Stars to Watch: Part 13 – Movies Spotlight – November 2013

Domhnall Gleeson

What He Has Been In:

Domhnall Gleeson, 30, is the son of Irish actor Brendan Gleeson. He went to the Dublin Institute of Technology where he studied Media Arts. After graduating, Gleeson began taking roles in shorts, small British films, and TV series. His first big film came with a small role in the sci-fi drama Never Let Me Go.

His next big break came in the Harry Potter Series, winning the role of Bill Weasley (his father plays Mad-Eye Moody in the series as well). Gleeson appears briefly in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I and has a slightly bigger role in Part II (but still rather small overall). He also has a great, but small role in True Grit playing one of the bandits caught in the crosshairs.

Other British films of note that Gleeson has appeared in include the fantastic comic-book action film Dredd, in which he appears as a criminal, and the IRA drama/thriller Shadow Dancer.

Breakthrough:

Gleeson’s breakthrough, if you even want to call it that, as the film was not widely seen and he plays the third or fourth lead, came with 2012’s Anna Karenina (directed by Joe Wright), giving him his largest role to date in a major motion picture. The film stars Keira Knightley in the lead, while Gleeson plays Levin, a wealthy farmer looking to court the lovely Kitty (played by Alicia Vikander). Gleeson is quietly very good as Levin, and has great chemistry with Vikander. The film is utterly stunning and a must-see for those looking for a film that is as much art as narrative.

November Film:

In November, Gleeson stars opposite Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy in the time-travel romance About Time. The film, written and directed by Richard Curtis, is about Tim, a young man who is told by his father that he has genetically inherited the ability to travel through time. Tim then uses this gift to try and win the heart of Mary. The film mark’s his first true leading role in a big film. Trailer: Here.

Upcoming:

Gleeson has five upcoming projects slated for 2014. First, he is set to star with his father, Chris O’Dowd, and Kelly Reilly in John Michael McDonagh’s Calvary. Next, he stars opposite Michael Fassbender and Maggie Gyllenhaal in the strange dramedy Frank. Then he stars with Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander in writer Alex Garland’s feature directorial debut Ex Machina. Gleeson then stars in Angelina Jolie’s next film as a director Unbroken about an Olympic runner who is taken prisoner by the Japanese during WWII. The screenplay is by the Coen Brothers. Finally, he is set to star opposite Saoirse Ronan in the film Brooklyn about Irish immigrants in New York during the 1950s. He certainly has a fantastic slate upcoming.

Career Highlights:

1)      Never Let Me Go (2010)* – cameo (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

2)      Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)* – cameo (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

3)      True Grit (2010)* – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

4)      Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)* – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

5)      Dredd (2012) – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

6)      Anna Karenina (2012)* – lead (Blu-ray, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Tom Hiddleston

What He Has Been In:

Tom Hiddleston, 32, started his career, as many British actors do, on television, appearing in such things as, Conspiracy, The Gathering Storm, and Cranford. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he began to get more roles and bigger roles in Brittan, including a sizable one on the BBC (remake) detective drama Wallander.

After appearing in Thor, Hiddleston began booking even bigger films (including some outside England), including: a great supporting role as F. Scott Fitzgerald in Midnight in Paris, taking a leading role in the drama The Deep Blue Sea, and a supporting role in Steven Spielberg’s War Horse.

Breakthrough:

Hiddleston’s breakthrough came as the character Loki, appearing first in 2011’s Thor. The film was a success, but not overly so, yet it got his name and face out there as he was one of the best parts of the film – his performance being equal parts villainous, slimy, and charming.

However it is Joss Whedon’s The Avengers that really has made him a star, and a favorite among the fans of Marvel’s cinematic universe. The film was a massive hit, and Hiddleston clearly enjoyed his role as its central villain – basking in his own glory. Maybe more so than any other actor in the film, Hiddleston emerged as a new talent to regard.

November Film:

Turning in his third performance as Loki, Hiddleston is back with this month’s Thor: The Dark World (directed by Alan Taylor). This time, however, Loki is not the central bad guy, rather Thor must battle Dark Elves set on returning the Nine Realms to darkness. But, that does not mean Loki cannot have his fun as well. The film is highly entertaining, and among the better films to come from Marvel Studios so far. Trailer: Here.

Upcoming:

Hiddleston has a few upcoming projects. First he is set to feature in a supporting (possibly cameo) role in 2014’s Muppets Most Wanted, starring Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey. The sequel sees James Bobin returning in the director’s chair, helming a European jewel-heist Muppets caper. Next he stars in the animation fantasy The Pirate Fairy, and finally he stars opposite Charlie Hunnam and Jessica Chastain in Guillermo del Toro’s new horror film Crimson Peak (slated for 2015). In all likeliness (and hopefully) he will also appear in the inevitable Thor 3 (though, sadly, he is not scheduled to be in The Avengers: Age of Ultron – at least as far as we know at present).

Career Highlights:

1)      Thor (2011) – lead (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

2)      Midnight in Paris (2011)* – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

3)      The Deep Blue Sea (2011) – lead (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

4)      War Horse (2011) – supporting (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

5)      The Avengers (2012)* – lead (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Elizabeth Olsen

What She Has Been In:

Elizabeth Olsen, 24, got her start appearing in a number of her twin-big-sisters’ projects. However, it was somewhat tough for her early on, always in their (notorious, some might say) shadow. Finally, in 2011, she was able to make a career for herself on her own name.

She has since appeared in the horror film Silent House, the mystery thriller Red Lights, the romantic drama Liberal Arts, and the indie drama Kill Your Darlings.

Breakthrough:

Olsen’s breakthrough, however, came in Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene. Not only did she take the lead role in the film, but she also gave one of 2011’s most intriguing and brilliant performances. It is really a challenging character, requiring Olsen to exhibit a vast emotional range, and yet she beautifully (and tragically) captures each beat.

November Film:

In what may potentially be cool or completely ill-conceived, Olsen stars in Oldboy coming Thanksgiving weekend opposite Josh Brolin and Sharlto Copley. The film is a remake of the wonderful 2003 Korean film by Chan-wook Park (and both are adaptations of the manga comic). The film, directed by Spike Lee, is about a man who is trapped in a room for twenty years and then set free. The man then dedicates everything he is to figuring out: A) who trapped him and B) why.

Upcoming:

Olsen has some big projects upcoming. In 2014, she is set to star opposite Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Cranston in Gareth Edwards’s remake of Godzilla (hoping to undo all the ill will that 1998’s Godzilla has brought about). Edwards is a perfect fit – see Monsters. Then, in 2015, she stars as Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. In addition to Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and James Spader join the franchise. Although she has primarily done indie films to date, her future looks to make her a big name.

Career Highlights:

1)      Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)* – lead (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Hailee Steinfeld

What She Has Been In:

Hailee Steinfeld, 16, has been acting since the age of eight, but is relatively unknown. She has primarily lent herself out for short films. While her breakthrough came in 2010, she then took a break until 2013, filling her schedule. Her first film to come out this year was Romeo and Juliet.

Breakthrough:

Auditioning among 15,000 other girls, the Coen Brothers chose Steinfeld to play Mattie Ross in their remake of True Grit. She is fantastic in the role playing opposite Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, in many ways stealing the film despite the very good work from all involved. She gives such a strong performance that she essentially became a star overnight, which makes it all the more surprising that she then took two years off. It is the best western of this decade so far.

November Film:

In November, Steinfeld features in a supporting role in Ender’s Game, which stars Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford (and is written and directed by Gavin Hood). She plays Petra, a friend and potential romantic interest to Ender. The film is about a future version of Earth that has narrowly survived an alien invasion. In an effort to counterstrike any future attack, the military has turned to training children to be heartless killers due to their gift for strategy and susceptibility to brainwashing – Ender is their most promising candidate to lead their fleet of warships. Trailer: Here.

Upcoming:

Steinfeld has been very busy since returning to Hollywood. Coming in 2014 she has a supporting role in the music dramedy Can a Song Save Your Life? starring Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. It is John Carney’s follow-up to his brilliant and terribly under-seen musical Once. Next, she features in support in Tommy Lee Jones’s second feature film The Homesman, which Jones also stars in opposite Hilary Swank. Then, for a change of pace, she stars in McG’s Hollywood action film Three Days to Kill with Amber Heard and Kevin Costner. Keeping with the variety of projects, Steinfeld will also star in the Civil War drama The Keeping Room opposite Sam Worthington and Brit Marling. Kyle Newamn, who also directed Fanboys, is back with a new comedy Barely Lethal, in which Steinfeld plays a 16-year-old assassin who just wants a normal life (it is like the American, watered-down version of Hanna). And finally, Steinfeld is set to star opposite Sam Worthington in the action thriller For the Dogs (also centering on an assassin character, making it three upcoming projects to do so with Three Days to Kill and Barely Lethal). All six of these films are slated for 2014, but likely a few will be pushed back.

Career Highlights:

1)      True Grit (2010)* – lead (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Ender’s Game (2013) – Review

Review: Ender’s Game is a perfectly acceptable young adult sci-fi action/drama. The film is about a teen, Ender Wiggin, who is being trained to lead the Earth’s Space fleet in an assault on an alien enemy that almost conquered Earth thirty years earlier. While Ender is being groomed for command by Colonel Graff, he must still overcome multiple obstacles to prove that he is indeed ready to lead. In this seemingly utopian (authoritarian governed) future, children are determined to be the Earth’s best hope at survival as their minds have a higher aptitude for taking on complex strategic problems (and they can be controlled more easily by propaganda, weeding out compassion).

Ender’s Game has a lot of interesting ideas: the morality of the use of child soldiers, compassion for the enemy, the social construct of a state governed by an authoritarian government, how propaganda is used to incite emotion and action within people, and many others. However, writer-director Gavin Hood’s film feels rather restrained. These elements are present, as they are in Orson Scott Card’s novel (for which the film is based), but here they are sort of glossed over and pushed to the shadows. The film is far less dark than it probably could have been tonally. In many ways, it reeks of a Hollywoodized makeover, which is disappointing as this feels watered down. That said, though, there are still interesting social and political elements that linger just below the surface.

The film overall can be read as an allegory for the West’s current feelings towards and on-going struggle with within Middle East, and vice versa. The International Military’s policy towards the Formics (the bug-like alien race that attempted to conquer the Earth) is that of total eradication, without regard for their civilization. They never question why the Formics first attacked Earth or to what end they now seem to be rebuilding their forces. They just assume the worse: the Formics intend to come back to Earth. The attitude of hate and ignorance that the film attributes to the International Military and through their propaganda the Earth’s population is similar to how many (on both sides) feel about the West’s current conflict within Middle East – the only way to truly gain victory is simply eradication (which is seemingly fueled by propaganda built on fear). The lesson of the film is that understanding is a better method. Applying this to the conflict in the Middle East is probably an over-reading of the film, but much like in Ender’s Game the current conflict seems to be escalating towards an event that will be catastrophic, irreversible, and civilization altering. The film warns of where unchecked hate and fear lead, when most of Hollywood’s generic output celebrates violence and hate.

Structurally, Hood has a lot of plot to get through, which does hurt his ability to develop supporting characters. Ender is given almost all the film’s character moments, which works well (given how much plot there is in a limited runtime) as the audience does become invested in his journey. However, the supporting characters and secondary storylines suffer greatly. There is almost no backstory or world building. The audience never really gets a full sense of the world Ender has grown up in, rather just quick glimpses. Hood tells his narrative very efficiently, but the film feels a bit emotionally bland. The audience wants to see Ender succeed from a story perspective, but so much is brushed to the side that the audience does not really have too much to grab onto and truly become invested in on a deeper level.

The military’s psychologist at one point expresses her concern for the use of children in war, but really the film does not dig into this idea, which otherwise seems like one of the central ideas in the narrative (I have not read the novel, so I comment purely based on what I saw in the film). The idea of using children to fight a war, tricking them by telling them they are merely playing ‘games’ and continually culturing them to be soldiers and hate the enemy, is very interesting and intellectually compelling. In our modern world, children are used for much the same reason they are in Ender’s Game in gangs (to sell drugs and commit other crimes) and even as soldiers in some third world countries. In both examples, children fall victim to powerful authoritative figures who exploit them using the hardships of their lives and propaganda. Children’s minds are still developing and thus are more susceptible to brainwashing by propaganda (in whatever form it takes). So the question becomes, while we know using children in such a way, as gangs and warlords use them in our modern society, is it still wrong to use them in a similar fashion to potentially save humanity? This question is maybe the most compelling that the film asks, but it spends almost no time addressing it, which is unfortunate. Again, Hood has a lot of plot to get through and seemingly just does not have the screen time.

In many ways, Ender’s Game is a straightforward sci-fi action/drama. Man must fight against an alien race for its very survival. Most of the action takes place in Space and the production design on Earth creates a very futuristic/utopian feeling. And to this degree, the film is entertaining. Its characters are also managed well enough to create an acceptably dramatic experience. The audience cares about Ender (though, I would argue only superficially) and thus are engaged in the story, action, and drama. But, the film is also nothing special. It just feels bland. This is the result of playing it safe in regards to all the interesting questions it raises about the nature of humanity in the face of war. Looking at the potential of what Ender’s Game could have been, it is a great disappointment, but that said it is still an enjoyable Hollywood sci-fi film as it is.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Gavin Hood’s Tsotsi (the story of a young Johannesburg gang leader) seems like it would translate very well into his ability to tackle Ender’s Game from a place of looking at the social and political ideas that the narrative raises. He also made the politically infused drama Rendition (regarding war-prisoner interrogation). But Ender’s Game is politically mute for the most part. Everything is very subtle and glossed over. It is as if Hood took an interesting narrative, sanitized it of all real grit, and then presented it as a polished, safe Hollywood film (a system/style of filmmaking that has not served him well in the past: X-Men Origins: Wolverine).

Composer Steve Jablonsky, who often works on action films, again offers up a score that emphasizes the action and sets the tone. The action as it is set forth in the film is really marginally interesting as presented (it is basically teens flying around in zero-gravity shooting stun guns at each other or meaningless Space ships firing at each other), but Jablonsky gives everything an extra feeling of excitement as his score seems to raise the stakes. The film has an overall look and feel that can be described as a mix of Gattaca and Starship Troopers (though in both cases much more restrained politically and tonally). Donald McAlpine’s cinematography does a great job giving the film a strong sci-fi aesthetic, as the lighting it very clean. Sean Haworth and Ben Procter’s production design is probably the film’s best attribute. In collaboration with McAlpine’s photography, their work creates the overall feeling that this takes place in a very rigid, futuristic world. Their sets in Space have somewhat of a generic sci-fi look, but they still work. However, the look of the sets and overall design of the scenes on Earth is fantastic. Again, everything looks very clean (the shots of the Space craft taking off set against the mountain landscape are beautiful).

The cast is adequate overall. The narrative, as it is structures, does not really give any of the characters much to do outside of Ender and Graff (though, even he is mostly just an authoritative caricature). Moises Arias (who plays a character completely different than his The Kings of Summer character Biaggio but can seemingly still not escape him), Nonso Anozie, and Viola Davis provide decent small supporting performances. Ben Kingsley takes his highly underwritten character of Mazer Rackham and infuses it with life with his intense eyes. Abigail Breslin plays the film’s only seemingly compassionate character and she is essential to the narrative, and yet is given almost nothing character wise. She merely says plot driven dialog while trying to emote deeper emotions. Hailee Steinfeld’s character of Petra Arkanian is also gravely underwritten. She ends up a stereotypical, boring PG love interest. Harrison Ford is good in the film, playing Graff. He mixes hardened war veteran with loving father well. I might argue that Ford is too sincere in his performance, but that plays into the film not being very dark tonally when it probably should have been. Asa Butterfield is also good as Ender. He does a great job of playing his emotions on the surface non-verbally. The audience can tell what is going on with him emotionally without explicitly needing to be told through dialog.

Summary & score: Ender’s Game is an entertaining sci-fi action/drama targeted at young adults, and to this purpose it is a decent film. The issue with the film is that it squanders the potential to be something more, say something more, and dig deeper into interesting social and political questions (that are clearly central to its narrative). 6/10

At the Movies – November 2013 – Part 2: Hollywood Films

Romance and Rom-Coms:

About Time (Richard Curtis) – Romance Sci-Fi – Nov 1

Plot Summary: On his 21^st birthday, Tim discovers that he can time travel – a family trait passed on through the men in the family. Using this newfound ability, Tim is determined to win the heart of Mary, a girl he fancies (but it is proving more difficult than he anticipated). Filmmakers: About Time is the new film from writer-director Richard Curtis, the master of the British romantic comedy who gave us such films as Notting Hill, Bridget Jone’s Diary, and Love Actually (he also wrote The Black Adder, Mr. Bean, The Girl in the Café, and War Horse). This will be his third time writing and directing a feature film (his first two were Love Actually and Pirate Radio). He is working with composer Nick Laird-Clowes (of The Dream Academy), cinematographer John Guleserian (Like Crazy), and production designer John Paul Kelly (Bloody Sunday). Cast: The film stars Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams (veteran of many romance films). Bill Nighy (who frequently works with Richard Curtis), Lindsay Duncan, Tom Hollander, and Tom Hughes feature in support. Expectations: About Time looks like a lot of fun. Yes, the whole time travel romance thing has been down before (see The Time Traveler’s Wife, which also stars Rachel McAdams, coincidentally), but Richard Curtis is a great writer and should bring a fresh take to the material. The film already came out in the U.K. earlier this year. It played to strong reviews from moviegoers, but critics were a bit more mixed. In a month crowded with big adventure films, this might be a nice change of pace. Trailer: Here.

Serious Films:

The Book Thief (Brian Percival) – Drama – Nov 15

Plot Summary: Liesel is a young orphan girl living amongst the horrors of WWII Germany. The only way she is able to keep herself from being lost in the anguish of it all is to steal books that have otherwise been banded by the Nazis so that she can share them with others, including the Jewish refuge her adoptive parents are hiding in their house. Filmmakers: Director Brian Percival comes from a background in British television, including directing multiple episodes of Downton Abbey. The Book Thief is his second feature. He is working with genius film composer John Williams (Lincoln), cinematographer Florian Ballhaus (Red), and production designer Simon Elliott (Byzantium). Cast: The film stars newcomer Sophie Nelisse and co-stars Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson. Ben Schnetzer and Nico Liersch feature in support. Expectations: The Book Thief looks like the kind of drama that is trying to be an Oscar-made prestige film, but ends up missing the mark. That said, it does look like a decent drama that is probably worth renting for fans of the book and war dramas. The primary cast is very strong and Sophie Nelisse looks like she gives a potentially breakthrough performance. Trailer: Here.

Action/Adventure:

Ender’s Game (Gavin Hood) – Action/Adventure Sci-Fi – Nov 1

Plot Summary: Aliens attacked Earth, and the world just barely survived. In an attempt to be better prepared for a future invasion, the military begins training new young leaders whose brains are better situated to deal with the aliens. Ender Wiggins is one such recruit. He is sent to a military school in space, where he soon begins to separate himself from the rest of the class with his strategic brilliance. Will he be Earth’s saving grace? Filmmakers: Writer-director Gavin Hood made a name for himself with his breakout hit Tsotsi (which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film), but has since struggled in Hollywood directing two underwhelming films: Rendition and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Looking to finally capitalize on his potential, he is working with composer Steve Jablonsky (Pain & Gain), cinematographer Donald McAlpine (who shot X-Men Origins: Wolverine for Hood), production designers Sean Haworth (The Thing) and Ben Procter, and producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Star Trek Into Darkness). Cast: The film stars Asa Butterfield, and co-stars Harrison Ford and Hailee Steinfeld. Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, and Nonso Anozie feature in support. Expectations: Ender’s Game has potential to be good. Gavin Hood is a director with talent; he has just struggled within the confines of Hollywood. And, the cast features a good mix of solid young talent and quality veterans. But, I suspect it will be a throwaway blockbuster – entertaining and fun, yeah probably, but nothing special. The sour taste of Hood’s Wolverine movie (which is fairly terrible) serves as a hard-to-forget reminder of what happened last time he tried to make a big budget genre film. Plus, this feels like a weak attempt for Summit Entertainment to reenter the Young Adult Genre Film bonanza now that their golden goose (Twilight) has expired. For fans of summer blockbuster style films, this is probably worth renting, but for everyone else, there are other big genre movies to wait for (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Thor: The Dark World). Trailer: Here. Review: Here.

Thor: The Dark World (Alan Taylor) – Action/Adventure – Nov 8

Plot Summary: A new enemy has come to the universe, one so menacing and powerful that not even Odin and the might of Asgard can withstand it. Thus, Thor must embark on his most trying adventure yet, looking to both Jane Foster and his troublemaker brother Loki for help. Filmmakers: With Kenneth Branagh not returning, Marvel engaged veteran HBO series director Alan Taylor to give Thor a much more grounded, gritty feel – using his work on Game of Thrones as a template. He is working with composer Brian Tyler (Iron Man 3), cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau (who shot Taylor’s season two episodes of Game of Thrones), and production designer Charles Wood (Wrath of the Titans). Cast: Returning are Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Jaimie Alexander, Rene Russo, and Anthony Hopkins, while new to the series are Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Zachary Levi, and Chris O’Dowd. Expectations: Thor is probably my favorite of the Marvel Phase One individual superhero films. It has a great mix of action, drama, and comedy, and Kenneth Branagh brought a fantastic tone and look to the world. Plus, Chris Hemsworth is phenomenal as Thor. Thus, Thor: The Dark World is a film I am really looking forward to seeing. Alan Taylor is on paper a very good and smart choice, as his work on Game of Thrones is wonderful (a darker style Marvel is very interested in bringing to Thor, as Phase Two overall seems to be darker tonally). However, Taylor is accustom to coming into a series with the main, strong creative force being someone else and just directing what is on the page (all the aesthetics and other big creative decisions already made). Here, he will need to step up and make those decisions (Marvel’s overall creative overseer, Joss Whedon, did need to step in to punch up a few scenes).  From what I have seen, the film looks visually fantastic and I think it will probably end up being about as good as the first Thor film (which would be slightly disappointing given that The Avengers and Iron Man 3 are both very good and elevated the expectations of future Marvel films). Trailer: Here. Review: Here.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Francis Lawrence) – Action/Adventure Sci-Fi – Nov 22

Plot Summary: After winning the 74^th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have become symbols of hope in Panem, inciting rebellion in many of its districts. Thus, Katniss and Peeta are targets for a government desperate to retain their power – but how to deal with these national heroes? Filmmakers: Writer-director Gary Ross is not returning (which is probably not a bad thing), and thus Lionsgate hired Francis Lawrence to take over. His work on Kings probably best translates to what he will need to do with Catching Fire. Although, he has shown he can capably direct action too with Constantine and I Am Legend. He is working with composer James Newton Howard (who also scored the first film), cinematographer Jo Willems (Limitless), and production designer Philip Messina (who also worked on the first film). Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Willow Shields, Paula Malcomson, Lenny Kravitz, and Donald Sutherland all return. New to the series are Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, Toby Jones, Amanda Plummer, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Expectations: The Hunger Games, while entertaining, lacked a good story with a true dramatic arc for Katniss. Everything just felt too easy, as she never really has to make a tough choice, and thus the film is dramatically uninteresting. In an effort to correct this, Lionsgate hired two Oscar winning screenwriters to adapt Catching Fire for the screen: Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt (who is currently writing Star Wars VII). Francis Lawrence has never really made a good film (his best work coming on Kings), but Catching Fire does not need to be anything amazing. It just needs to be entertaining and create a more dynamic dramatic narrative arc for Katniss. From what I have seen, the film looks a lot more compelling than the first. I am interested to see how it turns out narratively (as its box office success is all but assured). Trailer: Here. Here. Review: Here.

Frozen (Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee) – Family Adventure Comedy – Nov 29

Plot Summary: The Kingdom of Arendelle has been plunged into eternal winter by the icy sorceress Elsa. Now, it is up to her sister Anna and her rag-tag group of friends (which includes a talking snowman) to save the kingdom, battling the harsh elements and beasts that await them. Filmmakers: Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee have never worked together before, but each comes from an animation background within Disney. Buck co-directed Tarzan (and also Surf’s Up for Sony Animation) while Lee co-wrote Wreck-It Ralph. I think Buck will be focused on the animation and Lee the story aspects. They are working with composer Christophe Beck (The Muppets) and producer John Lasseter (Disney Animation’s head guy). Cast: The voice cast includes: Kristen Bell, Alan Tudyk, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel, and Jonathan Groff. Expectations: Disney’s Pixar film this year, Monsters University, while commercially successful did not really make the same type of impact that Pixar films usually do, leaving 2013’s Animation Oscar wide open (much like 2011 when Pixar released Cars 2, their worst film). Frozen looks good, in a safe Disney sort of way. Although, to me, it kind of looks like they are trying to just recapture the feel and general story ideas of Tangled (Disney’s best animated film in some time). In any case, this certainly looks like it should be in the running to compete for the Animation Oscar and parents taking their kids should not be too disgruntled at the prospect of watching it (as it looks funny). Trailer: Here. Review: Here.

Comedy:

Last Vegas (Jon Turteltaub) – Comedy – Nov 1

Plot Summary: Four friends in their sixties decide to get together for one last hurrah in Vegas to celebrate the final member of their group’s last days as a single man. Filmmakers: Director Jon Turteltaub is well versed in making forgettable Hollywood fair with films such as Cool Runnings, National Treasure, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and this looks like more of the same. He is working with composer Mark Mothersbaugh (21 Jump Street), cinematographer David Hennings (Horrible Bosses), and production designer David Bomba (The Company Men). Cast: The film stars Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, and Michael Douglas. Mary Steenburgen, Jerry Ferrara, and Romany Malco feature in support. Expectations: Last Vegas is The Bucket List version of The Hangover – I mean, I guess this had to happen eventually right? Yes, it does have a strong group of actors, but this is essentially just a paycheck to them – they show up, say some lines, make some faces, and get paid (Dennis Quaid has been doing it for decades). And yet, there will probably be some laughs for those willing to use a rental on it. Trailer: Here.

Plot Summary: Brett has fathered 533 children. How did he do this? A mix-up at a fertility clinic he made donations to twenty years ago. Now, 142 of them have filed a lawsuit to reveal his identity. Brett has always been an underachiever and must now decide if he wants to step up and take responsibility. Filmmakers: Writer-director Ken Scott already made this film in Canada and released it in 2011. It is called Starbuck. Apparently unafraid to rehash the same material again (I mean, what is the difference between remaking your own film and directing any other Hollywood movie that just recycles past narratives), he is working with composer Jon Brion (This Is 40), cinematographer Eric Alan Edwards (The Change-Up), and production designer Ida Random (No Strings Attached). Cast: Vince Vaughn stars (and will once again treat us all to his tired shtick), while Cobie Smulders, Britt Robertson, and Chris Pratt feature in support. Expectations: Delivery Man looks like a lot of Vince Vaughn’s comedies – an underachieving but mildly charismatic man-child who tries to finally put his life together. Vaughn plays this character pretty well (Dodgeball and Fred Claus – for the five people that enjoyed it, me included), and the supporting cast, particularly Chris Pratt (who is hilarious), should add some good stuff. More than likely, this film will just be a throwaway comedy, but maybe it will turn out to be funny and somewhat emotionally resonate. Maybe even worth renting. Trailer: Here.