My Most Anticipated Films of 2011
1. Moonrise Kingdom
dir: Wes Anderson (The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore)
Anderson’s 7th film is set in the 1960’s as 2 twelve year olds fall in love and run away from their New England town. Cast includes Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and 2 yet-to-be-named pre-teens. As much as I’ve been disappointed by his recent films I’m still hoping he’s got another classic in him. This could be it.
2. The Tree Of Life
dir: Terrence Malick (The New World, Days Of Heaven, Badlands)
This was in the same spot last year but now we’ve got a trailer and an actual release date. The film features Brad Pitt and Sean Penn as father and son, (in the 1950’s and present day), and will probably be beautiful (as long as it’s not boring.) I’m pretty sure the dinosaurs are out, though.
3. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
dir: David Fincher (The Social Network, Fight Club, Se7en)
Fresh off his Best Picture win for The Social Network, (you know it’s going to happen), Fincher has turned his attention to an adaptation of the first installment in the incredibly popular Millenium Trilogy. I saw the Swedish original and had a hard time picturing anyone turning it into something interesting but if anyone can do it, Fincher can. (Benjamin Button notwithstanding.)
4. Hugo Cabret
dir: Martin Scorsese (Kundun, The King Of Comedy, Boxcar Bertha)
Martin Scorsese ditches Leonardo DiCaprio for the first time in a decade to adapt this book about an orphan living inside a train station in 1930’s Paris. The film stars “Hit Girl” Chloe Moretz along with Christopher Lee, Sacha Baron Cohen and Jude Law among others and will be filmed entirely in 3D. (Not kidding.)
5. Super 8
dir: JJ Abrams (Star Trek, Mission: Impossible III)
I’m not sure exactly what this is about and I like it that way. I do know it stars Kyle “Coach Taylor” Chandler, Elle Fanning (who was amazing in Somewhere) and appears to evoke an 80’s era Spielberg. JJ Abrams loves “mystery boxes” and next summer I’m going to open one with Super 8 inside. Watch the teaser.
6. Contagion
dir: Steven Soderbergh (Che, Traffic, Erin Brockovich)
In case anyone thought Soderbergh was taking it easy this year, (after releasing 4 films in 2009), he’s already got 2 films ready to go for 2011. The 2nd of which is Contagion, a CDC centered action-thriller with a huge cast including Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Marion Cottiard, Gweneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Bryan Cranston, etc. etc. He doesn’t need to retire, he just needs to slow down!
7. Haywire
dir: Steven Soderbergh (The Informant!, Solaris, Out Of Sight)
That other Soderbergh film, which will be released first, is Haywire. A gritty spy thriller described as “if Alfred Hitchock made a Pam Grier movie”, this one stars mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano backed by another sizeable cast including Ewan McGregor, Michael’s Douglas & Fassbender, Bill Paxton and Antonio Banderas. I almost got to see it last month but apparently that was impossible.
8. Submarine
dir: Richard Ayoade (TV’s ‘Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace’)
This one came out of nowhere at the Toronto Film Festival where it got ecstatic reviews and I decided I had to see it as soon as possible. The quote that got me was: “A coming of age story which is equal parts Rushmore, Election and Squid and the Whale.” and if everything works out that will hopefully be in about 4 weeks at Sundance. Please let everything work out.
9. The Descendants
dir: Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt, Election)
Somehow it’s been almost 7 years since Payne’s last film hit theatres. In that time there’s been a lot of Payne-lite, (The Weather Man, Up In The Air, etc.) but there’s no substitute for the real thing. George Clooney stars as a man trying to reconnect with his 2 daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident. He will probably find himself in painfully awkward/funny humiliating situations.
10. The Skin That I Inhabit
dir: Pedro Almodovar (Broken Embraces, Volver, Talk To Her)
This one is going to be dark. Antonio Banderas reteams with director Almodovar for the first time in 2 decades starring as a plastic surgeon hunting for the men who raped his daughter. Yikes! But I’m sure it will still have the directors trademark color palette, a beautiful score and a tone that switches from melodrama to comedy and back again. I hope.
11. Drive (Nicolas Winding Refn)
Ryan Gosling is a stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver. From the (insane) director of Bronson and also starring Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks, Albert Brooks and Bryan Cranston.
12. Hanna (Joe Wright)
It looks like a remake of The Professional from the director of Pride & Prejudice. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana. Watch the trailer.
13. Your Highness (David Gordon Green)
Unofficial Pineapple Express sequel, set in medieval times, swaps Seth Rogen for Natalie Portman AND Zooey Deschanel. Sounds like an upgrade. (Sorry Seth.) Watch the trailer.
14. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part II (David Yates)
The last last finally last and final Harry Potter film. I can’t wait. No spoilers.
15. Cowboys & Aliens (Jon Favreau)
I’m still not sure how much I trust Jon Favreau to direct action, but I do trust Daniel Craig to be a badass. And it would be great for Harrison Ford to have a role that wasn’t terrible. Watch the teaser.
16. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Tomas Alfredsen)
A Cold War espionage film starring Thomas Hardy, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth would be exciting. But that film directed by the guy who did Let The Right One In is a must-see.
17. This Must Be The Place (Paolo Sorrentino)
The insane director of Il Divo brings you Sean Penn, (dressed as Robert Smith from The Cure) stars as an aging rock star who sets out to find his fathers executioner, an ex-Nazi war criminal.
18. X-Men: First Class (Matthew Vaughn)
I had about zero interest in an X-Men reboot until I saw Kick-Ass and they set the film in the 60’s. Now I have a lot of interest. They even hired January Jones so I keep picturing Mad Men-era X-Men and I can’t not love that.
19. Sucker Punch (Zach Snyder)
While it looks way too CGI heavy for my liking, it also looks insane. And once every 2 years I kinda look forward to a Zach Snyder film. Watch the trailer.
20. The Muppets (James Bobin)
A brand new Muppets film, from the writers of Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the director of Flight Of The Conchords. It might actually work.
Also released: While We’re Young (Noah Baumbach), Young Adult (Jason Reitman), Source Code (Duncan Jones), Beginners (Mike Mills), War Horse (Steven Spielberg), Paul (Greg Mottola), 30 Minutes Or Less (Ruben Fleischer), The Sitter (David Gordon Green), Wanderlust (David Wain), Bridesmaids (Paul Feig), The Hangover Part II (Todd Phillips), Twixt Now and Sunrise (Francis Ford Coppola), The Cabin In The Woods (Drew Goddard), One Day (Lone Scherfig), We Bought A Zoo (Cameron Crowe), The Adventures of Tintin (Steven Spielberg), Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Brad Bird), Cars 2 (John Lassetter), The Green Hornet (Michel Gondry)
contagion film girl with the dragon tattoo haywire hugo cabret listomania moonrise kingdom submarine super 8 the descendants the skin i live in drive hanna your highness harry potter cowboys & aliens tinker tailor soldier spy this must be the place x-men: first class sucker punch the muppets
