BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
This movie seems like it HAS to be good. It might not being a movie that I’m going to rush out to see, but when you put Meryl Streep in front of a camera you should just about always expect magic. You can bet your ass this movie will be one of those Oscar movies come award season. The fact that Julie Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, and other awesome people are in this make it even more appealing. It’s a drama. There’s a drunk poet, a women addicted to drugs with cancer, and we come into their story just as everything is turned on its head. It sounds like a bouncy rich people drama that Streep racks up the awards by being in. It’s not Woody Allen, but I’m sure it’ll try to be. I’m sure it’ll be good, but you can bet your ass it’s going to be praised by critics. It has to be. Mark my words.
(THREE) WINTER'S TALE
This is a supernatural drama based on a 1983 novel. It sounds and looks crazy! Colin Farrell stars as a thief who falls in love with a dying girl. He’s going to get killed by Russell Crowe and his gangster buddies, but for some reason a guardian angel gets his back. And that’s just a bit of the plot. It’s a really weird and surreal kind of movie. It feels and sounds like The Crow, but without too much gimmick. A movie with Farrell, Crowe, Will Smith, Jennifer Connelly, Jessica Brown Findlay, and others all stand out on the cast list. This should be an interesting movie to say the least. Even if it sucks, I want to see it just to see how they pull this weird concept and out-there idea off. I don’t even know if it’ll be good, but I’m certain I’d want to find out.
(TWO) LABOR DAY
At first you’d think a movie named “Labor Day” would be one of those ensemble romantic comedies directed by Gary Marshall. It’s not! It’s not at all! This movie has a great cast of Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Gattlin Griffith, Tom Lipinski, Clark Gregg, Alexie Gilmore, Lucas Hudges, James Van Der Beek, Tobey Maquire, and a slew of others. The movie follows a 13 year old boy who has to figure out life seemingly on his own. The kid has a rough home life where his mother is reclusive and school isn’t much better. The boy ends up befriending a strange man, brings him home, and then we find out he’s an escaped convict. The plot seems a little tired, but the action and the performances are definitely going to be strong. This is a movie that Jason Reitman wrote and directed. His track record thus far speaks for itself. This will be “pretty good” at best, with a huge potential upswing.
(ONE) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
I don’t get too into Ben Stiller. For some reason the dude just rubs me the wrong way. Based on what I know about him and his appearances I generally like him as a person but the majority of his comedies don’t work for me. His more artsy dramatic side is something I wish he’d explore more of. The movie “Greenberg” comes to mind and his work in “Royal Tenenbaums”. When Stiller emotes, it works. This movie looks like a great balance. He plays an office worker who lives in his own head. His fantasy life and world is epic and creative and a great escape. His character’s love interest is played by Kristen Wiig, but the movie also features the likes of Adam Scott, Patton Oswalt, Shirley MacLaine, and even Sean Penn. It’s got an all-star cast and I can’t help but think how good this movie is going to be. Surreal escapism in a good movie is hard to find. If this movie lives up to half its potential, it could be the best movie of the year.
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