Fall Movie Preview (September and October)

There are enough potentially great movies coming out in the next two months, let alone the remainder of the year, to convince me 2011 wasn’t so terrible for film after all.

And my Summer Movie Preview article worked well enough that I have yet another 30 movies in just September and October worth noting, with the guarantee that I’ll do yet another article come November and December.

But rather than organize the films by my own lengthy subheads as I did in May, I’ve boiled down my level of anticipation to just one word a piece.

Yes!

Contagion – September 9

Few directors other than Steven Soderbergh have the ability to assemble a staggering cast of A-listers for whatever project he currently has in mind (in fact, he almost made “Moneyball”), and to me, this epidemic thriller (not a new idea by any standards), is really more about fear and panic than anything else.

Drive – September 16

Ryan Gosling may have not had this movie in mind when he began making an effort to prove why he should be the next big movie star in Hollywood, but this action movie about a stunt driver turned conman on the run got a surprising amount of hype at Cannes and from its supporting cast including Carey Mulligan (the other next big movie star) and Bryan Cranston.

Moneyball – September 23

I somehow originally thought this movie was about a racist baseball manager, but it’s a sports dramedy based on the biography of Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), the Oakland A’s manager who basically bought himself a winning baseball team by going against the long standing practices of the game. Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay is getting comparisons to “The Social Network” in more ways than one, and the “Capote” director leads a cast including Pitt, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

50/50 – September 30

A surprisingly promising trailer is really all I have to go on here. Joseph Gordon-Levitt seems pitch perfect to play a man dying of cancer with a 50/50 chance of surviving in, of all things, a romantic and R-rated comedy that also stars Seth Rogen and Anna Kendrick. The movie looks hilarious and appears to be a fresh take on an otherwise morbid idea. Although “Hesher” looked promising too.

Take Shelter – September 30

I gave a lot of clout to 2007’s “Shotgun Stories” for an issue of the IDS Weekend we did called “The Best of What You’ve Never Heard Of.” It starred Michael Shannon when he was nobody, and so does “Take Shelter” after a string of truly eye-catching and underrated performances in the movies and TV ever since. Both films are also directed by indie director Jeff Nichols, and his dark story has Shannon witnessing hallucinations and distancing himself from his wife, played by “The Tree of Life’s” Jessica Chastain. The cinematography in the trailer looks gorgeous too.

The Ides of March – October 7

THIS is the movie Ryan Gosling had in mind when he wanted to become the next big Hollywood star. It’s George Clooney’s politically charged fourth film in which Clooney is the next Presidential candidate and Gosling is his chief campaign adviser. It too has a remarkable cast and would seem to be Oscar bait, although I will say the trailer didn’t quite blow me away.

The Skin I Live In – October 14

This looks like a serious contender for mind-F**k of the year. Pedro Almodovar’s first film in a while without Penelope Cruz stars Antonio Banderas as a plastic surgeon with a vengeance against someone who assaulted his wife, or daughter, or… I don’t really know. Details are scant even though I thought it made a standing at Cannes. Something about experimental skin.

Martha Marcy May Marlene – October 21

This indie thriller, ironically also starring John Hawkes, reminds me of “Winter’s Bone.” It’s an Americana psychological drama that finds Elizabeth Olson (younger sister of Mary Kate and Ashley) piecing her family relationship back together after enduring torment in the hands of some cult leaders. The film picked up a Best Director award at Sundance and looks mighty chilling.

Like Crazy – October 28

On paper we’ve certainly seen this film before. “Like Crazy” is a teenage love story of two people brought together and then torn apart by legal red tape. But from even watching the lovely trailer, I can practically see the chemistry between Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin.

The Rum Diary – October 28

It’s appropriate that I watched “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” a few months back. Regardless of what you think of the film, Johnny Depp delivers by far his quirkiest and most surreal performance ever as Hunter S. Thompson in the adaptation of the gonzo journalist’s book. “The Rum Diary” is yet another adaptation that’s ironically been in development hell for close to a decade, and we’ll hopefully see Depp back in form. The film is directed by “Withnail and I’s” Bruce Robinson, so it should be promising.

Sure.

Restless – September 16

Comparisons to “Blue Valentine” are building for Gus Van Sant’s latest film, but quite possibly only for the reason it’s a seriously depressing indie romance. Mia Wasikowska (who is a budding young actress with a lot of talent) plays a cancer patient who befriends a boy (Henry Hopper) who attends other people’s funerals for the heck of it. Sounds like it could just be overwhelmed with melodrama, but the pedigree is there.

Pearl Jam Twenty – September 20

It usually helps to be wary of documentaries that do nothing but pat its stars on the back, especially musicians. But when those musicians are Pearl Jam and when that filmmaker is Cameron Crowe, I’m a little (or a lot) more receptive.

In Time – October 28

Andrew Niccol directs the “what if” scenario of, what if no one aged past 25 and everyone was as good looking as Justin Timberlake, Olivia Wilde, Cillian Murphy and Amanda Seyfried. It’s a strictly serious sci-fi thriller, so while I’m not wild about the pedigree, it’ll be interesting to see how JT holds up in a serious setting without David Fincher grilling him.

Wanderlust – October 7

From the director of “Wet Hot American Summer,” Jennifer Aniston stars with Paul Rudd in what’s being called an image changing comedy for the actress.

Dream House – September 30

Daniel Craig’s fourth movie this year, although this one with the least blockbuster status, is a psychological horror movie directed by none other than the king of melodrama Jim Sheridan. Skip the trailer if you don’t want a huge twist on Craig’s character in this haunted house movie spoiled.

Margaret – September 30

No trailer yet for the directorial follow up to the indie smash “You Can Count On Me,” which is surprising since “Margaret” was shot in 2005. It’ll be a blast to the past with Anna Paquin, Matt Damon and Mark Ruffalo.

Margin Call – October 21

“Margin Call” is a debut directorial outing about a banking credit scam starring “Star Trek’s” Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Simon Baker and Kevin Spacey sporting a shockingly different looking head of hair.

Sleeping Beauty – October 28

This movie wanted the world to explode when it was released at Cannes. Starring Emily Browning of “Sucker Punch,” this French art film had a plot about prostitution or a sex game that a lot of critics claimed actually had a lot in common with “Sucker Punch,” although not in a good way. Still, it may prove to be scandalous yet.

Footloose – October 14

As yet another ’80s remake this year, “Footloose” at least looks like a half way decent musical (we desperately need another good one), and although it’s lacking any real stars, it may yet surprise us.

Anonymous – October 28

I think you have to give “Anonymous” credit for on paper not sounding like a Roland Emmerich movie. The trailer however, decked out with a cool use of Radiohead’s “Everything in the Right Place,” still manages to be a CGI explosion of 16th century England. It does have a decent cast including Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave and David Thewlis, even if it is suggesting that Shakespeare was a fraud.

Meh…

Warrior – September 9

Yeah, it stars big up and comer Tom Hardy (“Inception”) and it looks something like “The Fighter,” but I can’t get over how trite and formulaic it all looks, all building up to the final championship fight where, “The two people fighting tonight are brothers!!!”

Straw Dogs – September 16

James Marsden and Kate Bosworth are antagonized by some locals in a small town and find themselves defending their home… violently.

Abduction – September 23

I haven’t seen any of the “Twilight” movies, so I can’t exactly say, “Who told Taylor Lautner he could act,” but he plays what in the trailer seemed to me to be an incredibly stilted and forced action star beside Alfred Molina, Sigourney Weaver and “The Blind Side’s” Lily Collins, all directed by John Singleton.

Killer Elite – September 23

I wouldn’t normally even bother mentioning a Jason Statham action movie, but this also happens to star Robert De Niro and Clive Owen. It further is directed by Gary McKendry, who I just learned is making this his feature debut, but was nominated for an Oscar for his one and only short film in 2004.

Machine Gun Preacher – September 23

I think Gerard Butler is a terrible actor. His role in Marc Forster’s new movie (Forster needs a good one to convince me I should still care about him) has Butler traveling to Sudan to save starving children by kicking some terrorist ass. It also has a ridiculous title.

Real Steel – October 7

Hugh Jackman stars in what would better be called “Rock Em Sock Em Robots: The Movie.” It’s also made by Shawn Levy, the guy behind such masterpieces as “Date Night,” “Cheaper by the Dozen” and both “Night and the Museum” movies.

The Big Year – October 14

No trailer yet, so can’t really say much, but “The Big Year” stars Owen Wilson, Steve Martin and Jack Black as professional bird watchers. I don’t know what to think really.

Trespass – October 14

Joel Schumacher is one of the most overrated mainstream directors working today. This stars Nic Cage in another paycheck role. He’s a wealthy man being held hostage until he opens his home vault for some robbers, and the trailer complete with a big twist of the robbers’ identities all looks very textbook.

The Thing – October 14

Remake of a classic, remake of a horror movie, remake of an ’80s movie: “The Thing” has it all.

Red State – October 21

I have a friend who simply swears by Kevin Smith, but I’ve never been impressed by any of his films or his antics, although I still have to catch up on a few of his cult classics. I won’t say which. “Red State” however sees him venturing further from his roots than he did with the abysmal “Cop Out” into action/horror territory with a splash of comedy. Melissa Leo and John Goodman have big roles, but I can’t feign excitement for this one.

I was going to include a subhead called “Ugh,” and there are certainly a few movies this fall that look unbearable, but none that seem to me like they’ll sweep up hundreds of millions at the box office the way awful movies do every summer. Here’s to hoping that the next two months are good ones for the movies.