.
Why: Babel got the royal treatment at the Cannes Film Festival, earning the best director prize and a Golden Palm (best picture) nom. Good Cannes buzz is always a good thing. But for Pitt to star in what is essentially an indie—or better yet, for Pitt’s agent(s) to allow an indie pay cut may be the film’s biggest endorsement. Furthermore, anything Bernal approves of is automatically fine by us, and Blanchett, the only one of the three with an Oscar, is no slouch in the acting department either. But it’s Inarritu who blows our minds. So many contemporary filmmakers utilize the intertwining story line as a gimmick, but Inarritu seems to actually wax philosophical through its usage, implying that we’re all connected. Agree or disagree, it’s compelling food for thought, but not to be consumed by a weary noggin.
Borat (11/3)
Who: Sacha Baron Cohen; directed by Larry Charles
What: For the shameful few who haven’t seen Da Ali G Show, Borat (Cohen) is a Kazakhstani TV talking head who learns about America—or, as Borat calls it, “U, S, and A” —and relays the lessons back to his homeland. Here, Borat does more of the same, lampooning both himself and his unwitting interviewees in the process, in what can only be described as mock-mockumentary style (since it’s in fact real).
Why: Not gonna lie, it’s been genuinely tough for us fans of Da Ali G Show ever since its extended hiatus (if not series finale) in 2004. But at least for now we have Borat, which seems like a “best of” from the funniest of Cohen’s three personae on the HBO show. It’s the kind of hilarity that induces pain, cringe, and pain from cringe, but we desperately need the laughs, even if the price is occasional masochism! Some will invariably hate Borat and dismiss it as sophomoric, but for these integrity snobs, Borat/Cohen often manages to expose some form of America’s underbelly, offering startling, if indirect, insight. Ultimately, it’s all terribly irreverent and sometimes offensive, but Cohen is an equal-culture offender, and Borat might be the perfect icebreaker in a post-7/31 world—that is, a post-Mel-Gibson-arrest-and-subsequent-anti-Semitic-rant world.
Stranger Than Fiction (11/10)
Who: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman; directed by Marc Forster
What: Turns out novelists really are a little aloof. On the verge of completing her novel, a British author (Thompson) only needs a way to kill off her main character, Harold Crick (Ferrell), an IRS worker…and a real person. Problem is, once Crick realizes she’s actually narrating his life, he’s not so quick to comply and fork it over. Yup—just your average, run-of-the-mill premise.
Why: Ah, the annual brain tickler. Despite appearing to lift concepts from out-there fare like I Heart Huckabees and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, don’t be mistaken—Fiction is totally original and, in fact, not written by Charlie Kaufman(Zach Helm penned the script). Ferrell is way out of his comfort zone of midriff-parading teen comedies and into the world of adult dramedies, of the extremely kooky variety. Risky casting? Nonsense! That’s the most exciting part–other than the mind-gnarling plot—because, let’s face it, talent is talent. This one just begs for Oscar snubs.
The Fountain (11/22)
Who: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn; directed by Darren Aronofsky
What: One man (Jackman) is driven to seemingly impossible quests in search of romance in all its different forms. Confused yet? Good luck with this next part: Each quest takes place in different time periods—one in 16th century Spain, one present day, and one in the 26th century.
Why: Sure, Wolverine’s in it, as is Oscar winner Weisz (who happens to be the director’s fiancée, no doubt making the love scenes a wee bit uncomfy on set), but really it’s all about Aronofsky. The very antithesis of Woody Allen, Aronofsky has been in film for over 15 years and produced only two films you may have heard of (Pi and Requiem for a Dream), both of which were nothing short of spectacular. When a director shows a little restraint like that—aka lacks Hollywood whimsy—it gives him or her more time to perfect a labor of love. But the most amazing story here is that Aronofsky actually wrote this film, too, one that otherwise evokes an H.G. Wells novel. This is the year’s most ambitious project, more so than the 9/11 movies, and there should nothing but confidence in Aronofsky to pull it off.
Honorable Mentions:
Jackass: Number Two (9/22)
Yeah, even the title (likely) makes not-so-subtle reference to bodily functions, but aside from the anatomical bits—i.e. the toy car, um, stunt in Jackass: The Movie—these guys are a (no pun intended) gas. With part-time movie star Johnny Knoxville along for the ride again, and more of the same sanity- and sanitation-defying stunts, what’s not to like? Just close your eyes with us when Steve-O (bleep)s a (bleep) up his (bleep) or when, say, Bam Margera (bleep)s a (bleep).
Little Children (10/6)
Be sure to see this one, but not based on its title alone. Children, about two suburbanites (Patrick Wilson and Kate Winslet) who have an affair and a pedophile (Jackie Earle Haley) who returns home to live with his mother, is not meant for the tykes. If that’s not enough proof, know that In the Bedroom’s Todd Field directed it. That oughta be enough for you to take your children instead to Charlotte’s Web…and leave ‘em there, while you see these Children.
Volver (11/3)
Few movies were more adored at Cannes than Volver, and for good reason: Pedro Almodovar (Bad Education, Talk to Her) directed his muse, Penelope Cruz, and each received awards (for screenplay and female ensemble cast). Par for the course, it’s about life, death and the supernatural, with the great Almodovar’s Hitchcock-ian twist—actually, “Almodovar-ian twist” should suffice by now.
Tenacious D In: The Pick of Destiny (11/17)
In Nacho Libre, Jack Black sang one puny little song—you got the feeling he fought urges. Pick of Destiny sees him beltin’ out the tunes along with his fellow Tenacious D “band” member Kyle Gass in their quest to become the world’s greatest band by stealing a Lord of the Rings-like magical guitar pick. Expect cameos aplenty from Frat Pack members and pledges (Ben Stiller, Tim Robbins, Colin Hanks, Amy Poehler, David Koechner) and mock-rock galore!
