Art-House Dramas:
Plot Summary:
Joe (a woman) is a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac. After being savagely
beaten, she is saved by a man who she then recounts her erotic experiences to,
feeling the necessary urge to share. Filmmakers: This
is the first of two parts of auteur Lars von Trier’s dramatic sexual epic. He
is no stranger to work that exists on the fringe, often eliciting very
polarizing opinions (among the few people who see his films), but always
aesthetically ambitious and artistically engaging. I think that Dogville, Mandalay, and
especially Melancholia
are very interesting films. Here, Trier is working again with cinematographer Manuel Alberto
Claro (whose work on Melancholia is phenomenal) and production designer Simone Grau. Cast: Charlotte
Gainsbourg (a frequent collaborator of Trier’s) stars with a supporting
ensemble including: Stellan Skarsgard,
Stacy Martin,
Shia LaBeouf,
Christian
Slater, Jamie
Bell, Uma
Thurman, Willem
Dafoe, Connie
Nielsen, and of course Udo Kier. Expectations: Critics have been very much enamored
with Nymphomaniac, as it has played to rave reviews on the festival circuit (as
Trier’s films often do); however, thanks to a great marketing campaign, this
film might actually be a surprise hit (assuming people actually get over themselves
and see this in theaters, which is probably too big an ask). The internet is
abuzz with positive sentiment and curiosity about the film. Knowing Trier’s
past work, this will likely be a very dark character drama that is unflinching
its study of the human soul. Part II comes
out in April. Trailer: Here.
Plot
Summary: Leading an unremarkable life, everything is thrown into chaos
when a man spots his look-alike in a movie and decides to seek him out (this
might be a good companion piece for another 2014 indie film: The Double). Filmmakers: Canadian director Denis Villeneuve is
very good at making involving mystery thrillers – Incendies is
incredible and last year’s Prisoners
is very good as well. He is working with composers Danny Bensi
and Saunder
Jurriaans, cinematographer Nicolas Bolduc,
and production designer Patrice Vermette.
Cast: Reteaming with Villeneuve, Jake Gyllenhaal
stars with Melanie
Laurent (who is generally fantastic), Sarah Gadon
(still looking for a breakout role), and Isabella
Rossellini in support. Expectations: Enemy
has performed well on the festival circuit, critics calling it a solid twisty
mystery-thriller that is haunting (and even quite scary). Denis Villeneuve is a
great director and he has a strong cast – for me, that is enough to be very
interested in seeing this film. Most will need to wait for Blu-ray or catch it
online however, as it is not likely to see a wide release in the States. Trailer: Here.
Plot
Summary: After making the bust of a lifetime, taking down a drug
cartel’s safe house, the members of an elite DEA task force find themselves
being picked off one by one. A portion of their haul has disappeared, and the
cartel thinks they stole it. Filmmakers: Writer-director
David Ayer makes really good gritty cop films, be them action films, dramas,
and/or thrillers, including: Training Day,
Dark Blue,
Harsh Times,
Street Kings,
and End
of Watch (the first two he only wrote, while he only directed Street
Kings). He is working with composer David Sardy,
cinematographer Bruce
McCleery, and production designer Devorah Herbert.
Cast: The film features a great cast for the
genre. Arnold
Schwarzenegger stars (which is fantastic), with support from Josh Holloway,
Joe
Manganiello, Max Martini, Sam Worthington,
Mireille Enos,
Terrence
Howard, Olivia
Williams, and Harold Perrineau.
Expectations: With Arnold Schwarzenegger
starring, Sabotage strikes me as a potentially really cool mixing of the
classic 1980s style action film and the more realistic gritty crime stuff Ayer
is known for. I grew up on those action films and so there is a nostalgic
aspect to their style and stars – a reason I always feel enthusiastic for any
new Schwarzenegger film (even though he has not made anything good since 1994’s
True Lies,
although I do enjoy Terminator 3:
Rise of the Machines but I know that it is not good). This film looks
potentially like a really good R-rated action film, something we have been
lacking lately (Dredd
and The Raid
are the only two I can recall in the last three years). Trailer: Here.
Art-House Comedies:
Plot
Summary: Taking place some years after the end of the Veronica
Mars series, the film picks up with Veronica as a successful lawyer in NYC.
She has tried her best to distance herself from her hometown of Neptune (CA)
and her past as a teenage sleuth; however, she finds herself pulled back in
when her old boyfriend Logan Echolls is accused of murder and he asks for her
help. Filmmakers: Rob Thomas is writing and
directing the film, making his feature debut. His past experience directing
only consists of a few episodes of his own shows (Veronica Mars and Party
Down); but, he is the creator of the series/characters so it seems fitting
that he is directing. He is working with composer Josh Kramon,
cinematographer Ben
Kutchins, and production designer Jeff Schoen. Cast: Almost everyone from the series is making an
appearance in the film (with many cameos). For those that are unfamiliar, the
film stars Kristen
Bell (who is also executively producing the film), and features support
from Tina
Majorino, Chris
Lowell, Max
Greenfield, Jason Dohring,
Francis Capra,
Ryan Hansen,
Ken Marino,
Enrico
Colantoni, Percy
Daggs III, and Daran Norris.
New to the cast are Jerry O’Connell,
Jamie Lee
Curtis, Justin
Long, Martin
Starr, and Gaby
Hoffmann. Expectations: Veronica Mars is
the first film to successful be funded and produced using Kickstarter. It is
nice that this film finally got off the ground and made, as the series never
really had a sufficient ending (being cancelled at the end of season three). It
will also be great to catch up with the characters. The one fear I have is that
just because the band is back together does not mean that their new stuff will
be good – and really in all likelihood, it probably will not live up to the
hype or the series. Film is a much different storytelling medium from
television, and Rob Thomas has never made a feature narrative before (his
feature experience consists of writing the screenplay for Drive Me Crazy).
But again, it will be great to spend a little more time with the characters and
get some closure on their stories. Trailer: Here.
Bad Words (Jason Bateman) – Comedy – Mar 28
Plot
Summary: As a child Guy Trilby lost the national spelling bee. Now an
adult, he has found a loophole allowing him to return to the competition to
exact his revenge and win the bee. Filmmakers: Bad
Words marks the feature directorial debut of Jason Bateman (who has directed a
number of TV episodes). He is working with composer Rolfe Kent,
cinematographer Ken
Seng, and production designer Shepherd Frankel.
Cast: Bateman also stars in the film, and
the supporting cast features Kathryn Hahn,
Allison Janney,
Rachel Harris,
Ben Falcone,
Philip Baker
Hall, and Rohan
Chaud. Expectations: Honestly, I have
never been a big Jason Bateman fan. I guess I just do not always like the
(same) character he plays in everything. Bad Words does sound potentially funny
(and should benefit from the ‘R’ rating). It has done quite well with test
audiences overall (although, critics have been a bit more mixed). Personally, I
think it looks like a rental at best, but again I am not as big a supporter of
Bateman’s brand of comedy as most seem to be. Trailer:
Here.
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