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| Dat Ass |
I haven’t read any of Stieg Larsson’ Millenium books. That’s not likely to change, but David Fincher is directing this surefire trilogy. After falling in love with nearly every one of Fincher’s films, I can’t help but get excited for anything he does. He could craft a film about monkeys eating their own shit and I’d be pissing my pants with anticipation. In Fincher’s hands, the film’s lead Rooney Mara is sure to become one of Hollywood’s must watch actresses. Oh… Did I mention that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are doing the score? That's music to my ears.
9. The Beaver
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| No caption needed. |
There comes a point in time where a person can no longer shake their public persona. Case and point: Mel Gibson. The man has done so much damage to his reputation that he makes Tom Cruise’s escapades in 2005 seem well adjusted. With that being said, it almost shames me to say I’m undoubtedly interested to see if Gibson can resurrect his career. Well, he has an opportunity in the Jodie Foster directed film The Beaver. The title is hokey. But the screenplay, which was one of the most sought after screenplays of the last five years, appears to have enough dramatic weight and brevity for Gibson to exorcise his character’s demons and possibly his own. The real question is can Jodie Foster balance the screenplay’s tonal shifts without making the drama feel forced or the laughs cheap? For the moment it looks like she has.
8. Young Adult
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| No, I don't work for Craft Services. |
Last time director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody forged together they created the Oscar nominated Juno. I personally loved Juno, but I understand the hate it receives. Despite some of Juno’s problems, I felt Reitman’s observations and Cody’s heart delivered a wholly satisfying experience. The magic the two captured with Juno could certainly be attained again, but this film’s premise may be a tough one to handle tonally. The premise itself revolves around a fiction writer (Charlize Theron) who returns home to Minnesota to try and rekindle a romance with a man she left in her past (Patrick Wilson). What’s the problem? Well, the man is married with two kids, and the woman stalks him in an effort to regain what was once lost. Yeah, should be awkward, but a huge payoff if Reitman can maneuver through rough waters.
7: The Descendants
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| Heeerrre's Clooney! |
George Clooney is a boss. His charisma and charm elevate almost every film he finds himself in. His acting chops have delivered a level of consistency that I truly didn’t expect. Yet, the most interesting aspect for The Descendants is that director Alexander Payne is returning from a long hiatus. It’s in The Descendants that Payne attempts to tell the tale of a father (Clooney) who wants to reconnect with his daughters amidst an accident. Per the works of Payne, the film will surely feature poignant moments of self-discovery mixed in with terrific humor. Case and point: About Schmidt.
6. Melancholia
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| No more talking foxes please. |
Lars von Trier pissed off a shit load of people with his last film Anti-Christ. Here, I’ll save you a Google search. The aforementioned film was an effective psychological thriller up until the halfway point where logic was killed and ruthless violence reigned supreme. Rusty scissors plus female genitalia has yet to warm an audience’s heart. Nonetheless, Anti-Christ possessed an unnerving beauty to it that almost made it worth watching. That same beauty appears to be on display in von Trier’s latest Melancholia. If that’s not enough, I’m interested to see what kind of bat-shit plot points von Trier can pull on us when he plots the end of the world.
5. Beginners
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| Nothing wrong with a little manscaping. |
Here’s another life affirming film about a man named Oliver (Ewan McGregor) who just found out that his father (Christopher Plummer) has terminal cancer. Oh, not only does Oliver’s father have cancer, but he also admits he’s gay. Talk about a complicating incident. You have two family members not only coming to grips with the future, but also reconciling their past. The film’s trailer demonstrates quickly that writer/director Mike Mills has the bravado to balance the film’s themes of love, loss, and hope. If that’s not enough for you, the exquisite Melanie Laurent also pokes her pretty little face into the awkward family issues.
4. Carnage/God of Carnage
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| I can't believe you forgot the baguette. |
I’m not too sure how Polanski does outside of thrillers, but he has one hell of a cast behind him for this adaptation of the play “God of Carnage”. The talents of John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, and Christophe Waltz hope to garner your attention. The film looks at the drama that boils between two sets of parents who meet and discuss a school yard brawl that occurs between their children. Drama clearly ensues. The premise itself seems destined to only work in a stage setting, but with Polanski calling the shots and a great set of actors, I can’t imagine the film failing to transition from stage to the big screen.
3. Hugo Cabret
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| Could use more blood, Mr. Scorsese. |
I could have never predicted that Scorsese would do a children’s picture, let alone a 3D film. Surprisingly he’s doing both with Hugo Cabret, a beloved children’s book that follows the magic that surrounds a Parisian orphan that lives in the walls of a Paris train station. How Scorsese will fair in uncharted territory is left to be seen, but his instincts and visual panache have yet to fail him. Expect a lot of terrific performances from the likes of Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Ben Kinglsey, Chloe Moretz, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Also expect less F bombs and head-shots.
2. Super 8
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| They too have no idea what the movie is entirely about. |
After watching the first full length trailer for Super 8 my excitement reached an apex. I thought Spielberg was about to top himself again. Then reality set in and I realized it wasn’t Spielberg helming this throwback to classic storytelling. Instead it was the venerable JJ Abrams who not only knows how to market his films, but also crafts them in a way that harkens back to the magic that is found in Spielberg’s earlier films (E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind). Part love letter to film, part monster movie, Super 8 appears to be the film to beat for entertainment and movie magic this summer.
1. The Tree of Life
I haven’t seen a Terence Malick film in its entirety, nor do I really know much about his film canon, but that doesn’t dissuade me from being overly excited about his long gestating picture The Tree of Life. Known as being the type of filmmaker who is never satisfied with his work, Malick has been hard at work on the Tree of Life for at least four years. Whether his work will be a masterpiece or a rambling mess is left to be seen. What I can deduce though is that the Tree of Life is aiming to be the type of film that tries to capture the essence of life on film. One can certainly respect Malick’s reach even if he misses the mark. In the very least, Malick’s imagery (as demonstrated in the trailer) is sure to be intoxicating as he captures the natural beauty of this world and its inhabitants.
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