It’s primetime for awards season, the time when all the Oscar contenders come to theaters in hopes they can gain enough support to win big at this year’s Academy Awards. While some films like the highly anticipated “The Monuments Men” have been pushed back to February of next year, other big names are getting earlier release dates, which is good news for any movie lovers. Here are some of the big titles to check out this holiday season.
“Inside Llewyn Davis” (Dec. 6): Three years after their adaptation of “True Grit,” the Coen Brothers are back with an original script following a folk singer in the 1960s (played by Oscar Isaac) as he tries to get a record deal and put his life back on track. The film looks very similar to their 2009 effort “A Serious Man,” following a single character throughout his life, which is essentially at an unfavorable low. Pair a likely brilliant script with an ensemble cast featuring Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, and John Goodman, along with a score by Marcus Mumford & T-Bone Burnett, and you’ve got an Oscar contender that dives right into a nostalgic period of history.
“American Hustle” (Dec. 13): Fresh off his Oscar nominated film “Silver Linings Playbook,” David O. Russell returns for what could be another contender. American Hustle follows FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) who enlists the help of con artists Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) to help him in an investigation involving Jersey powerbrokers and the mafia. Throw in a New Jersey mayor (Jeremy Renner), and Rosenfeld’s unstable wife (Jennifer Lawrence), and you’ve got an ensemble film that could be the hit of the holiday season. The trailer puts all five actors at the top of their game, and O. Russell is great when he works with ensemble casts (his last two ensemble films gave him Oscar nominations and gave two wins for his actors), and this original story he’s concocted (based on the ABSCAM operation of the late 70s) looks fresh and powerful. This could be the major threat in the acting categories, and maybe directing, if the academy is willing to give O. Russell his third nomination in a row.
“The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug” (Dec. 13): While the first installment of Peter Jackson’s trilogy had its problems, this film looks to really have stepped up its game. Taking place where “An Unexpected Journey” left off, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and company find themselves battling spiders, orcs, and the fierce dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). It’s a Jackson film, so there’s bound to be epic fight sequences, and beautiful, sprawling landscapes. And with Cumberbatch, Ian McKellan, Freeman, and even Orlando Bloom (yes, Legolas is back) leading the ensemble cast, even a weak script can’t detract from what is sure to be one of the best fantasy epics of the year. “Her” (Dec. 18):
“Her” follows Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely man dealing with the heartbreak of ending a long-term relationship. He becomes infatuated with a new operating system, which can be placed in his home and act like an actual person, unique to each user. Here he finds comfort in Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), his female operating system who becomes the sensitive and insightful partner to Theodore, blossoming into a complex love between the two. The film, written and directed by Spike Jonze, looks to be brilliant and a possible Oscar contender, should the reviews stay positive. Phoenix is always one to choose complex roles, and this one looks as good, if not better than his Oscar nominated role in last years “The Master.” It looks to pull off comedy and sentimentality brilliantly from the trailer, and if the chemistry between Phoenix and Johansson is electric, the film itself will be terrific. Jonze has not made a bad film, which creates high expectations for Her, but early buzz has been good, giving hope to this little indie flick.