Fall 2012 Movie Preview

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Looper (Courtesy of FilmDistrict)

Late summer is generally a bleak time for moviegoers, as there aren’t many options to choose from. However, awards season is right around the corner, meaning tons of promising films are headed to theaters. Here are just a few that I’m looking forward to. I had to cut half of my list, so hopefully that means we’re in for an exciting fall.

The Master – A new film from Paul Thomas Anderson immediately goes on my must-see list. He’s one of the most fascinating (and divisive) directors working today, and his work always sparks conversation. His latest, a glimpse into a budding cult in the 1950s (led by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams) and the unbalanced man (Joaquin Phoenix) who finds solace there, looks beautiful and intriguing. (Sept. 21)

Looper – I’m a sucker for time travel flicks, particularly those with new angles on the concept. This one from writer/director Rian Johnson sounds positively brain-melting. In the future, the mob sends their victims 30 years into the past, where a hired gun is waiting to take them out. When one hit man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) finds himself face-to-face with the older version of himself (Bruce Willis), the plan starts going off the rails. The buzz has been extremely strong and the visuals I’ve seen left my jaw on the floor. (Sept. 28)

Argo – Ben Affleck looks to continue his spotless track record as a director. This time he moves out of Boston and into the world of political thriller. Tackling a fact-based story set during the Iran hostage crisis, Affleck also stars as a CIA specialist sent into the country on a rescue mission disguised as a Hollywood movie shoot. The ensemble cast is packed with amazing actors, including Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Kyle Chandler, Zeljko Ivanek and Victor Garber (whew!). The trailer is phenomenal and the Oscar talk is already cranking up. (Oct. 12)

Seven Psychopaths – Martin McDonagh’s work is known for its pitch-black humor and jarring tonal shifts, which becomes abundantly clear a few minutes into In Bruges. The film was one of my favorites of the 2000s, and I’ve been waiting impatiently for McDonagh’s follow-up. It sounds even more gloriously demented than I’d hoped. Colin Farrell plays a struggling screenwriter who involuntarily gets involved in Los Angeles’ seedy underbelly after his buddies (Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken) kidnap an unstable gangster’s (Woody Harrelson) beloved dog. (Oct. 12)

Cloud Atlas – Based on a seemingly unfilmable novel by David Mitchell, the movie tells five interconnected stories that span continents and centuries. Co-directors Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) and Andy and Lana Wachowski (The Matrix) emphasize the correlations by having cast members like Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant and Jim Sturgess play multiple roles. I’m about 75 pages into the book and I have no idea how they’re going to pull it off. (Oct. 26)

Lincoln – Steven Spielberg’s long-awaited film about our 16th president finally make it to theaters. Liam Neeson was attached to the title role for several years, but scheduling conflicts forced him to bow out. Instead, one of the world’s best directors has to settle for Daniel Day-Lewis, one of the world’s greatest actors, playing one of our nation’s greatest leaders. Partly based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals,” Spielberg’s movie focuses on the last few months of Lincoln’s life, the ending of slavery and the Union victory in the Civil War. The supporting cast includes Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones and many more. (Nov. 9)

Les Miserables – Tom Hooper, director of The King’s Speech, brings the beloved Broadway musical to the big screen for the first time. I’m a musical theater nerd, so my excitement for this one is already past unhealthy levels. Particularly since Hooper reportedly had the cast sing live instead of lip-synching; that’s practically unheard of in filmmaking. The casting seems dead-on, including Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Anne Hathaway as Fantine and Russell Crowe as Javert. (Dec. 14)

The Hobbit – Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth in the first installment of a new three-part series, which should ultimately reunite the majority of the Lord of the Rings cast. Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit recruited by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to help several dwarves steal back a treasure taken from them by the dragon Smaug. If that sentence looks like gibberish to you, clearly you’re not anticipating the film as much as I am. I don’t know if three movies are necessary to tell Bilbo’s story, but I’m on board. (Dec. 14)

Zero Dark Thirty – The last time director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal collaborated on a project, they created the heart-stopping war flick The Hurt Locker. Now they’re focusing that intensity on the search for 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. The project has been shrouded in secrecy from the beginning, but we do know the filmmakers had to start from scratch after Navy Seals gave us a real-life ending. The cast has too many recognizable names to mention, but I’ll single out Jessica Chastain, Kyle Chandler, Chris Pratt and Joel Edgerton because they’re awesome. (Dec. 19)

Django Unchained – Quentin Tarantino tackles the western. Need I say more? Okay, the controversial director’s latest stars Jamie Foxx as a slave-turned-bounty hunter who sets out to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from a sadistic plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). The guy who teaches Django the way of the gun? Christoph Waltz, who won an Oscar the last time he worked with Tarantino. I. Can. Not. Wait. (Dec. 25)