Top films to see this Fall/December

OSCAR SEASON IS HERE! We will see the good, the bad, and all the crap in between. yeah. that's my crappy intro. Here's my most hyped.





32. OldBoy

I'm on the fence about this one. VERY on the fence but a part of me is still fascinated. Oldboy is a remake (Director Spike Lee is calling it a reinterpriation) of a 2003 South Korean film of the same name. (The south Korean film is based off of a Japanese Manga). The 2003 film is one of my favorite movies of all time, so this has a LOT to live up to. The 2013 film tells the story of an advertising executive held prisoner for 20 years in solitary confinement for reasons unknown. He is released and now must find out why he was imprisoned in order to save his daughter.
This synopsis is slightly different from the 2003 film. Our protagonist is held captive for 15 years and must found out why he was imprisoned to save the life of a young woman he's just met (the equivalent of Elisabeth Olsen's character).
So at least some things appear to be playing out differently, though how different remains to be seen. They do recreate the famous hallway fight scene. I thought the trailer looked pretty solid until we see scenes outside of the prison. I don't know. Something felt off. Still, there's a good cast here. Academy Award Nominee Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Emmy Winner Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos), Sharlto Copley (District 9), and Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson with the greatest mohawk I have ever seen (This is Sam's first time working with Lee since Jackson called Lee out on criticizing Quentin Tarantino for Jackie Brown. Interesting). Still, Spike Lee hasn't made a good film in 7 years (Inside Man) and hasn't made a masterpiece in 11 years (The 25th Hour). Will this redeem Spike Lee or will he remain a has been who wastes time complaining about other people's movies? We'll see.

31. Diana

I don't know what to think about this. It's a British period piece and stars the supremely talented Naomi Watts who can do no wrong. Naveen Andrews (LOST) is also a great actor. And the trailer is intriguing. Yet word on the estate is that it sucks. Like it really really sucks. I wasn't the only one predicting an Oscar nomination from Watts early on. Some were even predicting a win. Then the film came out. 2% on Rotten tomatoes after 41 reviews. Average rating of 3.4 out of 10. I guess it's the All the King's Men of 2013.

30.Machete Kills

I love the first movie. I do. The reviews for this film have been middling with a 30% rotten tomatoes rating based on  86 reviews and an average rating of 4.6/10. But I still want to see it because it looks SO RIDICULOUS! And that cast. They got Cuba Gooding Jr, Mel Gibson, Antonio Banderas, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Charlie Sheen (Carlos Estevez) and even Lady Gaga. So much potential for awesome.

29. The Fifth Estate

Benedict Cumberbatch is proving to be one hell of an actor. From Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy to Sherlock to Star Trek. He's on a roll. The Fifth Estate marks his first lead role in a motion picture, telling the true story of controversial wikileaks creator Julian Assange. The trailer made me excited for the movie but the reviews have been mixed so far with a 44% on rotten tomatoes based on 41 reviews with an average rating of 5.6 out of 10. I'm still willing to see it for the fascinating real life premise, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Daniel Bruhl who is now one of my favorite actors thanks to Rush.

28. Grudge Match
I know this movie will suck but it almost looks like there will be a good mix of comedy and drama. I really dig that "whole world's laughing at us, but we're not dead" scene at 1:32 in the trailer. Plus it's got Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead). I like the idea of not having a good guy or a bad guy. Yeah, it'll suck. But there's a chance it could not suck.

27. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

I never read the books and the first film didn't wow me like it did some people. And I saw Battle Royale a year later and discovered how vastly superior it was. Still, the ending of the first film made me curious about where the story would go next plus Academy Award winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman is joining the cast as Jack Bauer's dad's friend/henchman/assistant or something like that. Jeffrey Wright is also joining. Plus Gary Ross isn't directing so perhaps we won't have obnoxious shaky cam. It has no reviews as of now.

26. Labor Day

Starring Academy Award winner Kate Winselt and Academy Award Nominee Josh Brolin, Labor Day tells the story of a single mom who gives an injured man a ride to their home only to discover he's an escaped convict. It's directed by Jason Reitman, but appears to be much more serious than his previous films, which mostly mixed dark comedy with drama. It has no trailer yet, only the clip above and has a 67% on Rotten tomatoes based on 24 reviews and an average rating of 6.3 out of 10. The film lacks the acclaim of Thank you for Smoking, Juno, and Up in The Air, but I still think I'll enjoy it, especially since it's very different from his previous work.

25. Lone Survivor

Lone Survivor is based on the true story of a Navy Seal mission to assassinate a Taliban leader gone terribly wrong. The 4 man team is played by Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights), Emile Hirsch (Into The Wild) and Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma). It's directed by Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom). I doubt this film will be as big of an Oscar contender as it wants to be, but there could still be an good movie to be soon.

24. All is Lost

This may shock some people but Robert Redford has only one acting nomination from the Oscars. He got it 40 years ago for The Sting. Robert Redford could score another one with All is Lost, where he is apparently the only character as a man lost at sea. Directed by J.C. Chandor, who directed Margin Call, one of the most underrated movies of 2011, I have high hopes for this one. All is Lost currently has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with 20 reviews and an average rating of 6.8/10.

23. Mandela: Long Walk to freedom

Idris Elba is an awesome actor, but he hasn't gotten all the opportunities that he deserves. I believe this is his 2nd time in a lead role, the first being an excellent low budget thriller called Legacy, seen by about 15 people including myself. He proved with Legacy that he could carry a movie so I'm hoping that Mandela: Long walk to freedom will be just as good. Unlike Invictus, Long walk to freedom will be covering Mandela's early, radical years where he eventually resorted to violence to fight the Apartheid government. I'm curious as to how the film will portray his violent actions and especially the portrayal of his very controversial wife at the time, Winnie Mandela.

 22. Philomena

Philomena tells the story of an elderly British woman who teams up with a journalist to find her son who was taken away from her years ago and who she's never met (I think). Anyways, it stars Judi Dench being very Judi Dench like (I mean that in a good way) and Steve Coogan in an against type dramatic performance. It currently holds a 94% on rotten tomatoes  based on 16 reviews with an average rating of 8/10.

21. Thor: The Dark World

It's a Summer blockbuster coming out in the Fall. What can I say? Chris Hemsworth is excellent as Thor and the first movie was a lot of fun. The thing that I'm most curious about is Director Alan Taylor replacing Kenneth Branagh. Regardless, it looks like a lot of fun. The film currently has an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 19 reviews and an average rating of 6.6/10

20. The Monuments Men

 The Monuments Men tells the true of an Allie group tasked with saving pieces of art and other culturally important items before their destruction by Hitler during WWII. Starring Academy Award Winners George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jean Dujardin, Cate Blanchett, Academy Award nominee Bill Murray, Golden Globe Winner John Goodman, and Emmy Award nominee Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), this film attracts my attention on the cast alone, but increases it with the interesting premise. It is also directed by George Clooney and does not yet have any reviews.

19. August: Osage county

Similar to The Monuments Men, the cast of this film is what draws me to it. August: Osage County stars Academy Award Winner Meryl Streep, Academy Award winner Julia Roberts, Golden globe nominee Ewan McGregor, Academy Award Winner Chris Cooper, Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin, Emmy nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, Academy Award nominee Juliette Lewis, Emmy Winner Margo Martindale (JUSTIFIED!!!!), Academy award nominee Sam Shepard, as well as Julianne Nicholson (Boardwalk Empire), Misty Upham (Frozen river) and Dermot Mulroney. so yeah, one hell of a cast. The film is "A look at the lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them." It currently holds a 64% on rotten tomatoes based on 14 reviews with an average rating of 5.6/10.The film is directed by tv producer John Wells (ER, Third Watch, Shameless, Southland, The West Wing).

18. Out of the Furnace 

 The first trailer was good, but it was the 2nd trailer (posted above) which really got me pumped. The film tells the story of a man (Christian Bale) searching for his missing brother (Casey Affleck) which leads him to an organized crime ring led by Woody Harrelson. Directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart), Out of the Furnace is another film with one hell of a cast. Academy Award winners Christian Bale and Forest Whitaker, Academy Award Nominees Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Willem Dafoe, and Sam Shepard, and Zoe Saldana. The plot doesn't scream of originality, but neither did Crazy Heart. With a great cast and a great director, I don't think it will disappoint. It has no reviews yet.

 

17. Saving Mr. Banks

I'll admit that I never knew that there was any crazy story to the creation of the Mary Poppins film, but apparently there was and if the trailer is any indication, it's a damn interesting story. Interestingly, despite being a Disney movie, it is PG-13 for "thematic elements including some unsettling images." Academy Award winner Emma Thompson plays P.L. Travers, author of Mary Poppins, who travels to LA to meet with Walt Disney (Academy Award winner Tom Hanks) to discuss adapting her book into a film. It also stars Academy Award nominee Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Emmy winner Bradley Whitford (The West Wing), Golden Globe winner Colin Farrell, B.J. Novak, and Academy Award nominee Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under). The film does not yet have any reviews

16. Kill Your Darlings

Kill Your Darlings is about a murder that draws together the great poets of the beat generation: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William S. Burroughs. Starring Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Dane DeHaan (Chronicle), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire), Ben Foster, Elizabeth Olsen, Jennifer Jason Leigh, David Cross, and Kyra Sedgewick. It currently has an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 20 reviews and an average rating of 7/10.

15. Nebraska

 The plot of Nebraska is simple enough. A father and son trek from Montana to Nebraska to claim prize money. Along the way, the two meet up with friends, relatives and acquaintances to whom the father owes money. But we all know that no film is ever that simple. Academy Award Nominee Bruce Dern stars as the father and he's been getting raves all around, including winning Best Actor at the Cannes film Festival. Comedic actor Will Forte (Saturday Night Live) has also received great reception for his against type performance. Directed by Academy Award Winner Alexander Payne (About Schmidt, Sideways, The Descendants) and filmed in a stylistic black and white, expect to hear about this film when Oscar season comes closer. Plus Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad) is in it. It has an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 24 reviews with an average rating of 7.6/10.

14. Blue Is The Warmest Color

I will also say that I hate liberal propoganda films like this. No matter what this filth tries to ram down my throat, blue is NOT the warmest color. Red is because red=hot. A bunch of blue propaganda if you ask me.

But seriously, this movie better be damn good.

Blue is the Warmest Color is a French film about a 15 year old girl who meets a blue haired woman in her late 20s who she starts a romantic relationship with. That sounds super illegal but whatever. Anyways, the film has received mass critical acclaim, winning the  Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.  It has a 92% rating on Rotten tomatoes based on 24 reviews with an average rating of 8.9/10.

It's also NC-17 and 3 HOURS LONG! I don't know how you can make a 3 hour long movie about one woman having a not very legal relationship with a teenage girl, but this movie did it and apparently did it well. The premise and long run time still...intrigues me. I wonder how it will turn out. In other news, apparently Director Abdellatif Kechiche is a major dick!

13. Her

Her is another film from Academy Award Nominee Spike Jonze. his 4th film in his 14 year career. Academy Award Nominee Joaquin Phoenix stars as a lonely man who falls in love with his new operating system (Golden globe nominee Scarlett Johansson), even though she's only A.I. Also starring Academy Award nominees Amy Adams and Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, and Chris Pratt (Parks and recreation). It currently has a 100% rating on Rotten tomatoes based on 6 reviews with an average rating of 9.2/10.

12.Rush

 Rush is the kind of film we don't see enough of. A true story without heroes or villains. Just people doing what they love. As I write this, I've already seen Rush, but I had ranked it about here before seeing it. I would have ranked it higher if I knew it would be this good. Unlike Ron Howard's last effort, The Dilemma, Rush doesn't suck. In fact, it's amazing. And unlike Ron Howard's previous sports movie, Cinderella Man, Rush doesn't simplify things into a good vs. evil film, which makes it all the more interesting. The film currently holds an 88% on rotten tomatoes with 190 reviews and an average rating of 7.6/10. It is not to be missed. Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl give amazing performances.

11. Secret life of Walter Mitty 

I am disappointed by the early mixed reception because I think the trailer (that reveals virtually nothing about the film) is very beautiful. I think Ben Stiller is very underrated as both an actor and a director and showed some unappreciated dramatic chops in Greenberg. The film is a fantasy and the synopsis reads: "A Life Magazine worker (Stiller) who lives inside fantasy worlds sets off on a global journey to find a missing picture, which is needed for the final issue of Life." I think it looks amazing but it has polarized critics so far scoring a 33% on Rotten tomatoes based on 9 reviews with an average rating of 5.2/10.

10. Dallas Buyers Club

The Dallas Buyers Club stars Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, and Golden Globe Winner Jennifer Garne. McConaughey lost 30 pounds to play Ron Woodroof, a drug addict who is diagnosed with HIV. He smuggles in alternative medicine into the US to provide for himself and others diagnosed with HIV. McConaughey is a serious Oscar contender this year as is Jared Leto as a transgender prostitute. The film has a 92% on Rotten tomatoes with an average rating of 7.8/10  based on 26 reviews. The consensus is Dallas Buyers Club rests squarely on Matthew McConaughey's scrawny shoulders, and he carries the burden gracefully with what might be a career-best performance.

9. Captain Phillips

 I hate the title of the film. I feel like Captain Phillips would work if the film was about Captain Phillips' life, like a biopic. But it's not. It's about a single event and Captain Phillips was just a guy involved in it. A Hijacking would be a better title, but there's already a film about Somali pirates hijacking a ship called that so whatever. Title aside, the movie looks amazing and is by all accounts. Tom Hanks plays the title character, whose ship is taken over by Somali pirates. Much praise has been given to the performances of Tom Hanks and newcomer Somali actor Barkhad Abdi as Muse, the leader of the pirates. Unlike Black Hawk Down, Somalis were actually casted for this film which is a nice touch. The film currently holds a 95% on Rotten tomatoes based on 159 reviews and an average rating of 8.5/10. It is directed by Paul Greengrass (Bourne Supremacy, Bourne Identity, Bloody Sunday and my favorite United 93). He certainly knows how to up the tensions and make audiences feel uncomfortable so I'm in.

8. 12 Years A Slave

 

12 Years a Slave tells the true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man in New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. It's directed by Steve McQueen who also directed Shame, one of my favorite movies of all time, and Hunger, a film that many people loved but I did not. Much acclaim has gone to the performances with Oscar buzz towards Chiwetel Ejiofor, recurring McQueen actor Michael Fassbender, and newcomer Lupita Nyong'o. Also starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, and Brad Pitt. The film currently holds a 97% on Rotten tomatoes based on 31 reviews with an average rating of 8.9/10.

7. Inside Llewyn Davis

I was going to make a joke about how the Coen Brothers have an apparent fondness for lead characters name Llewelyn (protagonist named Llewelyn Moss in No Country for Old Men). Then I watched the trailer I realized the character's name is Llewyn Davis. Difference? Llewelyn (Lou Ellen) vs. Llewyn (Loo inn).

Sorry for giving you that irrelevant fact. I'm just upset that my entire life is a life. Anyways, it's a Coen brothers movie which basically guarantees that it'll be super awesome. I love Fargo, No Country for Old Men, Blood Simple, Burn after Reading, Raising Arizona, A Serious Man, and all the others.

The title character is played by Oscar Issac in his first lead role. Issac is perhaps best known for his very underrated performance as Standard Gabriel in Drive and as one of the only good actors in the film Sucker Punch. Llewyn Davis is a folk singer navigating New York's folk scene in 1961 and that's basically all that's known. A slice of life movie, seeing Llewelyn interact with the people he already knew and new people he meets. In Coen's we trust.

Also starring Issac's drive co-star Academy Award nominee Carey Mulligan (AKA Michelle William's secret twin), Golden Globe winner John Goodman since it is a Coen Brother's film, Justin Timberlake, and Garrett Hedlund. The film currently holds an 89% on Rotten tomatoes with 27 reviews and an average rating of 9/10. It won the Grand Prix (2nd place) at the Cannes Film Festival, losing to Blue is the warmest Color (the title of that movie is a goddamn lie. RED!!!)

6. Prisoners

 So I saw Prisoners yesterday and it lived up to the awesome hype (it was ranked #6 for a reason). With an amazing cast and direction this film doesn't disappoint. I never felt bored during it's 2 and a half hours and the performances are certainly Oscar worthy. I think it's better than Gone Baby Gone, the other film that comes to mind when I think of "disturbing child missing movie". Gone Baby Gone is emotional and disturbing but Prisoners packs an even harder punch. The whole film is emotionally exhausting due to its disturbing subject matter, but never boring or dull. We see Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal giving some of the best work of their career and the underrated Paul Dano continuing to impress. It lived up to the hype. It currently holds an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes with 201 reviews and an average rating of 7.2/10.

5. Gravity

 Gravity has been so acclaimed that some people are even saying that it could be the first science fiction movie to win Best Picture. Directed by acclaimed Mexican film director Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men), Gravity stars Academy Award Winners Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as a medical engineer and an astronaut lost in space. Much acclaim has gone to the special effects, the acting, and the tension built throughout the film. It currently holds a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 239 reviews with an average rating of 9.1/10.

4. Foxcatcher

 GAH!!!!!

This film no longer applies because it has been pushed back to an unspecified 2014 date. Still, I'll mention it anyways because it looks SO AMAZING!

Foxcatcher stars Steve Carrell in what looks like an Oscar worthy turn as John du Pont, a mentally ill multimillionaire  ornithologist, conchologist, coach and sports enthusiast. Mark Ruffalo plays Du Pont's friend Dave Schultz, who would be murdered by him while Channing Tatum plays Dave's brother and a protege of Du Pont. Directed by Academy Award Nominee Bennett Miller (Moneyball, Capote), Foxcatcher has all the makings of a classic.The final shot of the trailer is particularly disturbing. However, it doesn't appear that we'll be seeing this anytime soon.

3. The Counselor

 Dedicated to his late brother Tony Scott, The Counselor looks like another classic in the making from Ridley Scott. Golden globe nominee Michael Fassbender stars as a lawyer who becomes involved in drug trafficking. Also starring Academy Award Winner Penelope Cruz as his girlfriend, Academy Award nominee Brad Pitt, Academy Award Winner Javier Bardem, and Golden Globe nominee Cameron Diaz. The film is an original screenplay by Cormac McCarthy, author of No Country for Old Men, one of my favorite films of all time. I am VERY excited for this.

2. American Hustle

American Hustle is the newest film from Academy Award nominated director David O. Russell, best known for The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook. The cast of this film is basically a combination of the aforementioned films. The film stars Academy award Winner Christian Bale, Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper, Academy Award nominee Amy Adams, Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner, Academy Award Winner Jennifer Lawrence, Academy Award Winner Robert De Niro, Michael Pena, Louie C. K., Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire), and Dawn Olivieri (House of Lies). The film is about a brilliant con man (Christian Bale) and his partner (Amy Adams) being forced to work for an FBI Agent (Bradley Cooper). With the spectacular cast and great director, I doubt this film will disappoint. Neither trailer reveals much about the plot, but I really don't care. Also, Amy Adams is supposed to be British in the film. She's speaks in the 2nd trailer, but she sounds like herself to me.

Watch this and tell me if you hear something, because I don't.

1.The Wolf on Wall Street

The Wolf on Wall Street is likely to be another masterpiece from Martin Scorcese but may be pushed back to 2014. The film is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government. Academy Award Nominee Leonardo Dicaprio is once again trying to get his Oscar due in the lead role. It also stars Academy Award Nominee Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Academy Award Winner Jean Dujardin, Emmy Winner Kyle Chandler, Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead), Rob Reiner (acting for the first time since who knows when), Kenneth Choi (Sons of Anarchy), Spike Jonze (Director of Her, actor in Three Kings), Ethan Suplee (My name is Earl) and I'm sure some others. Please note that 4 of Martin Scorcese's last 5 movies (not counting the documentaries) received Best Director and Best Picture nominations. This is a guy you can count on. The current cut is over 3 hours long and is expected to be trimmed down. Needless to say, this film looks amazing.