Fall Preview and Summer Recap

Fall is here, and besides the cold, constant drizzle, and never ending reasons to stay warm by drinking more, comes the best movie season of the year. The summer blockbuster season went by with more of the annoying little pop you get from those little fireworks you snap to the ground than the bang of a M-80 that always threatens to take down a few fingers.

Outside of “Inception” and “Toy Story 3,” Hollywood had little at the box office that met with both critical and commercial success. Fans of established franchises, such as Shrek, Iron Man, and Twilight, embraced their latest installments to the tune of two billion dollars combined worldwide, even though critics were indifferent.

The “Karate Kid” remake was the surprise of the summer, exceeding most projections by cracking the top ten moneymakers, where it was joined by seemingly every animated film this year. Four (five if you count Tim Burton’s live action cartoon, “Alice in Wonderland”) of the top eight films this summer were aimed at children, proving that even in a recession parents are willing to pay good money to keep their children quiet for 90 minutes.

Perhaps due to the economy, or due to the poor quality of the films this summer ("Jonah Hex" anyone), Hollywood saw its smallest number of films exceed the 100 million mark domestically since 2006 when most studios, due the impending writers strike, elected to hold back a few of their bigger films until 2007, fearing a work stoppage would leave them with nothing to release that year. (Harry Potter fans still hold a grudge against Warner Bros.)

Hollywood gambled and lost on a number of new franchises this year with neither The Prince of Persia or “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” bringing in the windfall Disney expected and Fox being unable to match the success of Harry Potter with its clone Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Disney would have suffered massive losses had foreign audiences not flocked to the theaters to see what American audiences would not as over a staggering seventy percent of Prince and Sorcerer's revenue came from overseas. (Which just goes to show, if at first Euro Disney don’t succeed, try, try again.)

The biggest disappointment of the year so far has to be for actor Michael Cera. Fans of the “Superbad” and Arrested Development star have to wonder if his stock isn’t starting to General Motors as Scott Pilgrim and “Youth in Revolt” combined to lose sixteen million despite opening to strong reviews.

Reviews, however, are what the fall movie season is all about as studios line up their Oscar and Golden Globe hopefuls for release. The recent expansion of the number of films nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars leaves handicapping which movie will receive a nomination much like a kids soccer tournament; everyone gets a participant trophy just for being released. So instead we will take a look at some of the top independent film and award hopefuls scheduled for release in the coming months.  Click on the film's title to view trailer.

October

“Conviction” – Based on the true story of Betty Anne Waters who spent 18 years educating herself so that she could eventually represent her brother in court in order to appeal his dubious murder conviction. Fox Searchlight is hoping this inspirational tale of a woman who hadn’t yet graduated high school when she decided that she would become her brother’s advocate, will tug at audiences and academy members alike. While the cast has an Oscar pedigree, led by two time winner Hillary Swank and Oscar nominees Minnie Driver and Melissa Leo, “Conviction” has opened to middling reviews. The underrated Sam Rockwell co-stars as Waters brother, with Juliette Lewis and Peter Gallagher. Opens October 21 at Regal Fox Tower 10

“Monsters” – When a NASA space probe returning to earth carrying samples of alien DNA crashes in Central America strange creatures begin to appear. Shortly after, most of Mexico becomes a quarantined wasteland as authorities attempt to contain the alien menace. This of course doesn’t stop an American journalist from escorting a stranded tourist across in an attempt to reach the States in this sci-fi film. Take note of first time director Gareth Edwards who has generated incredible buzz for making this film for practically nothing. (Most reports have this films budget at well under a million, with some rumors saying as little as fifteen thousand.) But don’t let the films thrifty budget scare you away, “Monsters” has received strong word of mouth since premiering at Cannes and could be this years “District 9.”  Opening in limited release Oct. 29.

“Enter the Void” – Argentinean director Gasper Noé’s latest work follows in the path he established with his 2002 film “Irreversible.” That is to say you will either love “Enter the Void” as imaginative, innovative filmmaking or you will probably walk out. Noé prefers a non-linear means of story telling which can leave audiences confused and frustrated if not willing to just go long for the ride. To describe the story as that of a drug addict who dies and comes back as a ghost in order to follow around his sister is like trying to sum up James Joyce’s Ulysses by saying two guys go out drinking. Void uses the color explosion that is the Tokyo nightlife as a backdrop for dizzying visuals that could bring to mind the words acid flashback, depending on what your days in college were like.  Opens Oct 29 at Cinema 21.

November

“127 Hours” – Another film based on a true story, director Danny Boyle’s latest entry tells the tale of American mountaineer Aron Ralston, who had to amputate his right arm with a dull knife after having been trapped under a boulder for five days during a 2003 climb in Utah’s Blue John Canyon. Boyle has already struck Oscar gold with 2008’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” so Hours should not be dismissed as an early contender. The underrated James Franco stars as Ralston.  Opens Nov 5 in limited release.

“Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench” – A movie for those who wonder why they don’t make them like they used to, this song and dance musical, written and directed by Damien Chazelle, harkens back to the days of MGM musicals with a slight twist. The film’s grainy black and white footage is filmed largely by hand, which adds a certain rough edge and raw character to the films musical numbers. Garnering nearly universal praise from art house critics on both coasts it will be interesting to see if this show can carry on its good vibes when released to a wider audience. Opens Nov 5 in NY.

“William S. Burroughs: A Man Within” – The first posthumous documentary of the polarizing American author touts never before seen footage and promises to give a stark, honest look into the life of perhaps the greatest of all beat generation artists. Opens Nov 17 in limited release.

“Made in Dagenham” –Perhaps it will just be easier to mention which movies are not based on a true story this fall. “Made in Dagenham” is the story of the 1968 Ford sewing machinists strike where 850 female works walked out in protest of sexist treatment and unequal pay, at the plant in Dagenham, England. The Dagenham strike was considered instrumental in its role toward the passing of the Equal Pay Act of 1970 in the United Kingdom. As last year’s “Invictus” showed American audiences are slow to warm to modern historical pieces that take place in other countries. So while Dagenham looks promising it has a to be considered a long shot for anything more than a good find on DVD. The film stars Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, and Miranda Richardson. Opens Nov 19 in limited release.

“The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest”- The third and final film based on author Stieg Larsson’s wildly popular Millennium Trilogy. For audiences who don’t care for subtitles, I’ll let the irony of not wanting to read the dialogue of a film based on a book set in, have no fear for this Swedish trilogy has already been pegged for a Hollywood remake. Open Nov 19 at Cinema 21.

“Undertow”- Peru’s official entry in this year’s Academy Awards has already won the Audience’s Choice for Drama at Sundance. Set in a coastal Peruvian village, a married fisherman, Miguel, must come to terms with his feelings for his male lover despite the none too progressive views on homosexuality the town promotes. When an accident occurs, Miguel must make a choice that could reveal his secret. While not eligible for best picture, “Undertow” could carry its momentum from Sundance to a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Opens Nov 26 in limited release.

December

“Black Swan” - Darren Aronofsky’s latest film is yet another story of a tortured soul tormented by demons that may be more personal than physical in nature. This time around Natalie Portman portrays the lead ballerina in, you guessed it, a production of Swan Lake. Not everything is plies and toe spins when a rival dancer threatens Portman’s role in the production and possibly in the heart of company director Vincent Cassel. Uncertainty abounds as Portman’s character begins to question here sanity and whether her newfound rival even exists. Aronofsky was able to snag a Oscar nomination for a film about pro wrestling starring a then washed up Mickey Rourke with “The Wrestler,” so Swan can’t be counted out come nomination time. Expect Swan’s stellar cast and intriguing story to garner some academy interest if the film is more like "Requiem for a Dream" than “The Fountain.” Also starring Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder, and Barbara Hershey. Open Dec 1 in limited release.

“I Love You Philip Morris” –Jim Carrey plays Steven Russell, a typical family man until a near death experience changes his life. Russell realizes he is gay and openly begins to live the lifestyle befitting his newfound sexuality. When things turn tough financially, Russell becomes a con man and eventually ends up in the State Penitentiary where he meets the genial Philip Morris, played by Ewan McGregor. Russell’s efforts to free Morris and himself from prison lead him to attempt one extravagant con after another so he and his lover can live happily ever after. Philip Morris has received some attention for the explicit nature of the love scenes between Carry and McGregor, but fear not Ace Venture fans there is still plenty of trademark Carry slapstick to keep thing from getting too serious. Oh did I mention this is based on a true story. Opens Dec 3 in limited release.

“The Tempest” –Shakespeare’s final play gets a heavy CGI makeover in director Julie Taymor’s latest revival of the bard to the big screen. While the film looks visual amazing, and features a cast that includes Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Alfred Molina, Chris Cooper, and Alan Cumming, one has to wonder how American audiences will take to one of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays. But alas this is what stuff as dreams are made on. Opens in NY and LA Dec 10.