Thursday, September 07, 2006

Let Tiff Begin so let's do a quick Fall Movie Preview

It's Fall, the Toronto International Film Festival starts tonight (and ahem... where are my VIP party tickets? I assume they got lost in the mail?) and before I get carried away with the jam packed TV Season (again, since these past few years, seems like TV has overtopped movies for the place of quality entertainment), here are some of the fall movies (in alphabetical order) that I'm excited about (and hopefully won't disappoint), many which are showing at TIFF (and no, I'm not gonna have time to see anything yet again cause I actually have to work to keep from not starving).


A Good Year (Nov 10) - Russell freaking-phone-thrower Crowe back in a light(er) comedy. Basically a male version of Under The Tuscan Sun. Luckily, I actually loved Under the Tuscan Sun and I'm one of the few that still sort of loves Russell Crowe (on film at least) and thought he shines well in these dramedy rolls (see The Sum of Us).
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Babel (Oct 27) - No idea what its about yet but I'm a sucker for these interweaving stories and this time set in three different countries in several different languages with an international cast including Brad Pitt and Gael Garcia Bernal!
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Bobby (Nov 17) - Mighty Ducksman Emilio Estevez directs his own script, so this could be horrendously bad or a new star in the making (uh, I don't really count him as a star right now), but it has another huge cast (again, me, big casts, total sucker) surrounding the assasination of Bobby Kennedy. Big cast in 60's period costumes. Totally suckered in.
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Casino Royale (Nov 17)- with Cheese but damn does it look good. Maybe it won't be that satisfying, much like McD's, but this darker back to the beginning with Daniel Craig actually looks like fun! Plus Dame Judy Dench is back as M. Love that!
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The Departed (Oct 6) - While I think Scorcese is sometimes overated, this remake of HK's Infernal Affairs with Matt Damon and Scorcese's new fav Leonardo DiCaprio could be quite exciting and a well made Hollywood actioner with some smarts. Let's hope.
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Dreamgirls (Dec 21) - I think Jamie Foxx is annoyingly cocky, was never completely charmed over by Beyoncé, Eddie Murphy is now a joke, and I always hated Jennifer Hudson back on American Idol. Still, I cannot WAIT for this new movie version of the classic musical Dreamgirls to come out, if only to hear that belting.
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Fast Food Nation (Nov 17) - Richard Linklater turns the non-fiction fact based book into a full fledged movie with storylines (let's hope) and another huge cast of characters including the lovely Oscar nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ethan Hawke, Greg Kinnear etc etc etc. Heard it's not the A movie we want it to be but it's not bad either. I'm kinda excited either way.
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For Your Consideration (Nov 17) - Seems to be the one movie that is on everybody's list at the TIFF and probably because it'll be the most reliable in delivery an entertaining romp for 2 hours in the cinema. Christopher Guest and his crew are at it again, sending up Hollywood this time. While that's been done billions of times before, this is a top notch crew and I simply cannot wait.
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The History Boys (Nov 24) - The movie version of the award winning stage play that is still running on Broadway (though not for long so try to catch it if you can) with the original cast from London (in both versions, Broadway and film). Since the play was fantastic, if not a little blurred with the quick and heavy English accents, it'll be great to see it again on film to catch the great dialogue that I might have missed from the theatre version.
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Running With Scissors (Oct 20) - Augusten Burroughs novel about his own life, crazy mother and family are brought to life by (yet another) top notch cast in what could be a slightly campy, slightly silly yet completey devastatinly disturbing delightful look into another typical crazy family. It's been done but I'm holding hope for this one.
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Stranger Than Fiction (Nov 10) - Emma Thompson and Will Farrell in a movie together. What more do you have to say? Emma plays the narrator that narates Will Farrell's characters life. Only he actually hears it. Totally Charlie Kaufman script only not actually involving Charlie Kaufman.
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Volver (Nov 3) - New Pedro Almodovar movie! Very excited!After Ang Lee, Almodovar has shown up the most in my the top spot of my best of movies of the year list. Penelope Cruz back with the director who knows what's best for her!
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So basically, November looks like it will be a busy month. What with November Sweeps on TV and what looks like a month packed with the most interesting of movies.
I know a missed a few so I'll be back soon with another batch of Fall Movie's that I'm excited about.

3 comments:

duckyxdale said...

I was supposed to be there for the week but my AIDS Ride ended up being at the same time. Save the World or watch movies... a toss up.

My colleagues with the Independent Film Festival of Boston are there so say hey if you see them.

Reel Fanatic said...

The line up at Toronto truly is spectacular this year! Of the movies on your list, I'd say I'm most looking forward to The Departed and Volver ... Viva Pedro!

Vance said...

Well, so many movies (let alone TV shows) so little time (okay, though I probably shouldn't be watching Big Brother right now). But Yeah, I didn't even get into the lesser known stuff like Away From Her or The Winds Shakes the Barley or that Dixie Chicks documentary. Wish I wasn't working like crazy over the next 10 days. Ah well. And Ducky! Good on you for saving the world! I commend you on that! Will say hi to your colleagues though!