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October movies: Witherspoon, Clooney and more
We continue on with the fall movie preview, looking at the not-too-distant future of October. September’s movies are covered here.
OCTOBER 5
The Darjeeling Limited: Director Wes Anderson returns with a movie about three brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman) taking a train trip across India. Will this be a gem like The Royal Tenenbaums, or will Anderson be too far inside his own head, as he was with The Life Aquatic? Outlook: B
Feel the Noise: Aspiring Harlem rapper Rob (Omarion Grandberry) flees to a place and father (Giancarlo Esposito) he never knew, and finds his salvation in Reggaeton, a spicy blend of hip-hop, reggae and Latin beats. I’ve heard this described as a male version of Honey, the Jessica Alba vehicle. Not really my speed, but the music does sound interesting. Outlook: C
The Heartbreak Kid: At first glance, this may seem like an inverse of Along Came Polly, with Ben Stiller ditching his new wife (Malin Akerman), whom he married under pressure, for a girl that’s closer to his heart, played by Michelle Monaghan. I’m hopeful this movie transcends the mediocrity that was Polly, because it’s a remake of an Elaine May/Neil Simon comedy, and it’s helmed by the Farrelly Brothers, who are back in the R-rated territory of There’s Something About Mary. Outlook: B
The Seeker: The Dark is Rising: Based on the Susan Cooper novel, this seems like an attempt to cash in on Potter, right down to the use of a Quidditch term. Meh. Outlook: C
OCTOBER 12
Elizabeth: The Golden Age: Cate Blanchett reprises the role that made her famous. That alone is good enough for me. The trailer looks sumptuous too. Outlook: A
The Final Season: Based on the true the story of a small town baseball team facing insurmountable odds, with Powers Boothe, Sean Astin and Tom Arnold. Sounded pleasant enough until I realized the writer-director was David Mickey Evans, the man responsible for the horrid Radio Flyer and the dull The Sandlot. Ugh. Outlook: D
Michael Clayton: George Clooney plays a “fixer” who risks his career, and his life, on a class action lawsuit that pits him against Tilda Swinton. Written and directed by Tony Gilroy, who had a had in writing all the Bourne movies. Clooney’s instincts have been strong, and this seems like the sort of drama that’s right up his alley. Outlook: B
Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married: Perry stars in this movie after staying behind the camera for Daddy’s Little Girls, but he’s not playing Madea. Will audiences care? Can’t say I do. Outlook: C.
We Own the Night: Nightclub owner Bobby (Joaquin Phoenix) and his police officer brother Joseph (Mark Wahlberg) haven taken decidedly different paths in life, until a fateful incident makes them clash with the mobsters who run Bobby’s club. It smacks of The Departed, but the trailer is compelling. From the director of The Yards, James Gray. Outlook: B
OCTOBER 19
Gone Baby Gone: Ben Affleck makes his directorial debut, adapting a novel by Mystic River author Dennis Lehane. Brother Casey Affleck plays a detective tracking down a missing child in Boston. It co-stars Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris. The cast is certainly great, and the trailer has a strong level of intrigue. Seems that Ben Affleck’s return to respectability continues. Outlook: A
Rendition: Reese Witherspoon turns to drama in this story about a woman whose husband disappears, while a CIA analyst (Jake Gyllenhaal) questions his own interrogation of the husband. Sorry, tabloid watchers, Reese n’ Jake apparently don’t have many (if any) scenes together in this movie, but that doesn’t interest me. I’m more intrigued by the entire cast, which also includes Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin and Peter Sarsgaard. Outlook: A
Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour: A 17-year-old girl has mysterious encounters with paranormal activity in the small town of Pine Valley. I have no read on this one. Outlook: C
30 Days of Night: A pack of vampires invades an Alaskan town just as the sun is about to set for 30 days. Josh Hartnett and Melissa George co-star,but what really intrigues me is director David Slade, who made the unsettling thriller Hard Candy. Outlook: B
OCTOBER 26
The Comebacks: A college football coach with the worst record in the history of the sport vows to turn things around with a team of hapless newbies. Sounds (yawn) original. Outlook: D
Dan in Real Life: While an advice columnist (Steve Carell) attends his family reunion, he falls for, Beth (Juliette Binoche), who is in a relationship with his brother (Dane Cook). If this is of the same quality as Pieces of April, by the same director, Peter Hedges, this could be a small gem. Outlook: B
Martian Child: Normally I really look forward to films toplined by John Cusack, but the idea of him dealing with a boy who thinks he’s a Martian sounds awfully precious, and the release date shuffle from June has me worried. Outlook: C
Run, Fat Boy, Run: A film starring Simon Pegg not directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) but directed by David Schwimmer, whom I seem to remember from some show about a buncha people in an apartment. Hmm, interesting. Outlook: B
Saw IV: Yes, there’s supposedly no way Jigsaw could be in this movie, but Tobin Bell is in it. The moral of the story? Never, never, never, never, never underestimate the ability of a horror franchise to trump the Grim Reaper. Outlook: C
Things We Lost in the Fire: A recent widow (Halle Berry) invites her husband’s troubled best friend (Benicio Del Toro) to live with her and her two children. The leads are both generating Oscar buzz, but that may be based more on pedigree than the actual film. Berry, in particular, has an upward climb after squandering her talent on garbage like Perfect Stranger - and that was just earlier this year. The jury’s out. Outlook: B
Tomorrow: November’s movies, which include the film I am most looking forward to seeing this fall. In the meantime, tell me what you think of October’s slate.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Coming Attractions
Comments
By Sir Critic
September 7, 2007 10:48 PM | Link to this
Well, I stand on notice, Janice. But I would point out that while Cooper’s books may predate Potter, the movie most certainly does not. I still get the feeling Fox is making a Potter-esque cash-in. And I am also struck by the fact that the talent here isn’t on the same level as those who made, say, the upcoming “Golden Compass.” If “Seeker” turns out better than I expected, I will make a note of it here. Still, I remain dubious about the prospects.By Janice Ridenour
September 7, 2007 7:12 PM | Link to this
Your dismissal of “The Seeker: The Dark is Rising” brands you as a potential idiot — Newbery-award-winning author Susan Cooper’s Arthurian-based five-book series predates Rowling’s first novel by two decades. While the movie may or may not stand up to the brilliance of the book (and is acknowledged to depart significantly from the plot of the novel), your assessment is laughably off-base.By Allie D
August 28, 2007 12:57 PM | Link to this
The top 3 from that list for me are Elizabeth, Rendition, and 30 Days of Night, but I am also really looking forward to Gone, Baby, Gone. I’m a big Dennis Lehane fan, and the last adaptation of his work was fantastic.