Romance and Rom-Coms:
Plot
Summary: Jason, Daniel, and Mikey are three best friends who decide to
take a break from dating to help each other get over their recent breakups.
However, they each meet someone new but keep it on the down-low, each not
realizing that the others are also hiding a new girl. And at the same time,
they each come to decision-moments within their new relationships (like: what
do I want in this relationship?). Filmmakers: Writer-director
Tom Gormican is making his feature directorial debut with the film. He is
working with composer David Torn (Everything
Must Go), cinematographer Brandon Trost
(This
Is the End), and production designer Ethan Tobman (Twelve). Cast: The film stars Zac Efron, Miles Teller,
and Michael B.
Jordan, with co-stars Imogen Poots,
Addison Timlin,
and Jessica
Lucas making up a pretty strong young cast (even including Playmobil person
Zac Efron who is in a role that suits him better than most stuff he does – with
this and Neighbors,
2014 might be his comeback/breakthrough year for comedy). Expectations: As
a big fan of romantic comedies, I am always encouraged by new films in the genre
that actually look good (and not utterly bland and boring, which is normally
the case these days). That Awkward Moment looks very funny (with R-rated humor)
and has a great group of actors (lead by Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, and
Imogen Poots). This might be a surprise great film; it certainly has the
potential. Trailer: Here.
Serious Films:
Plot
Summary: The true story of Operation Red Wings, a failed 2005 mission
involving four members of SEAL Team 10, the film is about soldiers who are sent
into Afghanistan to capture or kill a notorious Taliban leader (Ahmad Shahd).
Only one member of the team came home alive. Filmmakers:
Writer-director Peter Berg is at his best when he makes films that balance
drama and action, and are not overly bias one way – films like Friday Night
Lights and The
Kingdom. Lone Survivor seems like a good fit for him. He is working with
composer Steve
Jablonsky (Ender’s
Game), cinematographer Tobias A.
Schliessler (a frequent collaborator with Berg), and production designer Tom Duffield
(who has also worked with Berg a few times). Cast: The
film stars Mark
Wahlberg and co-stars Emile Hirsch,
Taylor Kitsch,
and Ben Foster.
Alexander
Ludwig, Eric
Bana, and Jerry
Ferrara feature in support. Expectations: Lone
Survivor looks like a harrowing and intense drama. The title sort of gives away
the ending – or so I thought – but really, the ending is quite unexpected. It
looks like it could very well be Peter Berg’s best film to date, but will
likely be lost among all the big box office and critical releases crowding
December. It is probably worth checking out for fans of war dramas, as it looks
like a very good one. Trailer: Here. Review: Here.
Plot
Summary: Adele is a depressed single mother. She is looking for
something in her life to give it purpose again, on top of raising her son
Henry. One day she offers a ride to a fearsome looking man, Frank. He turns out
to be an escaped convict, but Adele and Henry decide to shelter him as he is
just what they need. Filmmakers: Writer-director
Jason Reitman is back with his fourth feature film, following-up on three
strong dramedies (Juno,
Up
in the Air, and Young
Adult). Although, this looks like something a lot different from Reitman.
He is working with frequent collaborators composer Rolfe Kent,
cinematographer Eric
Steelberg, and production designer Steve Saklad. Cast: The film stars Kate Winslet
and Josh
Brolin. Clark
Gregg, Tobey
Maguire, James
Van Der Beek, and Dylan Minnette
feature in support. Expectations: Like I
said above, Labor Day looks very different tonally from what Reitman usually
makes. Originally, it was scheduled to be in competition come awards season,
but it played to only so-so reviews during its festival screenings. 2013 was
stacked at the top, so the decision was made (like with quite a few films
originally scheduled for November and December releases) to push it back to
early 2014. Nonetheless, this is still probably worth a rental for fans of
Reitman – and it should feature strong performances from Kate Winslet and Josh
Brolin. Trailer: Here.
Action/Adventure:
Plot
Summary: Rebooting the Jack Ryan series, this finds the young CIA
analyst on the verge of becoming an operative. Ryan discovers a Russian
terrorist plot to crash the U.S. economy and is sent into the field (on his
first mission) to stop it. Filmmakers: Shakespeare
thespian and director Kenneth Branagh has certainly embraced his new role as
blockbuster director, as this comes on the heels of Thor.
Branagh has a good visual eye and generally gets strong work from his actors.
He is working again with his Thor collaborators composer Patrick Doyle
and cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos.
New to the team is production designer Andrew Laws (I Love You, Man).
Cast: The film stars Chris Pine
(Paramount Pictures feels good about what he did as the lead in their reboot Star
Trek, so they cast him in this too), and features Keira
Knightley, Kevin
Costner, and Branagh (playing the villain) as co-stars. Nonso Anozie,
Colm Feore,
and David
Paymer are in smaller supporting roles. Expectations:
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit looks very much in the popular mode of The Bourne Identity
films (a style and tone seemingly also adopted by the Mission:
Impossible and James
Bond franchises in their recent films) – fast pacing with lots of gritty,
impactful action and drama (which is probably why Ryan is actually a field
operative in this rather than being an analyst who is also an action-man who
finds himself constantly in the field, like the Harrison Ford
films). This is in danger of feeling rather generic. That said however, it does
look like a good action spy-thriller, and it has a good cast/director behind it
(even if it is in part written by David Koepp who
is kind of terrible). I am looking forward to seeing it. Trailer: Here. Review: Here.
Plot
Summary: Frankenstein’s monster has lived for centuries as an immortal
with super strength. In present day, he finds himself in the middle of a war
for Earth between two powerful clans (of what appear to be angels and demons).
It is up to him to save humanity from the rampage that the war will likely rain
down upon them. Filmmakers: Writer-director
Stuart Beattie has mostly made his career writing big Hollywood movies, but he
also wrote and directed the B-action movie Tomorrow, When
the War Began. This is his second feature. He is working with composers Reinhold Heil
and Johnny
Klimek (Cloud
Atlas), cinematographer Ross Emery (The
Wolverine), and production designer Michelle McGahey
(Killer
Elite). Cast: The film stars Aaron Eckhart,
and features Yvonne
Strahovski, Bill
Nighy (as a villain, which is fantastic and almost makes me want to rent
this), Jai
Courtney, Miranda
Otto, and Aden
Young (from the very good TV drama Rectify) in
support. Expectations: I, Frankenstein is
essentially an attempt to make a new Underworld-like
series (by the producers of Underworld). It looks fairly terrible and really
should only appeal to fans of action fantasy films (like Underworld). Depending
on the reviews, I may rent it (because, really, who am I kidding – I have seen
all the Underworld films), but I am certainly not enticed by the trailers
(despite the appearance of Bill Nighy!). Trailer: Here.
Comedy:
Ride Along (Tim Story) – Action Comedy – Jan
17
Plot
Summary: Ben, a security guard in Atlanta, wants to marry Angela. But
before he can, he must prove that he is worthy to her brother James, a
detective. In an effort to win James’s admiration, Ben decides to join James on
a 24-hour ride along on the job. What could happen (you know, other than really
generic and tired jokes, pratfalls, and plot points)? Filmmakers:
Director Tim Story has made his career directing big action movies like Fantastic Four
and urban-market oriented films like Barbershop
and Think Like
a Man. With Ride Along, he tries to combine the two (though, last time he
made a cop action comedy we were treated to the very awful Taxi, a
remake of the much better French film).
He is working with composer Christopher
Lennertz (Supernatural)
and cinematographer Larry Blanford
(who shot Fantastic
4: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Think Like a Man for Story). Cast: Kevin Hart
and Ice Cube
(who is also producing) star, with a supporting cast featuring John Leguizamo,
Tika Sumpter,
Bruce McGill,
David Banner,
and Jay
Pharoah. Expectations: Kevin Hart has
his moments as a comedian, and Ice Cube should make a good foil for him, but
Tim Story is a terrible director, so I do not have much hope for Ride Along.
This is only worth renting for big fans of Hart and/or Cube; otherwise, you
probably want to avoid this (just remember Taxi, if you dare). Trailer: Here.
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