The Dark Knight fever is beginning to die down. Arguably the most anticipated and biggest film of 2008 has made its splash and now the question is, what’s next? Is there another upcoming film this year that will be as well regarded as The Dark Knight? Will Heath Ledger get those posthumous awards everyone is buzzing about? While financially the newest Batman flick will undoubtedly be the victor of ‘08 there are some intriguing films left for this year, especially before Christmas when the slew of Oscar bait films are unloaded. Here are ten fall films to look forward to.
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Vicky Cristina Barcelona – Release Date August 15: Woody Allen found his new muse back in 2005 when he cast Scarlett Johansson in the sly, out of left fieldMatch Point. Since then she appeared in the less than desirable Scoop and nowBarcelona, which takes Allen and company to the Iberian Peninsula. Teaming up with recently applauded Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz (both native Spaniards), and the wonderful character actor Patricia Clarkson, this has potential to be one of the better comedies this year.
Hamlet 2 – Release Date August 29: Sure the title is just begging to be scoffed at but the one thing going for this comedy about a high school drama production of a sequel to a Shakespeare classic is the great British actor/funnyman Steve Coogan. This little indie supposedly features raunchy political incorrectness galore but also appears to stretch its message to the free speech debate. If anything just seeing what the writers came up with for a Hamlet sequel is enough to warrant a viewing.
Burn After Reading – Release Date September 12: How do you follow up an Oscar sweeping action drama about a psychotic killer and a money chase gone wrong? Why with a screwball comedy of course. The Coen Brothers have walked down this path before with the brilliant O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski, and even the admirable Intolerable Cruelty. This time the brothers team up yet again with George Clooney and Frances McDormand but also with the intriguing likes of John Malkovich, character actor J.K. Simmons, Tilda Swinton, and Brad Pitt. Little is known about the plot, which involves a computer disk with crucial CIA intelligence falling into the hands of nitwits but who cares, it’s the Coens. Nuff said.
Miracle at St. Anna – Release Date September 26: There has been a lot of hoo-hah in the news lately regarding Spike Lee and World War II. The outspoken, controversial filmmaker had a lot of negative things to say about Clint Eastwood’s two Iwo Jima films not including an African American point of view. Now Lee has a chance to tell his side of the war. Anna is set in Mussolini’s Italy during 1944, a part of The War seldom chronicled on screen and from the trailers it appears to be about an all-black unit trapped behind enemy lines. With a staff including Derek Luke, John Leguizamo, the return of Lee regular John Turturro, and the up and coming Joseph Gordon-Levitt, this could be a fresh side to the overworked WWII genre.
Blindness – Release Date October 3: For those who have read José Saramogo’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel about a blindness epidemic sweeping an unnamed country you’ll know it is one bleak story to film. Saramago uses this hypothetical apocalyptic setup as a vehicle for discussing how we as people treat and view each other. The film adaptation was directed by the great Brazilian filmmaker Fernando Meirelles whose film City of God and The Constant Gardener were two of the finest of decade and has a promising cast including the always strong Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover and Gael García Bernal in a tasty villainous role. Whereas 2006sChildren of Men asked what would happen if we as people could no longer procreate, Blindness ponders how we would survive without the sense of sight, something we often take for granted.
Religulous – Limited Release Date October 3: This film was originally planned for a release last Easter. Then it was pushed back till the summer. Now it appears to be a fall release. While the scheduling crisis is a bit concerning, this satirical look at all major religions from political humorist Bill Maher, one of the few outspoken “rationalists” who isn’t afraid to make a splash, could be one of the bigger documentaries this year. With Borat director Larry Charles at the helm, this has the potential to be as big as The Passion of Christ, this time around with jokes. Whatever happens it’ll be interesting to see the reaction from the organized religion giants comedian Bill Maher takes on.
RocknRolla – Release Date October 31: After his pair of clever genre rejuvenating British Gangster films–Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch–it seemed that director Guy Ritchie might be the next Tarantino. Then he made a bomb with Swept Away followed by another bomb with Revolver. Only time will tell whether or not RocknRolla will be this slick filmmaker’s return to form. The one thing in its favor is the film’s cast, which includes new leading man Gerard Butler of 300 not to mention the great Tom Wilkinson (who appears to be in every movie these days), Jeremy Piven, Ludacris (who continues to prove he can act) and The Wire’s Idris Elba. Even if it bombs we can expect lots of guns, loud Brit pop music and fascinating British dialects that are foreign to American ears.
Changeling – Release Date October 31: Clint Eastwood directs Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich. Not a whole lot else is needed after that. Still this period piece/thriller about a kidnapping was a favorite at this year’s Cannes fest and will no doubt be just what Angelina Jolie needs to take the spotlight off her personal life and back onto her acting chops.
The Quantum of Solace – Release Date November 7: The title of the new Daniel Craig 007 flick is a bit curious but after the success of Casino Royale, which dealt with Bond’s beginning one can only expect Solace to be for the 007 revival what The Dark Knight is for the new Batman series. At least one can hope. Little is known about the plot (which is just fine) but the lead villain is the wonderful French actor Mathieu Amalric who wowed audiences with last year’s restrained performance as a paralyzed writer in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Release Date December 25: The idea of David Fincher directing a fantasy film based on a F. Scott Fitzgerald short story of a man who ages in reverse is not only puzzling but also terribly exciting. The trailer is already floating around the internet and the cast is ripe with talent. Fincher is a filmmaker who continues to surprise us with his maturation and from the looks of this film this should be yet another great to add to his canon.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Choke (September 26), Zack and Miri Make a Porno (October 31), Australia (November 14th), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Road (November 26), Milk (December 5), Doubt (December 12)