The holidays are when families gather to spend time together and celebrate the conclusion of another year. Often this involves a family outing to the movie theater. Or, if you’re like me, it involves sneaking away from relatives for a few hours of entertainment. December has several very good movies coming out at the end of the month to take advantage of this cheer and merriment. December also is the month when smaller films with eyes on Oscar are released. All this means that this will be a great month at the movie theater.
Week of December 2, 2011
Shame (limited release)
The plot: Brandon (Michael Fassbender) has created the perfect life for himself that allows him to indulge in his sex addiction. His sister, Cissy (Carey Mulligan) shows up one day and disrupts Brandon’s carefully orchestrated lifestyle. How will he deal with facing his all-consuming desire for carnal pleasure?
Who’s in it? Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan
Ultimate fate: Shame reteams Fassbender with director Steve McQueen who gave us the remarkable film Hunger, which told the tale of the hunger strike of Northern Ireland political prisoner Bobby Sands and was one of the best films of 2010. Shame has been very well reviewed with McQueen receiving attention for his directing chops and Fassbender receiving attention for his brilliant, all-out performance. We have a visionary director and a top class actor tackling a taboo topic. What’s not to like? It’s rated NC-17 for its graphic (some might say honest and direct) depiction of the life of a sex addict, so it’s only getting a limited release.
Where I’ll be this weekend: It’s an incredibly light week with no major movie releases. It will give you the chance to catch up on some of the films from last week. Go see The Muppets already! If you want to see a potentially brilliant film, track down Shame. That’s what I’ll be doing.
Week of December 9, 2011
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
The plot: A story of Cold War espionage, a veteran MI6 agent must uncover a possible Soviet spy. Expect lots of double-crosses and awesome 1970s fashion in this one.
Who’s in it? Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy
Ultimate fate: This film has received a lot of good buzz, though I know very little about the story. It’s been thrown out as a potential Best Picture nominee, so it must have something going for it. It has a good cast, and a good spy flick is always welcome in the theaters.
New Years Eve
The plot: This movie follows the lives of several people over the course of New Years Eve in New York City. I’m guessing romance or some other junk happens.
Who’s in it? Lots of stars. Ashton Kutcher, Robert De Niro, Sofia Vergara, Katherine Heigl, Jessica Biel, and so on…
Ultimate fate: I guess it never hurts to have a good date movie in theaters. This will probably be a cute, funny little film that slides by on the strength of a talented cast. It’s directed by the guy responsible for Pretty Woman and a bunch of other chick flicks, so he knows what he’s doing. Your girlfriend will love this movie.
The Sitter
The plot: A slacker finds himself babysitting the kids next door. It’s an R-rated version of Adventures in Babysitting.
Who’s in it? Jonah Hill
Ultimate fate: It’s at the opposite end of the comedy spectrum from New Years Eve. This one will be filled with raunchy jokes and kids saying terribly inappropriate things for comedic effect. It might find an audience, but I doubt it. Why this would come out now in a crowded December rather than, say, early March 2012 when not much else is going on is beyond me.
Where I’ll be this weekend: Still waiting for the big guns of December, but Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy might be worth a look. The buzz for the film has been really good so far.
Week of December 16, 2011
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
The plot: Sherlock and Watson tackle their greatest foe yet, the evil Professor Moriarty.
Who’s in it? Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace
Ultimate fate: The first Sherlock film was a nice little adventure through Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s London. I enjoyed Guy Ritchie’s action oriented direction, and thought Downey made a fantastic Holmes. Ritchie has promised more of everything in this sequel. More action, more suspense, more sidekick comedy, more mysteries. Should be a fun time.
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
The plot: Alvin and the gang are swept overboard from a cruise ship and find themselves in a tropical island. I personally can’t imagine how tiny little chipmunks could survive a four story fall from the deck of a cruise ship or avoid being eaten while swimming in the ocean, tasty morsels as they are, but I guess killing off your characters during the first action sequence makes for a short movie and doesn’t really help the longevity of your franchise.
Who’s in it? Some people provide the voices of the chipmunks, but I don’t care enough to look up who they are.
Ultimate fate: This is the third of these live action/animated hybrid films about the exploits of the furry ‘munks. The first two made fat stacks of cash, and this one will too, I suppose. These films are cheap to make, and apparently somebody’s kids must enjoy seeing them. I liked the chipmunks when I was growing up, and part of me is happy to see them still relevant today (kindof like The Smurfs). I just wish these types of films weren’t directed so basely at children and had some appeal to an adult audience.
Where I’ll be this weekend: Since I’m not seven years old, there’s really only one option here. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows gets my dime this weekend. I’m excited to see what Ritchie and the gang have in store for the next installment of the Sherlock Holmes story.
Week of December 23, 2011
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The plot: Based on the novel by Steig Larsson, this film follows the investigation of journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) and computer hacker extraordinaire Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) as they investigate the disappearance of a wealthy businessman’s sister who went missing 40 years ago.
Who’s in it? Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara
Ultimate fate: Larsson’s first book in The Millennium Trilogy was decent enough (the latter two were much better), and all three books have been adapted to films in Sweden. But David Fincher directs this adaptation, and his last film was the brilliant The Social Network. This is going to be great, not good. It may be worth it for the Trent Reznor score alone.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
The plot: The boys of the IMF, a super secretive spy group, are framed for the destruction of the Kremlin and find themselves cut out of their spy network. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the gang must go rogue, find out whose really responsible for the bombing, and clear their names once and for all.
Who’s in it? Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg
Ultimate fate: A badass action film. That’s what this will be. Brad Bird, who wrote and directed the brilliant The Incredibles for Pixar, tries his hand at live action film for the first time. Not only is he tackling one of the craziest action franchises ever with one of the biggest movie stars of all time, he’s also filming much of it in IMAX, the huge format film that captures every detail of gigantic scenes. Talk about diving into the deep end with both feet. I’m betting that he gets it right though. He knows how to make a great movie, and Tom Cruise won’t let this movie fail. Color me excited for this one.
The Adventures of Tintin
The plot: Tintin and Captain Haddock take off on an adventure to find the cargo of a mysterious ship that was lost 300 years ago.
Who’s in it? Andy Serkis in mo-cap glory. The voices of Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig and others
Ultimate fate: Tintin is a very popular character in Europe, though less so here in the states. I have vague recollections of Tintin stories from my childhood, but I was more engrossed in Hardy Boy’s mysteries and, um, Edgar Allen Poe. Steven Spielberg dives into the motion capture business (with Peter Jackson as producer) with this tale of the young Belgian adventurer. The freedom of the animated format seems like it might suit Spielberg’s style pretty well, so it should be a fun adventure. Spielberg and Jackson have a lot invested in this with Jackson planning a sequel after he finishes with the two Hobbit movies. This is a passion project for two of the most brilliant minds in cinema today, so I’m betting it’s going to be good. Who knows, maybe it will introduce American audiences to a new hero.
We Bought A Zoo
The plot: Based on a true story, this is the story of a man (Matt Damon) who moves to an estate with his family. The catch is that there is also a zoo on the grounds of the estate, and the family has to take care of the animals. The family makes it their mission to restore the zoo to its former glory.
Who’s in it? Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson
Ultimate fate: I’m sure this will be a sweet little movie with a lot of cute animal moments. Every little girl who ever wanted a pony should be drawn to this movie. Ultimately, this film is playing as counterprogramming for the other, more popular films being released this week. If it draws the crowd that Dolphin Tale had, then everyone walks away happy.
The Darkest Hour
The plot: Aliens invade and feed off our energy. This film follows five young kids in Moscow during the invasion.
Who’s in it? Emile Hirsch and a bunch of names I don’t recognize
Ultimate fate: It’s an action/thriller film premiering on Christmas Day, just days after Mission Impossible IV, which is a legitimate action/thriller. It’s got a cast of unknowns and is directed by a guy who has spent most of his career as an art director. Plus the concept is dumb. Aliens use our power grids to take over the Earth? Don’t the makers of this film realize that power grids per se have only existed for the past 150 years or so? I’d say the aliens got pretty lucky to land on our planet when we have so recently built the infrastructure they need to dominate us. I have low expectations for this movie.
War Horse
The plot: Steven Spielberg brings us the tale of a young man and his horse who are separated by the outbreak of World War One. The horse is placed in the cavalry, and the young man risks his life by heading to France to keep him safe.
Who’s in it? Jeremy Irvine, Hermione Granger Emma Watson
Ultimate fate: I consider Spielberg’s World War Two film, Saving Private Ryan, to be my favorite film of all time. That was the first movie that made me realize that movies could be more than just entertainment, that films could really delve into the human condition and show us what it’s like to experience other people’s lives. I knew about war before Saving Private Ryan, but I felt I understood war better after watching the movie. War Horse is Spielberg’s take on World War One, which, in my opinion, was a far worse experience for those who fought than World War Two was (at least in the European theater, the Pacific theater was no doubt brutal). World War One history is a hobby of mine, and I’m excited to see what Spielberg does with this horrific conflict.
Where I’ll be this weekend: There are four legitimate choices this week, but I have to go with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. I like the franchise and Tom Cruise, and I’m excited to see what director Brad Bird does in his first live action movie. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Adventures of Tintin, and War Horse, will all be watched at some point. Fortunately, some of these will have a staggered rollout with War Horse releasing on Christmas Day.
Pick of the Month: There are so many great options this month, particularly in the last week, but I’m going to go with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol as my pick of the month. My excitement meter is pegged at ten for this one. I want to see what Cruise and Bird come up with. And it's in IMAX. It's going to rock!
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