Movies We’re Looking Forward To…
It’s time for movie lovers everywhere to celebrate the end of the summer movie doldrums and get ready for the start of the Oscar season. What are the movies you’re most excited about? We offer our thoughts below for your consideration.
#1 on our list: The Master 
“Like everyone else in the world,” as SML Reviewer Kim says, we can’t wait to see the latest from Paul Thomas Anderson. Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman have already won acting awards at the 2012 Venice Film Festival and while the movie is said to be difficult and confounding, we can’t wait for it. The film opened in NYC and LA on Friday and blew out all previous openings for independent films. Moving to more theaters this weekend so keep your eyes out!
Also on our Radar:
SML ace reviewer Kim says: “Lee Daniels has lost his mind!” Daniels, as you’ll no doubt recall, was the driving force behind the film Precious which came out of nowhere in 2009 to win numerous awards including an Oscar for Mo’Nique. This is his first film since then and it features an interesting cast including Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, John Cusack and Matthew McConaughy. The story is set in the south and most of the buzz about it from Cannes involved Kidman peeing on Zac Efron….guess we’ll have to see it to judge, eh?
Says Kim: “Or maybe just reading its reviews–I don’t see how Ang Lee is going to pull this off.” Filmed in 3D and featuring a cast of all newcomers, the extended trailer for this movie got raves when it premiered at ComiCon in San Diego earlier this summer. If you’ve read the book (and we highly recommend it), you’ll know what a tough task filming this one must be. On the other hand, who better to take difficult material to the screen than Ang Lee of “Brokeback” fame.
“Can you believe that trailer? I didn’t want to like it, but I love it.” Thanks, Kim, for that comment—Gotta love Quentin Tarentino who wrote the script and directed this one, featuring an ALL STAR cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Jamie Foxx as well as Tarentino’s favorites Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz. And hey! Don Johnson and Bruce Dern make appearances as well. Can’t wait.
Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisend: “Maybe Barbra can be funny in this? Hopefully?” The synopsis reads as follows: An inventor and his mom hit the road together so he can sell his latest invention. OK….bring it on.
Kim says: ”Because I love band movies and it’s directed/written by David Chase, so it’s either going to be brilliant or a total old-guy misfire”
And More from Rebecca:
Director Joe Wright and British beauty Keira Knightley team up again but this time with a twist. Best known for their work together on the highly admired and popular period pieces “Atonement” and “Price and Prejudice,” Wright has chosen to interpret this famous Russian passion play within a theatrical setting. Some reviewers are raving, others call it a “travesty.” Who knows? I admire this duo and can’t wait to see what they’ve created. Plus the costuming alone will be worth the price of admission.
I absolutely loved director Walter Salles’ treatment of The Motorcycle Diaries back in 2004 — and I hope he succeeds equally well with Garrett Hedlund in the Kerouac role of Dean Moriarty and Sam Riley as his along-for-the-ride pal Sal Paradise. Kristen Stewart appears as the young and wild Marylou, with cameos from Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Kirsten Dunst, Steve Buscemi and others. My fingers are seriously crossed for this one.
Ben Affleck’s latest effort at both directing and acting got great reviews at the Telluride Film Festival and came up 2nd in the People’s Choice Awards at Toronto. It’s the timely (and true) story of captives who were smuggled out from the Iran hostage crisis back when Jimmy Carter was president, all under the guise of a fake film and crew. Some who were at Toronto think this one has real Oscar potential. Affleck just gets better and better. Thank heavens for that.
I realize it’s only getting so-so reviews, but I do love Bill Murray and can’t wait to see him as FDR in this take on a real-life historical weekend in 1939 when the King and Queen of England came for a visit. That would be King George VI of “The King’s Speech” and Queen Elizabeth, the current Queen Mother. Laura Linney co-stars.
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