My 25 Most Anticipated Films of the Year: Part One
There is no doubt 2011 showcased a number of great films from a range of fantastic auteurs, with David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, Lynne Ramsey, Woody Allen and thankfully even Terrence Malick, producing some of the best work of their respective careers. 2011 also didn’t disappoint performance-wise, with relatively new faces such as Michael Fassbender, Jessica Chastain, Rooney Mara and Octavia Spencer creating fierce, vulnerable and unique characters, which will not easily be forgotten. On top of this, renowned and respected actors and actresses, including Meryl Streep and Christopher Plummer went all the way to Oscar glory. 2012 clearly has a lot to live up to.
Promisingly, 2012 is already shaping up to be an even grander year, with exciting and original projects being prepped by some of the most distinguished directors of our generation. Lofty aspirations maybe, but I certainly have faith in the ridiculous amount of amazing directors with new projects coming up. Want to hear a few names worth getting excited for? Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, Paul Thomas Anderson, Alfonso Cuaron, Baz Lurhman, Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Sam Mendes, Wes Anderson and the Coen Brothers – and that’s probably only half of them. I’m so excited I decided to try and list my most anticipated films of the year, but I have a feeling I might struggle to condense it into a set list. Oh well, might as well try!
Also, I know you might be thinking something along the lines of, “But we’re already three months into the year, what kind of a twat is this guy?” and your thoughts would be entirely justified. However in my defence, there haven’t necessarily been any films released in the first quarter of this year that I have been genuinely excited for. Bar maybe John Carter (which was more about anticipating its success/failure based on a troubled and lengthy development process), 2012 has started off with low-budget (yet hugely profitable) handheld genre films, such as The Devil Inside, Chronicle and Project X, or sub-par thrillers ala Contraband and Safe House. Sure, the films may have insured the box office grosses are the highest they have been at this point in recent years, but it doesn’t mean the films are all masterpieces.
25. Stoker
Don’t let the Bram Stoker reference in the title fool you; this isn’t your typical vampire film, and it definitely won’t be anything like Twilight. With South Korean director, Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) making his English-language debut, this is sure to be a riveting, emotionally charged piece of filmmaking. Oddly, the script was written by Prison Break actor and chiselled heartthrob Wentworth Miller (using the pseudonym Ted Faulke) who wanted the film to get made without his star power, based strictly on the quality of the writing. Good for him. The script ended up on the 2010 Black List (a selection of the best unproduced screenplays written that year) so it must be pretty good. An even better sign is the promising cast it has managed to attract, with hot young starlet, Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) playing the lead, India Stoker, who becomes curious when her enigmatic uncle (Matthew Goode, Watchmen, A Single Man) comes to visit and people start to go missing. Cue creepy music and plenty of moody location shots, as beautiful people stare at one another intensely. The lead actors are backed by a strong supporting cast, with Nicole Kidman and Dermot Mulroney playing her parents and Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom) as her aunt. Interestingly, the film could have played out very differently, with Carey Mulligan, Colin Firth and Jodie Foster originally set to star. No offence to those great actors, but I think I prefer the shooting cast a lot more.
Release date is still to be determined
24. The Silver-Linings Playbook
After the Oscar success of The Fighter last year, David O. Russell suddenly seems to have become a serious filmmaker, rightly choosing this potential winner over the horrible sounding adaptation of the Uncharted videogame series he was initially considering. The film follows a former high school teacher (Bradley Cooper) who after being released from a mental institute, moves back in with his mother (Jacki Weaver – her second appearance on this list) in order to get his life back on track and reconcile with his estranged wife. Apparently the film is being marketed as a comedy, which in light of its logline seems a tad bizarre. I’m imagining more of a heartfelt and wacky tone, with something closer to Russell’s I Heart Huckabees, rather than the gritty, powerful The Fighter. Joining Cooper and Weaver, the suddenly everywhere Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games, Winter’s Bone) plays a potential love interest, with Robert De Niro and Julia Stiles in supporting roles. Even better/horrid is the fact that Chris Tucker is also part of the ensemble, his first role since 2007’s terrible Rush Hour 3.
Release date: November 21
23. Zero Dark Thirty
How do you follow up the film that not only won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, but also made you the first women ever to win Best Director? Well, for The Hurt Locker director, Kathryn Bigelow, she decided to make a film all about the Black-Ops mission which lead to the eventual death of Bin Laden. Nothing major or anything, just a simple little film. All joking aside, the film has incredible potential to be both hugely controversial and contrived or a patriotic thriller with genuine emotion and terror. With an impressive cast of talented actors in place, including Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life, The Help), Joel Edgerton (Warrior), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, John Carter) and Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), the film is definitely capable of depicting a tense race against time, both domestically and internationally. However, certain real life problems may have damaged the film before it has even begun, with Barack Obama being accused of leaking confidential documents to Bigelow for her research. Either way, the film promises to be both realistic and divisive in equal measure, and if it’s anywhere near as good as The Hurt Locker, colour me excited.
Release date: December 19
22. The Amazing Spider-Man
After the overly ambitious Spiderman 3 crashed and burned with critics and audiences alike, Sony decided it was about time to reboot one of their most successful and lucrative franchises, using an entirely new team of players and a change of direction. 500 Days of Summer director, Mark Webb, takes over from Sam Raimi and is sure to bring his unique visual style of filmmaking to the project. Rising British actor, Andrew Garfield, looks like a perfect fit for the role of Peter Parker, bringing just the right amount of awkward charm and vulnerability. Joined by the beautiful Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey, and completely ditching the usual Mary Jane, its clear Webb’s version is offering a different take on the classic superhero story. The trailers have done a great job of distancing the reboot from the original, changing and enhancing certain aspects (such as the role of Peter’s parents), though not drastically enough to distance hardcore fans. Personally, I’m remaining cautiously optimistic that the film can find the difficult balance between light and dark, without becoming a flat action film with no substance. Sony clearly have faith in Webb, with writing already begun on the inevitable sequel.
Release date: July 4
21. Wettest County
With The Road and The Proposition, director John Hillcoat placed tormented and conflicted characters in vast, deserted landscapes, forcing them to fight for survival, whilst battling their own personal demons. For his next film, Hillcoat has taken on an even bigger challenge, working with a huge ensemble cast and telling the true story of the Bondurant brothers (Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Jason Clarke), who ran a bootleg moonshine gang in Prohibition-era Virginia. Scripting duties come from the ever-brilliant Nick Cave (who is also scoring) with Jessica Chastain, Guy Pearce, Mia Wasikowska and Gary Oldman filling out the superb cast. Word from test screenings has apparently been overwhelmingly positive, so this is definitely one to look forward to.
Release date: August 31
20. Killing Them Softly
For the past few years, Brad Pitt has been notoriously selective when choosing his film roles, hardly making a bad decision and garnering three Oscar nominations in the past three years alone. It’s no secret he was robbed of a nomination for the criminally underrated The Assassination of Jesse James, which in my opinion was one of the best performances of his career. This year he’s hoping to repeat a winning formula by once again teaming with director Andrew Dominik for this black comedy. Originally titled Cogan’s Trade, Pitt plays an enforcer investigating a heist with James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins and Ray Liotta taking supporting roles. Early word is relative newcomers Scoot McNairy (Monsters) and Bella Heathcote (Dark Shadows) are fantastic in lead roles opposite Pitt. The new Jennifer Lawrence and Tom Hardy of 2012? You better believe it.
Release date: September 21
19. A Place Beyond the Pines
If you saw Blue Valentine alone, you probably came out of it feeling pretty shitty about life and potential relationships. If you saw Blue Valentine with your partner, you most likely decided it was best to call it quits before you became as depressed as the heartbreaking pairing of Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. Derek Cianfrance managed to not only capture the difficult complexities of marriage, but also the juxtaposition of past and presents feelings of disenchantment and fulfilment. For his third feature, Cianfrance has taken on an even bigger challenge, which he describes as a “generational crime flick about fathers and sons”. According to sources, the tone is similar to The Deer Hunter and The Godfather, making a lot of people excited and slightly apprehensive. I for one trust in Cianfrance, especially as he is reuniting with Ryan Gosling. The logline has Gosling as a motorcycle stunt rider forced to turn to a life of crime in order to provide for his wife and newborn child. Bradley Cooper plays the rookie cop turned politician trailing him and forming an unspecified connection, with Rose Byrne and Eva Mendes as the respective wives of the protagonists. According to rising star, Dane DeHaan (Chronicle)who plays Gosling’s son eighteen years down the line, the film jumps forward and backward in time, showing how the rivalry has passed onto the sons in the future. It sounds extremely brave and some would argue too ambitious, but Cianfrance certainly has the talent and the cast to pull it off.
Release date still to be determined
18. Savages
Once upon time, Oliver Stone was a three time Oscar-winning director of political classics such as Platoon, Natural Born Killers and JFK, all of which dealt in real life issues with effective and controversial clarity. Many would argue Stone hasn’t made a truly great film since the Anthony Hopkins starring Nixon, which was released over fifteen years ago to mild critical acclaim and four Oscar nominations. Since then, his latter films have been mostly misguided attempts at reinstating the same concerns, with World Trade Centre, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and W all failing to depict anything substantial and worthwhile. For his next feature, he has decided to take a different route; one he is hoping will make a different impression. There is no doubt Stone has the talent and with the right material he can definitely succeed. Savages is based on a novel by Don Winslow (who co-wrote the script) about two young drug dealers forced to work for a Mexican drug cartel in order to save their shared girlfriend. Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch play the young dealers, with Blake Lively as the girl in question. It sounds darkly humorous and could turn out to be a lot of fun, especially with the fantastic cast Stone has attracted. John Travolta and Uma Thurman come together for a Pulp Fiction reunion, with the exotic Salma Hayek as the drug cartel, accompanied by Benicio Del Toro and the recently Oscar-nominated Demian Bichir (A Better Life) as her cronies. There is clearly a lot of potential and if Stone can utilise his expansive cast and source material he can surely create something original and memorable. Heck, if it’s truly bad, maybe Travolta and Thurman can jam out in a nightclub, just like old times.
Release date: September 28
17. Lincoln
In my opinion, War Horse was a load of utter crap. It was an over-indulgent, boring mess marginally saved by stirring cinematography and a few heart-warming moments. Steven Spielberg is obviously one of the greatest directors of all time, no doubt, but War Horse was just a wasted opportunity and shameless Oscar-bait. However, The Adventures of Tintin proved he still has the chops and a real talent for seamlessly switching between big special effects blockbusters and meaningful thought provoking dramas. In particular, Spielberg truly shines with true-life period features, with Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan and Amistad loved by many and going all the way to significant award success. Due to the grandeur attached to the Spielberg name, whenever he announces his next project you sit up and take notice, and his current production is no different. A passion project for over ten years, Spielberg is finally bringing his vision to the big screen and you better be excited. Based on a biography depicting the final months of Abraham Lincoln’s eventful life, the film is likely to include everything from his relationships with his family, the political collisions within his cabinet, the end of the Civil War and of course, his untimely shooting at the Ford Theatre.
The casting is faultless and absolutely inspired. Originally set to star Liam Neeson in the title role, he was forced to pull out and replaced by the ever-brilliant Daniel Day Lewis. Word from the set is he is taking his usual method approach to filming, remaining in character for most of the shoot. Who wouldn’t want to have lunch with Abraham Lincoln? From the set photos it’s clear to see he was made for the role and is almost guaranteed an Oscar nomination at next year’s ceremony. It wouldn’t surprise me if he actually went on to win his third Oscar and confirm his acting icon status. Adding to the prestige quality of the cast, Day Lewis is accompanied by two time Oscar-winner Sally Field as his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln and Joseph Gordon Levitt as his eldest son, Robert Todd. Add a phenomenal supporting cast of character actors, including Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, Jackie Earle Haley and John Hawkes, as well as a script from John Logan (The Aviator, Gladiator, Hugo) and there is no way this can fail.
Release date still to be determined, but Christmas is the most likely
16. Anna Karenina
A few years ago, British director Joe Wright achieved what I believed to be impossible; he made an exciting, fun and surprisingly interesting period flick.
Pride and Prejudice wasn’t the generic and stuffy costume drama your Mum loves, it was something much more, and I couldn’t help being swept up by the stunning visuals and wonderfully acted performances. Wright followed this up with the even more impressive, Atonement, a love story so beautifully tragic, you actually feel the characters longing and constant pain. Both films were anchored by a fantastic lead performance from Keira Knightley, bringing just the right amount of exuberance and fragility, and it still baffles me how the Academy neglected her an Oscar nomination for Atonement.
This year, Wright and Knightley are teaming up once again and clearly hoping to repeat a winning formula. For their third collaboration together, they are tackling one of the greatest novels of all time, Leo Tolstoy’s Russian romance, Anna Karenina. Knightley is joined by Jude Law as her husband and Aaron Johnson playing her young lover, with a brilliant assortment of supporting British talent, including Kelly Macdonald, Olivia Williams, Matthew Macfadyen and Emily Watson.
The novel has already been adapted for film or television over ten times, most notably with Sean Bean and Sophie Marceau as the titular Anna. However, Wright’s version promises to be entirely different, something slightly revolutionary in approach, and unlike any of the previous tired adaptations. He claims he originally planned to approach the material just like his other films, and therefore just like every other typical costume drama adaptation. However, just three weeks before filming was set to begin, he became worried he might be repeating himself. Throwing all his previous ideas out the window, he decided to start again and take a more experimental route instead. This unique expressionistic approach has Wright filming the whole film in one single location, a run down theatre he constructed at Shepperton Studios. Describing it as an “elastic universe”, he explains you can walk from one room of the theatre into another and suddenly find yourself standing on an ice rink. Even crazier is the news his exterior locations are coming from toy trains and miniature dollhouses. It’s an incredibly risky method of filmmaking, but one that sounds truly fascinating and unique. Lars Von Trier’s Dogville tried a similar approach, with the narrative acted out in an almost theatre stage setting. Dogville proved to be highly divisive, with some critics loving it and others despising everything about it.
First look pictures look absolutely beautiful, with gorgeous costumes and Knightley looking as stunning as ever. Joe Wright is proving himself to be one of Britain’s brightest and most exciting filmmakers and if all continues to go well and he can truly create something magical, expect Anna Karenina to be a big part of next years Oscars.
Release date: September 7
Check back soon for part two!
