Awards Season Trailers: Suffragette, Bridge of Spies, The Martian and more!

It’s June, you know what that means. It's time to roll out trailers for films releasing in the latter half of the year that could potentially have an awards presence. Hence, you’ll find Hollywood’s A-list Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Matt Damon all featured in the trailers for Suffragette, Bridge of Spies and The Martian respectively. The films below all come with good pedigree with award-winning and nominated directors, screenwriters, and actors showcasing their latest work.

The early struggle of the British women’s suffrage moment and their fight for equality is the focus of director Sarah Gavron (Brick Lane) and screenwriter Abi Morgan (The Hour). The mostly British cast, minus Meryl Streep, of Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Whishaw and Romola Garai show how dangerous and brutal a fight the feminist movement had to have an equal voice. Streep, who plays British activist Emmeline Pankhurst, can be counted as an honorary Brit, after all, she did win her third Oscar for portraying the late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Come awards season, Suffragette could land potential nominations for best film and lead and supporting nominations for its actresses. The film releases in theatres on October 23, 2015.

James Marsh’s 2008 documentary Man on Wire on Phillippe Petit’s daring walk between the World Trade Towers already won the Best Documentary Oscar. Now, director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Back to the Future) is retelling Petit’s story from his book, To Reach the Clouds. With Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Petit and Oscar winner Ben Kingsley, The Walk recreates his famous 1974 walk in breathtaking 3D and will be showcased on the large screen IMAX format. Best of all, the film gives Gordon-Levitt the chance to show off his French accent. The self-confessed Francophile has been a fluent French speaker for years. Take that, Bradley Cooper! The Walk, with Zemeckis’s previous Oscar and Golden Globe wins, might gain best film, director and lead actor nominations for Gordon-Levitt. It releases in theatres on October 2 and will have its premiere as it opens the New York Film Festival on September 25, 2015.

Based on writer Jon Krakauer’s (Into the Wild) book Into Thin Air, Everest details the 1996 fatal climb to Mount Everest. A strong ensemble cast of Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson and Jake Gyllenhaal take us throw the harrowing expedition which takes a turn for the worse once a severe snow storm hits. Directed by Baltasar Kormakur (2 Guns) and co-written by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) and William Nicholson, Everest also features a score by Oscar-winning composer Dario Marianelli (Atonement). Lately, most true life stories get recognized for their screenplay and direction, Everest too could like be nominated for the same. I have a feeling it could also squeeze through the technical categories, especially for VFX, if all the superhero films don’t crowd it out. Everest releases in theatres on September 18, 2015.

This is collaboration number 124578 between director Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Hanks. No, not really, but the Spielberg-Hanks partnership goes way back to 1990 when they first worked together a little film called Joe Versus the Volcano. (Sidebar: This ‘little’ film is a gem, do watch it if you can.) Based on the true life story of the 1960 incident when an US spy plane was shot down in Soviet airspace, Bridge of Spies is also adapted from the book of the same name by Giles Whittell. Co-starring Mark Rylance, Amy Adams and Alan Alda, this Spielberg-directed cold war thriller could land plenty of nominations during awards season. The prolific Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, have contributed to the screenplay and composer Thomas Newman could earn his 13th Oscar nomination for the score. Could the 13th time be the charm? Bridge of Spies releases in theaters on October 16, 2015.

We just saw Matt Damon play a stranded astronaut in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. He’s back to repeat the experience, this time on the red planet, Mars, closer to home. Directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator) and featuring a screenplay by Drew Godard (World War Z), The Martian is based on the popular novel by Andy Weir. The film costars Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Kate Mara and Chiwetel Ejiofor in this intense story of a man surviving and trying to find his way back to Earth. Damon could find himself once again competing for lead actor and this film, like Everest, will feature prominently in the technical categories like sound and VFX as well. The Martian releases in theaters on October 2, 2015.

These are just five of the many award hopefuls releasing in the second half of the year. What film are you most looking forward to?

Movie Review: Prisoners

The thriller as a genre has evolved in the last decade or so. The chase, the hunt and the suspense have all become big action pieces sequences of cars, explosions and CGI. So when a quiet thriller like Prisoners comes along, we must appreciate it for its excellent storytelling and the non-reliance of the big spectacle in the final act.

A Thanksgiving lunch among family friends leads to the disappearance of the young daughters in the families of Dover and Birch. They all handle the news differently. Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is fixated on possible suspect Alex Jones (Paul Dano).  Franklin (Terrance Howard) and Nancy (Viola Davis) Birch are experiencing the various stages of grief and anger. While Grace Dover (Maria Bello) can barely get herself out of bed. 

Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) who's been assigned the case has to deal with them all while pursuing the elusive kidnapper and trying to find the girls, alive. Believe me when I tell you that no summary can do justice to the way these plotlines unfold onscreen.  Director Denis Villeneuve (Incendies) and legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins set the up somber, wintery mood which is accentuated with stark shadows and gloomy interiors. 

They describe how the characters are living in their own personal despair and hell as situations go out of their control. This is one of those rare films that doesn't give it all away in the trailer. There is much to discover and ponder as the film races along to the inevitable climax where it must all come to a head. 

Kudos also to the great ensemble cast of Prisoners who all bring their A-game to make the film one of the best of this fall. Hugh Jackman doesn't get enough credit for his dramatic roles and Jake Gyllenhaal is very good as the detective who has never lost a case and doesn't want this case to be the first. But you won't be able to forget Paul Dano whose character is suspicious with a capital S.  

It's been a long time since a great thriller held me from beginning to end. And the last scene will definitely make you gasp. In fact, certain parts of the film reminded me of the great Argentinean film The Secret in Their Eyes. I have a feeling the film's story can cause great debates about many of the characters' actions in the film especially Keller Dover's. 

Make time for Prisoners in your fall movie schedule. 

Directed by Denis Villeneuve; Written by Aaron Guzikowski; Cinematography by Roger Deakins; Editing by Joel Cox and Gary Coach; Music by Johann Johannsson

Rating:

Around the World in Posters: X-Men, Saving Mr. Banks, How To Train Your Dragon 2 and more!

 I would watch any movie of Rooney Mara's, I find her choice of movie roles fascinating. 

 Here she is in Ain't Them Bodies Saints.

 

How do I get myself one of those T-shirts? 

Keri Russell plays out the ultimate Jane Austen fantasy in Austenland.

 I love this busy comic poster of The To Do List.



Beautiful poster of Saving Mr. Banks with Walt Disney and P.J. Travers
alongside their creations, Mickey Mouse and Mary Poppins.

 More posters of X-Men, Don Jon, Saving Mr. Banks, Diana and more after the cut!

Movie Review: Source Code

Ok, full disclosure: I'm a Jake Gyllenhaal fan.  So, this review might tend to have some Jake bias as well some sentences talking about how pretty his eyes.  Sorry, moving along.   Let's get it to it.  I had been awaiting this movie ever since I saw the trailer last year.  A sci-fi Groundhog Day! Count me in.

Source Code opens with Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) waking up on a train that heading into Chicago and he realizes that he is somehow in the body of another person, Sean Fentress, a teacher.  And, oh yeah, there's a bomb on the train, too.  It turns out that Stevens is in military program called the Source Code that allows you to inhabit the body of a person 8 minutes before their death.  There is supposed another bomb exploding later in the day and Stevens has to figure who the bomber is to prevent another disaster from unfolding.  That was the easy part. 

The audience shares those 8 minutes over and over again with Stevens as he tries to orient himself to his surroundings and narrow down the list of suspects.  I liked the parts where he had to solve the mystery, I just wish the suspects had been a bit more entertaining.  And I thought the location of the bomb was found out too easily.  Make the mystery a bit harder.  

But, and there is a but the movie sells itself on the chemistry between Sean/Colter and Christina's characters.  Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan) is a fellow commuter on the train and yes, you guessed it, the love interest.  Stevens becomes fixated on saving Christina which helps him succeed on his mission to find the bomber and leads to surprising twist of a ending.  I liked it, it showed promise.  

Overall, a great action flick that I wish contained more of the mystery behind the who-done-it but covers it nicely by focusing the action on the main characters.  Definitely worth a watch.  

Directed by Duncan Jones; Written by Ben Ripley; Cinematography by Don Burgess; Editing by Paul Hirsch; Music by Chris Bacon

Additional Cast: Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, Michael Arden, Cas Anvar, Russell Peters

Rating: