Go beyond ‘Star Wars’ with these 13 films
Hollywood, following Vanessa Williams’ best musical advice, relishes saving the best for last.
Every year, the final three months are chock-a-block with stars, spectacle and the heady whiff of Oscar bait. The season reaches its zenith this month as any film a studio thinks has Academy Awards potential must play theatrically for at least a week in Los Angeles and New York before year’s end. This celluloid flood washes into other markets, including Houston, even if we might not see some of these awards contenders until January.
Of course, it’s not just awards bait flickering on big screens this month. As everyone within earshot of the internet or a TV knows, the latest edition of the “Star Wars” saga — “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” — drops into multiplexes Dec. 15. But what else is coming? What under-the-radar gem might be worth taking time out from holiday shopping to see? Here’s a look at 13 of the notable films coming in the next few weeks, along with their Houston opening dates (though, as always, these are subject to change).
‘THE DISASTER ARTIST’
The 2003 film “The Room” ranks with “Plan 9 From Outer Space” as one of the “best worst” movies of all time and has become a midnight-movie staple in the past decade. Now, James Franco directs and stars in this comedic, behind-thecurtain peek at how “The Room” came to be. “The Disaster Artist,” based on the best-selling book of the same name, also features Bryan Cranston, Zac Efron, Seth Rogen and Franco’s brother, Dave. Yet, despite the name cast and the large cult for “The Room,” are these factors going to be enough to attract the much broader filmgoing public who have no idea what “The Room” is and why they should care enough to laugh at it? Opens Friday.
‘THE BREADWINNER’
The 2009 animated film “The Secret of Kells” is considered a classic of the form in some quarters, and co-director Nora Twomey returns with this animated film about an Afghan girl who disguises herself as a boy to earn a living. Co-produced by Angelina Jolie, it’s based on the 2000 best-selling children’s novel. Opens Friday.
‘WONDER WHEEL’
Woody Allen continues his fascination with the nostalgia of such recent films of his as “Cafe Society” and “Magic in the Moonlight” with this drama set in ’50s Coney Island starring Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake, Jim Belushi and Juno Temple. Opens Friday.
‘THE SHAPE OF WATER’
Just when you’re about to write off Hollywood as merely a minesweeper for recycled ideas, along comes Guillermo del Toro to shake up the system. This fantasy-sci-fi-drama is set in an alternate reality of 1962 in which two women (Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer), who work at a top-secret government installation, stumble across a classified experiment. Critical reaction to Del Toro’s genre mash-up so far has been rapturous, and it’s likely that this could be the Mexican director’s best-received film since “Pan’s Labyrinth” in 2006. Opens Dec. 15.
‘DARKEST HOUR’
Gary on his Oldman mantle probably for an Oscar, is clearing considering space all the praise he has been receiving for his role as Winston Churchill in this World War II-era drama about a particularly critical time in the life of the man affectionately known as the British Bulldog. “Darkest Hour” expands upon the soldierfocused universe created in “Dunkirk” and goes behind the scenes of the British government as it dithered between courage and capitulation. Opens Dec. 15.
‘THE GREATEST SHOWMAN’
How on the many hill of directors live-action and film stars and have TV died musicals? Too many. Remember these — “Grease 2,” “Glitter” and “Cop Rock” just to name three — and shudder. So it might seem foolhardy to entrust a new, written-for-the-screen musical starring Hugh Jackman about circus impresario P.T. Barnum to first-time feature director Michael Gracey. But the eye-catching trailers and the success last year of “La La Land” (whose lyricists, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, worked on “The Greatest Showman”) may mean this musical won’t succumb to either artistic hubris or audience indifference like some of its predecessors. Opens Dec. 20.
‘ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD’
If this ever one. a by movie Kevin a making-of Spacey demanded originally documentary, to be accompanied played it’s billionaire J. Paul Getty in this dramatization of the 1973 kidnapping of his grandson, John Paul Getty III, but director Ridley Scott removed every shot of Spacey after news of the actor’s sexual misconduct came to light. He then reshot all of those scenes with a replacement, Christopher Plummer, and promised the film – which also stars Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams — would make its seemingly impossible Dec. 22 release date. Now, even those who have no interest in either the subject matter or Scott are curious about whether “Money” will be a triumph rescued from the jaws of last-minute disaster or just a disaster. Opens Dec. 22.
‘DOWNSIZING’
Whenever releases something, filmmaker it’s Alexander usually a Payne reason to take notice. The man behind “Election,” “Nebraska” and “About Schmidt” comes back with this whimsical commentary on our times. Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig are a couple who decide to shrink themselves to 4 inches tall in order to help save resources. Opens Dec. 22.
‘CALL ME BY YOUR NAME’
One of the most talked-about films of the year, this romantic drama about a grad student (Armie Hammer) who falls for the son of his professor (Timothee Chalamet from “Lady Bird”), has been compared to last year’s best-picture winner, “Moonlight.” But outside the gay theme, stunning cinematography, and the near-unanimous critical praise, there’s little similarity. “Moonlight” was set in the tougher areas of northern Miami while “Call Me By Your Name” is set in a world where people use “summer” as a verb and then partake in that activity in exquisite northern Italian villas. It remains to be seen if “Call,” even if it’s showered with Oscars, enjoys the crossover success of “Moonlight,” which raked in nearly $28 million domestically on a meager $4 million budget. Chalamet, who’s 21, is playing a character in his late teens, and that might rankle some viewers. Opens Dec. 22.
‘MOLLY’S GAME’
Jessica Chastain plays real-life triplethreat Molly Bloom, a competitive skier who ran a high-end, high-stakes poker game and became an FBI agent. It marks the directorial debut of acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin and co-stars Idris Elba, Michael Cera, Chris O’Dowd, and Kevin Costner. Opens Dec. 25.
WAIT ’TIL NEXT YEAR
These films are opening in New York and Los Angeles before the end of the year but come to Houston in early 2018.
‘HOSTILES’
Director Scott Cooper (“Black Mass,” “Crazy Heart”) returns with what will be the second major film in less than a year to deal with Native American issues. Taylor Sheridan’s contemporary mystery “Wind River” set the bar fairly high in the summer, and we’ll see if “Hostiles,” a period piece about an Army captain (Christian Bale) escorting a Cheyenne chief (Wes Studi) and his family through enemy territory, can clear it.
‘I, TONYA’
Margot disgraced Robbie figure may skater not Tonya look much Harding, like but that concern withers away under the charms of this wonderfully rendered, and often hilarious yet sympathetic, sketch of an ultimately tragic figure. Robbie is not in this alone. Sebastian Stan plays Harding’s geeky husband, Jeff Gillooly, and Allison Jainey steals the movie out from under Robbie as Harding’s chain-smoking, foulmouthed, emotionally abusive mother.
‘THE POST’
Steven Spielberg has long balanced his interest in the otherworldly and fantastic with a love of earthbound history. From “Saving Private Ryan” and “Munich” to “Amistad” and “Catch Me If You Can,” he seems to enjoy putting his own spin on real events. With the exceedingly timely “The Post,” he takes viewers back to 1971 for Daniel Ellsberg’s leak to the media of “The Pentagon Papers,” the controversial and much-ballyhooed government report documenting official lying about the government’s involvement in the Vietnam War. In an era when accusations of “fake news” fly fast and furiously, it’s good to see a film that, like “Spotlight,” shows just what the sausage-making of journalism is like. Looking for more Oscar gold for their walls, Meryl Streep plays Washington Post publisher Kay Graham while Tom Hanks is famed editor Ben Bradlee.