While I’m still pondering what happened to the fall season
on my television, let’s talk movies again. I also have a few books I’ll bring
to the table sometime in the near future. Stay tuned.
October was a fairly quiet movie month for me – although
that might not be saying much, as most of my months are quiet on the movie
front. I rented The Blind Side and enjoyed it immensely, and I also rented a 1979
film, Time After Time, which I enjoyed (H.G. Wells, Jack the Ripper and a time
machine, plus special effects that show their age). In the theater, I did see
RED – lots of explosions and gunfire, with more than a few good one-liners to
keep my interest. It’s based on a graphic novel, so very little in the way of
plot or character development.
With the price of movies these days, even the matinees, I’m
waiting on several of those that appeared in October to appear on DVD.
So on to November.
127 Hours: Loosely based, I’m sure, on a true story, 127
Hours features James Franco as Aron Ralston, a mountain climber who finds
himself alone and in dire straits while climbing in Utah. I’m not sure I’ll be able to watch
this one, although the real story is as inspiring as it is heartbreaking. Rated
R, 127 Hours opens November 5.
Fair Game: Another true story, Fair Game stars Naomi Watts
as Valerie Plame, a CIA operative whose identity is revealed supposedly in
retaliation for her husband’s writing against the Bush administration. Sean
Penn stars as her husband, Joseph Wilson. Rated PG-13, Fair Game opens in
limited release November 5.
Morning Glory: One of the movies on my must-see list,
Morning Glory stars Rachel McAdams as an inexperienced television producer who
finds herself pitting wits against veteran anchors Diane Keaton and Harrison
Ford while romancing Patrick Wilson. The trailers look hilarious, though I’m
quite sure there will be more than one poignant moment in the film. Rated
PG-13, Morning Glory opens November 10.
Unstoppable: Starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine,
Unstoppable promises to be a non-stop thrill ride. A rail company loses control
of an unmanned train carrying all sorts of nasty stuff; an engineer and a
conductor try to catch up and stop the rocketing train. Rated PG-13,
Unstoppable opens November 12.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: The first half
of the last Harry Potter book comes to the big screen with all the usual names
attached, plus Rhys Ifans and Bill Nighy. I’ll be a little sad when this series
ends. The second half comes to a theater near you next July. Rated PG-13, Part
1 opens November 19.
The Next Three Days: Looks to be another thriller from
Russell Crowe and director Paul Haggis. The Next Three Days focuses on the
lives of John and Lara Brennan three years after Lara is convicted of murder
when John decides the only course of action is to break his wife out of prison.
Also starring Elizabeth Banks as Lara, Liam Neeson, Brian Dennehy, Lennie James
and Olivia Wilde, the movie is a remake of a French film. Rated PG-13, The Next
Three Days opens November 19.
Burlesque: Featuring the spectacular voices of Cher and
Christina Aguilera, Burlesque follows a smalltown girl’s journey to Los Angeles and a club run
by a former dancer. Burlesque also stars Stanley Tucci, Alan Cummings and
Kristen Bell. Not yet rated, Burlesque opens November 24.
Love and Other Drugs: Another one that I hope to see in the
theater, Love and Other Drugs stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a pharmaceutical
representative on the ground floor of the introduction of Viagra. Anne Hathaway
also stars. The trailers actually look better than the description sounds,
honest. Rated R (of course), Love and Other Drugs opens November 24.
Tangled: The animated retelling of Rapunzel’s story, Tangled
features the voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, M.C. Gainey, Brad Garret, Ron
Perlman, Jeffrey Tambor and Donna Murphy. Rated PG, Tangled opens November 26.
The King’s Speech: Another true story, The King’s Speech
focuses on the ascension to the throne of King George VI and the speech
therapist who helps him overcome a lifelong speech impediment. Starring Colin
Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech is rated R and
opens in limited released November 26.
I’m sure some of you will like other offerings this month,
among them Megamind, an animated superhero funfest starring the voice of Will
Ferrell; Due Date, a mismatched buddy travelogue starring Robert Downey Jr. and
Zach Galifianakis; For Colored Girls, Tyler Perry’s latest starring Janet Jackson; Skyline, a sci fi thriller filled
with special effects; and Faster, Dwayne Johnson’s return to action films.
Two I’d like us all to keep our eyes on: The Legend of Pale Male is a
documentary about a red-tail hawk nesting atop a New York apartment building
(the trailer had me in tears), which opens in limited release November 24; and
Black Swan, a psychological thriller starring Natalie Portman, which opens
December 3 and is gaining a lot of Oscar buzz lately, particularly for
Portman’s role as a veteran ballerina.
Hope you have fun this month! See ya at the movies!
