The holidays are here, and for moviegoers it means two things: It’s the time for big splashy movies, including Leonardo DiCaprio‘s Blood Diamond and Ben Stiller‘s Night at the Museum, and quiet Oscar baiters, such as Alfonso Cuaron‘s Children of Men and Anthony Minghella‘s Breaking and Entering. Here’s a rundown of which films hitting theaters this month are worth the price of admission.
For more releases, check our Movie Calendar.
Kit’s Picks
Blood Diamond (12/18)
Who: Leonardo DiCaprio, Dijmon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly; directed by Edward Zwick
What: Diamond is an action-packed flick set during the 1990s civil unrest in Sierra Leone, which concentrates on the cutthroat conflict diamond trade. DiCaprio stars as a South African mercenary, who teams up with a local man (Hounsou), searching for his kidnapped son, as they hunt for a rare pink diamond that will solve both their problems. Meanwhile, DiCaprio gets involved with a Vanity Fair journalist (Connelly) in Sierra Leone on assignment.
Why: From producer/director Zwick (The Last Samurai), Diamond has got a nice mix of political intrigue, emotional drama and real-world issues, which gives it high wattage. Plus, its got the hunky DiCaprio–donning a South African accent, no less. He’s definitely on a hot streak since his searing turn in The Departed.
Night at the Museum (12/20)
Who: Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Robin Williams and a slew of A-list cameos; directed by Shawn Levy
What: Ever wonder what it would be like if a museum display actually came to life? Good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley (Stiller) finds out the hard way when, after taking a menial job as a graveyard-shift security guard at a museum of natural history, many things indeed come to life when the museum closes. This includes a skeletal T-Rex, miniaturizes cowboys—and most importantly, a wax figure of President Teddy Roosevelt (Williams), who helps our hero harness the bedlam, stop a nefarious plot, and save the museum.
Why: Like Adam Sandler, Stiller—as the kind-hearted cream puff—seems to have a golden touch when it comes to his comedies. And from the looks of it, Museum could be one of his better ones. We bet all director Shawn Levy (Cheaper by the Dozen) had to do was the turn the cameras on and let the hilarity ensure.
Notes on a Scandal (12/27)
Who: Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy; directed by Richard Eyre
What: When Sheba Hart (Blanchett) joins St. George’s as the new art teacher, fellow teacher Barbara Covett (Dench), a Ms. Lonely Hearts herself, senses a kindred spirit—and salvation. But Barbara is not the only one drawn to her. Sheba begins an illicit affair with one of her high school students, and Barbara becomes the keeper of her secret, which she wields over her young friend for her own nefarious and selfish reasons. Can’t imagine this ending up too well.
Why: To see Blanchett and Dench go toe-to-toe, of course. This is the first time these two classy actresses have starred in a movie together, and we think the combination is going to be pretty powerful. Oscar gold anyone?
Arthur and the Invisibles (1/12/07)
Who: Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Madonna, Snoop Dogg, David Bowie; directed by Luc Besson
What: This is a family adventure about a boy, Arthur (Highmore), who sets out to save his family home from emerging real estate developers by following his grandmother’s (Farrow) advice and looking for the ancient clues to a vast treasure, buried in the land of the Invisibles. The what? As Arthur finds out, it’s a spectacular new world filled with mysterious little people—and they live right in his very own backyard! Once he enters this strange and magical land, a miniaturized Arthur must join swords with a beautiful princess (Madonna) and a reckless army of defenders to save the land from the evil wizard (Bowie). And in saving the Invisibles, he will also save his home.
Why: Invisibles does sound a bit like a few other movies we’ve seen before, but there’s one difference: They didn’t have Luc Besson directing them. The French auteur—responsible for films such as The Professional and The Fifth Element—definitely has an imagination, so jumping into the animated realm isn’t that much of a stretch. Let’s see what he does with the genre.
The Hitcher (1/19/07)
Who: Zachary Knighton, Sophia Bush, Sean Bean; directed by Dave Meyers
What: In a remake of the 1986 cult classic, Knighton and Bush play two college students who unwittingly pick up the very wrong kind of hitchhiker (Bean). See, he’s got a murderous plan on his mind, and he’s going to get these two to help him—or else. Damn it, why didn’t they just drive on by?
Why: Because the first Hitcher scared the living daylights out of us, due to a rather sinister performance from Rutger Hauer, we’re curious to see what kind of creepy hijinks the remake has in store.
Honorable Mentions:
The Holiday (12/8)
This romantic comedy revolves around a British woman (Kate Winslet) who switches houses with an American (Cameron Diaz) for the holidays. Once in their new places, Winslet finds herself attracted to Yank Jack Black, while smooth Brit Jude Law woos the lovely Diaz. Wait, back up, Jack Black? The wacky comic actor seems a tad out of place in a romantic comedy, but his presence alone is enough to intrigue us. After all, a good sense of humor gets the girls every time.
Eragon (12/15)
There couldn’t possibly be a holiday season without a lavish fantasy epic, and since there are no Harry Potters, Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia, we’ll rely on Eragon. It’s a story about a boy named Eragon (newcomer Ed Speleers), who finds a polished blue stone in the forest. At first, he thinks it’s a way to bring food to his family. Instead, it turns out to be a dragon hatchling, and Eragon is soon thrust into a world of magic and power through which he and the dragon must navigate. Dragons are just too damn cool. Also stars Jeremy Irons, Robert Carlyle, John Malkovich and Sienna Guillory.
The Painted Veil (12/20)
Ah, the token beautiful period piece about love and infidelity based on the classic novel by W. Somerset Maugham. Set in the 1920s, the story focuses on a doctor and his wife (Edward Norton and Naomi Watts), whose troubled marriage brings them to China. Once there in one of the most remote and beautiful places on earth, their love is rekindled and both find a new purpose in life.
Charlotte’s Web (12/15)
We need another Babe, and what better way to watch an endearing pig win the hearts of millions then by adapting the children’s classic Charlotte’s Web into a live-action movie. The adaptation also includes an A-list vocal lineup, including Julia Roberts (as Charlotte, the spider), Steve Buscemi (as a rat), Oprah Winfrey
(as a goose), John Cleese (as a sheep), Kathy Bates (as a cow)—and Dakota Fanning as the little girl, Fern, who just loves her Wilbur. He’s “SOME PIG!”
[PAGEBREAK]Brian’s Picks
Breaking and Entering (12/15)
Who: Jude Law, Juliette Binoche, Robin Wright Penn, Martin Freeman, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga; directed by Anthony Minghella
What: When a landscape architect’s (Law) state-of-the-art offices in a seedy part of town are repeatedly burgled, his investigations take him out of the safety of his familiar world. Ultimately, there is more than mere physical theft going on here, and it leads to an intersection of lives in London’s inner-city area of King’s Cross.
Why: Director Minghella doesn’t make films with the regularity of, say, Woody Allen, so it’s a big event when he puts one out—and it also eliminates careless mistakes common to those directors with a high output. Great as his past epics have been—The Talented Mr. Ripley, The English Patient, Cold Mountain—they tend to be a bit, well, epic, and thus at times a difficult watch. But Entering appears to have bucked that trend with a story no less engrossing than those in his past movies, yet much more fiery and with a possible splash of hot-button.
The Good Shepherd (12/22)
Who: Matt Damon, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Joe Pesci; directed by Robert De Niro
What: As an eager, optimistic student at Yale, Edward Wilson (Damon) has an acute mind, a spotless reputation and a belief in American values that render him a perfect candidate for a career in intelligence. He eventually goes on to co-found the CIA during a highly paranoid setting in American history and becomes so dedicated to his job and his country that not even his wife (Jolie) can get through to him.
Why: It’s Bobby D., Joey P. and Francie C.—that’s De Niro, Pesci and Francis Ford Coppola, who serves as executive producer. They’ve never worked together on the same movie, but they’re a dream trio. Of course, the minor side-story concerning two of Earth’s bigger movie stars, Damon and Jolie (in her first post-natural-birth film), is none too shabby itself. But it’s all about De Niro, who is directing his first movie since A Bronx Tale. He needs a return to glory like his frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese did. Well, expect him to follow his good buddy’s superb The Departed with a smash of his own.
Dreamgirls (12/25)
Who: Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose; directed by Bill Condon
What: In the turbulent ‘60s, three girls—Deena (Knowles), Effie (Hudson) and Lorell (Rose)—form The Dreamettes. After being discovered at a talent contest by manager Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Foxx), they are given the chance of a lifetime—singing back-up to James “Thunder” Early (Murphy). But what was once a great opportunity turns viciously opportunistic as the girls realize their dreams—and the high cost(s) thereof.
Why: Sometimes you’re unsure about a movie musical—“But Catherine Zeta-Jones can’t sing!”… “But Outkast can’t act!”… “But…it’s a musical!”—well, not this time. Dreamgirls understands that the genre presumably works best with a cast of singer-actor crossovers that can excel at both. (And yes, Eddie Murphy’s album Wazzupwitu, amongst others, qualifies him, too.) For Beyonce, Dreamgirls could set her film career ablaze, making her a bigger double threat than J.Lo; for Foxx, it’s the perfect multi-faceted role; for Murphy, it’ll remind us—and the Academy—that he doesn’t exclusively make movies for the money; and for American Idol star Hudson, it launches a career, if not Oscar chatter. Finally, with writer/director Condon (Kinsey) at the helm, we can be sure that no detail went neglected and that the movie won’t shy away from anything in the name of financial expectations.
Children of Men (12/25)
Who: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor; directed by Alfonso Cuaron
What: Set in 2027, when the human race has seemingly lost its ability to reproduce, a London peace activist, Theo Faron (Owen), joins forces with his revolutionary ex-wife (Moore) in order to save mankind by protecting a woman who has mysteriously become pregnant.
Why: The story is tantalizingly bleak—for us eternal malcontents out there—the cast is full of cagey vets and director Cuaron’s resume (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Great Expectations) defies categorization and failure. Throw all those ingredients together and you’ve got two of the most riveting hours you’ll spend doing anything this winter—out of the cold, no less. You’ve also got the recipe for Oscar buzz.
Factory Girl (12/29)
Who: Guy Pearce, Sienna Miller, Hayden Christensen, Jimmy Fallon; directed by George Hickenlooper
What: In 1965, Edie Sedgwick (Miller) left her posh lifestyle to move to NYC, where she met Andy Warhol (Pearce). She quickly became a star and the envy of all who came and went at Warhol’s famed art studio, the Factory. But Warhol himself didn’t share the same affection as everyone else for Edie, and it never sat well with her, to say the least.
Why: Warhol’s life and times were plenty interesting—some would argue even more so than his art—but we’ve all heard his bio one too many times. Factory Girl, by contrast, offers a more peripheral view of the artist and the world he created—and, in Sedgwick’s case, the world he knocked down. The many real-life characters to be portrayed will thankfully shed some light on one of the infinite unheralded “scenes” to emerge from New York, but one that also had a dark side. And instead of casting megastars and dumbing down the story, these actors actually look like their real-life counterparts and at least one cast member, Miller, could break out in this winter’s “Cool Movie.”
Honorable Mentions: Apocalypto (12/8)
The film, about a man’s perilous journey during the Mayan civilization (with no actors you’ve ever heard of), sounds and looks somewhat interesting. But as we all know, the title is occasionally Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto, and therein lies the intrigue. Gibson’s July anti-Semitic rant heard ‘round the world left him little time for proper damage control before the release of his once highly anticipated Passion of the Christ follow-up. The backlash, box office and boycott will be a story worth following and will tell us more about the movie-going public than any demographic charts or questionnaires ever could. Plus, the title is so much fun to enunciate improperly!
The Pursuit of Happyness (12/15)
Pay no attention to one of the worst titles ever—one look at the tear-dense trailer oughtta do it. It’s Will Smith, flexing his melodramatic muscle more than ever, in a role that’s sure to net him an Oscar nod if not victory. His real son, Jaden, plays his son in the movie, no doubt making the tears flow more freely for Smith and thus for the audience. But let’s not kid ourselves: The real reason to see the movie is that Homer Simpson himself, Dan Castellaneta—who has a surprisingly deep non-Simpsons filmography—appears in the flesh! D’oh!
Hostel: Part II (1/5)
The sequel to last year’s hit gore-fest offers more of the same—although with the bevy of like-minded, less original rip-offs since, it’ll be tough to shock jaded audiences. Leave it to gore-or maestro/Tarantino-endorsed director Eli Roth, whose first Hostel (and cult hit Cabin Fever) came closer to horror of yore than anything in a while, to up the ante. Rising star Jay Hernandez (World Trade Center) reprises his role, while Lauren German (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Bijou Phillips (Bully) and Heather Matarazzo (Saved!) will be among the pretty victims.
