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It’s fall — time to break out the Oscar bait
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“Flags of Our Fathers”
Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach, Paul Walker, Jamie Bell, Barry Pepper, John Benjamin Hickey
Director: Clint Eastwood
Story: The inspiring photo of six men lifting the American flag on Mt. Surabachi at Iwo Jima comes to life in this film that follows three of the surviving soldiers (Phillippe, Beach and Bradford) from the battlefield back to the states where they embark on a war-bond tour. The soldiers must balance the horrors of war with the patriotic adulation of the public.
Buzz: This is just one of two films Eastwood is helming dealing with Iwo Jima. The other, “Letters from Iwo Jima” (scheduled for a 2007 release) is from the perspective of Japanese soldiers and stars Ken Watanabe (“The Last Samurai”). Paul Haggis (“Crash,” “Million Dollar Baby”) penned the screenplay. Eastwood has been on a hot streak for the last few years. Doing two Iwo Jima films back-to-back is sure to garner him some accolades. Hollywood Elsewhere’s Jeffrey Wells’ read Haggis’ script and wrote that the story “is about the loneliness and apartness of young soldiers living in two worlds — the godawful battle-of-Iwo-Jima world where everything is ferocious and pure and absolute, and the confusing, lost-in-the-shuffle world of back home, where almost everything feels off and incomplete.”
Web site: NA
“Marie Antoinette”
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Judy Davis, Rip Torn, Rose Byrne, Asia Argento, Molly Shannon, Shirley Henderson, Danny Huston, Steve Coogan
Director: Sofia Coppola
Story: Coppola gives the historical film a modern twist in this story of a 14-year-old Austrian princess (Dunst) who marries the future King of France (Schwartzman) and finds herself in the decadent court of Versailles, cut off from everyone. The film’s twist is that it uses ’80s tunes by bands like Gang of Four, Bow Wow Wow, The Cure and New Order. Dunst described her character to Entertainment Weekly by saying, “She’s living in this pretty prison. Nobody’s on her side. She has no one.”
Buzz: This film was notoriously booed by French audiences when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. But you may want to keep in mind the French don’t have the most sympathetic view of the title character. American critics weren’t quite so harsh on the film. Both Variety and the Hollywood Reporter gave the film good marks, with Reporter critic Kirk Honeycutt calling it, “A smart and empathetic take on an often reviled historical personality.” And sorry, Zach Braff, but this is really the soundtrack to buy.
Web site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/marieantoinette/
“Flicka”
Starring: Alison Lohman, Tim McGraw, Maria Bello, Ryan Kwanten
Director: Michael Mayer
Story: Based on Mary O’Hara’s novel, “My Friend Flicka,” this film tells the story of a wild girl (Lohman) who meets her match in a mustang she names Flicka. She dreams of taking over her father’s (country singer McGraw) ranch, but he wants her to go to college. Bello co-stars as Lohman’s mom; while Kwanten plays the boy who catches her eye.
Buzz: This girl-meets-horse story should draw in those female tweens. Mayer directed the well-made but ultimately unsatisfying “A Home at the End of the World.” Lohman (“Matchstick Men,” “White Oleander”) really seems beyond roles like this, as does Bello (“A History of Violence”). Are there just no good roles for actresses or could there be something more to this little film? Kwanten is best known for his role as Jay on the TV series, “Summerland.”
Web site: http://www.flickamovie.com/
“The Prestige”
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Andy Serkis, Piper Perabo, David Bowie
Director: Christopher Nolan
Story: Bale and Jackman star as Alfred and Robert, magicians who start out as friends and end up in a bitter rivalry in this film based on the novel by Christopher Priest. As Bale ramps up his game, Jackman begins to wonder if his tricks are real, and as the showier magician, he’s determined to find out. Caine co-stars as Jackman’s manager.
Buzz: Batman takes on Wolverine — well, sort of. It’s actually quite nice to see Jackman and Bale take a break from saving the world. This is Nolan’s first film since “Batman Begins” and it would be fun it he went back to the twists that made “Memento” such a brain bender. Nolan and his brother Jonathan spent seven year’s adapting Priest’s novel.
Web site: http://touchstone.movies.go.com/index.html?dlink=prestige
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“Running with Scissors”
Starring: Annette Bening, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jill Clayburgh, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Gabrielle Union, Joseph Cross
Director: Ryan Murphy
Story: Cross plays Augusten Burroughs in this adaptation of his memoir. When his alcoholic father (Baldwin) leaves and his bipolar mother (Bening) decides she needs to be a famous poet, Burroughs is adopted by his parents’ therapist, Dr. Finch (Cox). In Finch’s home Burroughs finds a collection of odd characters including his daughters (Paltrow and Wood), and a life that seemingly has no rules.
Buzz: Bening always has a good shot at Oscar, particularly with a meaty role like this one. Director Murphy is best known as the creator of the saucy TV series “Nip/Tuck.” Ever since Baldwin gave up being a leading man and switched to character roles, he’s become a much more interesting actor. Cox (“Adaptation,” “Deadwood”) is an incredible actor who’s also a threat for an Oscar nod here. Though Cross has done some TV and film work, this is his first real leading role (he also appears in “Flags of Our Fathers”).
Web site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/runningwithscissors/
“Catch a Fire”
Starring: Robert Hobbs, Derek Luke, Bonnie Mbuli, Tim Robbins
Director: Philip Noyce
Story: Based on the true story of Patrick Chamusso (Luke), an oil refinery worker who was wrongfully imprisoned in apartheid-era South Africa while his family was brutalized. After he’s released, he becomes a rebel fighter and political activist, taking action against the apartheid government. Robbins plays policeman Nick Vos, who’s on Chamusso’s tail and responsible for his original imprisonment.
Buzz: More Oscar bait here, particularly from Robbins, who gets a chance to play against type — in a villain role for a change. Noyce is probably best known for thrillers like “Patriot Games” and “Clear and Present Danger,” but has also made some compelling political films (“Rabbit Proof Fence,” “The Quiet American”). Luke has his breakout role in “Antowne Fisher” and should give an equally meaty performance here.
Web site: http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/film.php?filmID=94
“Saw III”
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus MacFadyen, Bahar Soomekh, Dina Meyer
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Story: Amanda (Smith) is serial killer Jigsaw’s (Bell) apprentice in this third installment of the death-trap laced horror franchise. Dr. Lynn Devlin (Soomekh) is kidnapped and brought to a warehouse where she’s told she must keep on-the-edge-of-death Jigsaw alive for as long as it takes another victim, Jeff (MacFadyen) to complete his own deadly game.
Buzz: If you saw the first two and have a thirst for more “horror porn” (as this genre has been dubbed) this should quench it. Bousman directed the second film and is excited to have a woman in charge of the knives this time. He told Premiere magazine, “Besides documentaries or movies like ‘Monster,’ you don’t ever see females taking lives.” Fun for the whole family, right?
Web site: http://www.saw3.com/
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