Wednesday, January 19, 2011

2011 films
prestige
part 2

Part two of the likely award contenders. Tomorrow it's on to the lighter stuff.

16. On The Road
Who: Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, Steve Buscemi, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Terrence Howard, Tom Sturridge and Alice Bragga; directed by Walter Salles
What: An adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s iconic Beat Generation novel which chronicles Sal Paradise – Kerouac’s alter ego (Riley) and Dean Moriarty – Neal Cassady’s alter ego (Hedlund) as they roam the country in a quest for self-knowledge and experience.
Why: This project has spent years in production hell. The movie rights have been bouncing around Hollywood since the 1960s. Gus van Sant owned the right for many years and in 1980 Francis Ford Coppola bought them. In 2010 Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries) finally lensed the project. (Coppola and van Sant are producing.) With an all-star team and cast plus many, many years of anticipation On the Road will be much buzzed about this year.
When: TBA (Some critics/bloggers have proposed a Cannes debut, but just last week Salles gave an interview to a Brazilian newspaper whereupon being asked if he knew when the film would be released he responded “no, because we have only now begun to edit the film….I imagine it will be ready by year’s end or early 2012.” I can’t imagine the film doesn’t reach audiences in some fashion this year in time to qualify for awards season. Is a Toronto premier too much to ask for?)

17. One Day
Who: Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturges, Patricia Clarkson, Jodie Whittaker and Georgia King; directed by Lone Scherfig
What: The story of Dex and Em who first meet graduation night from university in 1988 and proceed to reunite one day each year for the next 20 years.
Why: Adapted from the David Nicholls novel and directed by Lone Scherfig (who directed one of my ’09 favorites An Education), the film was originally intended for a spring release before Focus Features moved it back which may suggest they are feeling the awards buzz the film is getting. (By-the-by I can’t say I’m too excited about this one. The amount of loathing resentment I had for this book is unparalleled. At one point I literally threw it across the room.)
When: July 8

18. Restless
Who: Mia Wasikowska, Henry Hopper, Jane Adams, Schuyler Fisk and Chin Han; directed by Gus van Sant
What: The story of a terminally ill 16-year-old girl (Wasikowska) who falls in love with an off-beat boy (Hopper) who likes to attend funerals as a way to cope with the death of his family; and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese Kamikaze pilot (Han) from WWII.
Why: I’ve read the script on this one and I really loved it – funny and sad and almost kind of all over the place. Gus van Sant is the perfect director to bring it to the big screen. I’m also excited to see the late, great Dennis Hooper’s son, Henry, in his first lead role.
When: TBA (Originally slatted to open at the end of January, Sony has since moved the date which may suggest that test audiences were reacting positively.)


19. Shame
Who: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan and James Badge Dale; directed by Steve McQueen
What: Brandon (Fassbender) is a thirty-something sex addict living in New York who falls in love with his co-worker. After his wayward sister (Mulligan) moves into this apartment Brandon’s world spirals out of control.
Why: The film hasn’t even started shooting yet (the start date is later this month in New York) but there is so much buzz around this script, and in conjunction with the cast, it really has Oscar pundits excited. Expect to see a debut at Venice and/or Toronto film festival.
When: TBA (fall 2011)

20. The Skin I Inhabit
Who: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Marisa Paredes, Eduard Fernàndez, Jan Cornet and Josè Luis Gòmez; directed by Pedro Almadòvar
What: A plastic surgeon (Banderas) seeks revenge on the men who raped his daughter.
Why: Based on Thierry Jonquet’s crime novel Tarantula, this film reunites Almadòvar and Banderas 20 years after their first film together (Time Me Up! Time Me Down!). Almadòvar describes it as a horror film, and everything released about the project seems to suggest some very dark material. Pretty much a sure bet for a Cannes debut this spring.
When: November 18 (limited)

21. Take This Waltz
Who: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman, Aaron Abrams and Luke Kirby; directed by Sarah Polley
What: A funny, bittersweet and heart-wrenching story about a woman (Williams) who tries to decide between her happy marriage and her flirtations with a man she just met.
Why: A 2009 black list script plus Williams and Rogen (in a decidedly dramatic lead role for a change) playing a married couple? Sign me up. A killer soundtrack is also promised.
When: TBA

22. This Must Be the Place
Who: Sean Penn, Frances McDormand, Harry Dean Stanton, Shea Whigham, Judd Hirsch and Kerry Condon; directed by Paolo Sorrentino
What: Cheyenne (Penn), a wealthy former rock star now bored and jaded in his retirement embarks on a quest to find the Nazi war-criminal who ordered his father’s execution in a concentration camp.
Why: Sean Penn has enough clout to get any project he wants greenlit and we know that when he does pick, it’s a good one.
When: TBA

23. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Who: Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Stephen Graham, Benedict Cumbercatch, Ciaran Hinds and Christian McKay; directed by Thomas Alfredson
What: Set in the aftermath of the Cold War, this thriller is the story of a spy hunt within the highest ranks of the British Secret Intelligence Service.
Why: Adapted from John Le Carre’s bestseller and from the acclaimed Let the Right One In director, this should be a great, intricate espionage thriller.
When: TBA (fall 2011)

24. Tree of Life
Who: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Joanna Going and Fiona Shaw; directed by Terrence Malick
What: The story of a Midwestern family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack (played as an adult by Penn) through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Pitt).
Why: I'm not sure what else I can say about this film that I haven't already. I've been singing it's praises on this blog for months now. It is by far the most anticipated film for many this year.
When: May 27 (This date pretty much guarantees a debut at Cannes)


25. War Horse
Who: Jeremy Irvine, Tom Hiddleston, David Thewlis, Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, Benedict Cumberbatch and Toby Kebbel; directed by Steven Spielberg
What: The story a young man named Albert (Irvine) and his horse, Joey, and how their bond is broken when Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent to the trenches of World War I. Despite being too young to enlist, Albert heads to France to save his friend.
Why: Some are saying that this is the Oscar picture to beat in 2011. Steven Spielberg + War + a boy and his horse = a sure fire hit guaranteed to woo audiences and critics alike.
When: December 28

26. Water for Elephants
Who: Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz and Hal Holbrook; directed by Francis Lawrence
What: A veterinary student (Pattinson) abandons his studies after his parents are killed and joins a traveling circus as their vet.
Why: Adapted from Sara Gruen’s bestseller and with an all-star director/cast/team (between those three groups there are 15 Oscar nominations & 2 wins) I am beyond excited for this one.
When: April 22 (This date isn’t exactly promising of awards season, even though everything Fox has released would lead you to believe that is exactly what they are pushing for. Hopefully this isn’t a sign that it sucks.)
(new international trailer)


27. We Bought a Zoo
Who: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Elle Fanning, Patrick Fugit, Thomas Haden Church, Angus Macfadyen and Colin Ford; directed by Cameron Crowe
What: Based on the memoir by Benjamin Mee, We Bought a Zoo is the true account of how Mee used his life savings to buy a dilapidated zoo (to fulfill his wife’s wishes), including 200 exotic animals facing destruction, in the English countryside. Mee, along with his children, had to balance caring for his wife, who was dying of brain cancer while dealing with escaped tiger, raising endangered animals, working with an eclectic skeleton crew and readying the zoo for a reopening.
Why: Director Cameron Crown is back for the first time since 2005 with an all-star cast that is sure to bring in the big bucks with that holiday friendly release date.
When: December 23

28. We Need to Talk About Kevin
Who: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller and Siobhan Fallon; directed by Lynne Ramsay
What: Two days before Kevin’s (Miller) sixteen birthday he goes on a horrific high-school killing spree. In the wake of his actions, his mother (Swinton) tries to deals with her grief – and feelings of responsibility for her child’s actions – by writing to her estranged husband (Reilly).
Why: Based on Lionel Shriver’s novel this film has been quite a labor of love for the director as it has taken years for her to get it up and running. The film finally went before cameras last year and is expected to be one of the stand-out indies of 2011.
When: TBA (US) / September 2 (UK) (This seemed like a surefire bet to appear at Sundance, but that announcement never came. Maybe Cannes?)

29. Wuthering Heights
Who: James Howson, Kaya Scodelario, Nichola Burley, Oliver Milburn, Steve Evets and Amy Wren; directed by Andrea Arnold
What: The classic tortured love story between Cathy and Heathcliff
Why: Andrea Arnold’s 2009 Fish Tank won her much critical praise; but not much commercial success. She’s back with an Emily Brontë adaptation (that just so happens to be my first-favorite book) hoping to bring in the masses. (Interesting side note: In an effort to stay true to the book, Arnold cast newcomer James Howson as the first non-white Heathcliff.)
When: TBA (US) / September 30 (UK)

30. Young Adult
Who: Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, Collette Wolfe and Patton Oswalt; directed by Jason Reitman
What: A dramedy that tells the story of a divorced writer (Theron) from the Midwest who returns to her hometown to reconnect with an old flame, who's now married with a family.
Why: Hoping to strike gold again, Jason Reitman is once again teeming up with screen writer Diablo Cody. (Their last project together was the Oscar winning Juno.) This is by far Reitman’s most mature work to date and it should garner major awards attention for Theron.
When: TBA

No comments:

Post a Comment