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Last year, when the Academy decided to raise the number of Best Picture Oscar nominees to 10, some people wondered how the Academy would manage to find 10 truly Oscar-worthy films to nominate. Earlier this year, those 10 slots were filled with a little of everything: big budgets and tiny ones, comedy, drama, science-fiction, and even Pixar’s animated Up. Of last year’s 10 nominations, four of them had already been released by this time—and movie lovers were already buzzing about a few of the others.
So far this year, we’ve seen just a couple of possible contenders of note: Pixar’s Toy Story 3 and Christopher Nolan’s Inception. That leaves a whole bunch of nominees that are yet to be seen—but, so far, the buzz for the fall is underwhelming, to say the least (unless, of course, you’re a Harry Potter fan). So before we dive into this year’s award season, let’s take a look ahead at the possible winners, losers, and contenders.
SEPTEMBER 3:
Technically, Labor Day weekend is still considered summer—but George Clooney kicks award season off a bit early this year, playing an assassin who’s hiding out in Italy in the Labor Day weekend release, The American (released on Wednesday, September 1). Also this weekend, Drew Barrymore and Justin Long try to make a long-distance relationship work in the rom-com Going the Distance, and Danny Trejo stars in Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse trailer-inspired Machete.
And, in limited release: Sam Rockwell coaches Emma Roberts and her basketball team in The Winning Season.
Kristin’s Pick: If it’s fall and Clooney’s in it, it’s got to be good. The American gets my pick.
SEPTEMBER 10:
This week is one for the geeks. Not only does Milla Jovovich return in Paul W. S. Anderson’s video game inspired Resident Evil: Afterlife, but a group of geeky teens also star in the coming-of-age sex comedy The Virginity Hit. So drag your favorite geek out of his mom’s basement long enough to check them out.
In limited release this week, Casey Affleck documents brother-in-law Joaquin Phoenix’s new rap career in the mock/documentary (no one still really knows which), I’m Still Here. And John Cena plays a talented wrestler (what else?) alongside Patricia Clarkson in WWE’s Legendary.
Kristin’s Pick: It doesn’t matter whether it’s real or fake. I can’t wait to see the guaranteed spectacle of I’m Still Here.
SEPTEMBER 17:
Writer/director/star Ben Affleck follows up 2007’s Gone Baby Gone with The Town. Affleck plays a Boston bank robber who’s considering a career change. Meanwhile, Emma Stone uses high school gossip to improve her social standing in Easy A, a pair of animated wolves try to find their way back to Canada in Alpha and Omega, and a group of people are trapped in an elevator with the devil in Devil.
In limited release, Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan star in the heavily-buzzed adaptation of author Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, which opens alongside the mysterious Sundance hit, Catfish. Meanwhile, Phillip Seymour Hoffman makes his directorial debut in this adaptation of the off-Broadway play, Jack Goes Boating, and Edward Norton plays twins in Leaves of Grass—a movie that he and director Tim Blake Nelson were already busy promoting at Toronto two years ago.
Kristin’s Pick: Though I wasn’t all that impressed by Gone Baby Gone, I’m intrigued by Ben Affleck’s The Town. But I might have to do a double feature this weekend and follow it up with Never Let Me Go.
SEPTEMBER 24:
Michael Douglas returns as Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, also starring Shia LaBeouf and Carey Mulligan (whose Oscar nomination clearly hasn’t hurt her). For something a little lighter, there’s You Again, starring Kristen Bell and Jamie Lee Curtis as a mother and daughter forced to face their old high school bullies. And, for the kids, there are the animated owls of Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.
In limited release, Ryan Reynolds is buried alive in Buried. Woody Allen is buried in another all-star cast in his new romantic comedy, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. And Oscar winner Davis Guggenheim digs into public education in the documentary Waiting for “Superman.”
Kristin’s Pick: This one’s a tricky one. I’m always eager to see Woody Allen’s latest. But although it’s risky to choose the sequel of a 23-year-old movie, directed by the guy whose last feature was W., I’ve got to go with Wall Street anyway.
OCTOBER 1:
David Fincher’s Facebook movie, The Social Network seems like a strange follow-up to 2008’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. But, then again, Benjamin Button seemed like a strange follow-up to Zodiac. It’s Fincher, so I’ll just run with it.
Also this week, young Kick-Ass star Chloe Moretz teams up with Cloverfield director Matt Reeves for Let Me In, the remake of the haunting Swedish film, Let the Right One In. Renée Zellweger plays a social worker in the long-delayed thriller, Case 39. And writer/director Adam Greene releases Hatchet II.
And, in limited release, a number of documentary filmmakers team up for Freakonomics.
Kristin’s Pick: As intrigued as I am by Let Me In, I doubt if the remake will be as eerie as the original. Besides—it’s up against David Fincher’s latest. I’ve got to go with The Social Network—and I’ll be sure to tell you all about it on our Facebook page.
OCTOBER 8:
October’s horrors continue this week with Wes Craven’s My Soul to Take and I Spit on Your Grave. Also this week, Edward Norton plays a convicted arsonist facing off against Robert De Niro’s parole officer in Stone. Diane Lane races horses in Disney’s Secretariat. And Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel play co-parents to an orphan in Life as We Know It.
In limited release, Kick-Ass star Aaron Johnson goes from superhero to superstar, playing John Lennon in the biopic Nowhere Boy.
Kristin’s Pick: Though Secretariat could be this year’s The Blind Side, I’m not a huge fan of horse movies—so I’ll pick Norton and De Niro in Stone.
OCTOBER 15:
Another award season, another Hilary Swank Oscar bait movie… This year, she plays a single mom who’s putting herself through law school so she can defend her imprisoned brother (played by Sam Rockwell) in Conviction.
Also this week, Johnny Knoxville and friends return in Jackass 3D. And Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, and Bruce Willis play retired assassins in RED.
In limited release, Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist return for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, the third and final installment in the Millennium trilogy.
Kristin’s Pick: Ever since I first saw the trailer for RED, I’ve been dying to see it. So forget Hilary’s Oscar bait—I’m going with Helen instead.
OCTOBER 22:
It’s the week before Halloween—which means that it’s time for another Saw movie. This time, it’s Saw 3D (a.k.a. Saw VII). Or you can see Matt Damon in Clint Eastwood’s supernatural thriller, Hereafter.
And, in limited release, Ben Affleck returns—this time with Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones—playing a businessman who’s trying to figure out what to do with his life after he’s laid off in Company Men.
Kristin’s Pick: This week’s a no-brainer. I’ve managed to avoid the entire Saw franchise—and I love Eastwood’s films—so I’ll happily head out to see Hereafter.
OCTOBER 29:
A couple more scares this week: the mysterious Paranormal Activity 2 and Monsters—a monster movie that’s being buzzed as this year’s District 9.
Kristin’s Pick: Last year, director Neill Blomkamp won me over with his low-budget sci-fi adventure, so I’m happy to give director Gareth Edwards’s Monster a chance, too.
We’ve only just begun our adventure through this fall’s releases—but with so much ground to cover, I’m sure we could all use a little break. So take some time to rest and rehydrate, then move on to part two.
