Thursday, November 30, 2017

December Movie Preview

December is going to be big. It's got Star Wars. It's got Pitch Perfect. It's got more Oscar hopefuls than you can shake a light saber at. November was pretty busy, but December looks like it's going to be nuts. Granted, a lot of that will be dictated by the pace of the limited releases expanding to a theater near me. You New York and Los Angeles people are lucky, you know, except for the high cost of living and traffic.

2017
 Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov    
2016
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec  
2015
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec 
2014
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec
2013
Mar |  Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec
12/1
The Disaster Artist [Limited]
The story of how Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero met and went on to make The Room.
Working For It: I'm nearly as excited for this movie as I am for The Last Jedi. I've seen The Room with friends more times than a responsible adult should've. It's James Franco as the director, producer, and star (kind of like Wiseau in The Room). The cast is flooded with performers I enjoy like Franco, younger Franco, Ms. younger Franco (Alison Brie), Zoey Deutch, Seth Rogen, Josh Hutcherson, and Sugar Lyn Beard as well as many others with cameos as themselves. The movie also exists in this weird space where I'll like the good version of this movie and the awful version of it about equally.
Working Against It: ...Well, I'll probably end up watching The Room again because of this, so that's certainly a negative.
My Position: Locks don't get much more secure than this.

A  mute woman bonds with a human-like creature in the top secret lab she works in.
Working For It: Guillermo del Toro is always good for some imagination and visual flair. The cast is full of great utility players like Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, and Michael Stuhlbarg, not to mention Sally Hawkins in the lead role.
Working Against It: I'll be honest. I've never quite connected with del Toro's movies. I let Crimson Peak pass me by in theaters and Pan's Labyrinth just didn't fill me with the same wonder that I saw other people get*. Also, it's not the film's fault, but I'm getting really tired of seeing the trailer for it.
My Position: It's likely to be enough of an awards player that I'm pretty much guaranteed to see it, and I really do want to give del Toro as many chances as possible to win me over.

*I suppose there's Pacific Rim to consider. I enjoyed that, but I wouldn't say I loved it.

Wonder Wheel [Limited]
A 1950s story about a Coney Island carousel operater and his wife who get mixed up with the mob.
Working For It: I'm inevitably going to see any Woody Allen movie. It's just a question of when.
Working Against It: Despite having Kata Winslet, Justin Timberlake, Juno Temple, and --ok-- Jim Belushi, it's just a little too busy this time of year for me to make the annual Woody Allen movie a priority.
My Position: He's due another Blue Jasmine or Midnight in Paris, but this doesn't feel like it.

12/8
Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones battle for popularity at a luxury resort. And, I guess Freeman is in witness protection.
Working For It: This kind of feels like an American response to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Freeman and Jones don't normally get to be this loose. I don't see much of Rene Russo either.
Working Against It: I saw that this was from the director of Bull Durham, White Men Can't Jump, and Tin Cup, did the math in my head, and determined that, yes, that makes perfect sense.
My Position: Just as soon as I seen Going in Style and Last Vegas.

I, Tonya [Limited]
A darkly comedic Tonya Harding biopic.
Working For It: Margot Robbie has a very long leesh as far as I'm concerned, and Allison Janney as her overbearing mother is too perfect to resist. It's kind of baffling that no one has made a major movie about this before.
Working Against It: Director Craig Gillespie has a pretty spotty track record (Lars and the Real Girl - yay. Mr. Woodcock and TheFinest Hours - meh). This also seems like a strange project for the screenwriter of Stepmom, Hope Floats, and P.S. I Love You.
My Position: Robbie just about makes this a lock.

A teenager decides to investigate the murder of his friend on his own.
Working For It: Ansel Elgort as the lead. Chloe Grace Moretz in a prominent supporting role. You have my attention.
Working Against It: I don't know the director from much and the writer has some interesting credits (Allied, Pawn Sacrifice, Locke) without anything that really wows me.
My Position: Maybe if Moretz was the lead, I'd make it a priority like If I Stay or The Fifth Wave. As is, it'll probably get lost in the season.

12/15
No spoilers! La La La!!! I can't hear you!
Working For It: I can't give enough reasons why I'm excited for this. Daisy Ridley was excellent in The Force Awakens. I already loved Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver before that movie came out. Mark Hamill and Andy Serkis get increased roles this time. Carrie Fisher's final movie role. Gwendoline Christie, Lupita Nyong'o, Benicio Del Toro. Rian Johnson is an exciting and unexpected choice for director. And, even without any of that, this is a Star Wars movie and I'd see it if it was starring Hilary Swank, Sean Penn, and Sasha Baron Cohen and directed by Uwe Boll*.
Working Against It: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Maybe if, like, the whole cast murders a bunch of people...then I'll only see it once.
My Position: It's not a question of "if", only "how much".

*I pray to god that never happens.

Animated film about a gentle bull who gets captured, mistaken for a dangerous bull, and must escape to find his family.
Working For It: Blue Sky (Ice Age, Rio) is by no means my favorite animation house, but they aren't bad. The voice cast is fun and varied with people like John Cena, Kate McKinnon, Daveed Diggs, and Gina Rodriguez.
Working Against It: From an animation quality perspective, this doesn't look like they put their full effort into it. And there's nothing about the story that pulls me in. There is a difference between something intended for all ages and intended for children.
My Position: Nope. I'm not seeing a late showing of this and I'm not going to be the lone non-parent adult seeing it in the afternoon.

12/20 & 12/22
A musical about P.T. Barnum putting together his circus.
Working For It: Casting doesn't get much more ideal than Hugh Jackman for the role. It's also got Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zac Efron, which are all pluses.
Working Against It: First time director with a visual effects background is a dangerous thing, especially when he just hasn't worked that much.
My Position: I'm entirely undecided. This could be a complete mess or it could be good Christmas season fun (or both).

Four teens are sucked into a Jumanji video game and put into the bodies of adult avatars.
Working For It: Someday, I'd like to write a dissection of The Rock's habit of jumping into established series and outperforming or reviving them. He's done is with Fast and Furious, G.I. Joe, Journey, WitchMountain, and perhaps Jumanji now. It's pretty impressive. This is a sequel in name only though. I like the quartet of Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Hart. Seeing Chris McKenna, who probably wrote whatever your favorite episode of Comminity is, as a credited writer encourages me about the tongue-in-cheek tone of the movie. And, Jake Kasdan has enough good directing credits (Freaks and Geeks, Orange County, Bad Teacher) also to encourage me about the tone this will hit.
Working Against It: Yes, it's a stupid premise. Mostly, I'm tired of the "Jack Black as a teenage girl" thing just from the trailer. A whole movie of it might be too much.
My Position: I could pretend that I'm above this movie, but there's a better chance that I'll see this than I won't.

The story of the kidnapping of J. Paul Getty's grandson in the 1970s.
Working For It: I was already very on board with this movie when I first heard about it. The trailer is great. It's got Michelle Williams, Mark Wahlburg, and Timothy Hutton. The actual event it's based on is worth a Wikipedia read. Ridley Scott looks to be fully engaged and looking for the Best Director nomination that somehow eluded him for The Martian. Then after the Kevin Spacey scandal, six weeks before the planned release date, Scott announced he'd be reshooting Spacey's scenes with Christopher Plummer without pushing the release date back at all. Similar to The Interview a couple years ago, I'm too curious to pass this up.
Working Against It: Well, the plan to reshoot so soon before release could be disastrous.
My Position: I suppose if I start hearing early reviews with worlds like "trainwreck" in the heading, I'll think twice. I'm pretty set on seeing it though.

A husband and wife decide to shrink themselves in order to have a better life.
Working For It: This movie has an interesting premise (a world in which people can be shrunk as a sort of early retirement) and a good cast (Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz). It doesn't hurt that it could be an Oscar player.
Working Against It: I've never been a big fan of Alexander Payne's movies (Nebraska, The Descendants, Sideways, About Schmidt, Election). This social satire looks like it has all the sublty of a brick to the face. It wouldn't take much for this to be overbearing.
My Position: I'll be looking for an excuse to pass on this one, but I'll probably end up seeing it and hopefully be pleasantly surprised by it.

Owen Wilson and Ed Helms are twin brothers who track down their father who they previously thought was dead.
Working For It: Wilson and Helms have the right energies to pair together. In addition to them, the film features Glen Close, JK Simmons, and Christopher Walken. The first time director was the director of photography for numerous other comedies, including the Hangover movies. I feel like that should translate well.
Working Against It: I'm pretty worried by how much this movie has been pushed back. I've seen trailers for it for a year now. At this point, I expected it would get a VOD burn off, not a Christmas nationwide release.
My Position: I'm not even sure the best case scenario version of this movie would be worth making a priority.

The Bellas reunite for a USO Tour.
Working For It: The whole cast is back. Kay Cannon penned the script again. I feel like the worst version of this movie is still going to be pretty good, and I expect it will be better than that.
Working Against It: The second movie went even harder at the laughs than the first and ignored the story as much as possible. That worked because the first movie set up such a solid base, that I was just happy to be hanging out with the characters again. I worry that a third installment may get too far away from what made the first movie great. Perhaps it will sacrifice too much of the premise in favor of making self-aware jokes.
My Position: This is probably my third highest priority this month behind The Last Jedi and The Disaster Artist, because it's certain to be enjoyable if nothing else. Besides, if I saw Table 19 for Anna Kendrick, you better believe I'm seeing her in a Pitch Perfect movie.

Hostiles [Limited]
An Army captain in 1892 helps transport some Cheyenne through hostile territory.
Working For It: It has Christian Bale in the lead role and Rosamund Pike and Jesse Plemons in supporting roles. I have a growing fondness for westerns, especially modern attempts at the genre.
Working Against It: I know director Scott Cooper through reputation. I haven't gotten around to any of his movies (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace, Black Mass). That's partly coincidence and partly not.
My Position: I could easily see this one falling to a Netflix priority

The Post [Limited]
The story of how the government tried to quiet the Washington Post when they published information from the Pentagon Papers in the early 70s.
Working For It: This one is mamouth. Speven Speilberg directed. Tom Hanks AND Meryl Streep starring. [Co]Written by the Oscar winner for Spotlight. Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Matthew Rhys, Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, Jesse Plemons, and Zach Woods all in supporting roles.
Working Against It: Nothing is working against the movie. Frankly, Spotlight's Oscar win only two years ago is probably the only thing preventing it from being the Oscar frontrunner, sight unseen.
My Position: I don't think you hear me. Speilberg. Hanks. Streep. Of course I'll be seeing this.

12/27 & 12/29
A yound man begins a relationship with a dying older actress in 1979.
Working For It: This has primarily been sold as an Annette Bening vehicle and a possible make-up call opportunity after Oscar voters largely ignored last year's 20th Century Women.
Working Against It: Director Paul McGuigan's filmography sure isn't encouraging (Victor Frankenstein, Push, Lucky Number Slevin) for this kind of movie.
My Position: This is worth skipping unless Bening becomes a big awards player.

Molly's Game [Limited]
The true story of a woman who ran a high stakes exclusive poker game and was eventually taken down by the FBI.
Working For It: Jessica Chastain is the lead character. Idris Elba and Kevin Costner appear to have major supporting roles. A lot of other familiar names too. This is Aaron Sorkin's log awaited directorial debut.
Working Against It: There's a chance that Sorkin may only be a great writer. There's no rule saying everyone has to be able to direct.
My Position: It's hard to see how Chastain at the very least doesn't carry this movie even if everything else falls apart.

Phantom Thread [Limited]
A dressmaker in the 1950s falls for a young woman.
Working For It: This actually looks like a pretty dull movie, but it's Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day Lewis teaming up again. I'll drink that milkshake right up.
Working Against It: As I said, this looks pretty dull.
My Position: A Paul Thomas Anderson movie is always interesting, even if I don't care for it. That's enough to justify the cost of the ticket.

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