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2010 is coming to an end and with it, we have a slew of Oscar hopefuls the month of December. My current favorite film of the year is hitting, as well as one film that could easily usurp them all. This final month has your usual kiddie fare as well, but something about the trilogy to avoid this month is uniquely depressing. Check out all my picks below and please look for matinees, as there were a lot of close calls barely missing the Top 10. There will also be a lot of limited releases from last month expanding, so check out that list. Also, many of the films below will likely not reach your city until January, so check out the specific distributors site for a heads up.
See:
10. Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance; Dec. 31st)
Synopsis: A look at the idyllic past and troubled present of working-class couple Dean (Gosling) and Cindy (Williams).
Trailer
Why You Should See It: After getting hit with the cinematic death bullet known as an NC-17 rating, everyone involved is fighting for it to stay uncut. Since premiering at Sundance to excellent reviews, this dark romance is hitting at the end of the month and expect to see Gosling get a Best Actor nod.
9. The Tourist (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck; Dec. 10th)
Synopsis: Frank Taylor (Depp) travels to Venice to recover from a recent break-up, though he soon finds himself engaged by the beautiful and mysterious Elise (Jolie) -- who happens to be an Interpol agent with a dangerous connection to a fugitive criminal.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: After directing the foreign Oscar winner, The Lives of Others, Donnersmarck is out to have a little fun with Depp and Jolie by his side. It certainly won't be an awards contender, but it looks to be a entertaining cat and mouse game.
8. Tron: Legacy (Joseph Kosinski; Dec. 17th)
Synopsis: When Sam (Hedlund) investigates a signal sent from his father's old arcade, he's pulled into the digital world where his dad, Kevin Flynn (Bridges), has been trapped for 20 years. With father and son reunited, they team up with the warrior Quorra (Wilde) on a life-or-death journey across the cyber universe Kevin created.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: Oh, Tron. You look beautiful. You sound beautiful. But I don't know if you will add up to much more than that. Early reports indicate similar thoughts. Then again, you can't go wrong with a 2-hour Daft Punk music video.
7. Rabbit Hole (John Cameron Mitchell; Dec. 17th)
Synopsis: Life for Becca and Howie Corbett (Kidman and Eckhart) spins off its axis after their son dies in a car accident.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: After Hedwig and Shortbus, Mitchell is back with a lowkey, but fantastically written and performed drama. Check out my TIFF review here.
6. The Fighter (David O. Russell; Dec. 10th)
Synopsis: A look at the early years of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward (Wahlberg) and his brother, Dick Eklund (Bale), who helped train to become a pro fighter.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: Mark Wahlberg's passion project has finally made it to the big screen thanks to David O. Russell. Although the trailer looked a bit standard, its surprise debut at AFI fest this month resulted in praise across the board, including talk of a Supporting Actor nomination lock for Christian Bale. It looks like he got skinny enough to qualify as well.
5. Somewhere (Sofia Coppola; Dec. 22nd)
Synopsis: A hard-living actor (Dorff) holed up in the Chateau Marmont gets a reality check when he's visited by his 11-year-old daughter (Fanning).
Trailer
Why You Should See It: With Lost in Translation being one of my favorite films, Coppola's next is one of my most-anticipated of the year. While its reception has been divisive since its debut at Venice, I still can't wait to check it out.
4. Biutiful (Alejandro González Iñárritu; Dec. 29th)
Synopsis: Uxbal (Bardem) is a dour man but a devoted husband and father who, thanks to his ability to read the minds of the recently deceased, ekes out a living in Barcelona.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: After the mixed Babel, this Amores Perros director returns to his roots and brings Javier Bardem with him. After premiering at Cannes, this bleak, dark examination of life certainly won't be for everyone but I'll be first in line....except when I missed it at TIFF.
3. The Way Back (Peter Weir, TBD)
Synopsis: A fact-based story centered on soldiers who escaped from a Siberian gulag in 1940.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: Peter Weir's first film since Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is unfortunately getting an extremely limited release and poor marketing campaign due to financial struggles of its new distributor. Although it may be hard to find, this David Lean-esque epic is quite a rare occurrence nowadays and should be cherished.
2. Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky; Dec. 3rd)
Synopsis: While vying for the coveted lead roles in a production of Swan Lake, a veteran ballerina (Portman) enters into a twisted friendship with a promising new dancer (Kunis) that threatens to consume her.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: Bold, terrifying, gripping, eloquent, beautiful. There aren't enough adjectives to describe Darren Aronofsky's latest horror masterpiece. It's half-Wrestler, half-Fountain and all-amazing. Check out my TIFF review here.
1. True Grit (Coen Brothers; Dec. 22nd)
Synopsis: A young girl recruits a tough U.S. Marshall to track down the man who killed her father.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: If there is one film to surprise us all and end up number one on my year-end list is this western from the Coen Brothers. They have done it twice in the last three years and wouldn't put it pass them again. Master cinematographer Roger Deakins re-teams with the Coens, who direct a stellar cast of Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. This is the perfect Christmas present.
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Avoid:
Gulliver's Travels (Rob Letterman; Dec. 22nd)
Synopsis: Shipwrecked travel writer Lemuel Gulliver (Black) finds himself transported to an island in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle, where he's a giant among the natives, the Lilliputians. Initially taken prisoner, Gulliver becomes a favorite of the court and schemes for a way in which the Lilliputians can outwith their rivals, the Blefuscudians.
Trailer
Why You Should Avoid It: Kicking off our terrible December trilogy is this overblown CGI-fest. Considering that single frame pisses me off, I can't imagine what an hour and half will bring.
Little Fockers (Paul Weitz; Dec. 22nd)
Synopsis: The Focker and the Byrnes families brace themselves for the arrival of a baby.
Trailer
Why You Should Avoid It: I loved Meet the Parents. I even liked Meet the Fockers. This final film just looks like a comedy abomination. At least we can rest knowing it will gross an unfathomable amount more than Ben Stiller's excellent earlier film this year, Greenberg.
Yogi Bear (Eric Brevig; Dec. 17th)
Synopsis: A documentary filmmaker (Faris) travels to Jellystone Park to shoot a project and soon crosses paths with Yogi Bear (voice of Aykroyd) and his sidekick Boo-Boo (voice of Timberlake).
Trailer
Why You Should Avoid It: ....I have no words.
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Matinee:
All Good Things (Andrew Jarecki; Dec. 3rd)
Synopsis: A missing-persons case might spell doom for the heir to a New York real estate dynasty (Gosling), who fell for a young woman from the wrong side of the tracks (Dunst).
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: Jarecki's Capturing The Friedmans is one of the most effective, eye-opening documentaries I've seen. Unfortunately his first foray into narrative feature isn't looking like it is going over too well. Still, with Gosling at the forefront, it's hard not to be curious.
The Warrior's Way (Sngmoo Lee; Dec. 3rd)
Synopsis: A warrior-assassin (Jang Dong-gun) is forced to hide in a small town in the American Badlands after refusing a mission.
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: After shooting occurred in 2007, this warrior western tale is finally get a release. I have no idea why it is the sole wide release of the weekend, but that's gotta be worth something...right?
How Do You Know (James L. Brooks; Dec. 17th)
Synopsis: Feeling a bit past her prime at 27, former athlete Lisa Jorgenson (Witherspoon) finds herself in the middle of a love triangle, as a corporate guy in crisis (Rudd) competes with Lisa's current, baseball-playing beau (Wilson).
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: It pains me inside to put a James L. Brooks film under matinee, but that is simply how strong the line-up is this month. Featuring a strong cast, this supposedly isn't Oscar-Brooks but should be a fun date movie.
Night Catches Us (Tanya Hamilton; Dec. 3rd)
Synopsis: Philadelphia, 1976: After a mysterious absence, Marcus (Mackie) returns to the neighborhood where he came of age during the Black Power movement. As the past catches up with him, he finds himself accused of orchestrating the murder of a Panther, while his connection to an old friend (Washington) intensifies.
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: After his strong performance in The Hurt Locker, Anthony Mackie commands this look into the Black Panther movement. Nominated for Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards and securing a Grand Jury nomination at Sundance, this is one indie with promise.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (Jalmari Helander; Dec. 3rd)
Synopsis: An archaeological dig in Lapland's Korvatunturi Mountains unearths Santa Claus, but what surfaces is no benevolent St. Nick. Soon, children start disappearing, causing a son, father, and his pack on hunters to take on a dangerous mission to capture Santa.
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: It's a killer f*cking Santa Claus.
The Company Men (John Wells; Dec. 10th)
Synopsis: A drama centered a year in the lives of three businessmen (Affleck, Cooper, Jones) who look to what's next in their lives after being laid off by their company.
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: I saw this a few weeks ago and while it is certainly effective, I didn't love it. Affleck, Cooper, and Jones all give solid performances though and Roger Deakins' cinematography adds that special touch.
The Tempest (Julie Taymor; Dec. 10th)
Synopsis: A power grab finds Prospera (Mirren), the rightful Duchess of Milan, exiled to a remote island with her young daughter, Miranda (Jones). Asserting influence over the island, Prospera develops a new enemy: the slave Caliban (Hounsou), who looks to raise a rebellion against his foe.
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: Only Taymor could provide something as wacky as this Shakespearan adaptation. Its New York Film Festival and Venice debuts didn't exactly go over too well, but it looks like the kind of film you have to experience to find out yourself.
Another Year (Mike Leigh; Dec. 29th)
Synopsis: A look at four seasons in the lives of a happily married couple (Broadbent and Sheen), and their relationships with their family and friends -- who are all quite miserable.
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: This Cannes debut garnered extremely positive reviews, but it seems to be geared much more for the older crowd. Read our mixed NYFF review here.
Casino Jack (George Hickenlooper; Dec. 17th)
Synopsis: Super lobbyist Jack Abramoff (Spacey) and his business partner Michael Scanlon (Pepper) build an empire by dealing and scheming with some of the world's most powerful people, until a plot with a mob-connected associate (Lovitz) brings scandal, headlines, and a prison sentence.
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: This last film from director George Hickenlooper, who suddenly passed away late last month, has received above-average reviews if only for Spacey's performance. It should go well with Alex Gibney's documentary of the same subject, released earlier this year.
I Love You, Phillip Morris (Glenn Ficarra & John Requa; Dec. 3rd)
Synopsis: On his second go-round behind bars, scam artist Steven Russell (Carrey) commits the ultimate con in order to break out and win back the heart of Phillip Morris (McGregor), with whom he fell in love during his first prison sentence.
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: Delay after delay after delay, we are finally see the next film from the writers of Bad Santa. Being one of my favorite comedies, I'm looking forward to see what is in store.
Country Strong (Shana Feste; Dec. 22nd)
Synopsis: A drama centered on a rising country-music songwriter (Hedlund) who sparks with a fallen star (Paltrow). Together, they mount his ascent and her comeback, which leads to romantic complications involving her husband/manager (McGraw) and a beauty queen-turned-singer (Meester).
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: Tapping into the Crazy Heart buzz, this award-hopeful latecomer will have to be something special to replicate. Paltrow is no Bridges, but it will be interesting to see her try.
Frankie and Alice (Geoffrey Sax; Dec. 17th)
Synopsis: A drama centered on a woman with multiple personality disorder (Berry) who struggles to remain her true self and not give in to her racist alter-personality.
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: Another Oscar-season late arrival, with Berry trying her hardest to secure any sort of award recognition. Early buzz says the effort is valiant, but it falls a bit short.
The Illusionist (Sylvain Chomet; Dec. 25th)
Synopsis: Set at the end of the vaudeville era, a stage magician finds his talents less and less in demand. Performing at a village pub off the coast of Scotland, he encounters Alice, an innocent young girl, who will change his life forever.
Trailer
Why You Should See a Matinee: The latest feature from the director that brought us The Triplets of Belleville. Look for it to be among the three animation Oscar nominations.
What are you seeing this month? What are you avoiding?
