Are you all caught up with the best films of 2013 so far? Good — now it’s finally time for the long-awaited fall season and with Venice, Telluride, TIFF and NYFF all occurring in September, it’s a great occasion to get a preview of what to look forward to in the coming months (and years, in some cases). If you’re not able to attend any of these events, thankfully some of the most promising options are heading into theaters this month, notably including a batch of great documentaries. Check out our round-up of the top ten films to see below and return all month for festival coverage.
Matinees: A Teacher (9/6), 99% – The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film (9/6), Hell Baby (9/6), Populaire (9/6), The Family (9/13), The Informant (9/13), Wadjda (9/13), C.O.G. (9/20) and On the Job (9/27).
10. A Single Shot (David M. Rosenthal; Sept. 20th)
Synopsis: The tragic death of a beautiful young girl starts a tense and atmospheric game of cat and mouse between hunter John Moon and the hardened backwater criminals out for his blood.
Why You Should See It: There’s a strong chance that if Sam Rockwell takes part in a drama, it’s well worth seeing and after this summer’s The Way, Way Back another independent offering comes this fall with A Single Shot. After premiering at Berlin Film Festival, the film is actually already on VOD ahead of a limited theatrical release and with a casting also including William H. Macy, Jason Isaacs, Jeffrey Wright, and Melissa Leo, we’re looking forward to checking it out.
9. We Are What We Are (Jim Mickle; Sept. 27th)
Synopsis: A middle-aged man dies in the street, leaving his widow and three children destitute. The devastated family is confronted not only with his loss but with a terrible challenge – how to survive. For they are cannibals.
Why You Should See It: After seeing it at it’s Sundance premiere, we said, “Stylishly directed and unnerving to its core, Jim Mickle’s We Are What We Are is a prime example of horror done right. The story revolves around the seemingly-wholesome Parker family, who behind closed doors are harboring dark secrets. Part of what makes the film so effective is its unsettling mood, made more distressing by the intense use of sound design and cinematography to heighten tension.“
8. Rush (Ron Howard; Sept. 20th)
Synopsis: A spectacular big-screen re-creation of the merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.
Why You Should See It: Since donning his Thor costume, Chris Hemsworth has more or less stuck with major blockbuster options, but this month will see him take on biopic material with Rush. Coming from Ron Howard, the previews have yet to convince yours truly that it’ll deviate from standard awards fare, but with a Toronto premiere on the horizon, check back for our full review next week.
7. Salinger (Shane Salerno; Sept. 6th)
Synopsis: An unprecedented look inside the private world of J.D. Salinger, the reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye.
Why You Should See It: Amping up the mystery of his life following his last published work in 1965 before his death at age 91 — just three years ago — Salinger is shaping up to start the fall documentary season off on a strong note. Featuring interviews with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, Danny DeVito, John Guare, Martin Sheen, David Milch, Robert Towne, Tom Wolfe, E.L. Doctorow, John Cusack, Gore Vidal and over one-hundred others, the film recently premiered at Telluride to strong reviews and it’ll head directly to theaters this weekend.
6. Muscle Shoals (Greg Camalier; Sept. 27th)
Synopsis: Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America’s most creative and defiant music. Under the spiritual influence of the ‘Singing River’ as Native Americans called it, the music of Muscle Shoals changed the world and sold millions upon millions of copies.
Why You Should See It: One of our favorite documentaries of Sundance will be landing in theaters and on VOD this month. We said, “Matching the passion of the music it covers, this documentary explores a small town in Alabama where much of the great blues/rock ‘n’ roll we still listen to was recorded. The place is run by Rick Hall, a fascinating real-life character with an equal serving of personal tragedy and professional success. And while we hear of the greatness of the place from rock stars like Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, The Staples Singers, The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Simon and Garfunkel and more, it’s the people working at the FAME recording studio we fall in love with.”
5. Don Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt; Sept. 27th)
Synopsis: A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness and intimacy with his potential true love.
Why You Should See It: Jumping behind the camera for the first time, we said Joseph Gordon-Levitt‘s directorial debut is “a cross between Jersey Shore and Shame and a sincerely personal and comedic examination about Internet porn addiction. Writing, directing and starring as the titular Don, Levitt injects a personal feel, giving an intimacy to Don’s issues, fantasizing about sexual experiences that are ultimately selfish. The film is both strangely relatable and intimate while also maintaining a brisk comedic pace, not an easy feat.”
4. After Tiller (Martha Shane and Lana Wilson; Sept. 27th)
Synopsis: After the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Kansas in 2009, there are a limited number of doctors left in the country who provide third-trimester abortions for women. After Tiller moves between the rapidly unfolding stories of these doctors, all of whom were close colleagues of Dr. Tiller, and are fighting to keep this service available in the wake of his death.
Why You Should See It: While we’ve highlighted a few documentaries above, this one is easily the most controversial documentary and essential. Coming from directors Martha Shane and Lana Wilson, I recall the screening in Park City to be packed with extra security and now months later, the film is ready to be seen by the public. The trailer is certainly captivating and we’ll have a full review of the film in a few weeks.
3. Enough Said (Nicole Holofcener; Sept. 20th)
Synopsis: A divorced woman who decides to pursue the man she’s interested in learns he’s her new friend’s ex-husband.
Why You Should See It: While we expect much of the publicity surrounding this comedic drama to concern the fact that it’s the late James Gandolfini‘s final lead performance (he’ll been seen next year in Animal Rescue), Enough Said also marks the next work from one of Hollywood’s sharpest talents, Nicole Holofcener. Following up 2010’s overlooked Please Give, hopefully her latest work will arrive with more attention as it debuts in theaters soon after its TIFF premiere.
2. Prisoners (Denis Villeneuve; Sept. 20th)
Synopsis: When Keller Dover’s daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?
Why You Should See It: Although its trailer seems to reveal the entire film in a matter of 150 seconds, early reviews for this WB drama hint there are much more surprises in store in the 150 minute-plus runtime. Following his acclaimed Canadian drama Incendies — nominated for an Oscar back in 2010 — Denis Villeneuve will officially unveil Prisoners at Toronto this week after a Telluride preview. Early buzz indicates it’s one of the finest character-driven thrillers coming out of Hollywood in some time and with cinematography from Roger Deakins, it’s shaping up to be one of the fall’s first must-see films.
1. Blue Caprice (Alexandre Moors; Sept. 13th)
Synopsis: Inspired by true events, the film investigates the notorious and horrific Beltway sniper attacks from the point of view of the two perpetrators, whose distorted father-son relationship facilitated their long and bloody journey across America.
Why You Should See It: “A taut character study of the two men behind the 2002 D.C. Sniper shootings, writer-director Alexandre Moors does an effective job of offering insight into the minds behind such senseless killings with Blue Caprice,” we remarked at Sundance. Though the subject matter is difficult we added, “Featuring two fantastic performances from Isaiah Washington and Tequan Richmond, Moors has crafted a multi-layered dissection of one of the countries most incomprehensible crimes.”
What are you watching this month?