Normally I write up this list to go along with my Knight Awards every year. This year I decided to do a full blown post for the blog. Read on after the jump to discover my top 10 most anticipated films of 2011 with commentary.
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Directed by David Yates
Release: July 15th, 2011
9. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Directed By Steven Spielberg
Release: December 28th, 2011
I know very little about the original comics of Tintin, but this Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson collaboration has piqued my interest because of the talent involved. Not only is Spielberg directing while Jackson produces, but it stars Andy Serkies, Jamie Bell, Simon Pegg, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost, and Toby Jones. That's one hell of a line up. The mo-cap animation stills we have seen come out for the film look stunning. But I will remain slightly hesitant till we can get our hands on a trailer. I do like that Spielberg is returning to child-like adventure material, but the question remains - does he have it in him anymore? The child naivety and sense of wonder has been missing from his style for quite a few years now. His material has grown darker and darker throughout the 2000's and while I do appreciate Spielberg's maturity as a filmmaker, I can't help but look back at his 70's and early 80's work with a sense of loss. He created so many enduring classics in such a short amount of time and has never hit the same stride sense. Maybe The Adventures of Tintin will serve as a return to that era.
8. War Horse
Directed By Steven Spielberg
Release: December 28th, 2011
Steven Spielberg has two films coming out this year and his second is based on a play that was originally produced in London that follows the story of a horse through World War I. One of the biggest criticisms of Spielberg's whole career as filmmaker has been his often times saccharine sentimentality. It has come damn near close to completely ruining more than one film of his - War of the Worlds being the most recent. This is the type of material that could get him into trouble, but at the same time it's also the type of material perfect for Spielberg. It's a big epic story with a heart of gold and has a historical backdrop to boot. The first stills have been released for the film already and they sure do look pretty. But again, until I see a trailer I'm remaining cautious.
7. The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Release: November 23rd, 2011
What has always impressed me about Martin Scorsese is his willingness to jump into any genre. Yes, he is famous for his organized crime films and it is a genre he frequently returns to, but the man has literally done it all save for a couple. He has never directed a children's film and he has never done fantasy. That is all about to change with The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The film is based on a unique picture novel by Brian Selznik that I am determined to check out before the movie arrives in theaters. Scorsese has a delectable and eccentric cast on board that includes Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law, Emily Mortimer, Ray Winstone, and Christopher Lee. Scorsese will also find himself using 3D for the first time. While I'm as sick as the rest of you with the whole 3D craze, I am excited to see what a truly great artist can do with the format. Scorsese is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and to see him trying to new things and pushing the art of cinema forward at his age is a beautiful thing to behold.
6. The Muppets
Directed by James Bobin
Release: November 23rd, 2011
I adore the Muppets and always have. I will never forget when Jim Henson died and, even though I was young, what a blow that was to the art of puppeteering and the world of cinema. Henson was a true visionary whose imagination was limitless and whose films and T.V. series were tiny works of art. He left us with unforgettable characters that will live on long after we are all dead. But in recent years his Muppet characters have fallen off the radar. Their last couple of films have been travesties and poor Kermit and company have been left to collect dust on a shelf. But this is the year of their (hopefully) great return. Actor Jason Segal has penned an original screenplay with the Muppet characters putting on a show to save their old theater. There are going to be a ton of celebrity cameos and I have a feeling the film will be filled with nostalgia and new gags a plenty. I cannot wait to see Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Animal, Fozzie and the gang back in action on the big screen.
5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Directed by David Fincher
Release: December 21st, 2011
David Fincher is directing the American version of the first novel in the popular millennium series and that alone is reason enough to be excited. I have never read the books, as the site of everyone and their mother reading them on the train has become nauseating. Still, there is obviously something about the material that excites people. The series has already been made into a trilogy of successful Swedish films, so Fincher must think he can do something a bit different with his American version. I have fingers crossed that we will get a dark and visceral thriller and not a watered down Hollywood production. It certainly is an interesting choice for his follow-up to his masterpiece (yes I said it) The Social Network.
4. God of Carnage
Directed by Roman Polanski
Release: Unknown
A Roman Polanski film is always something to get excited about. Despite the controversy surrounding him and his personal life, no one can deny what a gifted filmmaker he is. Just last year his film The Ghost Writer got him plenty of critical praise and international awards recognition. Now he is directing a film version of the Tony Award winning play God of Carnage with a terrific cast. The play is about two sets of parents who decide to have a meeting after their sons get in a fight at school. The original play was apparently very dark and satiric in tone, but also incredibly funny. And while I'm a bit disappointed that original stars James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis and Jeff Daniels won't be reprising their roles, their substitutes are impeccable - Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, John C. Reiley and Christoph Waltz. The films release is currently in limbo, but considering production just wrapped I can't imagine that the studio won't try to push this for Oscar season this year. We will just have to wait and see.
3. J. Edgar
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Release: Unknown
Clint Eastwood is tackling a biopic about J. Edgar Hoover that stars Leonardo DiCaprio as the title character and has a screenplay by none other than gay activist and Milk screenwriter Justin Lance Black. The script is said to include all sorts of tidbits on Hoover's alleged homosexuality and cross dressing escapades as well as his history as Director of the FBI. Recent reports have indicated that Eastwood may have been trying to water down the controversial side of the screenplay by Black, but both actor Armie Hammer and Black have denied this. The truth will come out eventually and I admit it's a bit difficult for me to imagine Eastwood making a film having anything to do with homosexuality, but I am intrigued. It would definitely be a step forward for Eastwood as far as his tough guy image goes, and the material seems suited to his directorial style as of late. The film is currently slated to open in 2012, but Eastwood works fast and if he thinks he has a winner on his hands you can bet he will race to get this thing open by the end of 2011. And if he manages to do that we may have an Oscar front-runner on our hands.
2. Super 8
Directed by J. J. Abrams
Release: June 10th, 2011
J.J. Abrams did the near impossible about two years ago - he made Star Trek cool again. Before that he directed the best instalment in the Mission Impossible series and he produced one of the biggest surprises of 2008 - Cloverfield. He is a talent on the rise and now he is taking on his most ambitious feature yet - Super 8. Details on the film are scarce, but a trailer was released a few days ago and it is a doozy. Super 8 looks to capture the essence of and pay homage to the Spielberg Amblin adventure films of the 80's while also having it's own unique style. The plot involves a bunch of kids making a zombie movie who witness a terrible train-wreck where something potentially dangerous and extraterrestrial is released into the world. Sounds like a cross between E.T. , Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goonies, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. In other words, it sounds like my kind of movie. Steven Spielberg also happens to be producing this potential summer blockbuster, so he has quite a year ahead of him. I really hope it lives up to the promise of its trailer because if it does it may end up being one of my favorite films of the year.
1. The Tree of Life
Directed by Terrence Malick
Release: May 27th, 2011
Terrence Malick's new film has been hyped for, literally, years now. I have a confession to make. I have never been a Terrence Malick fan. His films have often bored me to tears with their plodding pace and pseudo poetic imagery. But while I may not personally like his style I can appreciate why so many people love him and why each of his films has been labeled a masterpiece by most critics. That being said when I first saw the trailer for The Tree of Life I was completely floored. The film looks absolutely gorgeous and its use of philosophical inner monologue complimented the images beautifully. Plot details are incredibly scarce, but various reports indicate that the film may be about no more or less than the history of the universe and man's place in it. That's pretty bold and exciting stuff for a motion picture. Malick's films tend to run long, but official run time on this one has it coming in at just over two hours. The film opens May 27th, but is rumored to have it's debut at the Cannes Film Festival. I cannot wait to read the early reviews. Who knows, The Tree of Life may just make me a Malick convert.
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