With the school year heating up, here are some of my most anticipated movies that will be released this semester.
“The Martian” (October 2)
Based on the Andy Weir novel of the same name, “The Martian” follows an astronaut (Matt Damon) who is abandoned by his crew on Mars after they believe him to have been killed in a firestorm. Director Ridley Scott’s output has been a bit shaky recently, but this seems like the kind of project that could change that pattern, even if Damon’s role here seems suspiciously like the one he played in last year’s Insterstellar.
The great Jessica Chastain, his co-star in that film, is said to have a great role here as the captain of the space ship.
“The Martian” will debut next month at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“Crimson Peak” (October 16)
Horror extraordinaire Guillermo del Toro is back with this gothic period piece about a young woman (Mia Wasikowska) who is haunted by ghosts in her new husband’s (Tom Hiddleston) mansion. I’ve heard great things about this film, which is supposed to be less a horror movie than a drama with horror elements to it. Between Wasikowska, Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain (again!), del Toro has assembled a wonderful cast to bring his film to life.
“Brooklyn” (November 6)
Saoirse Ronan, the incredible actress from “Atonement,” “The Lovely Bones” and “Hanna” is said to have a great chance at a Best Actress nomination for this melancholy tale of Eilis Lacey, an Irish immigrant in the 1950s, who must choose between the promise of her new life in New York City and the stability of her home in Ireland. Emory Cohen, best known for his terrible performance as Debra Messing’s son in “Smash,” is said to also be outstanding here as Eilis’s American suitor. “Brooklyn” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and will also screen at the Toronto Film Festival.
“By the Sea” (November 13)
Angelina Jolie-Pitt directs herself and Brad Pitt in this period story of a couple whose marriage is imploding in on itself. The recently released trailer promised an intense, beautiful story about the dark side of a relationship. Jolie-Pitt, who is making her screenwriting debut, is said to have based the story on art films of the 1970s. Early word is very strong.
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” (November 20)
I’ve been trying to stay away from well-known franchise films in this article, but the end of Suzanne Collins’ series is very divisive, and I wanted to show my support of the psychological realism and prowess she shows in her handling of Katniss’s post-traumatic stress disorder. Given the mixed reactions, it’s possible that Lionsgate will soften this angle, but I trust Jennifer Lawrence and director Francis Lawrence to give this film series (which was much better than other book-to-film series, save “Harry Potter”) the sendoff it deserves.
“Carol” (November 20th)
Based on Patricia Highsmith’s incredible 1952 novel, “The Price of Salt,” “Carol” stars Rooney Mara as a young photographer in the 1950s who becomes romantically involved with an older society woman (Cate Blanchett) on the verge of divorce with her husband.
The novel is a beautiful study of the stilted time period and builds to one of the most moving climaxes I’ve ever read. “Carol” premiered to rapturous reviews at the Cannes Film Festival, where Mara won the Best Actress award. As it’s being released by awards heavyweight The Weinstein Compnay, expect a major Oscar campaign for Blanchett, Mara and the film.
“Joy” (December 25)
Jennifer Lawrence stars in a fictionalized account of Joy Mangano, a female inventor and entrepreneur in the 1990s.
Her third collaboration with David O’Russell (who directed her to an Oscar win in “Silver Linings Playbook”), this seems poised to earn Lawrence another nomination, if not win. I’ve heard that the script is much heavier than previous O’Russell films, and that Robert De Niro has a devastating role as Joy’s father.
Abrams is a member of the class of 2018.
