Very Early 2014 Movie Preview

This time last year I published a list of some of my most anticipated movies of 2013, and although I acknowledged at the time that I really had no clue of the quality of any of the films, let alone what they would even be about, it’s amazing the picks that landed and the ones that didn’t.

In the plus column, I plugged “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “Gravity,” “Prisoners,” “The Place Beyond the Pines,” “Captain Phillips,” “This is the End,” “Before Midnight” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.”  Not a bad batting average.

On the minus side however, I talked about “To the Wonder,” “Oldboy,” “Ender’s Game,” “I’m So Excited” and “A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III.”

And a handful, including “The Monuments Men,” “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby” and “Labor Day”  still have not come out. How about that for a prediction?

So which of the 25 movies I’ve picked here will we be talking about at the end of 2014? It could be all of them.

 Unbroken – Dir. Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie’s second directorial outing is a WWII drama about a real life Olympian taken hostage by the Japanese. The big question mark on this movie is that the screenplay was passed around to William Nicholson (“Gladiator”), Richard LaGravenese (“Water for Elephants”) and even the Coen Brothers.

Annie – Dir. Will Gluck

Will Gluck (“Friends with Benefits,” “Easy A”) is a surprisingly accessible director, so it’ll be interesting to see him tackle a musical with none other than “Beasts of the Southern Wild’s” Quvenzhane Wallis stealing the famous redhead’s spotlight.

Exodus – Dir. Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott seems in more familiar territory with this epic starring Christian Bale as none other than Moses. It can’t be as Biblically awful as “The Counselor,” right?

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 – Dir. Francis Lawrence

“Catching Fire” did not make my list of anticipated movies last year. The fact that it was better than good has changed that significantly. I still cringe at the “Part 1,” but I’m not complaining after “Catching Fire’s” intense cliff hanger.

Interstellar – Dir. Christopher Nolan

The most that is known about Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” is that quite literally everyone is in it. Only casting news for Wes Anderson’s equally loaded picture came close to this one’s stories and hype. The teaser trailer has only a glimpse of actual footage beyond a Matthew McConaughey voiceover, but IMDB says it’s a sci-fi about utilizing wormholes to traverse space.

Gone Girl – Dir. David Fincher

Based on a novel about a missing wife by Gillian Flynn, David Fincher’s “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” follow-up stars Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck. Early reports make it sound nice and dark, just the way Fincher likes it.

Inherent Vice – Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson

PTA movies are always at the top of my most anticipated list, and this one finds him reteaming with Joaquin Phoenix in his follow-up to “The Master,” tackling Thomas Pynchon’s pulpy, yet lighthearted detective novel.

Jersey Boys – Dir. Clint Eastwood

I was pleasantly surprised how much I loved Jersey Boys the musical on stage, but I can’t be the only one who’s balking at Clint Eastwood directing a musical. Christopher Walken stars.

22 Jump Street – Dir. Phil Lord and Chris Miller

“21 Jump Street” was a pleasant surprise and the start of Channing Tatum’s coolest person alive run, so this one might easily be another unexpected gem now that it’s dropped the remake aspect.

Transcendence – Dir. Wally Pfister

Wally Pfister is best known as the Oscar winning cinematographer for “Inception,” but his debut film could be a masterpiece of ideas on technology in our modern age. Johnny Depp stars as a dying scientist brought back to sentience when a colleague uploads his memories into a computer.

Noah – Dir. Darren Aronofsky

Don’t let the Hollywood bombast trailer fool you. Darren Aronofsky is sure to have a gem on his hands in yet another Biblical epic this year. Russell Crowe stars as Noah, as in of the Ark, but early screenings say this is not the religious picture the studios were expecting, and go figure from the guy behind “Requiem for a Dream.”

Nymphomaniac Parts 1 and 2 – Dir. Lars von Trier

Remember when Lars von Trier made that joke about his next film being about sex and porn and everyone laughed it off along with his comment about being able to relate to Hitler? Yeah, well that movie has arrived, along with some of the coolest character posters you’re likely to see.

The Grand Budapest Hotel – Dir. Wes Anderson

My copy of Matt Zoller Seitz’s “The Wes Anderson Collection” is now incomplete with a movie that looks zanier than “Moonrise Kingdom” by a mile, not to mention a cast that makes Woody Allen’s casting lineup look sparse. And just look at Tilda Swinton. Wow.

The Monuments Men – Dir. George Clooney

New trailers make “The Monuments Men” look like “Saving Private Ryan” more than “Ocean’s Eleven,” but I have a feeling that a February release suggests moving it out of this year’s crowded Oscar race was a good choice after all.

Can a Song Save Your Life – Dir. John Carney

John Carney is the director to one of my favorites from the last decade, “Once.” Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener and even Adam Levine suggest this won’t have the same quaint, small-scale quality his first film did though.

Foxcatcher – Dir. Bennett Miller

I was lucky enough to catch this trailer moments before it was pulled and pushed back to 2014. Steve Carell looks unrecognizable as a schizophrenic Olympic wrestling coach who killed his athlete’s brother. And Bennett Miller is 2-2 in bringing out these transformative performances too.

Rosewater – Dir. Jon Stewart

Aside from me having a level of faith that Jon Stewart can do no wrong, even if he’s making a war-torn drama, the level of sincerity he showed in discussing how he came to make Maziar Bahari’s autobiography “Then They Came For Me” into a movie was moving and hilarious.

The Wind Rises – Dir. Hayao Miyazaki

Critics have had time to simmer on “The Wind Rises,” (it’s another Miyazaki masterpiece) but it’ll be exciting to see if Disney can turn it into a hit considering its more adult themes. Gasp! There’s people smoking in it!

The Immigrant – Dir. James Gray

A title out of Cannes ranging from the Best of the Year to a polarizing meh, “The Immigrant” stars Marion Cotillard as a 1920s foreigner coerced into prostitution by Joaquin Phoenix.

The Zero Theorem – Dir. Terry Gilliam

“The Zero Theorem” looks like Terry Gilliam updated “Brazil” for 2014, complete with Christoph Waltz and Matt Damon and their bizarre haircuts.

Labor Day – Dir. Jason Reitman

This is one I was anticipating at the start of last year, but early reviews that essentially removed this from the Oscar race have changed that significantly. I still have faith that Jason Reitman, a favorite director who critics have started to love to hate, can pull off this romantic drama.

Jane Got a Gun – Dir. Gavin O’Connor

The infamous production story behind “Jane Got a Gun” that involved Director Lynne Ramsay leaving within a day and being sued along with casting changes left and right made it look like this Western might never get made. But here it is, brought to you now by Gavin O’Connor and starring Natalie Portman.

Into the Woods – Dir. Rob Marshall

I have theater friends who will know much more about this Sondheim play than I will, but it’s the casting of Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep that make Rob Marshall’s musical sound so appealing.

Like Father, Like Son – Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda

I was lucky enough to catch this one at the Chicago Film Festival after it debuted at Cannes, and it belongs near the top of a year-end list. The film is about a family who discovers their 6 year old is not their biological son and their decision to “swap” with another family. Heartbreaking and thankfully heartwarming stuff.

Le Week-end – Dir. Roger Michell

Another CIFF movie I saw, “Le Week-end” is Jesse and Celine set another three movies from now. Lindsay Duncan and Jim Broadbent are a hilarious and perfect match.