Summer is not known for producing the best movies, although we get the occasional gem like "Mad Max: Fury Road," "Inside Out" or "Eyes Wide Shut."But fall is coming fast, which means Oscar season will soon be upon us! This is the time of year when we see some of the best that cinema has to offer, even if it’s not in the largest viewing room at the movie theater. Here are seven movies you should keep your eyes open for later in the year:
1. “La La Land” (December 16, 2016)
From the director that brought you "Whiplash" (the movie that garnered J.K. Simmons an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2015), "La La Land" is a musical romance that tells the love story of a jazz pianist and an aspiring actress trying to get ahead in the bustling show business atmosphere of Los Angeles.
I’m excited to see the on-screen chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, while surrounded by several returning Damien Chazelle collaborating actors (including Simmons). It’s also been quite a while since we’ve seen a good original musical film. There have been many stage productions, like "Rent" and "Chicago," that have been adapted for the big screen to great success, but this will be the first time in a while that an original musical movie will likely have the caliber to win Best Picture.
Musicals can be very hit-or-miss for me, and also for the Academy. I feel comfortable with the notion that screenwriter and director Damien Chazelle has been working on this project for a couple of years now, as the screenplay was reportedly done before "Whiplash" premiered. I believe this original project is in very capable hands, and I’m looking forward to this hopeful sensation.
2. “Silence” (November 2016, limited U.S. release)
"The Wolf of Wall Street" was a nice change of pace from "Hugo" for me; I saw "Hugo" as one of the most praised letdowns from Martin Scorsese, as it felt more like a Spielberg film than anything, and anyone who knows me knows that I’m not a huge Spielberg fan. Even so, "The Wolf of Wall Street" didn’t have all the traditional violence commonplace in most Scorsese films. "Silence" looks to be a return to more Scorsese-like films.
Based on the novel by Shusaku Endo, the story is about two Jesuit priests on missions in Japan who endure torture from the hands of the native Japanese. It’s a story of suffering and martyrdom, very common topics in Scorsese’s better films. With stars like Liam Neeson, Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield, "Silence" promises to be a return to more a traditional Scorsese-esque picture.
3. “Birth Of A Nation” (October 7, 2016)
Intentionally titled like the racist pro-Klan film of the early 20th century, the biopic of Nat Turner, an educated slave who led a rebellion against his white master, has the potential to be something great! This is actor Nate Parker’s directorial debut, so it wouldn’t hurt to be cautiously optimistic about this one. However, there have been some critics who have seen it already, and it currently has a Metascore of 77 (strong; usually a Metascore of 70 and above has all the makings of an “artful film” that cinema buffs like me crave).
One of the earlier films to be released this Oscar Season, this movie could be like previous Best Picture winner "12 Years A Slave," and again, maybe not. We’ll find out this October, and I’m excited for it!
4. “Manchester By The Sea” (November 18, 2016)
There isn’t much I know about this film, besides that it’s about a man who goes to take care of his nephew after his brother passes away. The other item I know about this film is that it currently has a Metascore of 91! In case you’re interested in how Metacritic comes up with these rankings, here is their FAQ page. I usually check a film’s Metascore and Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score if I’m unsure of whether to see it or not. Not that these scores are important to everybody, but I find that these scores are often in line with my views on movies, as well as the opinions of many of my other cinema buff friends.
Because "Manchester By The Sea" has a very basic blurb line explaining the plot (which is very vague in itself), I’m depending heavily on these critic scores to decide if I’m going to see this film or not. I’m also a sucker for awesome titles. While “Manchester By The Sea” isn’t the best movie title I’ve ever seen, it definitely gauges my interest, and its current Metascore only makes it one of my top movies to see this Oscar season.
5. “Sully” (September 9, 2016)
The earliest release on this list, and hopefully Clint Eastwood’s third major directorial contribution to cinema (after "Jersey Boys" and "American Sniper"), "Sully" is the biopic of the airline pilot who heroically landed a malfunctioning plane into the Hudson River.
Besides the sight of a plane flying low to the ground around the Big Apple, triggering the locals to flashbacks of 9/11, I’m not quite sure what this movie has to offer. I don’t know much about the man this picture is based on, except that he was very smart and quick-thinking to land in the Hudson River. I also know that he was invited to President Obama’s first inaugural address. Other than that, I’m not sure what material they’re going to use to make this into a full-length movie.
Tom Hanks plays the lead, which is almost always a good way to at least keep a potentially bad movie afloat - and so far, Eastwood hasn’t really let us down as a director. There is a first time for everything, but I like this combination. At least we won’t have to wait too long to find out!
6. “The Zookeeper’s Wife” (March 31, 2017 tentative, possibly earlier)
"The Zookeeper's Wife" will probably be the best foreign film of the year. It tells the story of a zookeeper and his wife who own the Warsaw Zoo in Poland and use it to hide Jews from the invading Nazis. So it’ll probably have sort of a "Schindler's List" feel to it, which has definitely got to be my favorite Spielberg film, and one of only two I can enjoy. And being a Focus Features picture almost guarantees that it will have an indie-feel to it, which I like a lot.
There is some speculation as to if this film will be nominated for Best Picture, as it may not meet the criteria for a nomination (namely that its United States release is currently set to a month after the 89th Academy Awards take place). It is a foreign film, however, which gives it some leeway to a point in qualification. The requirements for nomination can vary from year to year too, so hopefully this film makes the lineup. Of course, it also has to be a good film to make the cut, but I don’t think it’ll have any trouble doing that.
7. “The Founder” (January 20, 2017)
Michael Keaton has proven himself to be the rabbit’s foot of Hollywood, having starred in the last two Best Picture winners, "Birdman" (2015) and "Spotlight" (2016). He may very well be set for a three-peat with this biopic about fast food chain mogul Ray Kroc, the man who took McDonald’s from a few restaurants scattered across California to the global icon it is today.
It’s directed by John Lee Hancock, who also did "The Blind Side" and "Saving Mr. Banks,"but the film promises to be a bit darker and wittier than his two previous projects. After several years of ups and downs, it now seems that Michael Keaton can own any role he is put into, as his last two big roles were almost his perfect typecast. This role promises to be more of the same, and that’s an exciting notion! This is at the top of my current “must-see” list for Oscar season.
Which upcoming movies are you excited to see this fall? Say in the comments! Until next time, this is S.H. Alexander signing off and saying “roll film!”
