It was a pretty horrid summer in terms of quality cinema. We were drowned in a sea of over-budgeted blockbusters about superheroes—many of which were sequels or tent-poles. The critics and blogs were all over the issue ad nauseum: I can’t tell you how may think pieces I’ve read in the past few months about the sordid state of American commercial cinema (I’m looking at you, Vulture). After so much derivative destruction porn, one can begin to despair. Can Hollywood still dare to risk disappointment for higher art? Can producers still trust proven artistically-minded directors with forward-thinking motion pictures rather than money and brand names?
But don’t just throw down your hat, swear off the movies forever, and live the rest of your lives re-watching Breaking Bad and Orange is the New Black. The summer is over and this fall promises to be one of the most exciting seasons at the movies in recent memory
Here are a few I’m most excited for:
Gravity
The excitement over Alfonso Cuaròn’s upcoming space epic has reached insurmountable heights. The anticipation largely is founded upon a sense of visual awe and extreme fear. “Gravity” chronicles two astronauts (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) who desperately attempt to survive a disastrous meteor shower while suspended in deep space. The film seems to tap into a primal fear yet to be explored in mainstream cinema—it’s like being stuck in open water, but only in a deeper oblivion. “Gravity” may just be the “Jaws” of the new millennium. Purported to begin with a 17 minute opening shot, Gravity has been gestating for four years as technological development has slowly caught up to Cuaròn’s bold vision. If it’s anything like his visionary “Children of Men” (his last film which came out when freshmen were in elementary school) “Gravity” is shaping up to be the most important space film since “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
12 Years a Slave
In 1841 there was an African-American freeman named Solomon Northup; he had a wife and three children and was a skilled carpenter and fiddler. One day his life changed. He was deceived, drugged and sold onto a plantation where he was a slave for twelve brutal years. This film marks another entry in a recent trend of films that take up themes of slavery and racial inequality in America (the others being “Django Unchained” and “The Butler”). But Irish director Steve McQueen (“Shame,” “Hunger”) will no doubt create a far different kind of picture than Quentin Tarrantino or Lee Daniels. Given McQueen’s pedigree as a visual artist and his immersive and gritty style, I expect this film to be nothing short of revelatory.
Captain Phillips
Paul Greengrass (“United 93,” “Bourne Ultimatum”) is a director who is never afraid to shy away of political issues. He boasts a style marked by handheld cameras that evoke an intense realism and frenetic atmosphere. His films often tackle real world accounts of terrorism head on, challenging the viewer to examine brutal acts of violence. “Captain Phillips” seems, in some sense, to follow the trusty “Die Hard” model for actions flicks: a singular, industrial location (cargo ship; check), uncompromising and sadistic villains (Somalian pirates; check) and unwilling but inevitably capable hero (Hanks; double check).
All is Lost
One of the most exciting and sadly overlooked films in recent history is J.C. Chandor’s debut feature, “Margin Call.” Boasting a dynamic ensemble cast, it’s an expertly dramatic chronicle of the first night of a financial firm’s catastrophic implosion. But Chandor’s newest film takes those same elements that made his first film successful, and essentially discards them. “All is Lost” has only one character (played by Robert Redford) and the narrative follows him alone on his boat while he is lost at sea. Unlike the recent shipwreck film “Life of Pi,” Chandor’s film has virtually no dialogue. The change in tone and subject is striking and certainly intriguing, and hopefully Redford will turn a far stronger performance than he did in this spring’s paltry “The Company You Keep.”
The Wolf of Wall Street
Martin Scorsese back in the saddle, taking a look at the excess and power of the 1 percent. DiCaprio picking up where he left off with Gatbsy, except with a little humor and a hefty tint of douche-baggery. Mathew McConaughey pounding his chest like a gorilla. Throw in a few yachts, Jonah Hill, a monkey walking around the office—and Kanye’s in the trailer! What’s not to like?
The Counselor
Though “Prometheus” was ultimately nothing more than a glorified reboot of the long-dead “Alien” franchise, Ridley Scott always has the potential to deliver a visceral rush when the material is strong enough. The new drama has Scott back in the present day (a time period he tends to avoid), as we follow a lawyer (Michael Fassbender) who finds himself caught deep in an intoxicating world of drug trafficking. The screenplay is credited to renowned writer Cormac McCarthy (“No Country for Old Men”) and the cast is as good as they come, with Penelope Cruz, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz and Javier Bardem.
Inside Llewyen Davis
Full disclosure: I’m the most excited about this one. It’s been three years since we’ve seen a film out of the Coen Brothers, perhaps the canniest, wittest commercial directors around. This music-drama is set in Greenwich Village during the 1960s and follows its titular character—a destitute, struggling musician attempting to put his life together and get his music out into the world. The released trailers are short films in and of themselves, blending beautiful cinematography, exquisite music, and classic Coen-esque sardonic humor.
Blue is the Warmest Color
The winner of the prestigious Palm D’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival has attracted immense controversy and hype in the past five months. This three-hour epic chronicling a young girl’s homosexual awakening has been labeled everything from explicit pornography to harrowing masterpiece.
And a few more too look out for:
“Nebraska” (dir. Alexander Payne), “The Immigrant” (James Gray), and “Oldboy” (Spike Lee).