The semester in movies
Dan DaranciangWelcome to college. As freshmen, the most valuable skill you will learn is how to manage your time properly, and with that in mind, this list shall give you enough information about the notable movies of the upcoming semester that you can adequately plan for when you should skip your classes.
September 16
“Everything is Illuminated”
Based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name, Everything is Illuminated stars Elijah Wood as the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, who goes abroad to find the woman who saved his grandfather. Part comedy, part drama, this definitely looks be one of the more interesting movies coming out in the near future.
“Proof”
An adaptation of the play by the same name, “Proof” follows the story of Catherine (Gwyneth Paltrow), who is dealing with the death of her once brilliant but mentally ill father (Anthony Hopkins). Hal (Jake Gyllenhaal), a former student of her father’s, comes to her and wants to look through all of the notebooks he wrote in his days of madness, hoping that some of the former brilliance remained. Starring some of the best actors in recent memory and based on one of the best plays in recent memory, “Proof” looks like a definite contender for the Academy Awards.
September 23
“Corpse Bride”
As if “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” wasn’t enough, we are treated to a second Tim Burton/Johnny Depp film this year. The movie is about Victor (Depp), who places his wedding ring on what he thinks to be a finger-like stick and says his wedding vows, only to find out that it is in fact the corpse of a murdered girl (Helena Bonham-Carter), who now believes that they are married. With what looks to be the best claymation seen in a long time-or perhaps the only claymation to be seen in a long time-and a style very reminiscent of “A Nightmare Before Christmas,” Corpse Bride seems like it will be a fun, dark time.
October 21
“Shopgirl”
Adapted from Steve Martin’s novella of the same name, “Shopgirl” is about Mirabelle (Claire Danes),a shopgirl, who is being courted by two men simultaneously. On the one hand she has the older, wealthier Ray (Steve Martin), and on the other she has the struggling artist Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman), who is closer to her in age. Eventually Mirabelle is forced to choose between these two very different men, causing her to evaluate what she is looking for in her life. This looks like it has a very good chance of being this year’s Garden State/Lost in Translation/mainstream 20-something indie hit.
December 9
“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe”
Adapted from the first of C.S. Lewis’s famous series of children’s Christian allegorical books, TCoN:TLTWaTW (which is undoubtedly the longest abbreviation ever) looks surprisingly badass. Sure, you have to deal with the fact that a talking lion is supposed to be Jesus, but there looks to be enough Lord of the Rings-esque action to appeal to even the most heathen people out there.
“Memoirs of a Geisha”
Adapted from the critically acclaimed novel, “Memoirs” is the tale of Sayrui (Zhang Ziyi) as she rises from an orphan in a fishing village to the most celebrated geisha in Japan. Also starring Ken Watanabe and Michelle Yeoh, “Memoirs” is shaping up to be another frontrunner for the Academy Awards this year.
“The Producers”
Yet another adaptation, “The Producers” is drawn from the Mel Brooks play of the same name, which was originally adapted from the Mel Brooks movie of the same name. “The Producers” is the tale of producer Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane), his accountant (Matthew Broderick) and their get-rich-quick scheme. Their plan? Producing the worst play in the history of the world, “Springtime for Hitler.” Featuring Will Ferrell as an eccentric fascist, Nazi pigeons, and Uma Thurman, “The Producers” seems like it might even surpass the award-winning play.
Popularity: unranked [?]
Related Posts
Print This Post