Fall Movies

Fall is upon us. And with fall comes a new batch of movies that veer away from the summer blockbuster formula. The fall is usually filled with independent quirky films and movies that are vying to for the Oscars, and this year is no exception. What surprises me is that I don’t see any big Christmas films on the horizon; there’s no Harry Potters, or Lord of the Rings, or Narnias. Unless they mean for The Nativity Story to be the big ticket this year. I’ve been looking over reviews and trailers for many of the upcoming films and have narrowed them down to the ten I’m most looking forward to seeing this fall. I’ll put them in order of the release date.

1. This Film is Not Yet Rated (Sept 1)
Through interviews and private investigation, Kirby Dick manages to find out who exactly is behind the supersecretive group that determines if your movie gets an R rating.

2. The Last Kiss (Sept 25)
Zach Braff is in it. I like Zach Braff. I find I can relate to this guy for some reason. The film is written by the Paul Haggis who wrote Crash. I also loved the use of Snow Patrol in the trailer.

3. The Departed (Oct 6)
Just look at this line up: Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio in a Martin Scorcsese film. This move couldn’t suck if it tried. Leo and Matt are undercover, Jack is a mob boss. Looks like fun.

4. The Prestige (Oct 20)
Another film where you just have to look at the people involved: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson in a Christopher Nolan film. It’s Wolverine vs. Batman. Actually, it’s two magicians going against each other. It sounds an awful lot like The Illusionist with Edward Norton, but this one has the director of Memento, Insomnia and Batman Begins running things. Should be great.

5. Running with Scissors (Oct 27)
Talk about quirky. One look at the trailer and you’ll see what I mean. It reminds me a little of Wes Anderson’s work (Rushmore, Royal Tennenbaums). It looks like a dysfunctional good time.

6. Stranger Than Fiction (Nov 10)
When I saw this trailer, I was shocked to see that is wasn’t written by Charlie Kaufman. Will Ferrell is the only one who hears a narrator describing everything he does. Oh, and the narrator want to kill the character not realizing he’s an actual human being. What a concept.

7. For Your Consideration (Nov 17)
I haven’t seen the trailer, but this one is from Eugene Levy and Christopher Guest (Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind), so it’s a no-brainer. This time they are taking on Hollywood with an indie film that suddenly gets Oscar buzz. All the regular players are there plus much much more.

8. The Fountain (Nov 22)
This high concept film is directed by Darren Aronofsky who last did the trippy Requiem for a Dream in 2000. This film sees Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz telling the same story concerning the search for the fountain of youth in the time periods of conquistadors, present and the future. Looks whacked.

9. The Good German (Dec 8)
Haven’t seen the trailer yet but it has George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Tobey McGuire in a black and white Steven Soderbergh film. It seems very noir and Third Man-ish. As long as it’s not another Solaris, we should be fine.

10. Apocalypto (Dec 8)
Of course, Disney may delay the film again in light of Mel Gibson’s recent offenses. While the subject matter doesn’t particularly thrill me, I have been impressed with Gibson’s directing in the past (Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ). We’ll have to wait and see.

Other films that sparked my interest include: All the King’s Men, The Black Dahlia, School for Scoundrels, Babel, Man of the Year, Déjà vu, Bobby, Casino Royale and The Good Shepherd. It looks like I’ve got a lot of watching to do.