Thursday, August 30, 2007

65 Must See Movies at the Toronto Film Festival 2007: Special Presentations

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days“4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” Cristian Mungiu, Romania
A drama set in Bucharest during the “golden” years of Communism, about the horrors of the Securitate, and the brutality and absurdness of its methods used. 8.4 Rating on IMDb.
Movie Trailer

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” Andrew Dominik, U.S.
Robert Ford joins Jesse James’s gang, only to become resentful of the legendary outlaw and hatch a plan to kill the fastest gun in the West. Starring Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Mary-Louise Parker, Zooey Deschanel, Sam Rockwell, Sam Shepard. Critics that have seen it say it’s slow and boring, but the trailer looks ever so promising.
Release: September 21.
Movie Trailer

Atonement“Atonement,” Joe Wright, Britain (Pride & Prejudice)
A British romance that spans several decades. Fledgling writer Briony Tallis, as a 13-year-old, irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister’s lover of a crime he did not commit. Starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. EuropeanFilms says “Atonement is a fully formed pleasure of a film that only really stumbles in its editing and its closing moments.”
Release: December 7th (limited).
Movie Trailer

Battle in Seatle“Battle in Seattle,” Stuart Townsend, U.S.
Based on a True Story. Activists arrive in Seattle, Washington en masse to protest a meeting of the World Trade Organization. Riots and chaos ensue as demonstrators successfully stop the WTO meetings. Starring Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Ray Liotta, Michelle Rodriguez, Joshua Jackson and Channing Tatum.
Release: December 2007.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead“Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men / Dog Day Afternoon / Network), U.S.
Needing extra cash, two brothers conspire to pull off the perfect, victimless crime. No guns, no violence, no problem. But when an accomplice ignores the rules and crosses the line, his actions trigger a series of events in which no one is left unscathed. Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney and Marisa Tomei.
Release: September 26th.
Movie Trailer

Bill Poster“Bill,” Melisa Wallack, Bernie Goldmann,U.S.
A guy fed up with his job and married to a cheating wife reluctantly mentors a rebellious teen. Starring Jessica Alba, Timoth Olyphant, Aaron Eckhart, Elizabeth Banks.

The Brave One“The Brave One,” Neil Jordan (The Crying Game / The End of the Affair / Interview with the Vampire), U.S./Australia
A woman struggles to recover from a brutal attack by setting out on a mission for revenge. It looks interesting, and it helps that Jordan won an Academy Award for The Crying Game in 1992. The film also has a great line-up of actors: In addition to Jodie Foster, it also features Naveen Andrews (Lost), Terrence Howard (Crash), and Mary Steenburgen (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape).
Release Date: September 14th.
Movie Trailer

Michael Moore Sicko“Captain Mike Across America,” Michael Moore (Sicko, Bowling for Columbine), U.S.
A look back to the 2004 election, when the margin of polling difference between candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry could have tipped either way. The film captures Moore’s activities as he set out on a campaign trip almost as rigorous and far-reaching as the candidates’ own, visiting 62 cities in 45 days, and holding large rallies on college campuses. Has a Michael Moore film ever been bad? Okay, aside from Canadian Bacon and The Big One…

Chacun Son Cinema“Chacun Son Cinema,” David Cronenberg, Atom Egoyan, David Lynch, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Roman Polanski, Gus Van Sant, Lars von Trier, Wong Kar Wai, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Aki Kaurissmaki, France
A collective film of 33 shorts directed by different directors about their feeling about Cinema. Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2007. With a list of directors like this, how could you go wrong?

Death Defying Acts“Death Defying Acts,” Gillian Armstrong (Little Women), Britain/Australia
During Harry Houdini’s tour of Britain in 1926, the master escapologist enters into a passionate affair with a Scottish psychic. The psychic and her daughter attempt to con Houdini during a highly publicized séance to contact his mother whose death has haunted him for many years. However all does not go to plan… Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Guy Pearce.
Release: Late 2007

“The Girl in the Park,” David Auburn, U.S.
Enduringly traumatized by the disappearance of her 3-year-old daughter 15 years ago, Julia Sandburg has cut herself off from anyone once near and dear to her, including her husband Doug and her son Chris, who tried for years to penetrate her wall of isolation and despair, without success. But when Julia meets Louise, a troubled young woman with a checkered past, all Julia’s old psychic wounds painfully resurface, as does her illogical and increasingly irrational hope that Louise may be the daughter she lost so long ago. Starring Sigourney Weaver, Kate Bosworth, Keri Ruseell, Alessandro Nivola and Elias Koteas. Possibly a bad sign: Auburn wrote The Lake House.

I’m Not There Poster“I’m Not There,” Todd Haynes,U.S.
Ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where seven characters embody a different aspect of the musician’s life and work. Starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, David Cross and more.
Release: November 21.
Movie Trailer

“In Bloom,” Vadim Perelman (House of Sand and Fog), U.S.
A woman’s survivor’s guilt from a Columbine-like event twenty years ago causes her present-day idyllic life to fall apart. Starring Uma Thurman, Evan Rachel Wood.
Release: December 21.

In the Valley of ElahIn the Valley of Elah,” Paul Haggis (Crash), U.S.
When model soldier Mike Deerfield (Jonathan Tucker) mysteriously goes AWOL, shortly after returning to the U.S. from the front lines in Iraq, his career officer father Hank (Tommy Lee Jones), enlists the aid of police detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) in the search for his son. His wife Joan (Susan Sarandon) also joins them to uncover the truth of his disappearance. Inspired by Mark Boal’s Playboy Magazine article. I’ve seen this already, and it’s incredible.
Release: September 21.
Movie Trailer

intothewildposter.jpg“Into the Wild,” Sean Penn (The Pledge, The Crossing Guard), U.S.
Based on a true story and the bestselling book by Jon Krakauer. After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless (Hirsch) abandons his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life. Starring Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, Jena Malone, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt and Catherine Keener.
Release: September 21.
Movie Trailer

“Juno,” Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking), U.S.
Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual and bizarre decision regarding her unborn child. Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Olivia Thrilby, JK Simmons. Reitman is one my favortie emerging directors, and this cast is stacked.
Release: December 14th.

Lars and the Real Girl“Lars and The Real Girl,” Craig Gillespie, U.S.
A delusional young guy strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet. Starring Ryan Gossling and Patricia Clarkson. Were you a fan of the HBO series Six Feet Under? I was one of those people who discovered the movie on DVD, and watched almost every single episode in the span of a few weeks. I have yet to see another show with the same sensibilities. Six Feet Under screenwriter Nancy Oliver’s new movie Lars and the Real Girl seems to have some of the same dark weird dramatic comedy.
Release: October 19th.
Movie Trailer

lustcautionposter.jpg“Lust, Caution,” Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon / Brokeback Mountain / Sense and Sensibility), U.S.
An espionage thriller set in WWII-era Shanghai, in which a young woman, Wang Jiazhi (Tang Wei), gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee (Tony Leung). Rated NC-17.
Release: September 28th (limited)
Movie Trailer

manfromplainsnotposter.jpg“Man From Plains,” Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs / Philadelphia), U.S.
Last year, former President Jimmy Carter dove headfirst into the most controversial topic in international politics, publishing the book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. Following the path of Carter’s recent book tour, Academy Award winner Jonathan Demme reveals a complex individual who, with the gusto and determination of a youngster, criss-crosses the county to get his message of peace across, even as that message creates a media onslaught in which his credibility and judgement are called into question.

margotattheweddingposter.jpg“Margot at the Wedding,” Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale), U.S.
Margot and her son Claude decide to visit Margot’s sister, Pauline after she announces that she is getting married to less-than-impressive Malcolm. Starring Nicole Kidman, Jack Black, John Tuturro, Jennifer Jason Lee.
Release: November 16th.
Movie Trailer

nocountryforoldmenposter.jpg“No Country for Old Men,” Ethan Coen and Joel Coen (Fargo / The Big Lebowski / O Brother, Where Art Thou?), U.S.
Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande. 9.0 Rating on IMDb. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson.
Release: October 5th.
Movie Trailer

“Nothing Is Private,” Alan Ball (writer: American Beauty), U.S.
A young Arab-American girl struggles with her sexual obsession, a bigoted Army reservist and her strict father during the Gulf War. Based on Alicia Erian’s novel “Towelhead”. Stars Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette, Maria Bello.
Release: January 2008?

railsandtiesnotposter.jpg“Rails & Ties,” Alison Eastwood (daughter of Clint Eastwood), U.S.
Unable to face the possibility of losing his wife to illness, Tom Stark buries himself in his job as a train conductor. But when Tom’s train hits a car on the tracks, a young woman is killed and her son, Davey, is left to cope with the loss of his mother. Starring Marcia Gay Harden, Miles Heizer, Kevin Bacon.
Release: October 26th (limited)

Redacted“Redacted,” Brian De Palma (Scarface), U.S.
A montage of stories about U.S. soldiers fighting in the Iraq conflict, focusing on the modern forms of media covering the war.
Release: December 14th.

The Savages“The Savages,” Tamara Jenkins, U.S
A sister (Laura Linney) and brother (Philip Seymour Hoffman) face the realities of familial responsibility as they begin to care for their ailing father. Heard a lot of good buzz about this flick at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
Release: December 26th.
Movie Trailer

“The Take,” Brad Furman, U.S.
After he’s shot during a heist in East L.A., an armored-truck driver (Leguizamo) wrestles with rehabilitation and tracking down the man (Gibson) who committed the crime. Starring Taylor Gray, John Leguizamo, Tyrese Gibson and Rosie Perez.

“Then She Found Me,” Helen Hunt (star of As Good as It Gets / Twister / What Women Want), U.S.
A New York schoolteacher (Hellen Hunt) hits a midlife crisis when, in quick succession, her husband leaves, her adoptive mother dies and her real one, an eccentric talk show host, materializes and turns her life upside down as she begins a courtship with the father (Colin Firth) of one of her students. Film also stars Bette Midler, Mathew Broderick.

“The Visitor,” Thomas McCarthy (The Station Agent), U.S.
A college professor travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his apartment.

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