Weekend Film Recommendation: Chasing Amy (1997)

Jay and Silent Bob might be the most popular and recognizable of Kevin Smith’s characters, but they started out as just supporting characters to others like Randal and Dante (Clerks), Brodie and TS Quint (Mallrats), and my personal favorites Holden and Banky from his third major film Chasing Amy.  In Chasing Amy, Holden (Ben Affleck) and Banky (Jason Lee) are comic book artists. Everything’s going good for them until they meet Alyssa, also a comic book artist. Holden falls for her, but his hopes are crushed when he finds out she’s a lesbian (IMDB).

Similar to my own experience with Amber Heard

I’ve frequently chastised romantic comedies on this site, and technically Chasing Amy falls into that category.  However, what separates this film from the other more formulaic attempts out there is the development of each of the three main characters and the reality of their relationship(s).  The complexity of the situation and the complexity of the characters involved in the situation cause for a much deeper connection by the audience than in other rom-coms, even Mallrats – another Kevin Smith film.

Though it's hard to get much deeper than this

The themes of the film may turn some off to the film, especially the discussions on sexual identity, but again this is what separates Chasing Amy from others in the genre.  It’s a film for adults with adult sensibilities.  And it is also funny as hell.  While Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams play it straight for most of the film (no pun intended), the supporting cast delivers the comedy and keeps the fare light enough to make this a very pleasant watch.

Man of Steel Casting Rumors: Who Will Play General Zod?

The casting rumors for Superman: The Man of Steel seem to be heating up as news of the casting of Ursa, Jonathan Kent, and Kal-El himself have stirred up internet sites routinely.  The most anticipated casting of the entire film (besides maybe Superman) will be for the role of the principal villain, who we now “know” to be General Zod.  After the Ursa rumors hit the mill everyone was clambering to hear the name for the Zod casting.  Aside from Lex Luthor, whose appearance in this film is still unknown, General Zod is the most well-known of all Superman villains.  He appeared on film in the Donner films played by Terrance Stamp, and was most recently portrayed by Callum Blue on the CW’s series Smallville. 

I am General Zod. Your ruler.

Yes, today begins a new order.  Rumors of the casting of General Zod in Zack Snyder’s upcoming adaptation have given the fanboys two names to debate – Viggo Mortensen and Daniel Day-Lewis.  The Hollywood Reporter has identified Mortensen as a person Warner Bros. is heavily interested in for the role opposite Henry Cavill’s Superman.  Mortensen is also in negotiations for a role in Snow White and the Huntsman, and with his involvement in both being unlikely he’ll most certainly have to decide between the two.

this sounds eerily familiar

I’d like him to follow in Kristen Stewart’s footsteps and join her on Snow White, not because I am interested in that film or dislike Mortensen, but because I’d like to see Daniel Day-Lewis play Zod.  This rumor has also been picking up steam, and it certainly is the more exciting of the two.  Daniel Day Lewis’s filmography reads like a timeline of Academy Award winning films and roles and to see him take on the role of Zod would definitely be worth the price of admission.  Unfortunately, until I see the official press release of his casting I’ll remain highly pessimistic.  Like Mortensen, Daniel Day Lewis’s name is also attached to another film – Steven Spielberg’s Abraham Lincoln biopic; and the disappointment still lingers from the falsehood of the rumors that Lewis would play Moriarty in the Sherlock Holmes sequel.

Aww, did I drink your milkshake?

It seems that actors/actresses/directors turning down roles might be this film’s saving grace.  Reportedly Zac Efron, Kristen Stewart, and Ben Affleck have all turned away from this film leading to better personnel decisions being made; will Viggo Mortensen be the next name added to this list?  Warner Bros. is scheduled to release Superman: The Man of Steel on December 17, 2012.

Chris’ Best/Worst Films of 2010

Everyone seems to have their own opinion about what the best and worst films of the year were, and in that regard I am no different. This post comes with the disclaimer that these are only out of the films that I have seen. Unlike the Golden Globes, I don’t want to give films credit based on buzz, even if the chances are that they are pretty good.

 

If you're nominating Golden Globes on name recognition alone, I am surprised Valentine's Day didn't make the list.

 

 

Here are some of my favorite films from this year:

10. True Grit

While this film was good and featured great performances, specifically by Hailee Steinfield, the update seemed unnecessary overall. The technical aspects of the film were great, but failed to find any substance beneath the surface. Jeff Bridges played John Wayne’s classic and Oscar-winning role with bravado, but really only blended into the film rather than stood out like The Duke did. Still, The Coen Brothers definitely know how to make a film, there is no doubt about that.

 

9. Let Me In

The success of this film hinged heavily on the strength of its young leads (Chloe Moretz, Kodi Smit-McPhee) and they came through in spades to deliver a vampire film for adults and people with more than an I.Q. of 75. Richard Jenkins, one of the best kept secrets in Hollywood, also gives a strong performance as the protector of Moretz. I was thoroughly impressed with this film overall, and while I cannot comment on how it compares to the Swedish original, it still stands on its own as one of the best of the year.

8. Megamind

The first of two animated films on here, this was one of the most underrated films of the year. It did decent with the critics, but failed to find a strong fan base, even with the most spectacular 3D on display this year (that I saw). The script was strong and Will Ferrell and David Cross had an outstanding rapport and made this quite a treat for those that took the time to see it.

7. Toy Story 3

This ranking might incite some rage by people who think that should win best picture, and they have quite a following. To those people I say, wait…what? Pump the brakes here. This film is good, don’t get me wrong, but it is nowhere near Best Picture quality. It is entertaining, but lacked some of the humor of the first two and while it was in 3D, it did nothing with it other than jack up the prices of admission. Sure, it brought a tear to the eye of many as we said goodbye to some old friends, but in the end, the overall depth was far short of anything that should win top honors. Again, don’t crucify me, I liked it, it made this list, but I enjoyed so many other films more than this one.

6. The Other Guys

Will Ferrell definitely had some dud comedies in the last couple of years.

 

I'm looking at you Semi-Pro.

 

 

But, The Other Guys almost makes up for them and, like a lot of Will Ferrell films, gets better after repeat viewings and line quoting sessions. Mark Wahlberg made a great jump to comedy this year in both this film and Date Night, and he provided an intense foil to Will Ferrell’s bumbling. It was nice to see Ferrell tone it down a bit as well, letting Wahlberg share the spotlight. I couldn’t justify putting this film in the Top 5, but it was one of my favorites this year.

5. The Town

Ben Affleck is a decent actor when he really buckles down, but he is an incredible director and makes it seem easy. He compiled a great cast for his sophomore directorial production and wrote a superb script to boot, with fully fleshed out characters and realistic dialogue. He seems to bring out the best in everyone around him, even an unlikely Blake Lively, who you could barely recognize as a drug addict. High praise to Affleck and I hope that he stays behind the camera more often than not.

4. Inception

Christopher Nolan garnered the most buzz this year, releasing one of the highest grossing original productions this year. He brought a breath of fresh air to the summer season, which was bereft of entertaining films that aren’t dumbed down for the popcorn crowd. Nolan salvaged the summer blockbuster and paved the way for other budding directors to get the funding they need for their original projects, rather than having it shelled out to worn out sequels and reboots which flopped. This is another film that die hard fans argue should win best picture, but while this grand film succeeded technically and in the “that was so cool” department, it didn’t have the depth to move it any higher than the other films that round out the top 3.

3. The Social Network

When I wrote my article about The Five Most Anticipated Films of the Fall Season, this one didn’t even get honorable mention. I thought it looked like a film that was geared at trying to bank on the facebook craze. Man, was  I wrong, and I owe it to Pac for getting me into seeing this on. This scathing portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of facebook, and the people that surrounded him on his meteoric rise, provided one of the most intriguing characters on screen this year, even if some of the “facts” were a bit fabricated. David Fincher should at least get a nomination for directorial work and Aaron Sorkin should get recognition for his smart screenplay adaptation as well.

2. Buried

I kind of saw this film by accident, after my fiance and I’s car broke down in Maryland. We ended up being in the wrong place at the right time and caught this hard to find film in the theater. My eyes were glued to the screen the whole time. I had heard about the premise of this film online and really wondered how they could film a whole movie inside a coffin (and I mean the whole movie). Ryan Reynolds carried the weight of this film on his shoulders and in the dim light portrayed the utter desperation of this man buried alive and held for ransom. I expected it to be intense, but I didn’t expect the strong emotional aspect of the film and it stuck with me for several weeks after watching it. I encourage everyone to see this film, unless they are extremely claustrophobic.

1. Black Swan

This was one of the most hyped films of the year, sporting a notable cast (Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassell, Mila Kunis) and a director, Darren Aronofsky, at the top of his game. I expected to be a little disappointed, but instead was completely captivated by this film, the only psycho-horror-ballet-thriller that I know of. Natalie Portman should definitely win Best Actress after this and I can forgive her for taking on lighter fare for a little while after this, which must have required her, like her character in the film, to be completely immersed in the artistic process. High marks for Barbara Hershey and Vincent Cassell as well, and a tip of the cap to Mila Kunis for their performances as well. It was beautifully dark and infinitely entrancing.

Movies I Wish I Had Seen for this List:

127 Hours

The Fighter

Worst Films

10. Due Date

Not a bad film necessarily, but come on, RDJ and Galifianakis can do better than that. If you want to see a funnier Todd Phillips road trip film, I suggest Road Trip.

9. Alice in Wonderland

Disappointed is the best word to describe my opinion about this film. Burton did a stellar job with the visuals and completely flopped developing a compelling story and Johnny Depp was more annoying than entertaining as the Mad Hatter.

Pardon me, sir, but could you spare some crack?

8. Predators

Adrien Brody as an action star is just not believable. The film had one of the best openings of the year and then dissolved into increasing ridiculousness and idiocy. If they knew mud was how they could beat them halfway through the film, why wait until the end, when they are almost all dead, to try it?

7. The Wolfman

Who would have thought that a film with great actors and a great premise would be one of the most boring films of the year. Please don’t bring this back…ever. I finally found an Anthony Hopkins film that I didn’t even enjoy watching in the least. I was hoping that day would never come.

6. Get Him to the Greek

I am still confused at how this film did so well with the critics. I was really excited about this sequel that wasn’t a sequel. It had great writers and a given chemistry between its two leads. But, it failed on just about every level, meandering for punch lines and a point for an hour and a half.

5. The Last Exorcism

I am going to repeat the joke that many people said about this film, let’s hope the title is accurate. While the film started off very well, the ending left a bitter taste in my mouth and the entire audience at the theater seemed disgruntled.

4. Valentine’s Day

How did they get this cast? How? This was by far one of the dumbest films of the year. This film was not funny and it wasn’t romantic. Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Garner were the worst on screen couple I have seen in a while.

 

Okay, maybe not the worst.

 

 

3. MacGruber

I am always hoping SNL films will do well because I like the show, but they keep giving more ammo to people to hate them. This film was no different. I loved MacGruber on the show and got really excited about this film coming out, especially with Jorma Taccone directing and some serious talent associated with it. However, the gags were dumb and overly vulgar and the film made absolutely no sense. I was sorry to see Ryan Phillipe and Val Kilmer get tied up in this one.

2. My Soul to Take

Why did Wes Craven decide that this would be the film to make a come back with? Why not wait for Scream 4? I have serious doubts about the already shaky premise of the fourth installment after watching this piece of cinematic excrement. Not only did it have the worst story and terrible acting, it had pointless 3D that wasn’t even used. The one part that might have been cool to watch in 3D, wasn’t in the film, only in the preview. I think I died a little inside when I watched this film.

 

Well, at least no one can claim the title was false advertising.

 

 

1. The Last Airbender

M. Night Shyamalan, what happened to you? He is an easy target for this film and should be. He has plenty of money, why not wait and pick his projects more carefully. Why not hire someone else to write his scripts? Why not choose a better, less offensive child actor to play the lead? Why not bring a little bit of depth to your characters instead of putting cardboard cut outs around razzle dazzle special effects? I seem to recall a young director who said that he wanted to shy away from special effects anyway. Mr. Shyamalan, please refrain from directing any movies for at least five years and stick to helping people out with the Night Chronicles, because Devil was 10 times better than anything you made in the last 8 years.

 

AFI Releases Their List of Top Ten Films of 2010

The American Film Institute (AFI) just released their annual list of Top Ten Films and probably to the surprise of weeping teenage girls, who think that AFI, the band, was releasing their top ten films, Twilight:Eclipse was not included. Ok….that was a little low and probably uncalled for, and I am sure they will  make up for their disappointment with the MTV Movie Awards. Here are the AFI’s Top Ten Films of 2010:

• Black Swan
• The Fighter
• Inception
• The Kids Are All Right
• 127 Hours
• The Social Network
• The Town
• Toy Story 3
• True Grit
• Winter’s Bone

Special Awards:

• The King’s Speech
• Waiting for “Superman”

While some of the films I still need to see, I agree with most of them. I would say that the only one that I disagree with right now is Winter’s Bone. I thought that it was a solid film, with a great performance by a young Jennifer Lawrence, but I wouldn’t say that I would place it in the top ten of the year.

But, that is just my opinion. What is yours? What are your top ten for the year? Pac and I will be putting out our yearly awards soon. Look for them to come out in a couple of weeks.

Opening This Week (Dec 6 – 12, 2010)

We are getting closer to the Christmas movie season which usually offers a mix of big budget blockbusters and the final push during awards season. It looks like we already have that mix coming into this week. Here are the wide releases:

Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Rated: PG

Starring: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Will Poulter

Director: Michael Apted

Synopsis from IMDB: Lucy and Edmund Pevensie return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace where they meet up with Prince Caspian for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. Along the way they encounter dragons, dwarves, merfolk, and a band of lost warriors before reaching the edge of the world.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: I am very fond of the books, but was disappointed in the previous two films. Because of that, I will be skipping this one in the theater and will simply wait for DVD. I am even more hesitant to watch this one because it was my favorite book in the series and I don’t want it tainting my opinion of it. Chances are, on a rainy Saturday afternoon, I’ll watch it. But, if the early reviews are any indication, it looks like it will only be mildly entertaining.

The Tourist

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany

Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Synopsis from IMDB:  Revolves around Frank, an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: Besides featuring the coolest name for a director that I have seen, there isn’t much else that I am interested in. It looks like a typical tale of mistaken identity and espionage that will feature “twists” that even a three year old could see coming. I am not a huge fan of Jolie, but I am glad that Johnny Depp is taking a break from playing excessively eccentric-for-the-sake-of-being-eccentric roles, so he can actually show some dramatic depth. If you’re looking for an entertaining and fast-paced film this weekend, this is probably your best bet, but don’t expect much more than that.

The Fighter

Rated: R

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo

Director: David O. Russell

Synopsis from IMDB: A look at the early years of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid 1980s.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: I believe that there will be some Oscars associated with this film, but probably not for Best Picture. I am guessing that most of the awards will be for its acting, but it looks like the story will be a little weak. If they don’t get an award for acting, they need to at least give a donation to Christian Bale to get him to eat again. It looks like him and Desmond Harrington, who plays Quinn on Dexter, went through a program to see who could do the least healthy crash diet. While Bale is a very dedicated method actor, I think sometimes he takes too many roles where he has to lose an excessive amount of weight. All of that aside, I think this will be a decent, but slow-paced film with some great performances.

The Company Men

Rated: R

Starring: Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner, Maria Bello

Director: John Wells

Synopsis from IMDB: The story centers on a year in the life of three men trying to survive a round of corporate downsizing at a major company – and how that affects them, their families, and their communities.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: Based on his recent work, I think Ben Affleck needs to stay behind the camera. While I don’t think he was necessarily bad in The Town, it looks like he is back to the mediocre acting he was doing before. Plus, this looks like a film with an agenda and it will focus more on getting its point across than actual character development or story arc.

Limited Releases

The Tempest

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Helen Mirren, Russell Brand, Jeremy Irons, Djimon Hounsou

Director: Julie Taymor

Synopsis from IMDB: In Shakespeare’s fantastical thriller the magician Prospero orchestrates spirits, monsters, a grief-stricken king, a wise old councillor, two treacherous brothers and a storm at sea into a fantastical conspiracy bringing banishment, sorcery and shipwreck into the lives of two hapless lovers to stir and seal their fate. Here Prospero takes female form as Prospera, giving her journey of vengeance and self-discovery a wholly new resonance. As Prospera breaks her magical staff against an entrancing volcanic landscape at the end of her heroic quest, this poignant story of love and forgiveness translates into a riveting and filmic mystical tale, for our own times.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: At the beginning of the fall movie season, I listed this as an honorable mention for my most anticipated films because Julie Taymor is one of the most visually arresting directors that I have seen. I am hesitantly excited about this one because I am afraid of some liberties she may have taken with Shakespeare’s work, namely, that Prospero is now Prospera. No offense to the great Helen Mirren, but when it comes to Shakespeare, there is very little of the actual text that needs to be changed. Also, at the beginning of the trailer, she looks more like the Great Sorcerer Tim from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, randomly lighting stuff on fire or making an explosion. All that being said, I will probably see this if I get the chance.

You Won’t Miss Me

Rated: Unrated

Starring: Stella Schnabel, Simon O’Connor, Zachary Tucker

Director: Ry Russo-Young

Synopsis from IMDB: A kaleidoscopic film portrait of Shelly Brown, a twenty-three year-old alienated urban misfit recently released from a psychiatric hospital.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: This indie film looks like an interesting study in psychology and also looks like it has a little bit more depth than its other SXSW counterpart Tiny Furniture. This should be a good Netflix viewing.

Hemingway’s Garden of Eden

Rated: R

Starring: Jack Huston, Mena Suvari, Caterina Murino

Director: John Irvin

Synopsis from IMDB: A young American writer completes his service in WWI and travels across Europe with his wife and her attractive Italian girlfriend. Based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway.

Trailer:

Chris’ Take: I have to admit that I haven’t read this book, but the film looks beautiful. However, I don’t think the lead actors have the ability to take on this caliber of a film.

TAKE TWO: “THE TOWN”

Chris’ Take:

*** 1/2 out of 4 stars

Ben Affleck‘s sophomore directorial release is just about flawless. While it is not necessarily an original concept, it combines elements of The Departed and Heat in a taut manner while having fully-fleshed out characters that perfectly add to the tension within the story. Who would have thought that the Ben Affleck from Gigli would direct such a thoughtful piece of cinema?  

The Town opens on a bank robbery in Boston, which appears to be conducted by Skeletor clones who are in fact Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), his best friend Jimmy (Jeremy Renner) and the rest of their heist crew.  Due to a minor setback Jimmy takes the bank manager, Claire (Rebecca Hall), hostage and after they are clear set her free. Claire is immediately questioned by FBI Agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) and Doug follows her to make sure that she does not give anything significant away to the FBI. While he is following her he falls in love, threatening his own and his crew’s safety. While he tries to salvage his love and get out of town he finds that the city has more of a grip on his life than he thought.

Affleck continues his directorial success after Gone Baby Gone and, in my opinion, improves on it. He not only tells a compelling story with  complex characters like he did with Gone, but this time adds exciting action and bank heists, which he also helped script as well. He is able to build tension not only through shootouts and bank heists, but between the characters as well, fully fleshing out almost every key character introduced (minus Jon Hamm who looked uncomfortable in FBI attire).

I'm not moving until I get a suit and tie.

Jeremy Renner has another spectacular performance as the mentally unbalanced and hot-headed Jimmy and Affleck does a decent job in front of the camera as well.

While the action sequences weren’t as intense as Heat they were still palpable and engaging. Especially the final shootout and a car chase scene that seemed dedicated to every soccer mom with road rage. The pacing was spot on, moving seamlessly in between drama fueled discussions, detailed planning, and then heist execution, which kept the audience engaged for the full two hours.

I look forward to more of Affleck’s work as a director since I prefer him behind the camera than in front of it. He seems to have redefined himself successfully, managing to pull himself away from the tabloids and blockbuster films and create a more serious image that deserves recognition for his excellent work.

Pac’s Take:

It will be really hard for me to justify both being disappointed by this movie while also really liking it, but somehow The Town was able to elicit both of those responses from me after viewing it last night.  I think I left the movie let down for two reasons, the first being that I had incredibly high expectations for this film based on marketing, reviews, cast, and how much I really liked Gone Baby Gone.  The second reason I would like to discuss later.

The Town is a well executed heist movie, but nothing that I haven’t seen before.   Of all the reboots and remakes made in Hollywood today, it’s ironic that this movie, based on Prince of Thieves: A Novel by Chuck Hogan, felt more like Heat: Boston.  I can only fault Ben Affleck and Peter Craig but so much for this because, while not very original, The Town kept my attention for the entire run time (123 minutes), captivated me, and left me (almost) entirely satisfied.

What really made this movie stand out as a great film were the performances by Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner.  The chemistry these two had on screen was outstanding and this, in my opinion, is the best dramatic performance of Ben Affleck’s career. 

Even better than Daredevil?

Meanwhile, Jeremy Renner stole every scene in which he appeared.  His portrayal of Jimmy, adequately described above by Chris, was the highlight of this film and I yearned for more scenes between him and Affleck.  I firmly believe both of these men will be acknowledged by the Academy for their performances in this film, and rightfully so.  Even Blake Lively’s performance was adequate, even though it seemed like a rehash of Amy Ryan’s from Gone Baby Gone.  But if Affleck was DeNiro and Renner was Kilmer, I think John Hamm missed the bar for Pacino.  John Hamm’s performance felt uncomfortable and forced.  I’m not sure if you can attribute this to him or the lack of depth given to the character, but too much of the story focused on FBI S.A. Frawley’s pursuit of Doug MacRay (Affleck) for the execution to fall this short. 

Ben Affleck stepped up his directorial “game” from Gone Baby Gone adding a lot of action to his repertoire; and as good as his acting was in this film, his directing was spot on as well.  The cinematography was great, and I felt like Boston (and Charlestown more specifically) was just as much a character in this film as any person. 

SPOILER ALERT (very minor, but don’t get mad at me for not warning you)

But then there’s the issue of the second reason I left the theater disappointed.  I heard coming into this movie how great the climax was and that it takes place in Fenway Park.  I was expecting this to be awesome, a heist movie building up to its epic climactic scene in Fenway (what’s more Boston than that?)!  Unfortunately the climax was anything but epic.  I was expecting a gunfight on the field, under the lights, in/on the “green monster”, all to the viewing of 37,000 fans.  What I got instead was a finale that could have been located at any parking garage, loading dock, etc. 

This climax truly could have been EPIC in the most literal sense.  Fenway Park is one of the most famous and recognizable stadiums in the country and there was so much potential to make this climax so memorable that it would have been talked about and compared to for generations.  Instead, it was just another heist movie ending, predictable.  Bait, The Fan, and The Last Boy Scout are three examples that The Town should have looked to for inspiration on the climax.  While none of these movies are nearly as good, they all maximized the use of their final setting, something this film did not do.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think the movie ended poorly; just don’t tell me you’re going to Fenway and only show me the garage.

Seen Above: The Sistine Chapel

Here are my overall grades for The Town:

Characters: A-
Cinematography: B+
Direction:  A
Performances: A-
Plot: B-
Overall:  A-

My Top 5 Anticipated Fall Movies

It’s September now and pretty soon it will start getting cooler and the popcorn movies will have gone stale. We are coming up on the Fall movie season, which promises a number of films trying to vie for Oscar contention. These are the films that I am most looking forward to this Fall (in order of release date).

#5 ” THE TOWN”/ Release Date: September 17th (Wide)

Starring: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Jon Hamm

Directed by: Ben Affleck

Plot Summary from IMDB.com: “As he plans his next job, a longtime thief tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as the FBI agent looking to bring him and his crew down.”

TRAILER:

This film is Ben Affleck’s sophmore directorial release, following his directorial debut of “Gone Baby Gone” in 2007. “Gone” did incredibly well with critics (scoring 94% on Rotten Tomatoes) as an artistic and character driven piece, featuring great performances from Casey Affleck and Amy Ryan. “The Town” promises to deliver a similar result, this time boasting the producers of “The Departed” and co-starring Jeremy Renner. The only thing that worries me is that Ben Affleck will be starring this time and I hope he can deliver as strong of a performance as his brother did in “Gone”.

#4 “BURIED“/ Release Date: October 8th, 2010 (Wide)

Starring: Ryan Reynolds

Directed by: Rodrigo Cortes

Plot Summary from IMDB: “Paul is a U.S. contractor working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it’s a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.”

TRAILER:

“Buried” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to great critical reception and it definitely boasts a “less is more” premise. I am excited to see what Ryan Reynolds can do in a dramatic role, especially since he really is going to have to carry this whole movie. Based on early reviews, Reynolds, and the film as a whole, does not disappoint.

#3 “DUE DATE“/ Release Date: Nov 5, 2010 (Wide)

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis

Directed by: Todd Phillips

Plot Summary from IMDB: “High-strung father-to-be Peter Highman is forced to hitch a ride with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay on a road trip in order to make it to his child’s birth on time.”

TRAILER:

Todd Phillips follows up his success of “The Hangover” with another Zach Galifianakis collaboration. The odd couple road trip idea has been done before, but based on the previews it looks like Galifianakis and Downey Jr have great on-screen chemistry. Let’s hope that Phillips can get another streak of success going and not deliver another “School of Scoundrels” dud.

#2 “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I”/ Release Date: Nov 19, 2010 (Wide)

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson

Directed by: David Yates

Plot Summary from IMDB: “Voldemort’s power is growing stronger. He now has control over the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to finish Dumbledore’s work and find the rest of the Horcruxes to defeat the Dark Lord. But little hope remains for them, so everything they do must go as planned.”

TRAILER:

It’s the first part of the final installment of the Harry Potter series. Do I need to say more?

#1 “Black Swan”/ Release Date: Dec 1, 2010 (Wide)

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

Plot Summary from IMDB: A thriller that hones in on the relationship between a veteran ballet dancer and a rival.

TRAILER:

Based on the plot summary I would have said, “Um, okay….”, but then I dug into the cast. Natalie Portman, great actress, who generally picks her movies very well. Mila Kunis, she is starting to come into her own after “That 70’s Show” and is great at playing someone who seems mentally unstable. Then came the kicker, the film is directed by the brilliant Darren Aronofsky (“Requiem for a Dream“, “Pi“, “The Wrestler“) and I immediately had to find the trailer and it looked beautiful. This film immediately became on of my most anticipated for this fall season.

HONORABLE MENTION:

#1 “Devil”/ Release Date: Sep 17, 2010 (Wide)

WHY IT DIDN’T MAKE THE FINAL CUT: Even with an intruiging preview I am still hesitant to get excited by something boasting, “From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan“. Still, he could make a comeback with this one and he is not directing it, which might work to his favor.

#2 “The Tempest”: Release Date: Dec 10, 2010 (Limited)

WHY IT DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT: Julie Taymor, a visually arresting director, has her fourth big screen release and her second based on a Shakespeare play. As an English major, I was thoroughly impressed with her depiction of Shakespeare’s play “Titus” and the creative wit she displayed. However, I am hesitant to get excited about it due to the fact that Prospero will become “Prospera” and many times she focuses too much on the visuals without constructing a solid story.

#3 “Paranormal Activity 2″/ Release Date: Oct 22, 2010 (Wide)

WHY IT DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT: “Paranormal Activity”, in my opinion, was one of the best horror films in recent history. I am afraid that the premise of home video technology and special effects will be overused, or be replaced by too much CGI. I am also worried that kind of how “Saw” spawned an excessive number of sequels, this will become a franchise like that as well.

Now that I have rambled about what I am looking forward to. What are you most looking forward to this fall?