A Reel Fall Preview: Episode I

The Autumn Wind carries a time for great film. The summer months may have brought us the flash and fun in the form of blow-em-ups, shoot-em-alls, caped crusaders and avenging heroes, but the time for cooler breezes carries with it the deeper and thicker dramas in film. As we enter the final months of the year, here are the films to look forward to, Episode I.

September

THE MASTER – Paul Thomas Anderson’s first film since THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007) enters wide release this week. Filmed with the same 70mm cameras Stanley Kubrick used on 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968), Anderson’s post-WWII character-drama features remarkable performances by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Joaquin Phoenix (!).

LOOPER –Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a hit-man who whacks guys after they are sent back in time. Hijinx ensue when Joe’s future-self (Bruce Willis) becomes the next target. LOOPER is a time-travel thriller which has already blown minds at various film festivals this year.

October

FRANKENWEENIE – Tim Burton, the king of the remake, is now remaking his own material; FRANKENWEENIE is a remake of his own short film of the same name. What makes this interesting is that it is Burton’s return to stop-motion puppetry, which he has done before with success (A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, CORPSE BRIDE).

ARGO – Ben Affleck directs and stars in this inspired-by-true-events film about rescuing American diplomats out of Iran. ARGO is picking up tremendous buzz and looks to be an Oscar heavyweight.

KILLNG THEM SOFTLY – The last time Brad Pitt teamed up with director Andrew Dominik, the result was THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (2007); one of the most beautifully shot and well-acted westerns ever made. SOFTLY is a mob/hit-man film which seems to dance between the light and dark side with ease.

CLOUD ATLAS – This film looks to bang your brain with a story of how actions and consequences of individuals affect each other through the past, present and future. The film takes place over centuries with each member of the cast (Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving) appearing in multiple roles as the stories (each with a different director) move through time.

Next Week: Episode II explores November.