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April movies: What’s coming up?
Before our spring preview movies into April’s movies, I have to say I have been remiss by not pointing out that certain acclaimed indie titles will be showing locally in the first months of the year. They are:
January 23
The Wrestler
The lowdown: Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) makes his way through the independent circuit, trying to get back in the game for one final showdown with his former rival.
The forecast: This has been winning raves across the board, especially for Rourke. I’m always up for any film by director Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, the underrated The Fountain.)
The prospect: A
February 6
I’ve Loved You So Long
The lowdown: Confronted with the unexpected goodness of her younger sister , a woman who has been in prison for years begins to open up.
The forecast: The highlight here is the performance by Kristin Scott Thomas, which has earned raves, although awards buzz seems to have cooled somewhat. Still, I’m intrigued.
The prospect: B
February 13
Waltz with Bashir
The lowdown: A man who fought in the first Lebanon war of the early 80s tries to piece together his memories of that time.
The forecast: Somewhat similar to Persepolis, in that it uses striking animation techniques to illustrate real events, this just won the Best Picture award from the National Society of Film Critics - influenced, no doubt, by the current Gaza conflict.
The prospect: A
Now, on to April:
April 3
Fast and Furious
The lowdown: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Jordanna Brewster return to their fast cars and try to give their careers a jump in the process. Justin Lin, who helmed the third film minus the stars, directs.
The forecast: I have never cared for this franchise. I thought the first was vastly overrated, didn’t care for the second, and skipped the third. I must admit the trailer is kind of a grabber, but still .. Diesel and Walker turn me off. And one question: Why in the world is this being released in April instead of June? That doesn’t bode well.
The prospect: C
The Ugly Truth
The lowdown: Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl spar in this romantic comedy, playing a snide TV host and his harried producer Gee, wonder if they’ll fall for each other.
The forecast: I like the two leads, but the trailer looks very standard issue. Director Robert Luketic can be hit (Legally Blonde) or miss (Monster in Law).
The prospect: C
April 10
Dragonball Evolution
The lowdown: Japanese anime goes live action, courtesy of the director of Final Destination.
The forecast: I just can’t muster up much excitement for this one, even if it does star Chow Yun-Fat.
The prospect: C
Hannah Montana the Movie
The lowdown: The title tells you all you need to know.
The forecast: I’ve not seen a single episode of the show, and I can’t say I’m intrigued enough to see it expanded on the big screen.
The prospect: C
Observe and Report
The lowdown: A bi-polar mall security guard (Seth Rogen) is called into action to stop a flasher from turning shopper’s paradise into his personal peep show.
The forecast: Well, the premise is certainly unusual. The director and writer is Jody Hill, who made inroads with the film The Foot Fist Way. Consider my curiosity piqued.
The prospect: B
April 17
Crank 2: High Voltage
The lowdown: Jason Statham and Amy Smart return to commit various acts of violence.
The forecast: I’ve heard the original described as a turn-off-your-brain guilty pleasure. Since sequels usually have diminishing returns, I think I’ll just check out the original and go from there.
The prospect: C
Seventeen Again
The lowdown: Matthew Perry reverts to his 17-year-old self and turns into Zac Efron. Sounds like a good career move to me.
The forecast: The body-switching plot has been beaten to death, but two things give me hope here: The presence of Leslie Mann, who usually enlivens her movies, and Efron, who is a genuine talent.
The prospect: B
State of Play
The lowdown: A congressman (Ben Affleck) becomes embroiled in controversy when his mistress is killed. Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams investigate the cast.
The forecast: Excellent cast, and a strong director in Kevin MacDonald, who made Touching the Void and The Last King of Scotland. I’m in.
The prospect: A
April 24
Fighting
The lowdown: A young counterfeiter ( Channing Tatum) is introduced to the world of underground street fighting by a seasoned scam artist (Terrence Howard).
The forecast: Some say this holds promise because of the two leads and director Dito Montiel, who directing Tatum to good notices in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. I’ll reserve judgment until the reviews roll in.
The prospect: C
Obsessed
The lowdown: A successful business man (Idris Elba) with a beautiful wife (Beyonce Knowles) becomes the target of a female stalker (Ali Larter).
The forecast: Zzzzzzzzzzz … oh, sorry - reading that plot description put me to sleep. I can only imagine what the movie would do.
The prospect: F
The Soloist
The lowdown: Jamie Foxx plays a schizophrenic musician taken under the wing of a troubled reporter for the Los Angeles Times (Robert Downey Jr.) True story.
The forecast: This was touted as one of the better Oscar prospects before Paramount unceremoniously booted it to the spring. The trailer makes the story seem like fairly obvious feel-good material, but these stars, and a savvy director like Joe Wright (Atonement) could make it something special.
The prospect: B
May brings us Wolverine, Pixar’s Up and Star Trek, among others, - but we’ll worry about those when winter’s over! Meanwhile, tell me what you think of this crop.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Coming Attractions
Comments
By Allie D.
January 8, 2009 1:08 PM | Link to this
The Soloist trailer made me well up a little bit. I hate that this got booted to April. State of Play sounds like the one to look forward to in this month. Going back to January, I am waiting ever-so-impatiently for The Wrestler to open here.