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Written by Knight Ridder
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Wednesday, 03 May 2006 |
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By Chris Hewitt
My job is reviewing the movies playing in theaters, but my hobby is anticipating the movies we won’t see for a while.
Heck, I’m already salivating for one fall film (Brian De Palma’s “The Black Dahlia,” with Josh Hartnett) and one Christmas movie (Bill Condon’s “Dreamgirls”). Summer is just around the chilly corner: Hollywood thinks it begins May 5 with the third “Mission: Impossible.”
All of which makes it a good, not-at-all-pathetic time to start thinking about the movies I — and all you other moviegoers — are looking forward to in the next four months.
1. “A Prairie Home Companion”: June 9
It’s not quite fair to say I’m anticipating “Prairie Home,” since I’ve seen it and I already know it’s good. On the other hand, if I hadn’t seen it, I’d be in can’t-wait territory, and I am really looking forward to seeing it again.
2. “Nacho Libre”: June 16
There are a few reasons an upcoming movie gets my attention: a terrific director, an actor with interesting taste, a story that sounds intriguing or a perfect storm that whips up all those elements. That’s the case here. I loved Jared Hess’ “Napoleon Dynamite,” and the role of a priest who becomes a wrestler sounds perfect for Jack Black’s manic talents.
3. “Cars”: June 9
Someday, the folks at Pixar will make a dud. But, at this point, their track record is so glittering I find myself having to tamp down expectations before I see a Pixar movie. Plus, a little birdie who has seen “Cars” tells me it’s another winner.
4. “Harsh Times”: Late June
I don’t know a lot about “Harsh Times,” and I plan to keep it that way. It’s directed by David Ayer, who wrote the smart “Dark Blue,” and it stars Christian Bale, who seems to be attracted to intelligent, disturbing material (if you missed him in “The Machinist.”
5. “The Lady in the Water”: July 21
Lots of folks were disappointed by M. Night Shyamalan’s last movie, “The Village.” Not me (and not just because I finally know how to spell his name without Googling). So I’m thrilled Shyamalan is back with this “bedtime story” about a mermaid, especially since Paul Giamatti plays the guy who discovers her.
6. “Wordplay”: June 16
Somewhere, some graduate student is probably laboring on a thesis about why words make such fine source material for documentaries. Meanwhile, we just keep getting to enjoy such movies as “Spellbound” (spelling bees), “Word Wars” (Scrabble championships) and this portrait of the guy who makes the New York Times crossword puzzles.
7. “Poseidon”: May 12
What can I say? When it’s summer, I want to see things blow up spectacularly. And, although I love “The Poseidon Adventure,” it’s no classic, so I’m willing to believe it can be done better. And the line Kurt Russell says in the trailer — “There’s nothing fair about who lives or dies” — how mouthwatering is that?
8. “The Break-Up”: June 2
There are reasons to worry: How long can Vince Vaughn coast on his wiseguy act? Can Jennifer Aniston be funny outside “Friends”? Why is it that real-life lovers often don’t spark opposite each other on the big screen? But it has Judy Davis in it, for crying out loud, a woman who could make sleeping neurotic and hilarious.
9. “A Scanner Darkly”: July 14
We can put money down that it’ll be the most original-looking film of the summer, since it’s made with the same wiggle-mation technique director Richard Linklater used for “Waking Life”: He shoots the film normally, then animators outline it and color it in.
10. “World Trade Center”: Aug. 11
Could the next few months bring two great Sept.11 movies? The riveting “United 93” ought to put to rest the “Is it too soon?” talk, and Oliver Stone seems like the right guy to tell the story of the two heroic policeman (played by Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena, from “Crash”) who were the last survivors plucked from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. | Only registered users can write comments.
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