Here we are well into the fourth quarter of the year, and odds are the best picture Oscar winner of 2016 has yet to hit theaters.
Ditto for the best performance by an actor in a leading role, actress in a leading role — heck, there’s a good chance the best sound mixing has yet to reach our ears at this point.
So it goes with the movie calendar, which once again is November- and December-heavy with Oscar-buzz movies and performances, with a bit of light entertainment sprinkled in as well.
Here’s the roster of the films I’m most keenly anticipating:
Casey Affleck (left) and Kyle Chandler in “Manchester by the Sea.” | Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions
“Manchester by the Sea” (Nov. 25) I’ve seen this one and I’ll have a full review for you next week. Suffice to say the Oscar talk for this searing family drama and for the performances is merited.
Kate McKinnon (from left), Jason Bateman, T.J. Miller and Olivia Munn in “Office Christmas Party.” | Paramount Pictures
“Office Christmas Party” (Dec. 9) There’s something very 1988 about the idea of an office Christmas party actually held in the office, but come on: Kate McKinnon! Jason Bateman! Olivia Munn! T.J. Miller! Rob Corddry! And Jennifer Aniston as a Horrible Boss. Set in Chicago — hey, there’s the orange Calder “Flamingo” sculpture in the trailer! — and filmed here and also in Atlanta, because EVERYTHING IS FILMED IN ATLANTA THESE DAYS.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in “La La Land.” | Summit Entertainment
“La La Land” (Dec. 16) Another picture generating awards season buzz. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone (who teamed up for “Crazy, Stupid, Love” and “Gangster Squad”) topline this bold and beautiful Hollywood musical from writer-director Damien Chazelle, the talented force behind “Whiplash.”
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (Dec. 16) Why do all the “Star Wars” movies have such clunky titles? You know what was a good title for a “Star Wars” movie? “Star Wars.”
Still. It’s “Rogue One,” and it’s “A Star Wars Story,” set sometime between “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” and “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope,” and this “Star Wars” stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen and Forest Whitaker, who is fast becoming the American Michael Caine, what with his 114 and counting actor credits on IMDb.
Natalie Portman in “Jackie.” | Fox Searchlight
“Jackie” (Dec. 16) Natalie Portman seems a lock for a best actress nomination for her portrayal of Jackie Kennedy in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of JFK.
Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt in “Passengers.” | Columbia Pictures
“Passengers” (Dec. 21) Love this premise: Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt are in a deep sleep on a 120-year voyage to a new human space colony — but they wake up 90 years early. That can’t be good.
“Hidden Figures” (Dec. 25) Taraji P. Henson stars as Katherine Johnson, a physicist who mapped out flight trajectories for NASA expeditions in the 1960s — including the Apollo 11 flight to the moon.
Taraji P. Henson in “Hidden Figures.” | 20th Century Fox