A Look Into 2009

-After Oscar night the following days can be somewhat of a letdown to movie geeks like myself. After spending the last several months watching almost exclusively high quality, high caliber movies, it can be somewhat depressing when you look around and realize that it is definitely February. January and February have historically been the months when production companies unleash all of their mindless fare onto the market so they can focus on any of their movies from the previous year that may have Oscar campaigns. It is also poor strategy to release in possible contenders for next year this early as history shows that they will probably be forgotten come next nomination time. So, what do movie aficionados do in the weeks following Oscar night? they scan the rest of the year and try to find some promising gems that will pop up next February. It is an imperfect science as some of the movies on this list will inevitably be pushed back to 2010, be canceled, suck or just be average. However, that still does not take away the fun from looking into the future and trying to determine what movies we will be talking about this time next year. So without further ado, here is my sneak peak of the must see movies of 2009...

March:
Watchmen- The first "must see" movie of the year. Adapted from the popular comic book series it tells the story of a alternate universe where superheroes are part of the everyday scene. Some people are saying it could be this years The Dark Knight... that may be wishful thinking, but it still should be entertaining at the very least. (Dir-Zack Snyder; Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffery Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson)

Duplicity- A corporate thriller with some big names. This may not be very "Oscary", but with the people involved it should still be very good. (Dir-Tony Gilroy; Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Tom Wilkinson)

Sunshine Cleaning- From the people who made Little Miss Sunshine, this quirky comedy about two sisters who start a crime scene cleanup business could be gold if done right. Its release date may hurt it... or it could be one of those early standouts. (Dir-Christine Jeffs; Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin)

April:
State of Play- Most action thrillers get really hyped up only to disappoint and get lost in the shuffle. This movie could be that, or it could be something special... and I am leaning toward the latter. (Dir-Kevin MacDonald; Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis)

The Soloist- It was supposed to have come out last year and got pushed back. This is the first movie this year that has Oscar potential written all over it. The story of an unlikely friendship and the power of music. (Dir-Joe Wright; Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener)

May:
X-Men:Wolverine- I wasn't going to put this on here but after watching Hugh Jackman the other night I couldn't help it. Is it going to be anywhere near award worthy? NO. Is it going to be fun? Hopefully. (Dir-Gavin Hood; Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Liev Schreiber, Dominic Monaghan)

Star Trek XI- I can definitely tell we are getting into the summer action blockbusters here. Out of all the star trek movies some are really good and some are really bad. I am curious about this one because of some of the talent involved especially since it is directed by the creator of Lost. (Dir-J.J. Abrams; Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Simon Pegg, Winona Ryder, Karl Urban, John Cho)

Angels and Demons- Tom Hanks and Ron Howard are back and while that usually is reason to look up, after the bombshell that was The Da Vinci Code I have my doubts. Angels and Demons was by far my favored book and I hope that they translate it to film more effectively. (Dir-Ron Howard; Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer, Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgard)

Terminator: Salvation- Yeah yeah I know these last few have not been the typical movies I talk about, but hey it is summer and I like to be entertained too. (Dir-McG; Christian Bale, Anton Yelchin, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Helena Bonham Carter)

Up- Say hello to the next Pixar movie to win best animated feature. The hype around this movie already have people saying it is Pixar's best. It is beginning to feel like people say that about every one of their movies and somehow they are always right. (Dir-Pete Docter/Bob Peterson)

June:
The Taking of Pelham 123- A remake of a classic I have not seen. The story of a New York subway hold up and the poor guy at metro who answers the terrorist's phone call. (Dir-Tony Scott; Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turtorro, James Gandolfini)

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen- I will be the first to admit that I greatly enjoyed the first Transformers. Here is hoping this one is as much fun. (Dir-Micheal Bay; Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, John Turtorro, Mathew Marsden)

July:
Public Enemies- Here we go this is what I'm talking about. This is the first movie of the year circled on my calendar(If I had one). The story of notorious American gangsters John Dillenger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during the 1930s... and look at all the talent involved. I smell Oscar nominations. (Dir- Micheal Mann; Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Billy Crudup, Channing Tatum, Leelee Sobieski, Marion Cotilliard, Giovanii Ribisi)

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince- Sorry this is my guilty pleasure. (Dir-David Yates; Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Micheal Gambon, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane)

Funny People- I am a huge fan of the Judd Apatow comedy gang. Said to be his most dramatic comedy, heres hoping it finally lands him a deserving Oscar in the Original Screenplay department. (Dir-Judd Apatow; Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill)

August:
G.I. Joe- I can't wait. My favorite tv show and toys growing up. (Dir-Stephen Sommers; Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Sienna Miller, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rachel Nichols)

Julia and Julia- Will someone tell Meryl Streep that it is time to let some other actresses get some nominations and to stop hogging all of them. Here she reteams with Amy Adams to tell the story about a woman who tried to cook her way through Julia Child's classic cookbook. I wouldn't be suprised to see Streep and Adams with nominations again next year. (Dir-Nora Ephron; Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci)

Inglourious Basterds- Brad Pitt leads a group of 8 soldiers during WWII with one mission. Sneak behind enemy lines and kill as many Nazis in as grotesque a manner as possible. With Quentin Tarantino directing I don't think the grotesque thing will be a problem. (Dir-Quentin Tarantino; Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Mike Myers, Samuel L. Jackson)

Taking Woodstock- A man inadvertantly sets in motion the world famous concert of 1969 while working at his parent's motel. (Dir-Ang Lee; Liev Schreiber, Emile Hirsch, Paul Dano, Eugene Levy, Jeffrey Dean Morgan)

September:
The Informant- A corporate thriller that has some serious names in it. About an American company accused of price fixing and being investigated by the government.... hmmm sound familiar? (Dir-Steven Soderbergh; Matt Damon)

The Surrogates- Set in the future where humans no longer interact with one another except through surrogate robots. Sounds interesting. (Dir-Jonathan Mostow; Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Ving Rhames)

October:
Shutter Island- The official opening of Oscar season starts off with a bang. The last two times Scorsese and DiCaprio have worked together the film was nominated for best picture (and last time it won). I don't see any reason this action drama would be any different. About a group of federal marshals who get trapped on an island for the criminally insane while investigating a murder. (Dir-Martin Scorsese; Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Jackie Earle Haley, Patricia Clarkson)

Where the Wild Things Are- A beloved children's book about a boy who creates his own fantasy world where he is king of all the creatures and monsters. (Dir-Spike Jonze; Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Lauren Ambrose)

Amelia- A biopic about Amelia Earhart, the lengendary American female pilot. Played by Hilary Swank... I smell Oscar. (Dir-Mira Nair; Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Virginia Madsen)

November:
A Christmas Carol- How many times has this movie been made? Robert Zemeckis is one of the best at taking the ordinary and creating a whole new visual experience. Hope he succeeds. (Dir-Robert Zemeckis; Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Robin Wright Penn)

Nine- Adapted from the Broadway play and a cast and crew that read like a who's who list of Oscar winners. About a film director's dramatic relationships while trying to harmonize his professional and personal lives... yeah good luck with that. (Dir- Rob Marshall; Daniel Day Lewis, Marrion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren, Stacy Ferguson)

Brooklyn's Finest- The token police drama of the year. This plot has not been done well recently (With the exception of The Departed), but the talent in this movie might be able to pull it off. (Dir-Antoine Fuqua; Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin)

December:
The Lovely Bones- Another award winning book adaptation about a girl who is murdered and then views her family and killer from heaven. (Dir-Peter Jackson; Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci)

Avatar- From the creator of Terminator and Aliens, another intergalactic battle between humans and another planet. Promises to be entertaining, visually stunning and possibly Oscar material. (Dir- James Cameron; Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez)

Sherlock Holmes- The classic story brought to life by a very nice set of talent. (Dir-Guy Ritchie; Robert Downey Jr. Rachel McAdams, Jude Law)

The Human Factor- A biopic about the President of South Africa Nelson Mandella. Hmm lets see Clint Eastwood + Morgan Freeman+ powerful biopic= Lots of Oscar nominations. (Dir-Clint Eastwood; Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon)

Men Who Stare at Goats- To be perfectly honest I couldn't help putting a movie with a title like that on the list. Set during the Iraqi war a tv journalist finds a man who claims to have been part of the U.S. Army First Earth Battalion that employed paranormal powers during their missions... Why didn't we use these guys to find Bin Laden? (Dir-Grant Heslov; George Clooney, Ewen McGregor, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Robert Patrick, Stephen Lang, Rebecca Mader)

Currently Homeless (AKA- Movies without current release dates):

Hurrican Season- In the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina a high school basketball coach assembles a makeshift team that competes for a state title. (Dir-Tim Story; Forest Whitaker, Taraji Henson)

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus- About a traveling show where the audience can dictate the direction of the performance. This was the movie Heath Ledger was working on at the time of his death and due to the personality problems of his character the movie was continued with different actors playing the different personalities of Ledger's original character. (Dir- Terry Gilliam; Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Christopher Plummer)

The Road- Slated to have come out last year it got pushed back. Set in the post apocalyptic future, a man and his son try to survive in the lawless wasteland. It is based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy the writer of No Country for Old Men. (Dir-John Hillcoat; Viggo Mortenson, Kodi Smit-Mcphee, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce)

The Tempest- Shakespearean plays are always big hits when done right, and this one has the cast to pull it off. (Dir-Julie Taymor; Djimon Hounsou, Alan Cumming, Helen Mirren, Alfred Molina, David Straitharn, Chris Cooper)

Tree of Life- Nobody really seems to know much about this movie. From what I can gather it is about a boy who must come to grips with differing views of the world as he matures. Aside from what it is about this movie is a must see simply based on the people involved. (Dir-Terrence Malick; Brad Pitt, Sean Penn)

The Fighter- The Director of the Wrestler, Darren Aronofsky returns with another movie about a boxer and his trainer brother and their ascent to the top. (Dir-Darren Aronofsky; Mark Wahlberg)

Green Zone- From the director of United 93 comes the story of CIA agents trying to track down weapons of mass destruction. (Dir-Paul Greengrass; Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan, Jason Isaacs)

Leaves of Grass- Norton plays the role of two brothers, one a college professor and the other a stay at home pot grower who reconnect when the professor is drawn back home. (Dir-Tim Blake Nelson; Edward Norton, Keri Russell, Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfuss)


Cutting It Close (AKA- movies more likely to wait until 2010, but we can hope)

Lincoln- Spielberg directing Liam Neeson and Sally Field as Abraham and Mary Lincoln... OSCAR. (Dir-Steven Spielberg; Liam Neeson, Sally Field)

Nottingham- Robin Hood is a beloved story that has never been done quite right on the big screen. Russell Crowe probably would not be in my top 10 actors I would think of to play Robin Hood but it still sounds very interesting. (Dir-Ridley Scott; Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, Vanessa Redgrave, William Hurt)

Killing Pablo- The story of Colombian gangster and drug lord Pablo Escobar. (Dir-Joe Carnahan; Christian Bale)

Toussaint- The story of the slave rebellions on the island of Haiti. (Dir-Danny Glover)