Okay, so I’ve spent most of the last month or so looking back – either at 2009 or the decade 2000-2009, so now let’s look forward. These are the 50 films I am most looking forward to this year. There are a few blockbusters on this list, but generally I look forward to movies based on the directors – and this year some of my favorites will return. Since I’m doing this in mid February, I could call it the most anticipated of the last 10 ½ months of 2010, but the only films that has already been released that would have made this list would have been last weekends’ The Wolf Man and the Red Riding Trilogy. Anyway, over the next 5 days, I will reveal 10 films a day, culminating on Friday with my top 10. Enjoy!
50. Tron: Legacy
Directed By: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Michael Sheen.
Why? Admittedly, the original Tron has not aged all that well, but damn if it still is not cheesy good fun. This sequel brings back Jeff Bridges and also features his son, as they try to escape from the computer world they are trapped in. Michael Sheen will be the movies villain. I have no idea if this film will work or not – but I am dying to find out.
49. After.Life
Directed By: Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo.
Starring: Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, Alfred Molina, Justin Long, Josh Charles
Why? I am a big fan of Christina Ricci, and it still boggles my mind why she doesn’t get more quality roles, since she always does a great job. The film has already been seen by some, and Ricci’s performance features a lot of nudity, and Liam Neeson is said to be great. This is a psychological thriller about a woman trapped between life and death, and the funeral director who wants to bury her alive. I’m not sure when, or even, this is going to score a theatrical release, but I’ll be there when it does.
48. Robin Hood
Directed By: Ridley Scott.
Starring: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, Matthew Macfadyen, William Hurt
Why? I don’t necessarily believe that we need another Robin Hood movie. I mean, seriously, how many have there been at this point? Still, this is the type of film that Ridley Scott usually excels at, and with Crowe, Blanchatt, Strong and Hurt in the cast, it should be well acted and exciting. I still don’t believe anyone will top Alan Rickman’s bad guy in Prince of Thieves however.
47. Welcome to the Rileys
Directed By: Jake Scott.
Starring: Kristen Stewart, James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo, David Jensen
Why? No, I’m not looking forward to this movie because Kristen Stewart plays a stripper in it. (okay, I’m not JUST looking forward to the movie for that reason). The movie set in New Orleans, is said to be a family drama in which James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo play a couple reeling from the death of their daughter, who take on Stewart as kind of a surrogate. With this sort of indie drama about family dysfunction you never know what you’re going to get. This one though looks promising.
46. What’s Wrong with Virginia?
Directed By: Dustin Lance Black.
Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Emma Roberts.
Why? Dustin Lance Black is the Oscar winning screenwriter of Milk, and also worked on my favorite TV shows, Big Love, so I am interested in anything he does. Throw in Ed Harris as a local sheriff running for state Senate, whose life gets complicated when his daughter (Emma Roberts) starts to date the son of the mentally disturbed woman (Jennifer Connelly) he has been having an affair with for 20 years (possibility of incest anyone?). Harris, Connelly and Roberts should guarantee some great acting, and Black has proved he knows how to write. Now can he direct?
45. Salt
Directed By: Philip Noyce.
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Why? The trailer makes this look like a fun summer action movie, and I love those. But director Philip Noyce can also usually be counted on to make intelligent movies – intense thrillers with a little more meat on their bones than most. Jolie is a natural at this type of movie, and with the support of Schreiber and Ejiofor, hopefully this movie will also be well acted.
44. Chloe
Directed By: Atom Egoyan.
Starring: Liam Neesom, Julianne Moore, Amada Seyfried, Max Thierot.
Why? Egoyan may have not been able to recapture the magic that made some of his films – Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter and Felcia’s Journey – brilliant. But having said that his films in the last decade – Ararat, Where the Truth Lies and Adortion have all been very good. I still hope Egoyan can recapture his greatness, and with this cast, Chloe could be that film.
43. Your Highness
Directed By: David Gordon Green.
Starring: Natalie Portman, James Franco, Danny McBride, Zooey Deschanel
Why? This film is getting the benefit of the doubt from movie since it was directed by the great David Gordon Green, and stars three of my favorite young actors – Natalie Portman, James Franco and Zooey Deschanel (and hell, Danny McBride can he funny in the right role). The fantasy film comedy doesn’t look overly promising, based solely on the plot description (please be better than Year One!), but with this talent involved, I have to include it.
42. The Way Back
Directed By: Peter Weir.
Starring: Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess, Mark Strong, Saorise Ronan.
Why? It has been far too long since Peter Weir made a film (his last one was 2003’s Master and Commander). This movie, about seven people who escape from a Siberian prison camp and make their way to India, seems right up Weir’s alley. Ed Harris is always a great actor, and Colin Farrell, Mark Strong and Saorise Ronan are also reliable. Could this be the film where Weir finally wins an Oscar?
41. The Conspirator
Directed By: Robert Redford.
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, James McAvoy, Kevin Kline, Robin Wright Penn.
Why? Redford is an intelligent director, who usually makes fine, adult oriented films for an intelligent audience. This movie, about the lone woman charged in connection with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, will give Redford a chance to do a political period piece, and will hopefully give Evan Rachel Wood a legitimate adult role. The supporting cast also looks solid.
50. Tron: Legacy
Directed By: Joseph KosinskiStarring: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Michael Sheen.
Why? Admittedly, the original Tron has not aged all that well, but damn if it still is not cheesy good fun. This sequel brings back Jeff Bridges and also features his son, as they try to escape from the computer world they are trapped in. Michael Sheen will be the movies villain. I have no idea if this film will work or not – but I am dying to find out.
49. After.Life
Directed By: Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo.Starring: Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, Alfred Molina, Justin Long, Josh Charles
Why? I am a big fan of Christina Ricci, and it still boggles my mind why she doesn’t get more quality roles, since she always does a great job. The film has already been seen by some, and Ricci’s performance features a lot of nudity, and Liam Neeson is said to be great. This is a psychological thriller about a woman trapped between life and death, and the funeral director who wants to bury her alive. I’m not sure when, or even, this is going to score a theatrical release, but I’ll be there when it does.
48. Robin Hood
Directed By: Ridley Scott.Starring: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, Matthew Macfadyen, William Hurt
Why? I don’t necessarily believe that we need another Robin Hood movie. I mean, seriously, how many have there been at this point? Still, this is the type of film that Ridley Scott usually excels at, and with Crowe, Blanchatt, Strong and Hurt in the cast, it should be well acted and exciting. I still don’t believe anyone will top Alan Rickman’s bad guy in Prince of Thieves however.
47. Welcome to the Rileys
Directed By: Jake Scott.Starring: Kristen Stewart, James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo, David Jensen
Why? No, I’m not looking forward to this movie because Kristen Stewart plays a stripper in it. (okay, I’m not JUST looking forward to the movie for that reason). The movie set in New Orleans, is said to be a family drama in which James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo play a couple reeling from the death of their daughter, who take on Stewart as kind of a surrogate. With this sort of indie drama about family dysfunction you never know what you’re going to get. This one though looks promising.
46. What’s Wrong with Virginia?
Directed By: Dustin Lance Black.Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Emma Roberts.
Why? Dustin Lance Black is the Oscar winning screenwriter of Milk, and also worked on my favorite TV shows, Big Love, so I am interested in anything he does. Throw in Ed Harris as a local sheriff running for state Senate, whose life gets complicated when his daughter (Emma Roberts) starts to date the son of the mentally disturbed woman (Jennifer Connelly) he has been having an affair with for 20 years (possibility of incest anyone?). Harris, Connelly and Roberts should guarantee some great acting, and Black has proved he knows how to write. Now can he direct?
45. Salt
Directed By: Philip Noyce.Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Why? The trailer makes this look like a fun summer action movie, and I love those. But director Philip Noyce can also usually be counted on to make intelligent movies – intense thrillers with a little more meat on their bones than most. Jolie is a natural at this type of movie, and with the support of Schreiber and Ejiofor, hopefully this movie will also be well acted.
44. Chloe
Directed By: Atom Egoyan.Starring: Liam Neesom, Julianne Moore, Amada Seyfried, Max Thierot.
Why? Egoyan may have not been able to recapture the magic that made some of his films – Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter and Felcia’s Journey – brilliant. But having said that his films in the last decade – Ararat, Where the Truth Lies and Adortion have all been very good. I still hope Egoyan can recapture his greatness, and with this cast, Chloe could be that film.
43. Your Highness
Directed By: David Gordon Green.
Starring: Natalie Portman, James Franco, Danny McBride, Zooey Deschanel
Why? This film is getting the benefit of the doubt from movie since it was directed by the great David Gordon Green, and stars three of my favorite young actors – Natalie Portman, James Franco and Zooey Deschanel (and hell, Danny McBride can he funny in the right role). The fantasy film comedy doesn’t look overly promising, based solely on the plot description (please be better than Year One!), but with this talent involved, I have to include it.
42. The Way Back
Directed By: Peter Weir.Starring: Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess, Mark Strong, Saorise Ronan.
Why? It has been far too long since Peter Weir made a film (his last one was 2003’s Master and Commander). This movie, about seven people who escape from a Siberian prison camp and make their way to India, seems right up Weir’s alley. Ed Harris is always a great actor, and Colin Farrell, Mark Strong and Saorise Ronan are also reliable. Could this be the film where Weir finally wins an Oscar?
41. The Conspirator
Directed By: Robert Redford.Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, James McAvoy, Kevin Kline, Robin Wright Penn.
Why? Redford is an intelligent director, who usually makes fine, adult oriented films for an intelligent audience. This movie, about the lone woman charged in connection with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, will give Redford a chance to do a political period piece, and will hopefully give Evan Rachel Wood a legitimate adult role. The supporting cast also looks solid.
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