Thursday, August 20, 2009

Fall Movie Preview (8-5)

8. 2012 (November 13)
Plot: Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. 2012 is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.

Quick thoughts: Based on the trailer, there doesn't seem to be anything here that we haven't already seen before from Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow). However, if at the time there aren't any other viable options out there, this seems like the perfect type of movie to simply shut off your brains and just watch everything get turned into rubble.


7. Capitalism: A Love Story (September 23)
Plot: Capitalism: A Love Story will explore the root causes of the global economic meltdown and take a comical look at the corporate and political shenanigans that culminated in what Moore has described as "the biggest robbery in the history of this country" – the massive transfer of U.S. taxpayer money to private financial institutions. On this, the 20-year anniversary of his masterpiece Roger & Me, Moore returns to the issue that began his career: the disastrous impact that corporate dominance and out-of-control profit motives have on the lives of Americans and citizens of the world. But this time the culprit is much bigger than General Motors, and the crime scene far wider than Flint, Michigan.

Quick thoughts: Yes, we may not always agree with his politics, but there's no denying that he knows how to make engaging films. Given the relevancy of this topic, I think a lot of people are going to be interested in seeing it. Also economics seem to be Moore's bread and butter, so I'll be very curious to see what he has to say this time around.


6. The Road (October 16)
Plot: Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortensen, Academy Award winners Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and 12-year-old Kodi Smit McPhee star in the big-screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Road – the story of a man (Mortensen) and his young son (Smit-McPhee) traveling through a desperate, post-apocalyptic world.

Quick thoughts: This one has a great cast and great source material that seem to make it likely to be prominent during awards season. However, this was supposed to come out last year and postponements are usually never a good sign in terms of quality. For now, I'm going to remain hopeful, but if it doesn't I can say I told you so.


5. The Box (November 6)
Plot: What if someone gave you a box containing a button that, if pushed, would bring you a million dollars...but simultaneously take the life of someone you don't know? Would you do it? And what would be the consequences? The year is 1976. Norma Lewis is a teacher at a private high school and her husband, Arthur, is an engineer working at NASA. They are, by all accounts, an average couple living a normal life in the suburbs with their young son...until a mysterious man with a horribly disfigured face appears on their doorstep and presents Norma with a life-altering proposition: the box. With only 24 hours to make their choice, Norma and Arthur face an impossible moral dilemma. What they don't realize is that no matter what they decide, terrifying consequences will have already been set in motion. They soon discover that the ramifications of this decision are beyond their control and extend far beyond their own fortune and fate.

Quick thoughts: Man, I really hope that this one turns out to be good. I'm fascinated by the plot and the trailer made me all the more interested. However, I've been burned before and this is just the type of movie that could easily turn out to be well-intentioned garbage. The fact that they've scheduled it for November instead of Sept. or Oct. makes me think the studio has high hopes for it as well.

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