Words of Wisdom

Fall Movie Preview – Part 1 September 2, 2009

Posted by Matt in movies.
Tags: 2009, 9, A Serious Man, Amelia, Capitalism A Love Story, coming releases, Couples Retreat, Extract, fall movies, Fame, Gentlemen Broncos, The Informant, The Invention of Lying, The Road, Where the Wild Things Are, Zombieland
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As the seasons change in the outside world, a notable change is also occurring inside the dark world of the movie theater. While this cinematic plane of existence has been thriving for the past few months on explosions, scantily clad women and bad dialogue, the last months of the year generally give us a different outlook, one that is oftentimes darker, more real, with stronger acting performances and less special effects, as studios set the wheels in motion for the upcoming Academy Awards. I

So, for your enjoyment I have looked through the synopses of several of these soon-to-be released films, and have chosen some whose worthiness I will judge without actually having seen them.

Extract (Release Date: Sept. 4)
Director: Mike Judge
Starring: Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Mila Kunis
Synopsis: The owner of a flower-extract plant (Bateman), tries to contend with myriad personal and professional problems, such as his potentially unfaithful wife (Wiig), a hot new temp (Kunis), and employees who want to take advantage of him.
My Take: Mike Judge is the creator of one of my favorite movies of the past decade, Office Space, so I am always eager to see anything that he has touched. Idiocracy was a bit of a letdown, so I’m looking forward to seeing how he rebounds. The inclusion of Jason Bateman is just icing on the cake.
Verdict: Must-See, but probably not until its on DVD.

9 (Release Date: Sept 11)
Director: Shane Acker
Starring: Elijah Wood (voice)
Synopsis: When 9 (voice of Elijah Wood) first comes to life, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world where all humans are gone. Upon discovering a community of other beings like him, 9 takes the lead in an effort to strike back at the machines that control the world and are bent on exterminating most signs of life.
My Take: The post-apocalyptic motif seems to be in vogue for the coming film season, a fact to which the CGI-animated 9 attests. While this story doesn’t necessarily stick out, its producer does: Tim Burton.
Verdict: Worth watching, but not until DVD.

The Informant! (Release Date: Sept. 18)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Matt Damon
Synopsis: The U.S. government decides to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, company-man-turned-whistleblower Mark Whitacre (Damon).
My Take: According to IMDB, this film will actually be a dark comedy, which seems a bit out of character for a director best known for dramas (Traffic) and lighthearted romps (Oceans 11-13), but I would certainly give it a try. It also helps that Damon looks a lot like Flanders from the Simpsons.
Verdict: Will watch eventually

Fame (Release Date: Sept 25)
Director: Kevin Tancharoen
Starring: Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth
Synopsis: An updated version of the 1980 musical, which centered on the students of the New York Academy of Performing Arts.
My Take: Has Hollywood really stooped this low?
Verdict: No thank you. I don’t want to learn how to fly.

Capitalism: A Love Story (Release Date: Oct. 2)
Director: Michael Moore
Synopsis: Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore sets out to uncover the truth behind the current economic crisis with interviews from Wall Street and government insiders.
My Take: You either love him or hate him, but either way, you always know what you’re going to get when it come to Moore. I loved Bowling for Columbine, thought Farenheit 9/11 was a bit over-the-top, and have never gotten around to watching Sicko, so I’m a moderate fan who finds Moore’s self-righteous attitude grating at times.
Verdict: I’ll probably watch it once its on DVD.

A Serious Man (Release Date: Oct. 2)
Director: Joel & Ethan Coen
Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind
Synopsis: A black comedy set in 1967 and centered on Larry Gopnik (Stuhlbarg), a Midwestern professor who watches his life unravel when his wife prepares to leave him because his inept brother (Kind) won’t move out of the house
My Take: The Coen brothers are, without a doubt, my favorite filmmakers of the past 2 decades. This addition to the canon seems to take them back to the dark comedic vibe of Fargo and I will no doubt be one of the first in line to see it.
Verdict: Must-See, hopefully in the theater.

Zombieland (Release Date: Oct. 2)
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Amber Heard, Woody Harrelson
Synopsis: In a world overrun by zombies, a guy described as “the most frightened person on Earth” (Eisenberg) musters the courage to lead a band of refugees on a cross-country pilgrimage to an amusement park where they think they’ll be safe.
My Take: Five words: Bill Murray as a zombie. How awesome is that?
Verdict: Will see on DVD

The Invention of Lying (Release Date: Oct 2)
Director: Ricky Gervais
Starring: Gervais, Jason Bateman, Jonah Hill, Jennifer Garner, etc
Synopsis: A comedy set in a world where no one has ever lied, until a writer seizes the opportunity for personal gain.
My Take: Gervais (the creator of The Office) has assembled one heck of an ensemble cast for this comedic vehicle. This one could be very, very funny.
Verdict: Will see on DVD.

Couples Retreat (Release Date: Oct 9)
Director: Peter Billingsley
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Kristen Bell, Jason Bateman
Synopsis: A comedy centered around four couples who settle into a tropical-island resort for a vacation. While one of the couples is there to work on the marriage, the others fail to realize that participation in the resort’s therapy sessions is not optional.
My Take: Vaughn, Favreau, and Bateman, all directed by Ralphie from A Christmas Story? This is bound to be hilarious.
Verdict: Will see on DVD.

The Road (Release Date: Oct. 16)
Director: John Hillcoat
Starring: Viggio Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Synopsis: A father (Mortensen) and son (Smit-McPhee) walk for months across a ravaged, post-apocalyptic landscape in search of civilization.
My Take: The Road is probably my favorite book from the past decade, so I feel both a great sense of excitement and dread at the release of the film, for it will be difficult for anyone to put Cormac McCarthy’s masterpiece into pictures, especially since I am unfamiliar with Hillcoat’s past work, The Proposition.
Verdict: Will wait on the reviews before shelling out money for the theater, but will definitely watch on DVD.

Where the Wild Things Are (Release Date: Oct. 16)
Director: Spike Jonze
Starring: Max Records, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker
Synopsis: Young, mischievous Max is sent to bed without his supper, but when his bedroom turns in to a magical jungle landscape filled with strange creatures, he embarks on a wild imaginary adventure.
My Take: I’m a huge, huge fan of the genius work of Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation), so this is one of the most anticipated films of the season for me. This is going to be one messed-up (in a good way) movie.
Verdict: Must-See, hopefully in the theater.

Amelia (Release Date: Oct. 23)
Director: Mira Nair
Starring: Hillary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor
Synopsis: A look at the life of legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to make a flight around the world.
My Take: This one has “Oscar Bait” written all over it. I’m sure Swank’s performance will be lauded and everyone will love it.
Verdict: DVD, I’ll see it eventually.

Gentlemen Broncos (Release Date: Oct. 30)
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Michael Angarano, Jemaine Clement
Synopsis: Soon after his latest work is published, science-fiction author Ronald Chevalier (Clement) faces charges of plagiarism from aspiring teenage writer Benjamin Purvis (Angarano).
My Take: Hess is the man responsible for two of the funnier movies of recent years – Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre – so I’ll definitely check this one out.
Verdict: Will see on DVD.

To be continued…