This one just hurts to watch. Looks like Maria Bello and/or Michael Sheen could get some awards talk for their performances if the film does well at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Here is the trailer for Beautiful Boy:
Stephen Frears’ (The Queen) new film looks to be a charmer. Gemma Arterton (though somewhat annoying in Clash of the Titans) looks lovely in the title role of Tamara Drewe, who turns all the boy’s (and men’s) heads when she returns to the town of her youth, looking somewhat different than in years past.
Tamara Drewe opens on October 8th.
Official Synopsis:
Based on Posy Simmonds’ beloved graphic novel. When Tamara Drewe returns to the village of her youth, life for the locals is thrown upside down. Tamara – once an ugly duckling – has been transformed and is now a minor celebrity. As infatuations, jealousies, love affairs and career ambitions collide among the inhabitants of the neighboring farmsteads, Tamara sets a contemporary comedy of manners into play. The film stars Gemma Arterton, Roger Allam, Bill Camp, Dominic Cooper, Luke Evans, Tamsin Greig, Charlotte Christie, Jessica Barden, John Bett, Josie Taylor, Bronagh Gallagher, and Pipa Haywood.
One of the ten films I am currently predicting to get a Best Picture nomination this year is Danny Boyle’s (Slumdog Millionaire) new film, 127 Hours, in which James Franco (also high on my Best Lead Actor list) plays real life outdoorsman Aron Ralston. Ralston is known for being the man who cut off his arm after being trapped under a boulder in order to survive the ordeal.
Synopsis:
127 HOURS is the new film from Danny Boyle, the Academy Award winning director of last year’s Best Picture, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. 127 HOURS is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston’s (James Franco) remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers (Clemence Poesy), family, and the two hikers (Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara) he met before his accident. Will they be the last two people he ever had the chance to meet? A visceral thrilling story that will take an audience on a never before experienced journey and prove what we can do when we choose life.
I believe the Best Documentary Feature race will come down to two films: Waiting for “Superman” and Inside Job. Here is a first look at the economical documentary, Inside Job.
Official Synopsis:
From Academy Award® nominated filmmaker, Charles Ferguson (No End In Sight), comes Inside Job, the first film to expose the shocking truth behind the economic crisis of 2008. The global financial meltdown, at a cost of over $20 trillion, resulted in millions of people losing their homes and jobs. Through extensive research and interviews with major financial insiders, politicians and journalists, Inside Job traces the rise of a rogue industry and unveils the corrosive relationships which have corrupted politics, regulation and academia. Narrated by Academy Award® winner Matt Damon, Inside Job was made on location in the United States, Iceland, England, France, Singapore, and China.
One of the films that should be high on everyon’s Oscar list is Mike Leigh’s Another Year. The film was a standout at Cannes earlier this year, and will be featured again at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Another Year stars Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen, and Lesley Manville (who I have predicted to nab a Best Lead Actress nomination for her performance as Mary). The movie has a December 29th release date.
Fair Game is a new thriller by director Doug Liman (Swingers, The Bourne Identity), starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. Watts is on my Lead Actress radar for her performance in the upcoming film. You can see why from the little that the trailer gives us.
Here is the offical synopsis:
As a covert officer in the CIA’s Counter-Proliferation Division, Valerie leads an investigation into the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Valerie’s husband, diplomat Joe Wilson, is drawn into the investigation to substantiate an alleged sale of enriched uranium from Niger. But when the administration ignores his findings and uses the issue to support the call to war, Joe writes a New York Times editorial outlining his conclusions and igniting a firestorm of controversy. Soon after, Valerie’s covert status is reported by a high-profile Washington journalist. With her cover blown and her overseas contacts placed in mortal danger, Valerie is pushed to the breaking point as her career and private life collapse. After years serving the government, Valerie–a mother, a wife and a field officer with an impeccable record–now struggles to save her reputation, her career and her family.
A couple of weeks ago I updated my Best Lead Actress predictions. And though at the time there wasn’t much buzz around Natalie Portman’s performance in Black Swan, I have a feeling the talk for her is about to increase significantly.
So here it is, the trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s (The Wrestler) latest film, Black Swan. You can find the poster and synopsis after the jump. What do you think of Portman’s performance based on the trailer alone?
More after the jump…
You just have to love Joaquin Phoenix. And if this is the big hoax I am hoping that it is, then I just can’t wait for him to get back to work as one of our finest actors.
The (hopefully) mock doc, I’m Still Here, will be in theatres 9-10-11. It is directed by Casey Affleck.
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