2013 Releases (UK)
Ten films to look out for this year
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| Di Caprio in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street |
If you've ever seen filmmaker Derek Cianfrance talk, it's uncanny how similar his diction and mannerisms are to those of Ryan Gosling. It begins to make sense when you realise that he's been working with the Canadian A-lister, on and off, for the past decade on Blue Valentine and "Pines". This time around, Gosling plays a New York stunt biker turned bank robber trying to support his lover (Eva Mendes) and newborn baby, who clashes with an ambitious cop (Bradley Cooper). The 15-year epic boasts a superb cast including Rose Byrne, Ray Liotta, Ben Mendelsohn, and Chronicle star Dane DeHaan. After also getting a lot of buzz at TIFF, this is a must-see.
Mud - April 26 (trailer here)
Matthew McConaughey has been transformed in the last couple of years with impressive turns in Killer Joe, The Lincoln Lawyer and Magic Mike (although I've yet to partake in that particular "pleasure"). Now he leads talented young writer-director Jeff Nichol's follow up to 2011's critically beloved Take Shelter, which made my Top Ten of that year. His character, an outlaw called Mud, forms an alliance with two young boys in order to find a way back to his true love (Reese Witherspoon). Sounds a bit sentimental for my taste, but in Nichols I trust with this Huckleberry Finn-esque tale.
Serena - September/October
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence's electric chemistry in Silver Linings Playbook didn't go unnoticed. As well as being cast in O Russell's next film, they will be graduating to husband and wife in Serena, helmed by acclaimed Danish director Susanne Bier. Set in Depression-era America, the legacy of George Pemberton's timber empire is made uncertain by his wife's infertility. Other players include Toby Jones, Rhys Ifans and Kim Bodnia of Nicolas Winding Refn's masterpiece Pusher.
Oldboy - October
With this being a remake (or "re-interpretation"), you would think it would be fairly predictable; but this could be anything from an inspired masterstroke to a crashing disaster. Chan-Wook Park's 2003 original (available on Netflix and LOVEFiLM) has garnered a cult following over the last decade, leaving the Hollywood remake with a lot to live up to. Spike Lee, who has had moments of true genius with Do the Right Thing and 25th Hour, directs a cast led by Josh Brolin as well as Sharlto Copley, Elizabeth Olsen and Samuel L Jackson. I am excited, although I'm not sure that's a good thing.
Her - October
The arrival of a new Spike Jonze film is always
a thrilling event. Like a comet flying close to the earth - it’s intriguing,
beautiful, unique and somewhat otherworldly. His first feature for four years has a characteristically quirky storyline about a writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who becomes emotionally involved with a new piece of technology 'designed to meet his every need'. Not exactly sounding boring, is it? Bonkers maybe, but not boring. Rooney Mara, Amy Adams, Samantha Morton and Olivia Wilde make up the rest of the impressive cast.
August: Osage County - November
Probably the most mainstream and Oscar inducing one of the bunch, this adaptation of Tracy Letts' (Bug, Killer Joe) darkly comedic play has a frankly ridiculous cast. Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Chris Cooper have five gold statues between them, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Ewan McGregor and past nominees Juliette Lewis and Sam Shepard also in attendance.This family drama, directed by The West Wing producer John Wells, also has the Weinstein Company's renowned backing. So, if all goes according to plan, expect many nominations and possibly a second Best Picture nod in two years for producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov.
Out of the Furnace - November 29
Since bagging Jeff Bridges an Oscar for the role in his debut Crazy Heart, we haven't heard much from director Scott Cooper. Looks like he's been brewing up something fierce though, with the Black List script of two brothers who get caught up in the gambling racket of the 1980s American Rust Belt. Christian Bale takes the lead as Casey Affleck's brother, with Woody Harrelson, Zoe Saldana, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker and Sam Shepard (again) in tow. With Eddie Vedder (who's soundtrack to Into the Wild is unbelievably good) providing original songs as well, this could be a real peach.
The Double - No date
Richard Ayoade's follow-up to his quirky debut Submarine is a comedy based on the Dostoyevsky novel of the same name, about a man who is driven insane by his doppelganger. Despite filming having finished last summer and with a distributor in place, there still isn't a release date for this one. It stars Jessie Eisenberg (twice, I'm assuming), the wonderful Mia Wasikowska as well as "Submariners" Noah Taylor and Yasmin Paige. Oh, and did I mention that The IT Crowd co-star Chris O'Dowd is making a cameo? Sold!
Since Little Miss Sunshine and last year's underrated Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, I haven't doubted Steve Carrell's serious acting abilities. This seems to be his big chance for awards recognition, because the role really is a doozy. He plays real-life millionaire John du Pont, a paranoid schizophrenic who killed Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) in 1996. Channing Tatum plays Mark Schultz, the brother who's autobiography the film is based upon. Director Bennett Miller's two films thus far, Capote and Moneyball, have amassed eleven Oscar nominations between them, so it's a fair bet this one will be popular with the Academy.
Fledgling Australian writer-director David Michôd burst onto the scene in 2010 with Animal Kingdom. The crime-family drama received a record 18 nominations at the AACTA awards (the Aussie version of the Oscars) and international acclaim. In this new project, billed as a near-future existential Western set in the outback, he's enlisted Guy Pearce again (this time taking the lead role) with the help of Robert Pattinson and Scoot McNairy. This is the least likely of the batch to make a 2013 release but I have a feeling it'll be worth the wait.
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