In this volume I consider another young adult novel adaptation about teen girls and magic, an Italian set mystery/romance set amidst the world of high art auctions, an acclaimed Romanian lesbian nun drama, Sofia Coppola's take on LA's celebrity-obsessed kids, a Crowe vs. Wahlberg big city corruption thriller, the much anticipated follow-up to "Before Sunset", the return of Sly Stallone, and a mother-daughter vampire story.
Beautiful Creatures
Opens: February 13th 2013
Cast: Alice Englert, Alden Ehrenreich, Jeremy Irons, Emma Thompson, Emmy Rossum
Director: Richard LaGravenese
Analysis: Attempting to fill the void left by the departing "Twilight" film series is this adaptation of the first book in Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's Caster Chronicles series. In this scenario the boy is the human, the girl the one with a family of people with special powers. Instead of chaste and kind vampires, this features vindictive witches. The themes aren't so much about romance as they are determining one's fate.
Shot in Louisiana early last summer, the film employs a Deep South setting which has drawn comparisons to the much more interesting and off the hook "True Blood." Yet, oddly, two of the most English of classic actors - Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson - have been hired to adopt fairly thick drawls in what are the mentor and antagonist roles respectively.
Trailers showcase Thompson chewing scenery like nobody's business, whereas Irons reigns it in to provide some gravitas. There's also a fun a bad girl routine by Emmy Rossum as the sister who "went dark." Chuck in some dodgy CGI and plenty of young lovers making out and you get a gooey Valentine's Day treat designed directly for young women who like their Gothic horror on the lighter side.
Before Midnight
Opens: 2013
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, Ariane Labed
Director: Richard Linklater
Analysis: One of the more unique film series continues with this third feature following Ethan Hawke's Jesse and Julie Delpy's Celine who first appeared in 1995's acclaimed "Before Sunrise". Nine years later came "Before Sunset" which scored numerous awards and an Oscar nomination. Now, nine years on from that, comes what is said to be the conclusion of the story with both characters now in their early forties.
Shot in secret this past summer in Greece where the action will take place, Linklater is keeping story details under very tight wraps ahead of the world premiere next month at Sundance. The previous two films scored strong reviews and appeared on various critic Top Ten lists in their respective years. One hopes that will happen again here.
Belle
Opens: 2013
Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Miranda Richardson, Tom Wilkinson, Sam Reid, Matthew Goode
Director: Amma Asante
Analysis: Following on from 2004's "A Way of Life," BAFTA Award winning filmmaker Amma Asante tackles this $10 million period biopic drama set in the 1780s. The story follows Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed-race woman raised as an aristocrat in 18th-century England. Despite facing class and color prejudice, Belle blossoms into an astute young woman who develops a relationship with a vicar's son who advocates slave emancipation.
One of the first projects awarded financing by the new management at the BFI Film Fund, the project was shot at Pinewood Studios and on the Isle of Man over the past few months. British costume dramas often tend to ignore the racial divide of the period, so it's nice to see a film tackling the issue head on. There's an impressive cast on offer here too including those listed above along with Emily Watson, Tom Felton, Penelope Wilton, Sarah Gadon and James Norton. With the film aiming to be completed by March, I'd expect an early Fall release.
The Best Offer
Opens: 2013
Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Donald Sutherland, Jim Sturgess, Sylvia Hoeks, Maximilian Dirr
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Analysis: A $21 million mood piece set in the luxurious world of Viennese art auctions? Sounds like the kind of material that will struggle to swim with audiences. Thankfully it features the return of "Cinema Paradiso," "Malèna" and "The Legend of 1900" director Giuseppe Tornatore who helms this combination English and Italian language drama that boasts a highly impressive international cast.
Geoffrey Rush plays a fastidious English genius and art expert, now living in Europe, who has avoided romance and emotion wherever he can. His life soon intersects with an astute young man (Jim Sturgess) and a mysterious female art assayer (Sylvia Hoeks) in relationships that will change it forever. While the various press releases for the film play up the romance angle, a recent trailer indicated more of a thriller vibe with a rundown villa full of secrets and potentially a fortune in old artwork playing a key role in the story.
The film was shot in Vienna, and the picturesque South Tyrol and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions of Italy which are showcased in Tornatore's signature widescreen compositions. The legendary Ennio Morricone is composing the score. It's very much an adult-targeted drama, one getting a European release early in the year ahead of a limited bow States-side closer to the summer.
Beyond The Hills
Opens: 2013
Cast: Cosmina Stratan, Cristina Flutur, Valeriu Andriuta, Dana Tapalaga, Catalina Harabagiu
Director: Cristian Mungiu
Analysis: The story of a lesbian love affair between a German barmaid and a Moldavian nun is surprisingly not Vivid Video's latest fetish title. Rather, it's the return of Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu - the man behind the highly acclaimed and confronting 2007 abortion drama "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days."
This carefully-paced drama follows two orphan girls in love, a romance torn apart when one skips off to Germany to become a waitress. Unable to take the estrangement from her lover any longer, she heads back to the eastern Romanian province where she finds said girlfriend has become a nun and refuses to leave the monastery. The now ex-waitress decides to stick it out with her, an environment where tragedy is bound to happen.
Having played the film festival circuit throughout much of 2012, 'Hills' scored a Palme d'Or nomination and won both actress and screenplay honors at Cannes. Reviews are strong, but far from unanimous, with practically all of them pointing out that this is simply not on the same level as '4 Months'. With a 2.5 hour runtime and some ponderous long takes, it's also something of a tough slog. Nevertheless the screenplay is said to be smart and considered, the direction well-staged and the performances of a strong caliber. Expected a limited theatrical run in the early half of the year.
Big Sur
Opens: 2013
Cast: Jean-Marc Barr, Josh Lucas, Kate Bosworth, Stana Katic, Radha Mitchell
Director: Michael Polish
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Analysis: Reviews have proven mixed for the Walter Salles-directed recent film adaptation of Beat Generation poet and author Jack Kerouac's most famous work "On The Road". That hasn't stopped filmmakers from falling in love with the author's works though, including indie director Michael Polish ("The Astronaut Farmer," "Twin Falls Idaho"). Polish shot this film in early-mid 2011 and has been knocking it into shape ahead of a premiere at Sundance next month.
Unable to cope with a suddenly demanding public and battling advanced alcoholism, Kerouac sought respite via three brief sojourns to a cabin in Big Sur, trips that reveal the extent of his mental and physical deterioration. While much of his often autobiographical work stuck with his younger bohemian days, this 1962 novel is a decidedly darker affair based on Kerouac's desire to escape fame following the success of "On the Road".
It's essentially about one man's path to a nervous breakdown, helped along by substance abuse and self-doubt. Though he lived on and published at least two further works before his death in 1969, "Big Sur" is often seen as the last of his truly great works. Will the film live up to the legacy? We'll find out in a few weeks when the reviews come in.
The Big Wedding
Opens: April 26th 2013
Cast: Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Amanda Seyfried, Robin Williams, Katherine Heigl
Director: Justin Zackham
Analysis: "The Bucket List" scribe and "Lights Out" show runner Justin Zackham pens and directs this comedy about a long-divorced couple (Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton) who fake still being married when their family unites for the wedding of their adopted son (the criminally handsome Ben Barnes). It seems the son's fiancé has invited the young man's ultra-religious birth mother along, a woman vehemently opposed to the idea of divorce.
Zackham's assembled an excellent cast including Amanda Seyfried as the fiancé, Robin Williams as a priest, Katherine Heigl, Topher Grace, Christine Ebersole and many more as various relations at the wedding. Susan Sarandon in particular gets the most fun role as De Niro's current girlfriend, a woman not very happy about him pretending to be back with his old flame.
It's a safe formula movie obviously, a loose remake of the 2006 Swiss comedy "Mon frère se marie" which itself seems like a spin on the classic "La Cage Aux Folles" formula albeit entirely heterosexual in nature. So, a lot will depend on Zackham's script and if it has enough fresh material to generate laughs. The film's delay a good six months from last Fall to a late April 'death slot' doesn't scream much confidence though.
Black Dog, Red Dog
Opens: 2013
Cast: Olivia Wilde, James Franco, Whoopi Goldberg, Chloë Sevigny, Tim Blake Nelson
Director: Too Many To Name
Analysis: Following on from "Howl" and "The Broken Tower," James Franco continues his cinematic attempts at conveying his love of poetry by shepherding this second of two anthology features involving NYU graduate students. The various students had to win a competition for the opportunity to direct short films based on individual poems from Stephen Dobyns' award-winning book "Black Dog, Red Dog." Their entries are being combined into this feature-length effort.
Franco did a similar thing with C.K. Williams' poetry book "Tar," the resulting film of which premiered in competition at the Rome Film Festival the other month to very mediocre reviews. That film was further along though than this project, which is expected to be even less cohesive. Despite an impressive cast being involved, this seems to be one of those films that will likely get an obligatory festival screening and then disappear into the video-on-demand ether. Nevertheless, expect one or two of these budding young filmmakers to be able to spin this off into a potentially interesting career.
The Bling Ring
Opens: 2013
Cast: Emma Watson, Leslie Mann, Taissa Farmiga, Halston Sage
Director: Sofia Coppola
Analysis: For her fifth feature, Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation," "Marie Antoinette") tackles the true crime drama genre with this contemporary Hollywood tale about five Internet-savvy fame-obsessed teenagers who tracked the whereabouts of celebrities in order to rob their homes. The likes of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Audrina Patridge, Rachel Bilson and Orlando Bloom all saw valuable items of theirs stolen with the thefts said to be totalling close to $3 million.
Showcasing how great she can be outside the "Harry Potter" franchise with 2012's much acclaimed "Perks of Being a Wallflower," British actress Emma Watson leads a group of newcomers in this $20 million project which was shot in Los Angeles and Las Vegas in March. Based on the Vanity Fair article "The Suspects Wore Louboutins," Coppola adapted the script with the aim of exploring youthful mistakes in an age of celebrity and luxury brand obsession. Hell, the first line of the movie is a quote from Nicole Richie's Twitter account.
A few key cameos are set to take place including Kirsten Dunst, musician Gavin Rossdale and Paris Hilton. The film also marks the final project of "Zodiac," "The Game" and "American Gangster" cinematographer Harris Savides so it should look great. The question is if this second L.A.-based tale of Coppola's will be more akin to her better first three films. "Somewhere" was good, but something of a lower key and less interesting film from her - hopefully this will offer more.
Broken City
Opens: January 18th 2013
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jeffrey Wright, Kyle Chandler
Director: Allen Hughes
Analysis: Having directed "From Hell" and "The Book of Eli" with his brother, Allen Hughes is breaking out on his own with this big city corruption drama. Wahlberg plays a New York cop hired by the mayor (Russell Crowe) to find out who has been sleeping with the mayor's wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Things get a lot more complicated when the cop is double-crossed and then framed by the mayor for an execution style killing carried out to hide the mayor's dirty secrets. Naturally, some ass-kicking revenge is on the cards.
Crowe and Wahlberg have starred in both good and bad films dealing with similar subject matter before, so a lot depends upon the quality of the writing and direction. Even though this is scribe Brian Tucker's first film, he has become something of a rising commodity in the script development world. Budgeted at an economical $35 million and shot on a fairly smooth schedule, the elements seem to be all in place.
Hughes claims that he's toned down any of his usual overly showy directorial flourishes for this film. He's also indicated that his aim is to let a good story stand on its own terms, and let the actors really sell their parts. 'City' is set to hit screens in the mid-late January slot, a good time for mid-range performers such as 'Eli' which made $157 million worldwide.
Bullet to the Head
Opens: February 1st 2013
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Jason Momoa, Christian Slater, Sarah Shahi
Director: Walter Hill
Analysis: An adaptation of Alexis Nolent's French graphic novel "Du Plomb Dans La Tete," Stallone plays an ageing old school hitman who teams with an idealistic young Korean NYPD detective (Kang) to seek revenge on various New Orleans powerbrokers responsible for the two vicious murders that connect them.
The $55 million project marks the return to the genre of Walter Hill, a seminal director of action films like "48 Hrs," "The Warriors," "Red Heat," "Streets of Fire," "Last Man Standing" and his last film as director - 2002's "Undisputed." Teaming with someone like Stallone is a good fit for both parties, especially when the tone is said to be throwback to those 1980s blockbusters which both built their names on.
'Bullet' saw two notable departures before filming began. "Running Scared" director Wayne Kramer was attached at one point, but ultimately left as his vision for the film was said to be too dark. Later, Thomas Jane had to drop out of the detective role due to producer Joel Silver's insistence of casting a "more 'ethnic' actor" to reach a wider audience.
Originally slated for April 2012, the project got pushed back almost a year and it's unclear as to why. Premiering in Rome last month, one reviewer called it a "hard-hitting exercise in beefy, brainless fun." There's certainly a consensus that it delivers a ton of kinetic fight scenes, bromantic overly macho one-liners, and not much else. Think "The Expendables" with a lean and more efficient feel to it, though don't expect much in the way of story or depth.
The Butler
Opens: 2013
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard, Alan Rickman, John Cusack
Director: Lee Daniels
Analysis: The most obvious of 2013's awards-bait films, "The Butler" tells the admittedly fascinating story of African-American butler Eugene Allen (played by Forest Whitaker) who worked at the White House over three decades (1952-1986). In the process, Allen ended up serving under eight American Presidents. This tightly-budgeted $17 million project is also "Precious" director Lee Daniels' first film since his campy southern Gothic tale "The Paperboy" opened to some rather savage reviews.
'Butler' boasts an incredible cast including Oprah Winfrey as the title character's wife Gloria Gaines, her first on-screen film role since "Beloved." Talent playing former U.S. Presidents include Robin Williams as Dwight D. Eisenhower, James Marsden as John F. Kennedy, Liev Schreiber as Lyndon B. Johnson, John Cusack as Richard Nixon, and Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan. Throw in supporting roles played by Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave, Alex Pettyfer, Melissa Leo, Lenny Kravitz, Cuba Gooding Jr., Mariah Carey, Terrence Howard, and David Oyelowo, and you have the biggest ensemble of the year.
Daniels says his story is about a quiet man situated as something of a fly on the wall in one of the most powerful and critical places in the country during a time of massive civil rights advances and social changes. Acclaimed "Game Change" scribe Danny Strong penned the script, just another stellar choice that makes this one of The Weinstein Company's big award contenders next year unless something goes awry. Shot in New Orleans a few months ago, the story also includes a big emotional hook - Allen’s wife died the day before Obama was elected in 2008. Allen himself passed away in 2010.
Byzantium
Opens: 2013
Cast: Gemma Arterton, Saoirse Ronan, Jonny Lee Miller, Sam Riley, Caleb Landry Jones
Director: Neil Jordan
Analysis: This Irish-British fantasy thriller, starring Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan as a mother and daughter vampire duo, should have been a home run. There's "Interview with a Vampire" director Neil Jordan returning to the world of the undead with his trademark striking compositions. Added to that are Jonny Lee Miller and Sam Riley in supporting roles, and a shake-up of vampire mythology such as the women having no fangs and no problems with sunlight.
Screening at the Toronto Film Festival a few months ago, early reviews proved a bit disheartening. Horror critics weren't gushing, but they generally quite liked the film and praised both the visuals and the way it reinvents vampire lore. Most had some caveats, especially regarding some of the repetitive and needlessly clumsy character moments.
Regular critics weren't as generous, a few leaning towards calling it an occasionally interesting mess. IFC had no problem with it though, acquiring the film with word that they plan to release it sometime in the second-quarter of the year. How big they intend to go theatrically, and whether a simultaneous video on-demand release of the film will take place, is uncertain at this point.
ALSO OPENING:
Backmask
"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake and "Pathfinder" director Marcus Nispel helms this supernatural slasher flick co-starring "Avatar" villain Stephen Lang. The story follows six small-town teenagers who unleash a seemingly malevolent spirit that wreaks havoc as it moves from one body to another. A recent press release seems to spoil the film as it says "the spirit in question is actually trying to convey a message ... and that the real source of horror isn't particularly paranormal." This usually means one of the six will turn out to be a serial killer and the ghost is one of his victims.
Baggage Claim
Movies seem to be one of the last places on Earth that tries to reinforce the antiquated belief that women are not only defined by the men they love, but by their marital status. Basically if you aren't married by 31, you may as well kill yourself they seem to say. Fox Searchlight is oddly onboard with this agenda, and are showcasing this tale of a 35-year-old flight attendant (the truly stunning Paula Patton) who sets out on a month-long quest to crisscross America in the search for a potential husband. It basically sounds like "What's Your Number?" with a mostly African-American cast and a couple of jokes about airline travel thrown in.
Better Living Through Chemistry
Another high profile entry from Sundance, Sam Rockwell stars as a small-town pharmacist stuck in a loveless marriage who rediscovers himself through both prescription drugs, and an affair with a trophy wife (Olivia Wilde). The pair soon plot to kill her husband (Ray Liotta). Jane Fonda and Michelle Monaghan also star in this film, which David Posamentier and Geoff Moore will make their directorial debut on using their own Blacklist screenplay. Right now it's a wait-and-see as to how the reviews from Park City go.
The Black Marks
Dimension Films is handling this Canadian heist comedy which has the amusing casting of Kurt Russell as a "third rate motorcycle daredevil and semi-reformed art thief." He is lured back into a life of crime by his untrustworthy brother (Matt Dillon) to pull off one last job - to steal a priceless historical book. Of course, things go awry as hidden agendas are revealed and unexpected obstacles crop up. The project is the second feature from "A Beginner’s Guide to Endings" helmer Jonathan Sobol, and co-stars Jay Baruchel, Terence Stamp, Jason Jones, Katheryn Winnick and Chris Diamantopoulos.
Blood Ties
French heartthrob turned filmmaker Guillaume Canet ("Tell No One," "Little White Lies") has teamed with Hollywood director James Gray ("Two Lovers," "We Own the Night") on this English-language remake of Jacques Maillot's 2008 French film "Rivals" (aka. "Les liens du sang") which Canet himself starred in. Canet and Gray's script goes back to the French novel by Bruno and Michel Papet for this incarnation, which is set in New York in 1974. The story follows a younger brother (Billy Crudup) who has to ask his convict older brother (Clive Owen) to go back into the underworld to help out their family. Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, James Caan, Noah Emmerich, Matthias Schoenaerts and Lili Taylor also star.
The Brass Teapot
Short filmmaker Ramaa Mosley's first foray into features has already proven a winner for her, with two directing award nominations at the Toronto Film Festival this past Fall for this high-concept and quirky dark comedy. The story has a financially struggling married couple (Juno Temple, Michael Angarano) who discover a brass teapot which makes them money whenever they hurt themselves. The pair must come to terms with how far they are willing to go for the cast. Scoring decent notices at the fest, Magnolia Pictures has picked up the film for a limited release.
Breathe In
Even though it won Best Picture honors at Sundance in 2011, Drake Doremus' indie romance drama "Like Crazy" didn't crossover in the way that 2012 winner "Beasts of the Southern Wild" has. With a far more mixed critical reception in general release, and only so-so box-office, the low-budget indie nevertheless heralded Doremus and its star Felicity Jones as hot talents to watch. They are both back for this Sundance entry that was shot back in August 2011 and follows the impact of a recently arrived foreign exchange student (Jones) on both a small upstate New York town, and her host family’s relationship dynamics. Guy Pearce, Kyle MacLachlan and Amy Ryan co-star.
The Complete Notable Films of 2013 Guide
Volume 0-9: 2 Guns, 21 and Over, 33 dias, 42, 47 Ronin, 300: Rise of An Empire, 7500
Volume A: The ABC's of Death, About Last Night, About Time, Admission, A.C.O.D., Adult World, After Earth, Afternoon Delight, Aftershock, Ain't Them Bodies Saints, All Is Lost, Anchorman: The Legend Continues, The Angriest Man In Brooklyn, Angry Little God, Are We Officially Dating?, As I Lay Dying, Ass Backwards, At Any Price, August: Osage County, Austenland
Volume B: Backmask, Baggage Claim, Bailout: The Age of Greed, Battle of the Year, Beautiful Creatures, Before Midnight, Belle, The Best Offer, Better Living Through Chemistry, Beyond The Hills, Big Sur, The Big Wedding, Black Dog Red Dog, The Black Marks, Bling Ring, Blood Ties, The Brass Teapot, Breathe In, Broken City, Bullet to the Head, The Butler, Byzantium
Volume C: Can a Song Save Your Life?, The Canyons, Captain Phillips, Carol, Carrie, A Case of You, Cavalry, CBGB, Chavez, Child of God, Chinese Zodiac, Closed Circuit, Closer to the Moon, Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers, C.O.G., The Colony, Come Out and Play, The Company You Keep, The Congress, Concussion, The Counselor, The Coup, The Croods, Crystal Fairy
Volume D: Dallas Buyers Club, Dark Blood, Dark Skies, Dead Man Down, Decoding Annie Parker, The Deep, Delivery Man, Despicable Me 2, Devil’s Knot, The Devil's Rapture, Diana, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His & Hers, Disconnect, Dom Hemingway, Don Jon's Addiction, Dorothy of Oz, The Double, Drift, Drinking Buddies, Driven
Volume E: The East, Eden, Elsa and Fred, Elysium, Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes, Emperor, Empire State, Empires of the Deep, Ender's Game, The English Teacher, Epic, Errors of the Human Body, Escape From Planet Earth, The Europa Report, Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo, Everything Will Be Fine, Evil Dead
Volume F: Fading Gigolo, Fast Six, Fellini Black and White, Felony, A Field in England, Fill the Void, Filth, Foxcatcher, Foxfire, Frozen, Fruitvale, The Frozen Ground
Volume G: Part 1: Gambit, Gangster Squad, The Gatekeepers, Get a Job, Getaway, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Ginger and Rosa, Girls Against Boys, Girl Most Likely, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, Gods Behaving Badly, A Good Day to Die Hard
Volume G: Part 2: Graceland, The Grand Masters, Grand Piano, The Grand Seduction, Grave of the Fireflies, Gravity, The Great Gatsby, Great Expectations, The Green Blade Rises, A Green Story, Greetings from Tim Buckley, Growing Up (and Other Lies), Grown Ups 2, Gus