Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) – Review

Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is structured in the manner of the classic spy dramas – short on action but long on tension, mystery and wonderful characters. The film centers on George Smiley, a spy recently forced to retire due to a change in power at MI6 (the Circus), who is tasked with finding the Russian mole placed at the top of British Intelligence. Director Tomas Alfredson is clearly not interested in making a James Bond or Mission: Impossible style spy drama with Tinker Tailor Solider Spy (not that the book(s) is anything like those action spy series) – in fact he is not interested in making a light spy drama either. This film requires its viewer to pay attention, as the narrative is a little convoluted – much in the same way trying to uncover a mystery is – with many characters, lots of important dialogue and small moments that all piece together a bigger picture. The audience is required to keep track of all these small pieces as the film is not dumbed down in the slightest. Alfredson and his actors live in the world of nuance and subtlety, and for this reason moviegoers looking for a light action oriented spy film are going to find this possibly very slow. The narrative is not in a hurry, as Alfredson takes his time letting the mystery unfold (something I appreciated, as it is not too common in film today), while building the tension until it suddenly boils over and the film becomes quite gripping in the second half. The story takes place in the 1970s during the Cold War, and aesthetically Alfredson has very much created both a look and tone to fit the setting. Not only does the film look gloomy and a little bleak (much like the world outlook at the time), but the film feels like it was made in the 1970s. There is almost a nostalgic feel to it (especially in the score). While the film works quite well as a spy drama, it also is a good character study of George Smiley – a man whose entire life is dedicated to keeping secrets. However, back to the spy drama aspect, Alfredson does something great with the film – he allows the tension to grow organically from the characters and performances (not explosions and big action set pieces, not that there is anything wrong with that this is just a nice change of pace for the genre). Each word of dialogue becomes as impactful as any action scene might be. The characters are also given a chance to interact in more of a cloak-and-dagger manner (than running around shooting at each other or fighting); again, each word or expression becoming more important, as the wrong one could give them away. At the same time, as the film is about spies, the characters are all very much bottled up, making it hard to connect with them superficially (which will again alienate some moviegoers) and there is not much of an emotional connection built up between character and viewer, which does impact the viewer’s stake in the outcome a bit. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is not going to work for everyone; it is much too restrained for that. But, for those willing to take it as it is, pay attention and invest in the characters (and thereby the stakes), the film is a fantastic mystery spy drama.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson became a promenade filmmaker (at least for international audiences) with Let the Right One In. Tinker Tailor Solider Spy is his first English-language film, but aesthetically and to an extent tonally the films go together well, building quite a resume for Alfredson as one of the better dramatic filmmakers working right now. Alfredson takes his time with his narratives, but the payoffs are wonderful. He builds tension (that in a way seems to come out of nowhere, as he develops it over the whole course of the film) very well. And, he is very good at creating good character moments allowing his actors to do their best work. Alberto Iglesias’s score is beautiful (as a stand-alone piece), but also fits the film very well. He both gets the mood right, as the score very much feels like it fits in the 1970s in many places, and builds on the tension in the film (here is a sample and here is another). Hoyte Van Hoytema’s cinematography is quite interesting, as he and Alfredson have put the camera far away from the actors in many cases, using wide lens, creating a very voyeuristic feel to the photography. This again goes really well with the tone and style of the film. As good as the score and cinematography are (both are in my top 10 of the year in their categories), Maria Djurkovic’s production design is even better. Her work not only fits the film well it is aesthetically interesting in its own right. Her design work inside the Circus, particularly its executive floor, is phenomenal, as it captures the ambiance and mood of the era so entirely (while also being compelling from a pure design perspective as well). While Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is primarily George Smiley’s film, there are a number of good small character roles. Tom Hardy, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch are very good and stand out. Among the top tier of the Circus, Colin Firth, Toby Jones and especially David Dencik give great performances too. Gary Oldman is brilliant as Smiley. His emotions are so boxed up, and he is such a cool customer – and yet he just gives the audience enough to allow us to feel the tension he is feeling – another great character from one of the great character actors.

Summary & score: In many ways Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is one of the best spy dramas to come out in a long time, but it is not going to connect with many moviegoers. 8/10

Directors to Watch: Part 2 – Movies Spotlight – December 2011

One of the great things about cinema is that there is constantly an inflow of great new talents. These three directors are on the verge of becoming well known filmmakers in the States.

Tomas Alfredson

Filmography to Date:

Alfredson, 46, began his career in Sweden working as an assistant at Svensk Filmindustri. From there he moved into Swedish television working on multiple series, miniseries and TV movies. His first feature film hit came in 2004 with Four Shades of Brown, winning a number of awards in Sweden. In 2008, Alfredson made Let the Right One In – a romance horror story about a vampire who looks like a young girl. She befriends a neighboring young boy who is bullied at school. The film became an international hit, exposing Alfredson in the States and the U.K. as a filmmaker for the first time (at least for most cinemagoers).

December Film:

In December, Alfredson’s first English-language film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is being released in the States (having seen distribution in the U.K. already) about a retired spy who must find a mole within British Intelligence. It boasts a fantastic cast starring Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch (among others). It is based on the novel by John le Carre. It played to critical acclaim in the U.K. and is on the 2012 Oscar shortlist for Best Picture and Best Actor (Gary Oldman), as well as some technical awards (most likely Maria Djurkovic for production design).

Upcoming:

Next up for Alfredson is the film Larklight, a sci-fi story about an alternative world in which humans have made their way into space during the Victorian era. It is being produced at Warner Brothers with Steve Knight currently scripting. It is based on the novel by Philip Reeve and due in 2013.

Career Highlights:

1)      Let the Right One in (2008)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s Picks

Steve McQueen

Filmography to Date:

McQueen, 42, began his career in the early 1990s making shorts that he would project onto walls in an art gallery, typically minimalist and black & white. Being foremost an artist, he also has worked in sculpture and other mediums – travelling to Iraq in 2006 and returning presenting a tribute to British soldiers who died in the war with a stamp collection of their portraits called Queen and Country. In 2008, he made his feature film debut with Hunger about the 1981 Irish hunger strike. It stars Michael Fassbender. It won the Cannes Film Festival Camera d’Or (best first-time director) and served as McQueen’s breakthrough in the U.K. as well as Fassbender’s.

December Film:

In December, his second feature Shame is being released. He is again working with Michael Fassbender, as well as Carey Mulligan and James Badge Dale. It is about sex addiction in New York City and is quite explicit in its portrayal (and rated NC-17). The film has played very well during its festival circuit, receiving tons of praise. It is likely to be nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards, and is one the 2012 Oscar shortlist for Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Director.

Upcoming:

For his third feature, due in 2013, McQueen is making Twelve Years a Slave about a man living in New York during the mid-1800s who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. He has a phenomenal cast lined up, working yet again with Fassbender and also with Brad Pitt and Chiwetel Ejiofor. McQueen is one of the most interesting new filmmakers working today (someone I would already feel comfortable calling an auteur two films in).

Career Highlights:

1)      Hunger (2008)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s Picks

Jason Reitman

Filmography to Date:

Reitman, 34, began his career in college as a creative writing major at USC making multiple short films. He is the son of Ivan Reitman, the director of Stripes and Ghostbusters, giving him an ‘in’ into the industry. In 2005, he made his feature debut with Thank You for Smoking. The film stars Aaron Eckhart and is a satirical comedy about Big Tobacco’s chief spokesman Nick Naylor who spins the truth while still trying to be a role model for his young son. The film was a great first feature garnering two Golden Globe nominations. But it was Reitman’s second feature that made him a known player in Hollywood – Juno. The film is about a high school student who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby away to a couple of her choosing. It served as the breakthrough for Reitman, writer Diablo Cody and star Ellen Page, as it was nominated for four Oscars in 2008 (including Best Picture), winning one for best writing. Next, Reitman had another indie hit that saw commercial success, due to it featuring in the awards season of 2009, with Up in the Air about Ryan Bingham, a man who travels around and fires people for a living. It stars George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick (serving as her breakthrough). It was nominated for six Oscars in 2010 (including Best Picture) but did not win any.

December Film:

Reitman is easily the best known among the directors on this list, being well established in indie circles and among critics – his films receiving ten Oscar nominations (winning one). However, his new film in December, Young Adult, may be the first to win in a major category. He is reuniting with writer Diablo Cody to tell the story of a divorced small-town Minnesota girl, the most popular in high school, who returns home looking to rekindle a romance with her high school boyfriend, now married with kids. It stars Charlize Theron and looks to factor into the 2012 Oscars, especially in the Best Actress and Best Writing categories.

Upcoming:

Reitman has a few projects that he is looking at but nothing formally announced yet. The first is called Elliot Allagash about Seymour Herson, a boy who is bullied and then taken under the wing of another more rebellious student. The other is called Labor Day about a weekend holiday taken in the 1980s. A divorced mother with her son gives a ride to a large strange man, who also happens to be bleeding badly.

Career Highlights:

1)      Thank You for Smoking (2005) – (DVD, Streaming)

2)      Juno (2007)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

3)      Up in the Air (2009)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s Picks

At the Movies – December 2011 – Part 3: This Month’s Best Films

Must-See of the Month:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (David Fincher) – Mystery Thriller – Dec 21

Summary: Part one of the Millennium Trilogy, the film is about a journalist Mikael Blomkvist, who is hired to investigate the disappearance and likely murder of a young woman who has been missing for over forty years. He is aided by a young computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander. Filmmakers: While many do not think this needed an English language remake, director David Fincher immediately makes it relevant and highly anticipated (as he is one of the best working today, and will bring something different to the film – much like Let Me In versus Let the Right One In). He is working with the same crew from his last film The Social Network: composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, editor Angus Wall, and production designer Donald Graham Burt. Cast: Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara star, while Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright, Christopher Plummer, Embeth Davidtz, Joely Richardson, Goran Visnjic, Yorick van Wageningen, and Alan Dale feature in support. Expectations: The role of Lisbeth Salander was maybe the most coveted role for young actresses in Hollywood, and yet relative unknown Rooney Mara won it – likely because she was fantastic in her small role in Fincher’s The Social Network (it also shows off Fincher’s power and respect in Hollywood talking MGM and Sony into Mara). Noomi Rapace is very good in the Swedish Trilogy, and thus Mara has a lot to live up to (but I think she will, having a breakthrough performance; has there ever been another character to give two actors their breakthrough?). Fincher directing alone makes this a must-see and probably even the film of the month, but the great cast does not hurt either. It will certainly have awards seasons implications. The trailers have been brilliant, so expectations are very high. Trailer: Here. Review.

Worth Checking Out:

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Tomas Alfredson) – Spy Thriller – Dec 9

Summary: The film is about semi-retired espionage veteran George Smiley, who is called back into service to find a Soviet agent within MI6. Filmmakers: Director Tomas Alfredson became a hot international commodity after the critical praise of his film Let the Right One In – this is his first Hollywood (or the British equivalent) film. John le Carre (writer of the novel for which the film is based) and multiple Oscar nominee Peter Morgan are producing, and Alfredson has a good group with Spanish composer Alberto Iglesias (The Constant Gardener), cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema (who shot Let the Right One In for him) and production designer Maria Djurkovic (The Hours). Cast: This has maybe the best cast of any film this year. It stars Gary Oldman and also features work from Colin Firth, John Hurt, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciaran Hinds, David Dencik, Stephen Graham, Simon McBurney, and Christian McKay. Expectations: At the beginning of the year based on the filmmakers and cast, I thought this would be among the five best films of the year, and with what I have seen and the critical response, I think that could still be true. Oldman is being called a potential Best Actor Oscar nominee and the film should have entries in other categories as well. If the film does well, there are sequels in the novel series that could be adapted with Oldman returning (which would be awesome). For me, this is the film I am most looking forward to seeing in December (but The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a very close second). Trailer: Here. Review.

Carnage (Roman Polanski) – Dramedy – Dec 16

Summary: The film is about two sets of parents who meet to discuss an altercation at school involving their sons. Filmmakers: Writer-director Roman Polanski is one of the great filmmakers in cinema history, and thereby each of his films comes with the potential to be great (though, he is a bit hit or miss). He is working with (the hardest working man in movies) composer Alexandre Desplat (The Ides of March) and frequent collaborators cinematographer Pawel Edelman and production designer Dean Tavoularis. Cast: The film has a great cast with Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, and John C. Reilly. Expectations: Critics have praised the film for the most part and it should have awards season implications, especially for the actors, but those who have seen both the film and the play by Yasmina Reza for which it is based have found the play to be better. Polanski’s best work as a director has not been with comedy, making this an odd choice for him but many critics are placing it with his best films (The Pianist, Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby, and Repulsion). I look forward to the great performances from a top-notch cast, and to see things degrade and go haywire. Trailer: Here. Review.

We Bought a Zoo (Cameron Crowe) – Drama – Dec 23

Summary: The film is about a father who moves his young family to Southern California to take over the operation of a small countryside struggling zoo. Filmmakers: Writer-director Cameron Crowe (finally) returns to feature films after six years (his last feature was Elizabethtown).  He is working with very good cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Babel) and frequent collaborator production designer Clay Griffith. Cast: The cast is wonderful with Matt Damon starring, Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church co-starring and supporting work from Elle Fanning, Carla Gallo, Patrick Fugit, Stephanie Szostak, John Michael Higgins, and Angus Macfadyen (The Bruce). Expectations: We Bought a Zoo will probably be good for the sole reason that Crowe is a great writer of dialog and he has a great cast on the film (I am probably most excited for relative newcomer Fanning after her stellar work in Super 8 and Somewhere). The fact that it is coming out on Christmas and is not rated R means that 20^th Century Fox is hoping to promote it as a family feel good movie (mainly geared towards adults). Will it be an Oscar contender? Maybe, but probably not – though, I think it looks like it should be a good drama with some patented Crowe dialog (see the Jerry Maguire speech Damon gives in the trailer), humor, and a fantastic found-music score. Trailer: Here.

Most Anticipated Films of 2011 – Part 2: Prestige and Fun Films

The Most Anticipated Films of 2011 is a two part look at the movies that (I am most excited about, mainly) should be the biggest and best of the year to come. Part One is a look at the biggest, the Blockbusters and Part Two will focus on the film that should be among the most fun and best (not counting the Blockbusters) that details are known about at present.

Prestige Films:

Title: A Dangerous Method

Release: Spring or Fall

Genre: Drama

Director: David Cronenberg

Plot: The film is about Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, and their relationship that lead to the birth of psychoanalysis.

Main Cast: Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortenson, Keira Knightley, Vincent Cassel, and Sarah Gadon.

Why It’s Anticipated: David Cronenberg is known for his intense and highly stylized films, often involving surreal elements. He has a committed cult following with fans eagerly awaiting anything he does. His last two films A History of Violence and Easter Promises, each starring Viggo Mortenson, appealed to more of a mainstream audience and found themselves on many best of the year lists. This film should certainly have a following on the festival circuit. There is a lot of potential to have one of 2011’s best films here.

Editor’s Thoughts: The cast is awesome. Knowing Cronenberg’s sort of warped style, I am looking forward to seeing what he does with the subject matter (dreams), as the possibilities seem endless for such a creative mind.

Trailer (Not yet available)

Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Release: December 21st

Genre: Thriller

Director: David Fincher

Plot: The film is about a journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who teams up with a young computer savvy girl, Lisbeth Salander, to solve a forty-year-old missing person’s case, when new evidence comes to light.

Main Cast: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Stellen Skarsgard, Robin Wright, and Christopher Plummer.

Why It’s Anticipated: The books series (the Millennium Trilogy) by deceased Swedish author Stieg Larsson has had a huge following, and the Swedish film versions have all has release dates in the States. David Fincher is one of the top auteur directors working today, and thus his name brings with it prestige and fans, not to mention that his films more so than other auteur directors (in many cases) have a more mainstream Hollywood appeal. The film also stars James Bond himself Daniel Craig. This film will draw fans of the novels, cinema and those looking for the big winter releases.

Editor’s Thoughts: Having seen the original, there is certainly room for Fincher to add and make the story (and film) his own. That said, the Swedish version is by far the best of the series (the second two were made for TV and had smaller budgets) so there is a high standard to live up to. There is some speculation as to whether relative newcomer Rooney Mara can live up to the fine performance of Noomi Rapace. She worked with Fincher on The Social Network and he must have seen something special (she was great in the film, by the way) as every young actress in Hollywood wanted this role.

Trailer (Not yet available)

Title: Hanna

Release: April 8th

Genre: Action

Director: Joe Wright

Plot: The film is about a 14-year-old girl who is raised by her father to be an assassin with complete disregard for feelings and human life. However, she comes in contact with a family and they gain her trust. They help her to ease into a more conventional life.

Main Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Olivia Williams, and Tom Hollander.

Why It’s Anticipated: Aside from sounding pretty cool (especially with flashbacks of Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass, though this will likely be much more serious in its approach), the film has an excellent cast with Saoirse Ronan ready to be a star (remember that she had her breakout role in Wright’s Atonement). This will be Wright’s fourth film – of the previous three, two are very good and one was disappointing, but there is no doubt that he is one of the best young filmmakers out there. Plus he has got a score from The Chemical Brothers and awesome cinematographer Alwin H. Kuchler on the film.

Editor’s Thoughts: I am looking forward to this film for a few reasons: 1) Joe Wright is a very good director and his use of the camera fluidly moving through his worlds is wonderful, 2) the story sounds really intriguing (who does not want to see a well-made action adventure film) and 3) all five members of the principal cast are actors that I enjoy watching. This has the potential to be a standout film for the year both critically and at the box office (for an April release).

Trailer 

Title: Moneyball

Release: September

Genre: Drama

Director: Bennett Miller

Plot: Based on the novel by Michael Lewis, the film is about Oakland Athletics general manger Billy Beane, who used computer-generated analysis to draft his players and successfully put together a winning club on a budget.

Main Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Kathryn Morris.

Why It’s Anticipated: Director Bennett Miller’s first film was Capote, which was one of that year’s best and won Philip Seymour Hoffman an Oscar. Miller’s new film will certainly draw critical analysis and likely praise. Hoffman is back along with a very good cast with some star power (Brad Pitt). The story has a lot of appeal as well – Lewis’s novel was a national bestseller and quite acclaimed.

Editor’s Thoughts: I am a sucker for sports movies and especially love baseball movies. This is not only about baseball, but also the behind the scenes action of fielding a club, not to mention a true story (what sports-fan is not already immensely interested?). Plus, the cast (as stated above) is great and Miller has the chops to be an auteur director. If this turns out to be as good as it has the potential to be, look for it to be pushed back to November or December for an Oscar bid.

Trailer (Not yet available)

Title: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Release: Fall

Genre: Thriller

Director: Tomas Alfredson

Plot: Based on the novel by John le Carre, the film is about espionage veteran George Smiley, who is forced out of retirement to uncover a Soviet Agent within MI6 during the bleak days of the Cold War.

Main Cast: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Stephen Graham, and Ciaran Hinds.

Why It’s Anticipated: Three reasons say it all 1) the director, 2) the cast and 3) the story. Tomas Alfredson won himself loads of fans outside of his native Sweden with his last film Let the Right One In. Now he is back making (what sounds like an equally awesome film) his Hollywood debut (though it is more like British cinema debut). The film stars some of the best and brightest actors of British cinema (Strong makes the best villains, Oldman is amazing in everything, Hardy is coming off a breakthrough performance in Inception, and Firth has been wonderful in his films lately, plus he is probably winning an Oscar come February). Cold War spy films have been done tons of times (seen most of the James Bond films for reference), but when done well it is a very gratifying sub-genre.

Editor’s Thoughts: This is one of my top five most anticipated films for 2011. I really enjoyed Let the Right One In. That being said, I cannot wait to see what Alfredson does with this project. He has the cast and the platform to make not only a really enjoyable spy thriller but also a fantastic piece of cinema. And, I will see anything with Gary Oldman in it – he is starring in this. It is not often enough that you see a director, cast and project combo as awesome as this.

Trailer (Not yet available)

Fun Films:

Title: The Adjustment Bureau

Release: March 4th

Genre: Romance/Thriller

Director: George Nolfi

Plot: The film is about an affair between a politician and a ballerina and the mysterious forces that seem to be keeping them apart, based on a short-story by Philip K. Dick.

Main Cast: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, John Slattery, Anthony Mackie, Terence Stamp, and Michael Kelly.

Why It’s Anticipated: The Jason Bourne series was a big hit among critics and fans alike. This film reunites Bourne star Matt Damon with the writer of The Bourne Ultimatum (the best reviewed of the series) George Nolfi, who is making his directorial debut. The film also has similar thriller aspects to it, but more romance and sci-fi implications too. The rest of the cast is also quite good with the lovely Emily Blunt and savvy casting additions in John Slattery (who everyone loves in Mad Men) and Anthony Mackie coming off a breakthrough performance in The Hurt Locker.

Editor’s Thoughts: For those that follow film and are worried about why this was push back from September of 2010 to March of 2011, it was done so based on the revenue model of Shutter Island (similarly pushed back), which did well at the box office and deemed to have a similar intended audience. Thus, the trade of September for March was done so for The Adjustment Bureau to be a bigger box office hit, which probably means Universal Pictures thinks they have a pretty good film on their hands. I was excited to see this in September and I am still excited to see this in March. The trailer however (see below) does not entice me so much as the cast and the film’s potential. I would call the trailer a bit of a letdown – hopefully the film will not be.

Trailer

Title: Hugo

Release: December 9th

Genre: Mystery

Director: Martin Scorsese

Plot: The film is about an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris. But there is a secret about this orphan, one that is in jeopardy as he gets caught up in a mysterious adventure.

Main Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Jude Law, Asa Butterfield, Emily Mortimer, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Ben Kingsley.

Why It’s Anticipated: It is a Martin Scorsese film…So yeah, people are going to go see this. Plus it is a family film and Scorsese’s first 3D feature (why!!!!). Family film + 3D generally equal cash money for studios, exhibitors and all involved. The film also has a fantastic cast with many great actors (see full list here). Just think, a Martin Scorsese film you can bring the whole family to.

Editor’s Thoughts: I want to see this because Scorsese (as well all know) is a wonderful filmmaker, I am a big fan of cinematographer Robert Richardson who is shooting it and (like many others enamored with her fabulous breakthrough performances in 2010, i.e. Kick-Ass and Let Me In) I am a newly huge fan of Chloe Grace Moretz (a Star to Watch). Despite a legend like Scorsese bowing to trend and making a 3D film, I still think it is somewhat of a fad, but as long as the money keeps piling in, 3D will still be a popular process. However, at least Scorsese had the good sense to shoot this in 3D and not add crumby effects after the fact (for reference of the difference see Avatar 3D vs. Clash of the Titans 3D).

Trailer (Not yet available)

Title: Midnight in Paris

Release: Fall

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Director: Woody Allen

Plot: The film is about a family traveling to Paris on business in the 1920s. They are forced to deal with a number of issues while in the French capital including confronting the illusion that a life other than their own is better.

Main Cast: Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Adrien Brody, Michael Sheen, Owen Wilson, and Kathy Bates.

Why It’s Anticipated: Woody Allen makes a film a year, some good, some not so much. As of late, he has been on a role with overall enjoyable films and a few great ones too (I especially like his Scarlett Johansson trilogy – Match Point, Scoop and Vicky Cristina Barcelona). For this comedy he has a great cast with fine actors (Marion Cotillard and Michael Sheen have been amazing in their latest films) and funny comedians (assuming you like Owen Wilson and Gad Elmaleh), which should make his script all the more entertaining. Not to mention that Allen invented the romantic-comedy.

Editor’s Thoughts: Along with the main cast listed above, Allen also has a number of “cool” casting additions: Alison Pill, Lea Seydoux, French comedian Gad Elmaleh, Tom Hiddleston (who Kenneth Branagh says is amazing in Thor), and Carla Bruni (the wife of the current French President). Allen and the right cast make for really funny and sometimes moving films. His ventures to Europe in recent years have produced some of his best work (at least in the last two decades). This cast in particular is what has me excited to see Midnight in Paris. Oh, and Allen has cinematography legend Darius Khondji shooting a 1920s film set in my favorite city.

Trailer (Not yet available)

Title: The Muppets

Release: November 23rd

Genre: Comedy

Director: James Bobin

Plot: The film, much like many of the Muppet films, is about Kermit the Frog and his pals putting on a show to save their old theatre.

Main Cast: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Rashida Jones, Chris Cooper, Charles Grodin, and Jim Henson’s Muppets.

Why It’s Anticipated: It’s the Muppets, which is enough really (for all those that grew up with and love them). However, the other ingredients in the film are just as good. Jason Segel, along with starring in the film, is co-writing it with Nicholas Stroller, who also made Forgetting Sarah Marshall together (my favorite comedy of 2008), a film which certainly proves Segel’s Muppet credentials (the Dracula musical…awesome). And on top of that, James Bobin director of The Flight of the Conchords and Da Ali G Show is directing the film. Plus, Bret McKenzie is also part of the creative team (YES!!!!). Oh yeah, and the cast is pretty great too with tons of celebrity cameos (list here).

Editor’s Thoughts: I cannot think of a better creative team to handle this project. I am super excited for a Jason Segel-James Bobin Muppets movie and with cameos from the likes of Emily Blunt, Zach Galifianakis, Ricky Gervais, and Jean-Claude Van Damme how could I not be?!!! I do wonder if Disney is going to overly market this film to kids, an audience that did not really grow up with the Muppets but does sell tickets, as I fear that they will push for a more kid friendly film – when this creative team’s talents are at their best when targeting their own age group. Hopefully there will be a happy medium that will work well for all viewers (like Pixar is generally able to achieve…oh right, Pixar was brought in as a story consultant, so I guess we are cool there too). After seeing Segel’s Dracula Musical in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and his other puppet work on Craig Ferrguson’s Late Late Show, I cannot wait to see this film.

Trailer (Not yet available)

Title: Your Highness

Release: April 8th

Genre: Comedy/Adventure

Director: David Gordon Green

Plot: The film is about two princes, Fabious and Thadeous. When Fabious’s bride is kidnapped by an evil sorcerer, they must go on an epic adventure to rescue her…only Thadeous is lazy and useless.

Main Cast: Danny McBride, James Franco, Zooey Deschanel, Natalie Portman, Justin Theroux, and Damian Lewis.

Why It’s Anticipated: Fans of Danny McBride and Ben Best’s work (Eastbound & Down and The Foot Fist Way) know that they will get a funny, random and probably offensive comedy, full of hysterical and awkward moments. David Gordon Green, director of many episodes of Eastbound & Down, is coming off a comedy hit in Pineapple Express, which starred James Franco and Danny McBride (and Seth Rogen). He was able to remind audiences how funny Franco can be with that film. Your Highness has a fantastic comedic cast with Toby Jones, Deschanel, Theroux, Lewis, and Portman co-starring. And the red-band trailer (see below) is ridiculous (sending many into fits of giggles) and features Portman looking quite good (sans clothing).

Editor’s Thoughts: This is either going to be really funny or just not work at all, there does not seem to be much middle ground with such an ambitious project. David Gordon Green claims that all of the dialog was improvised based only on a outline that Best and McBride drew up – but they certainly have a good cast for that though. I am interested to see how big a part Damian Lewis plays in the film as he is great in most everything I have seen him in. The film is also heavy on the special effects, which answers the why did Universal delay this from October 2010 to April 2011 – April is a better box office month for comedies. The trailer is probably funnier when reflecting back on it than while actually watching it, but some of the best comedies are that way. Whether this works or is an epic failure, I cannot wait to see it (and think it is going to be amazing).

Trailer