The summer has come to an end and after counting down our favorites of the year thus far, we are now heading in to the overwhelming award season. Multiple contenders are released almost every weekend for the rest of 2011 and September sees its fair share of excellent films. Check out what we recommend below and follow our coverage of Toronto, Telluride, Venice and New York Film Festival this month.
See:
10. Dream House (Jim Sheridan; Sept. 30th)
Synopsis: As Will Atenton (Daniel Craig) and his family relocate to a quaint New England town, they soon learn that a mother and her two children were murdered in the same residence. While most everyone thinks the killer is the husband who survived the incident, Will works with a local woman (Naomi Watts) to piece together an even more disturbing puzzle.
Why You Should See It: Coming off his drama Brothers, director Jim Sheridan heads to psychological thriller territory with Dream House. The trailer looks like it gives away more than its fair share of surprises, but fear not! Word is that that “twist” occurs only halfway through the film. Despite anything being ruined, the powerhouse acting team of Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts are enough to warrant a ticket.
9. Restless (Gus Van Sant; Sept. 16th)
Synopsis: The story of a terminally ill teenage girl (Mia Wasikowska) who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII.
Why You Should See It: The idea of a dying girl meeting up with a funeral-obsessed boy – not to mention the WWII Japanese kamikaze pilot ghost that pops up – isn’t the most appealing in the world, but in the hands of Gus Van Sant it is worth giving a chance. The film premiered at Cannes this May where we quite liked it, calling it “a sincere star-crossed romance that honestly examines our fear of death.”
8. Machine Gun Preacher (Marc Forster; Sept. 23rd)
Synopsis: After finding God, Sam Childers (Gerard Butler) leaves his outlaw life behind and crusades for hundreds of Sudanese children who’ve been forced to become soldiers.
Why You Should See It: Coming off his his less-than-stellar Bond entry Quantum of Solace, director Marc Forster returns to his dramatic roots in Machine Gun Preacher. While still managing to mix in a fair share of action, this is a character vehicle for Gerard Butler, who has rarely been given the opportunity. I’ve heard the early praise is deserved, but don’t expect a huge awards contender.
7. Warrior (Gavin O’Connor; Sept. 9th)
Synopsis: Ex-Marine Tommy Riordan (Tom Hardy) returns to his hometown of Pittsburgh to train for a mixed martial arts tournament with a major cast prize. Looking to his father (Nick Nolte), an alcoholic former coach, for guidance is tough enough, but Tommy’s chosen path also is putting him on a collision course with his older brother, Brendan (Joel Edgerton), a former MMA and current struggling parent.
Why You Should See It: Although it feels like a training video for Tom Hardy‘s menacing Bane role in The Dark Knight Rises, O’Connor has crafted a cliche-filled drama that somehow just wins you over by the final moments. Riding on the coattails – but shot before – last year’s big hit The Fighter, this has a more mechanical feel due to our director’s verite style. The predictable script is overshadowed by a trio of great performances (Nolte, Edgerton, Hardy) and well-choreographed MMA cage matches. Check out our review here.
6. Margaret (Kenneth Lonergan; Sept. 30th)
Synopsis: A New York City girl who feels that she played a roll in a fatal traffic accident attempts to set things right, though she faces life-changing oppositions at every turn.
Why You Should See It: With shooting beginning in late 2005, it has been a long journey for Longergan’s You Can Count on Me follow-up. The director has been tinkering away at a final cut, with Martin Scorsese even coming in to assist the trimming down from three hours to two. We’ll finally see what the result at the end of the month for the fil, which stars Matt Damon, Anna Paquin, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Allison Janney, Olivia Thirlby and Kieran Culkin.
5. Moneyball (Bennett Miller; Sept. 23rd)
Synopsis: Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) works to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.
Why You Should See It: With Aaron Sorkin coming off his Oscar win for The Social Network, I’ve been hearing excellent buzz for this match-up with Pitt and Capote director Bennett Miller, including a performance from Jonah Hill that may surprise.
4. Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols; Sept. 30th)
Synopsis: Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.
Why You Should See It: With an Oscar-caliber lead performance from Michael Shannon, Take Shelter is a whirlwind of paranoia thanks to subtle and impressive special effects, from director Jeff Nichols. He expertly crafts a crescendo with a gripping climax in which you have no choice but to be on the edge of your seat, to see if the world will indeed implode. Check out our Sundance review here.
3. Contagion (Steven Soderbergh; Sept. 9th)
Synopsis: The Center for Disease Control dispatches an international team of doctors to stop an airborne virus from spreading around the world.
Why You Should See It: Steven Soderbergh has set out to infect the world with this virus thriller. Comparisons to his excellent drama Traffic have been thrown around and the trailer barely hints at what I’ve heard is a very dark, scary and daring film. Comprised of Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Elliott Gould, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, John Hawkes and Jennifer Ehle, this one of the best ensembles of the year.
2. 50/50 (Jonathan Levine; Sept. 23rd)
Synopsis: A comedic account of a 27-year-old guy’s cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.
Why You Should See It: The Wackness director Jonathan Levine is able to delicately mix humor and charm with the inherent agony that such a life-shattering illness like cancer brings. Bring tissues, and don’t be alarmed if after the film you have the urge to hug everyone in the audience; it is a natural reaction.
1. Drive (Nicolas Winding Refn; Sept. 16th)
Synopsis: A Hollywood stuntman (Ryan Gosling) who moonlights as a get-away driver for the criminal underground finds himself on the run from after a botched job. Riding shotgun and equally in danger are his neighbor (Carey Mulligan) and her child.
Why You Should See It: There hasn’t been a film this year with as much “cool” factor as Nicolas Winding Refn‘s most accomplished work. Spare on dialogue, Refn’s hand is felt behind every single shot, camera movement and cut. A cult hit in the making, Drive is equal parts thrilling, violent, romantic and should be on the top of everyone’s must-see list this month.
Matinees:
Happy, Happy (Anne Sewitsky; Sept. 16th)
Synopsis: Norwegian couples in a snowbound suburb explore adultery as a cure for cabin fever as Christmas approaches.
Why You Should See a Matinee: Taking home the World Cinema dramatic prize at Sundance earlier this year, we adored Anne Sewitsky‘s comedy/drama Happy, Happy calling it “a joyous journey full of incisive wit and heart that could easily be enjoyed beyond the art house.”
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck; Sept. 2nd)
Synopsis: With access to his dad’s house in the Hamptons for a holiday weekend, a party-loving guy (Jason Sudeikis) talks his best friends into having an orgy.
Why You Should See a Matinee: It may not be high in the smarts department, but this looks like a fun, throwback sex comedy. The cast of Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Bibb, Lake Bell, Michelle Borth, Nick Kroll, Tyler Labine, Angela Sarafyan, Lindsay Sloane, Martin Starr, Lucy Punch and Will Forte should provide for enough laughs.
The Black Power Mix Tape: 1967-1975 (Göran Hugo Olsson; Sept. 9th)
Synopsis: Contemporary Swedish filmmaker Göran Hugo Olsson edits together footage shot by a team of Swedish journalists who documented the Black Power Movement in the United States.
Why You Should See a Matinee: Goran Hugo Olsson‘s documentary debuted at Sundance this year to strong reviews and looks like it should do right what many thought The Help did wrong when it comes to educating on the movement.
The Lion King 3D (Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff; Sept. 16th)
Synopsis: Tricked into thinking he killed his father, a guilt ridden lion cub flees into exile and abandons his identity as the future King.
Why You Should See a Matinee: What else can be said about this animated masterpiece? Disney gave it the 3D treatment and it is rolling into theaters this month. If you know someone that hasn’t seen by now, grab ’em and singalong with the rest of the audience.
Straw Dogs (Rod Lurie; Sept. 16th)
Synopsis: L.A. screenwriter David Sumner (Marsden) relocates with his wife Amy (Bosworth) to her hometown in the deep South. There, while tensions build between them, a brewing conflict with locals becomes a threat to them both.
Why You Should See a Matinee: Here is a remake that is neither great or terrible, borrowing so much from the original one wonders why they just didn’t just return Sam Peckinpah‘s masterpiece to theaters. If this is your first experience with the story, Lurie does a serviceable job bringing it to screen and it is worth it for Alexander Skarsgård‘s stand-out performance.
Puncture (Adam Kassen and Mark Kassen; Sept. 30th)
Synopsis: A David and Goliath law drama about a drug-addicted lawyer who takes on a health supply corporation while battling his own personal demons.
Why You Should See a Matinee: After fighting nazis in Captain America: The First Avenger, Chris Evans takes on drug corporations in this small drama. I saw it at Tribeca earlier this spring and it is a solid effort, due to “Evans’ charismatic performance and confident direction from the Kassens.” Check out our review here.
Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil (Eli Craig; Sept. 30th)
Synopsis: In the mountains of West Virginia, hillbilly pals Tucker and Dale (Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine) look to drink, fish, and relax at their cabin retreat, until their encounter with a group of college kids turns into a bloody, deadly misunderstanding.
Why You Should See a Matinee: This is more than your generic horror flick, as director Eli Craig actually has a funny, well-told story in the backdrop here. As we said in our review, what should be a one-note sketch manages to work and “through all the impressive and unique kills, our director manages to find the heart in it as well.”
Limelight (Billy Corben; Sept. 23rd)
Synopsis: As the owner of legendary hotspots like Limelight, Tunnel, Palladium, and Club USA, Peter Gatien was the undisputed king of the 1980s New York City club scene. Featuring insider interviews with famous players in the club scene as well as key informants in Gatien’s high-profile trial, Billy Corben’s (Cocaine Cowboys) exuberant documentary aims to set the record straight about Gatien’s life as it charts his rise and fall against the transformation of New York, offering a wild ride through a now-closed chapter in the history of the city’s nightlife.
Why You Should See a Matinee: Screened at Tribeca, I praised Cocaine Cowboys director Billy Corben‘s latest documentary for its “exhilarating Goodfellas-esque approach on the fame, money, and lifestyle that came with opening the four biggest clubs in NYC.” Check out our review here.
Killer Elite (Gary McKendry; Sept. 23rd)
Synopsis: A retired member of Britain’s Elite Special Air Service (Jason Statham) is forced into action when his mentor (Robert De Niro) is taken captive. His mission: kill three assassins dispatched by their cunning leader (Clive Owen).
Why You Should See a Matinee: Here is the third of four similar-looking Jason Statham movies this year. Somehow arranging a premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, Robert De Niro and Clive Owen co-star with our action star. I’ve heard it is the best of the bunch for Statham this year, but that isn’t saying much.
What are you checking out this month?