It's that time of year again. Now that we've had the wits scared out of us during September and October, and we've seen a major tentpole title (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1) dominate November, it's time for the winter season rush.
Usually during the months of late November and December, there's a rather fine mixture of potential Oscar contenders (films like The Fighter and Black Swan) and big-budget "event" pictures (like The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Tron: Legacy). But there's also kid-friendly fodder (Yogi Bear) and a random crowd-pleasing comedy (Little Fockers). Sometimes there's a Christmas feature, but that tends to happen every other year.
Then we get into the heavy winter months – January and February. While these films aren't often the cream of the crop, a few gems tend to pop up every now and then. So, without further ado, here's a rundown of what's headed your way this winter.
Release Date: December 3 (U.S.); January 21 (UK); January 13 (AU)
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Director Darren Aronofsky is a bit of a cinematic anomaly. He rarely repeats himself, often switching genres and narratives completely with each passing film. He followed up the heady existential sci-fi drama, The Fountain, with the gritty, raw nerve of The Wrestler. Now he's taking on the world of ballet in Black Swan. Starring the always-competent Natalie Portman, the continually impressive Mila Kunis, and international star Vincent Cassel, Black Swan seems to be a potent, haunting mixture of horror and psychological drama.
If our 9/10 review from the UK office is any indication, Black Swan has a solid chance to send Aronofsky and cast back to the red carpet come awards season. If not, the director can always try his hand again with The Wolverine. But don't count on seeing that one running the awards circuit. However, anything is possible with this talented filmmaker.
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Director Darren Aronofsky is a bit of a cinematic anomaly. He rarely repeats himself, often switching genres and narratives completely with each passing film. He followed up the heady existential sci-fi drama, The Fountain, with the gritty, raw nerve of The Wrestler. Now he's taking on the world of ballet in Black Swan. Starring the always-competent Natalie Portman, the continually impressive Mila Kunis, and international star Vincent Cassel, Black Swan seems to be a potent, haunting mixture of horror and psychological drama.
If our 9/10 review from the UK office is any indication, Black Swan has a solid chance to send Aronofsky and cast back to the red carpet come awards season. If not, the director can always try his hand again with The Wolverine. But don't count on seeing that one running the awards circuit. However, anything is possible with this talented filmmaker.
Release Date: December 3 (U.S.); December 3 (UK); January 26 (AU)
Studio: Relativity Media
What a strange and interesting genre mash-up this film is. Part martial arts flick, part western, part fantasy, with a pretty heavy dash of Tarantino flare, not to mention winks to cult hits like Carnivale and Sukiyaki Western Django added in for good measure. In all likelihood, The Warrior's Way is not going to appeal to the masses. It's the sort of film that will inevitably find a small, but dedicated cult audience.
Combining the sensibilities of both the western and martial arts genres isn't anything new, but the fantasy aspects of the story, and clever sword fights seen in the trailer, are enough to make this film quite enticing. And the cast -- including Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush, Danny Huston and Dong-gun Jang -- is pretty eclectic. However, this is writer-director Sngmoo Lee's first film, so things could fall apart. Cult enthusiasts and genre fans might want to give this one a whirl.
Studio: Relativity Media
What a strange and interesting genre mash-up this film is. Part martial arts flick, part western, part fantasy, with a pretty heavy dash of Tarantino flare, not to mention winks to cult hits like Carnivale and Sukiyaki Western Django added in for good measure. In all likelihood, The Warrior's Way is not going to appeal to the masses. It's the sort of film that will inevitably find a small, but dedicated cult audience.
Combining the sensibilities of both the western and martial arts genres isn't anything new, but the fantasy aspects of the story, and clever sword fights seen in the trailer, are enough to make this film quite enticing. And the cast -- including Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush, Danny Huston and Dong-gun Jang -- is pretty eclectic. However, this is writer-director Sngmoo Lee's first film, so things could fall apart. Cult enthusiasts and genre fans might want to give this one a whirl.
Release Date: December 10 (U.S.); December 9 (UK); December 3 (AU)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
The first journey to C.S. Lewis' Narnia received mixed results from fans and critics, but went on to be a massive hit and a classic in its own way. The second film, Prince Caspian, was an overall improvement over the first film in several departments, but some found the film's darker sensibilities off-putting. Sadly, that film didn't see the box office acclaim of its predecessor, and Disney dropped plans for a third picture.
But it wasn't long before 20th Century Fox bought the rights to the franchise and here we are... the third chapter in the Narnia series. Presented in Digital 3D, and featuring some of the Narnia series' most fantastical worlds, Voyage of the Dawn Treader could end up being the return to form this franchise desperately needs. Or, it could be the final nail in the coffin. Audiences, ultimately, will be the judge there.
Studio: 20th Century Fox
The first journey to C.S. Lewis' Narnia received mixed results from fans and critics, but went on to be a massive hit and a classic in its own way. The second film, Prince Caspian, was an overall improvement over the first film in several departments, but some found the film's darker sensibilities off-putting. Sadly, that film didn't see the box office acclaim of its predecessor, and Disney dropped plans for a third picture.
But it wasn't long before 20th Century Fox bought the rights to the franchise and here we are... the third chapter in the Narnia series. Presented in Digital 3D, and featuring some of the Narnia series' most fantastical worlds, Voyage of the Dawn Treader could end up being the return to form this franchise desperately needs. Or, it could be the final nail in the coffin. Audiences, ultimately, will be the judge there.
Release Date: December 10 (U.S.); December 10 (UK); December 27 (AU)
Studio: Columbia Pictures
OK, if you've seen the trailer, you know this film sort of looks like every other Angelina Jolie action film. There's a dash of Salt and gobs of Mr. and Mrs. Smith spread throughout. But honestly, who could pass up the opportunity to watch powerful duo Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie together in one movie? The film follows an American tourist, Frank (Depp), who finds himself caught up in international espionage and intrigue once he meets Elise (Jolie).
Admittedly, given that director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (say that 10 times fast) is known more for his dramatic work (The Lives of Others), it's a safe guess the trailer for this one is a bit misleading, playing to what's worked for Jolie in the past. Expect to be pleasantly surprised when this film plays less like this summer's Knight and Day and more like a genuine spy drama.
Studio: Columbia Pictures
OK, if you've seen the trailer, you know this film sort of looks like every other Angelina Jolie action film. There's a dash of Salt and gobs of Mr. and Mrs. Smith spread throughout. But honestly, who could pass up the opportunity to watch powerful duo Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie together in one movie? The film follows an American tourist, Frank (Depp), who finds himself caught up in international espionage and intrigue once he meets Elise (Jolie).
Admittedly, given that director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (say that 10 times fast) is known more for his dramatic work (The Lives of Others), it's a safe guess the trailer for this one is a bit misleading, playing to what's worked for Jolie in the past. Expect to be pleasantly surprised when this film plays less like this summer's Knight and Day and more like a genuine spy drama.
Release Date: December 10 (U.S.); March 4 (UK); TBD (AU)
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Across the Universe director Julie Taymor takes on one of William Shakespeare's strangest tales, The Tempest. Given Taymor's track record for delivering stark, visually alluring but often emotionally empty films, expect The Tempest to be rich with eye-popping visuals, but don't necessarily expect a whole lot else. That said, Taymor is destined to eventually strike the balance between artistic allure and emotional storytelling. Perhaps this is just the film to do that.
Even more intriguing, though, is the film's all-star cast, including Helen Mirren, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Alan Cumming, Chris Cooper and Djimon Hounsou. While it's not necessarily shocking to see British performers doing Shakespeare, such an impressive, wide array of talent is a bit unexpected and somewhat refreshing. The Tempest will likely strike a chord with cult fans, Shakespeare enthusiasts and possibly fans of the film The Fall, directed by Tarsem Singh (if you haven't seen that film already, be sure to check it out).
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Across the Universe director Julie Taymor takes on one of William Shakespeare's strangest tales, The Tempest. Given Taymor's track record for delivering stark, visually alluring but often emotionally empty films, expect The Tempest to be rich with eye-popping visuals, but don't necessarily expect a whole lot else. That said, Taymor is destined to eventually strike the balance between artistic allure and emotional storytelling. Perhaps this is just the film to do that.
Even more intriguing, though, is the film's all-star cast, including Helen Mirren, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Alan Cumming, Chris Cooper and Djimon Hounsou. While it's not necessarily shocking to see British performers doing Shakespeare, such an impressive, wide array of talent is a bit unexpected and somewhat refreshing. The Tempest will likely strike a chord with cult fans, Shakespeare enthusiasts and possibly fans of the film The Fall, directed by Tarsem Singh (if you haven't seen that film already, be sure to check it out).
Release Date: December 10 (U.S.); February 4 (UK); TBD (AU)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Despite delivering several of the finest on-screen performances of the past decade, Christian Bale has never really gotten the Oscar recognition he rightfully deserves. Well, this might just be the film to do it for the A-lister. Based on the life of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg), The Fighter is a hard-hitting drama about the toxic relationship between two brothers -- one with success in his sights, the other with nothing but failure in his future.
Not only does the story scream Oscar fare, but Bale's haunting transformation into Dickie Eklund might just be his best yet.
Early trailers for the film indicated a fairly schmaltzy narrative, but the latest trailers seem to point to a far more complex, daring story. Director David O. Russell (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees) is certainly an interesting choice, too. He actually replaced Darren Aronofsky who left the project shortly after the success of The Wrestler.
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Despite delivering several of the finest on-screen performances of the past decade, Christian Bale has never really gotten the Oscar recognition he rightfully deserves. Well, this might just be the film to do it for the A-lister. Based on the life of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg), The Fighter is a hard-hitting drama about the toxic relationship between two brothers -- one with success in his sights, the other with nothing but failure in his future.
Not only does the story scream Oscar fare, but Bale's haunting transformation into Dickie Eklund might just be his best yet.
Bale's haunting transformation into Dickie Eklund might just be his best yet.
Early trailers for the film indicated a fairly schmaltzy narrative, but the latest trailers seem to point to a far more complex, daring story. Director David O. Russell (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees) is certainly an interesting choice, too. He actually replaced Darren Aronofsky who left the project shortly after the success of The Wrestler.
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