10. Tron: Legacy (December 17th) - Disney's original Tron was released in 1982; while it flopped at the box office, it became a cult phenomenon, praised for its revolutionary look. Now, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), the original Tron protagonist, has disappeared, leaving his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) behind. When Sam uncovers a message at an old arcade, a message only his father could send, Sam is sucked into the video game world that has held his father captive for 20 years. While big budget action flicks are usually saved for the summer, it look as though Disney has created a dazzling world with sleek CGI and stunning visuals; need another reason to get excited? Daft Punk is providing an original soundtrack.
9. 127 Hours (November 5th) - Director Danny Boyle's last effort was the belle of the ball at the Academy Awards two years ago; he follows up Slumdog Millionaire with this extraordinary true story of Aron Ralson (James Franco), a mountain climber who cut off his arm to free himself from a fallen boulder in 2003; the title refers to the amount of time Ralson spent trapped. Boyle loves to dabble in different genres, and 127 Hours will be a big shift from the decadence of Slumdog. Still, the trailer features some absolutely breathtaking landscape shots of mountainous Utah.
8. Morning Glory (November 12th) - Rachel McAdams is one of my favorite young talents in Hollywood, and it looks like she's found a winning role in Morning Glory, written by Aline Brosh McKenna, famous for The Devil Wears Prada. McKenna has returned to a young woman thrown into a strange work environment; here, Becky Fuller (McAdams) becomes the head of a struggling morning show, casting a curmudgeonly evening newsman (Harrison Ford) to replace the hole next to the show's famous host (Diane Keaton). Just like with The Devil Wears Prada, this looks like a chick flick that's still very aware of its heart, and of its brain.
7. Hereafter (October 22nd) - Clint Eastwood returns to his directorial duties for this high-concept romance-thriller piece. The film deals with three separate storylines, each grappling with morality and tragedy. The film stars Matt Damon, Bryce Dallas Howard, Cecile de France, and twins Frank and George McLaren; the structure is Bable-esque, stretching across the globe with each vignette. Eastwood has even said that the film is tough to explain. However, Eastwood seems to really push himself as a director here, and the results are bound to be enthralling.
6. Love and Other Drugs (November 24th) - Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway team up again (they last starred together in Brokeback Mountain) in this film based on the memoir Hard Sell, about a playboy pharmaceutical salesman (Gyllenhaal) from the '90s, caught up in the Viagra craze while finally finding himself falling in love (with Hathaway). The film looks to lampoon the pharmaceutical company, possibly giving the movie's central romance a satirical edge reminiscent of Thank You For Smoking. Also, Hathaway has been receiving some serious early Oscar buzz for her performance. Gyllenhaal and Hathaway have boundless chemistry, and the two are bound to shine regardless of the film's final quality.
5. Blue Valentine (December 31st) - After twelve years of production hell, this romance, about a young couple falling in and out of love over six years, became a indie superstar at Sundance last year, created an intense bidding war for distribution rights, and began strong Oscar chatter for stars Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling. While there's only a short clip online, with no official trailer, the film has been lauded by critics along the festival circuit for the movie's unflinching portrayal of a passionate and volatile relationship. Blue Valentine might just give The Kids Are Alright a run for its money as the little-indie-that-could...
4. Black Swan (December 1st) - Movie blogs exploded when early snippets of Darren Aronofsky's script for this psychological thriller circulated online. Natalie Portman plays an ambitious ballerina, struggling to win the lead in a production of Swan Lake. When a new dancer arrives at her studio (Mila Kunis), a dangerous relationship begins between the two women. As the competition heats up, their structured world of ballet begins to fall apart. Aronofsky is know to either hit big (Requiem for a Dream) or miss big (The Fountain), but everything points to Black Swan becoming a visually stunning work of art with simmering eroticism.
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (November 19th) - Does this film need an introduction? Director Richard Yates has truly hit his stride helming the Harry Potter series (he's been on board since Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), and the trailer for the first half of the final installment looks promising. The cold menace felt throughout the final novel drips throughout the film's trailer; the entire gang is back, and they look poised to truly deliver with Harry Potter's final appearance.
2. Never Let Me Go (September 15th) - Based on Kazuo Ishiguro's 2005 novel, this fantastic piece of character-driven drama deserves a solid screen adaptation. The story follows Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley), and Tommy (Andrew Garfield), who spend their childhoods at a boarding school in the English countryside. However, their lives hold many secrets, and their introduction to the real world proves shocking; don't let anyone ruin the narrative and emotional twists. The production for Never Let Me Go looks appropriately lush, and the actors are all brilliantly cast (even if Keira is too pretty to play Ruth...). If this adaptation is anywhere near as strong as the source material, this is certainly a must-see.
1. The Social Network (October 1st) - When plans were first announced for a film about the birth of Facebook, I was incredibly skeptical; the idea seemed odd, and ultimately unnecessary. But then... the trailer was released. Using a haunting and brilliant cover of Radiohead's Creep (Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails is scoring the picture), the trailer is magnificent. David Fincher, one of my favorite directors, is a master at sprawling and atmospheric tales about regular people; his touch is all over The Social Network, and I truly believe that the man could make gold out of anything. Aided with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, Fincher looks to have created a film that truly captures a generation. Sure, not everything in the film is based on the factual events behind Mark Zuckerberg's story, but when has that mattered? The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield (who is also in Never Let Me Go, and was recently cast as the new Spider-Man), and Justin Timberlake. Early screenings of the film have been returned with unbelievable reviews. This is the film to see this fall.
On The Radar
-Ben Affleck surprised with his directorial debut in Gone Baby Gone; he's at it again (and starring this time!) with The Town (September 17th)
-James Franco stars as the poet Allen Ginsberg in Howl (September 24th)
-Hilary Swank has Oscar buzz for Conviction (October 15th)
-The minds behind The Hangover are back with Due Date (November 5th)
-Naomi Watts and Sean Penn are together again (after 21 Grams) with the story of CIA agent Valerie Plame in Fair Game (November 5th)
-Two big directors find themselves in old locales - Sophia Coppola revisits a hotel with Somewhere (December 22nd), and the Coen Brothers are out West again in True Grit (December 25th)
-French director Julian Schnabel follows up The Diving Bell and the Butterfly with Miral (December 3rd)
-Two heralded British imports are on the horizon - Another Year (December 31st) and The King's Speech (November 24th)
-Ben Affleck surprised with his directorial debut in Gone Baby Gone; he's at it again (and starring this time!) with The Town (September 17th)
-James Franco stars as the poet Allen Ginsberg in Howl (September 24th)
-Hilary Swank has Oscar buzz for Conviction (October 15th)
-The minds behind The Hangover are back with Due Date (November 5th)
-Naomi Watts and Sean Penn are together again (after 21 Grams) with the story of CIA agent Valerie Plame in Fair Game (November 5th)
-Two big directors find themselves in old locales - Sophia Coppola revisits a hotel with Somewhere (December 22nd), and the Coen Brothers are out West again in True Grit (December 25th)
-French director Julian Schnabel follows up The Diving Bell and the Butterfly with Miral (December 3rd)
-Two heralded British imports are on the horizon - Another Year (December 31st) and The King's Speech (November 24th)
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