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Home > Blogs > Sir Critic on Cinema > Archives > 2008 > August > 26 > Entry
Fall movie preview: October
As leaves fall and Halloween decorations spring up, a crowded October brings surprisingly few true highlights. If you missed the September installment, click here.
OCTOBER 3
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
The lowdown: I Chihuahua? No, I appalled.
The forecast: I have to admit, there’s a small part of me that wonders if this movie can really be as ghastly as that infamous trailer. A very, very, very, very, very, very small part.
The prospect: F
Blindness
The lowdown: A doctor’s wife becomes the only person who can see in a town where everyone is struck with a mysterious case of sudden blindness.
The forecast: This film has generated decidedly lukewarm buzz so far, but I’m in for any movie directed by Fernando Meirellles, who made City of God and The Constant Gardener.
The prospect: A
The Duchess
The lowdown: A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.
The forecast: Keira Knightley is known for wearing a corset well, but is this more Pride and Prejudice or Silk?
The prospect: B
Flash of Genius
The lowdown: The true story of the man (Greg Kinnear) who fought the auto industry for his patent on intermittent windshield wipers.
The forecast: On the one hand it sounds like an interesting slice of history, but can one really muster up a lot of passion about intermittent windshield wipers?
The prospect: B
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
The lowdown: A British journalist (Simon Pegg) gets a new job with a high-profile New York magazine, though he soon learns the bridges he burned will catch up to him.
The forecast: A great cast also includes Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges and Megan Fox, and the trailer is intriguing too.
The prospect: B
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
The lowdown: Nick (Michael Cera) asks Nora (Kat Dennings) to pretend to be his girlfriend for 5 minutes so he won’t have to feel as awkward around his ex. Then sparks unexpectedly fly.
The forecast: “This year’s Juno” had to come along at some point. The trailer didn’t grab me the way Juno’s did, and besdies, you never see “the next (fill-in-the-blank)” coming, so call me skeptical but curious.
The prospect: B
Sex Drive
The lowdown: A high school senior “borrows” his brother’s beloved ‘69 GTO and brings his friends (Duke and Crew) on a road trip from Chicago to Knoxville to hook up with a babe he met online.
The forecast: Intriguing title and premise, but other than that, I don’t have a read on this one.
The prospect: C
What Just Happened
The lowdown: A comedy about two weeks in the life of a fading Hollywood producer (Robert De Niro) who’s having a rough time trying to get his new picture made.
The forecast: Barry Levinson directed, and his output has been uneven lately. I’d hope this is more like the inspired Wag the Dog than the uninspired Man of the Year.
The prospect: B
OCTOBER 10
City of Ember
The lowdown: The underground City of Ember is the only light in an otherwise dark world. When the city’s generator begins to fail, teenagers race to help their fellow citizens escape.
The forecast: The director is Gil Kenan, who made the undervalued Monster House, and he’s got a great cast, including Bill Murray, Toby Jones and Atonement Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan. Color me persuaded.
The prospect: A
Body of Lies
The lowdown: An ex-journalist (Leonoardo DiCaprio) working to locate an Al Qaeda leader for the CIA faces pressure from an agent (Russell Crowe) for whom failure is not an option.
The forecast: There’s some validity to the concern that the trailer makes this look more like a slick Tony Scott action flick than a probing Ridley Scott drama, but the writer is William Monahan, who worked wonders with Ridley on the long version of Kingdom of Heaven before winning an Oscar for The Departed. Good enough for me.
The prospect: A
The Express
The lowdown: A drama based on the life of Ernie Davis, who becomes the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.
The forecast:Is it just me, or are these true-life sports dramas getting a bit stale, especially since Dennis Quaid already made one of them?
The prospect: C
Quarantine
The lowdownA television reporter and her cameraman (Harris) are assigned to spend the night shift with a Los Angeles fire station. After a routine 911 call takes them to a small apartment building, they learn that a woman living in the building has been infected by something unknown.
The forecast:Looks like Cloverfield combined with Outbreak, but the trailer is a grabber. Here’s hoping the movie is too.
The prospect: B
OCTOBER 17
Max Payne
The lowdown: A DEA agent (Mark Wahlberg) and an assassin (Mila Kunis) try to solve a series of murders.
The forecast: I’d feel a lot more confident about this one if it had a better director than John Moore, whose roster includes the undistinguished Behind Enemy Lines and The Omen remake.
The prospect: C
W.
The lowdown: The life story of a lame duck.
The forecast: Oliver Stone taking on the life of W? Talk about a loose cannon firing from a stacked deck! I can’t resist.
The prospect: A
OCTOBER 24
The Brothers Bloom
The lowdown: A pair of brothers and conmen (Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo) target an enigmatic wealthy woman (Rachel Weisz) as their potential last job.
The forecast: The director previously made Brick and the trailer makes this movie look like a lot of fun, with the three leads playing off each other well.
The prospect: B
Crossing Over
The lowdown: A multi-character drama centered around the issue of illegal immigration in the United States. starring Harrison Ford, Sean Penn and Ashley Judd.
The forecast: A dynamite cast and a talented director Wayne Kramer (The Cooler) are behind one of the fall’s more promising dramas, but it’s not generating much Oscar talk. Hmm.
The prospect: B
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
The lowdown: Inevitable, wasn’t it?
The forecast: This sort of tween material has never been my cup of Red Bull, but I must confess to a curiosity as to what all the fuss is about.
The prospect: C
Pride and Glory
The lowdown: A family of New York City cops is when one brother (Edward Norton) uncovers a scandal at his sibling’s precinct. Colin Farrell co-stars
.
The forecast: Promising cast, a solid director in Gavin O’ Conner (Tumbleweeds, Miracle), so why don’t I feel more confident? Maybe because of the way it’s been bounced around the calendar.
The prospect: C
Saw V
The lowdown: If I drink your milkshake - oh, sorry, wrong “there will be blood” reference.
The forecast: I’m still curious to see the first film. I’m not curious to see the follow-ups.
The prospect: D
OCTOBER 31
Changeling
The lowdown: A woman (Angelina Jolie) who is reunited with her missing son is committed to an insane asylum when she begins to question whether the boy is her child.
The forecast: Clint Eastwood aims another one-two punch with this and the forthcoming Gran Torino. Jolie earned raves for her performance when the film played at Cannes. Eastwood is having a great run of late, and I don’t expect him to stop now.
The prospect: A
RocknRolla
The lowdown: A real-estate scam puts millions of pounds up for grabs, attractinf the attention of some otough guys (like Gerard Butler) and its more established underworld players (like Tom Wilkinson).
The forecast: Director Guy Ritchie’s career has been, um - turbulent lately, but word has it he’s bouncing back with this one. I hope so.
The prospect: B
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
The lowdown: Two friends (Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) make a skin flick to raise cash and find out they have feelings for each other in the process.
The forecast: Only Kevin Smith could come up with this one. Well, maybe John Waters would if he were feeling sentimental, but never mind. Word has it this has echoes of Chasing Amy, Smith’s best film to date, and he has two great leads. The title doesn’t bother me!
The prospect: A
What among the lineup attracts/repels you?
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Comments
By Allie D.
August 26, 2008 5:01 PM | Link to this
I am attracted and repelled by basically the same movies you are. Blindness, Changeling, Body of Lies, and City of Ember in particular are on my list. Quarantine looks so much like a Cloverfield rip that I just feel utterly turned off by it. I will, however, be dragged to it kicking and screaming most likely. lol And I am going to have to give a big NO to yet ANOTHER Keira Knightley period pic. The girl has fallen into the quagmire of typecasting. I am a fan of Simon Pegg, so How to Lose Friends and Alienate People will also be on the short list.