January 2010
<< Back
Ones to Watch 2010
Posted 1st January 2010
Author’s note: all release dates correct at time of going to press. Click titles for trailers or other similar appetite-whetting goodies.
January
The Road
2008 gave us a five-star Cormac McCarthy adaptation in the Coen-form of No Country for Old Men. Hopefully 2010 will start with another one too. A provocative and powerful story in novel form, The Road is also very cinematic in style so should lend itself nicely to translation. Especially with perfect pick John Hillcoat behind the interpretation. The story of a man (Viggo Mortensen in ideal actor to part casting) and his boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee who’s ability to act beyond his years is crucial to the film’s success) on their travels in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, there’s plenty of scope for some widescreen gorgeous-but-bleak cinematography to augment the weighty soul-searching character dramatics, the likes of which Hillcoat has previously excelled at – The Proposition. Expect the textbook meeting of talented minds and the first awards contender of the year.
February
Shutter Island
It’s a Martin Scorsese, therefore of course its “one-to-watch”. The latest from Team Sco-prio™, Shutter Island is an adaptation of an eerie-and-disorientating Dennis Lehane novel about US Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) who travels to the titular island asylum to help solve a mystery. As truth and lies and reality and imagination collide around him, Daniels is left in a fight for his sanity and survival as we the viewer are left to ponder what is fact and what is fiction? Well... that sounds wicked and with the visual stylistics of Scorsese conjuring up the surreal dream-like imagery that the story requires we’re surely set for the best-looking film of Scorsese’s career? I’m there.
March
Clash of the Titans
If ever a film was ripe for a reimagining/remaking it’s this one. Not that the original ‘81 Harryhausen stop-motion special-effects spectacular is lacking by any stretch of the imagination. No, of course not, it’s a bank holiday classic. But with what you can do with CGI nowadays, wowee the prospect and potential for epic sword-and-sandal scope is near limitless. Starring new budget-blockbuster darling Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation / Avatar) and featuring some seriously heavy-duty non-stop action, if the to the beat edited bombastic teaser and recently-released full trailer are any indication, Clash of the Titans 2010 looks bigger and better and badder (in the good sense of the word) and fiercer than ever before. Grr! Brought to you by the safe action-mitts of new Zach “300 / Watchmen” Snyder-cum-Michael Bay-in-waiting Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2 / The underrated Incredible Hulk).
April
Kick-Ass / Iron Man 2
Hollywood’s love affair with comic books continues apace in April with two very different releases. First up on the 16th is Matthew Vaughn’s (Stardust) adaptation of Mark Wanted Millar’s little known and very adult-rated graphic delight Kick-Ass about a comic-obsessed high schooler who decides to become a superhero for real, despite the very minor issue of not actually having any powers except for those of constantly getting his ass kicked. Made outside the studio system with money secured solely through private investments so Millar’s violent vision could be brought-to-life without compromise, if the quality of the comic book and the scores from the test screenings are anything to judge by this is going to be something very fresh and exciting that puts other better known alternative funny book interpretations (Watchmen) to shame. Then sneaking in on the last day of the month is the first proper “blockbuster” of next summer: Marvel’s sequel to their phenomenonally successful origin(al) instalment of rock ‘n’ roll superhero Iron Man. The good news about part two is that the talent that brought Tony Stark’s turbulent life from panel-to-celluloid the first time around (Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr) are returning for more. The great news is that they are joined by the equally-talented Sam Moon Rockwell, Mickey Wrestler Rourke and War Machine in front of and Justin Tropic Thunder Theroux behind the lens. Expect bigger and better and even more box office ker-ching, especially if the recently-released trailer is anything to go by?
May
Robin Hood
Russell Crowe, Russell Crowe riding for the lens / Russell Crowe, Russell Crowe a gruff, gladiatorial leader of men / Feared by the press, loved by Ridley Scott / Russell Crowe, Russell Crowe, Russell Crowe. Yet another retelling of the classic Robin of the Hood legend, no-one actually quite knows what to expect from the fifth team-up of Sir Rid and his muse Russell as the rumours released about the script have swung from the expected definitive-edition of the classic tale to a modernist revision where Crowe plays both the (good) Sheriff and his fictional alter-ego Robin in order to rile the masses against some other devilry. All we do know is that when these two put their heads together you invariably get quality and that’s what we expect here. That and grittiness and a distinct lack of green tights if the first production photos and the teaser trailer are anything to go by?
June
Knight & Day
Where’s the big summer tentpole release? M.I.A. it appears. There’s not a Terminator or Transformer or superhero to be seen. So we’re left with... not very much to get excited about really. Of the slim pickings announced so far the most interesting appears to be Tom Cruise’s latest Knight & Day. Or Wichita. Or The Untitled James Mangold Project. Or whatever title they eventually end up with. In it The Cruiser plays a special agent who, in a Vanilla Sky reunion, goes on a blind date with a smoosh-faced Cameron Diaz and gets her caught up in his globe-trotting, MacGuffin-seeking hi-jink adventures. So its True Lies about Mr. & Mrs. Smith in a Mission: Impossible. But it should be fun in a throwaway sort of way and it’s always good to see Mr. Million Dollar Smile™ playing light and loose. He’s underrated in that capacity. Probably wanna think about changing that title though...
July
Toy Story 3
Anyone that requires an explanation for why they should be excited about the long-in-waiting third Toy Story flick is not worth bothering with in my opinion. It’s more Toy Story, that’s enough alone. The story the toys find themselves in this time revolves around owner Andy abandoning them for College resulting in their relocation to a day-care centre. Where they are treated in a Sid sort-of way and are forced to escape for a new home and hopefully a new loving owner? Sounds great! Confirmed voices joining the established gang are Michael Keaton as the expanded-role Barbie’s Ken, Timothy Dalton (yes!) as a hedgehog called Mr. Pricklepants (double yes!) and Flight of the Conchords’ wonderful oddball Kristen Schaal as a mystery new character. Plus we get all new-and-fancy 3D to watch it in too. They’ve got an excited fan in me!
August
The Expendables
Why should you be more excited by the latest action-offering from a near-geriatric 80s has-been when it’s released in the same month as Chris Batman-resurrecting Nolan’s mysterious new mind-boggler Inception? Especially when his only good films in the last decade have seen him falling back on old reliables Rocky and Rambo for the sixth and fourth time respectively? Well have you seen the testosterone-tastic cast list he’s assembled to support his Sly self: The Stath, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Danny Trejo, UFC’s Randy Couture and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Not to mention cameos from Bruce Willis and Governator Schwarzenegger in a scene together with Stallone as well for the first time in film history! That is worth the price of admission alone. Most kick-ass action cast ever assembled you say? Come get some!
September
The Town
After wowing everyone with his consummate directorial debut Gone Baby Gone, renaissance man Ben Affleck keeps it edgy and adult and thrilling with another literary adaptation of a best-selling novel: Chuck Hogan’s Prince of Thieves. Another Bah-ston-set story, this time The ‘Fleck also stars on top of megaphoning as career crim Doug MacRay who struggles to maintain his high-tension heist lifestyle after he falls for one of his previous bank manager victims. Also starring Gossip Girl Blake Lively, Mad Man Jon Hamm, America’s sweetheart Rebecca Hall and superstar-in-waiting Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) The ‘Fleck couldn’t have surrounded himself with any more current talent if he tried to ensure his sophomore effort goes off without a hitch. Oh, except for Paul Thomas Anderson’s favourite D.O.P. Robert Elswit to shoot the damn thing for him. Wise move altering the title too, don’t want to get your modern-day crime drama mixed up with a cheesy, cartoony 90’s Robin Hood interpretation now do ya?
October
Your Highness
From (some of) the talent involved with The Pineapple Express comes a medieval farce about an arrogant, lazy Prince (Danny McBride) and his more heroic brother (James Franco) who must complete an arduous quest in order to save their families kingdom. Whilst bagging a couple of historical babes (Natalie Portman & Zooey Deschanel) along the way. So Monty Python-esque or a feature-length version of the medieval segment from Bill & Ted Excellent’s Adventure then? Actually, either way, that sounds potentially hilarious dude. As long as it doesn’t descend to Martin Lawrence Black Knight turgidly-unfunny territory that is. Sure with the awesome Eastbound & Down team behind it that’s an impossibility though.
November
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
And lo the end is nigh. But not without dragging it out over two movies for creative, not financial, reasons (oh yes, of course). Back in the director’s chair for a third and fourth time (respectively) and the lucky man that actually gets to finish Harry off, David Yates should hopefully maintain his narrative and visual grow as he did from Order of the Phoenix to Half-Blood Prince, just as our ever-improving central trio of young heroes (pictured above) simultaneously mature-in-stature and standard of performance. Of course the series is currently at an all-time high so the pressure is seriously on for the finale(s) to go out with a bang not a whimper though. Whatever the overall quality of this first final film though, Part I of II should certainly start off with a wicked hurrah as multiple Harry’s (if you haven’t read the books you’ll get it when you see it) make their escape from Privet Drive with the full force of the Death Eaters cursing after them. There will be loss. But then J.K. Rowling’s series never has been shy about offing some of its major characters. Just cut out some of that sitting around moping in a tent and bumbling around the woods discussing magical nothings that bulks out this tome please Yatesey. It is superfluous in an entirely Bombadil-way.
December
Tron Legacy
The film I am most excited about next year. Hands down. Why you ask? I’ll tell you for why. Because the original was a seminal film of my childhood, watched on repeat between The Karate Kid and The Transformers animated-feature, day-dreamed about being real and happening to me and a massive influence upon my future taste in films. That’s one very good reason. Another is because the original Tron is one of the landmark effects films of all-time, directly leading to the formation of the best movie-making company in the planet Pixar and all their subsequent world-enriching efforts. So just imagine where a new update might lead and what (virtual) doors it might open. But if my personal history and the advancement of filmmaking doesn’t do anything to persuade you then forget all that and watch the special effects sizzle showreel released after comic-con last year. Watch, be amazed and then try to wrap your noodle around the fact that this is now a couple of years old. Meaning this new-and-immeasurably improved game-world look is already at least two years behind what we can expect the finished film to actually look like. If that thought doesn’t get your adrenal gland secreting and your awesometer in the red then there’s probably nothing I, nor a qualified doctor, nor the cream of the movie-making crop can do for you. You’re a res’d cause.
TBC – recently announced as August 28th
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Another comic book, another movie. This one’s set to be something truly unique and special though. Based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s six-strong series of barmy and handily pocket-sized graphic novels, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is the wacky tale of one wannabe rock star twenty-something who finds the girl of his dreams in the shapely-shape of roller delivery girl Ramona Flowers but inconveniently finds that in order to win her love he first has to do battle with her seven evil exes. Featuring innumerable nerdy pop-culture references, more visual styles than there are genre definitions, astute observational humour and videogame-cum-manga-infused action scenes, in most directors’ hands this would become a misshapen, clusterfuck-of-a-movie. However the director tasked with corralling all this together into one cohesive movie is one Edgar “Spaced / Shaun / Fuzz” Wright, a man that has made a career out of piecing together clashing styles and pastiches and homages into one kinetic whole so this should be right up his whizz-flash-cut street. The cast is spot-on too: Michael Cera deadpanning his way through the various levels as Scott the best casting since Sylar as Spock; Mary Elizabeth Winstead exactly the right amount of sweet, sexy and spunky to imagine being worth brawling your way through seven evil exes for; Chris Evans, Brandon Routh and Jason Schwartzmann as three of said exes so exciting to see how they realise them; and the rest of the supporting cast looking as if they fit their characters like a well worn glove (Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, Ellen Wong, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons and the fantastically-named and fantastically-funny Aubrey Plaza – see some of which above). As if you can’t tell, I am a BIG fan of the comic series and cannot wait to see Wright’s no doubt perfect live-action adaptation of O’Malley’s brilliantly-drawn panels up there on the big-ass screen. No pressure...
