Brothers (December 4)
Jake Gyllenhaal is the black sheep of the family who looks after his sister-in-law (Natalie Portman) in every sense of the word after his brother (Tobey Maguire) goes missing in combat. This looks heavy and depressing, but expect great acting and Portman in love scenes - reason enough for most people to watch.
Invictus (December 11)
Heartwarming and dramatic, with Morgan Freeman playing Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon pulling off a pretty good South African accent, this movie looks awesome. Sports teams overcoming racism is always a surefire recipe for success - see
Remember The Titans,
Hoop Dreams, or
Cool Runnings.
Avatar (December 18)
I saw a trailer for this in IMAX 3D and for the first time I understood why IMAX 3D was invented. James Cameron spent $200 million creating this film about a military group trying to relocate an alien population to gain access to their resources, which he originally envisioned in 1999. It took 10 years for funding and technology to catch up with him. With such amazing effects, as long as you see it on a giant screen in 3D, it won't matter how bad the story is. At least that's what the studio's counting on.
It's Complicated (December 25)
Romantic comedies are noticeably lacking this month, but I'm predicting
It's Complicated will be the best. With a great cast including Alec Baldwin, Merryl Streep, and Steve Martin, the rom-com genre gets some alterations in this film, as two of the characters in the love triangle were once married to each other.
Nine (December 25)
Almost the entire cast of this film has won an Oscar (or a Grammy) in the past, and I'm sure they can expect more since the Academy loves edgy musicals. Directed by Rob Marshall (
Chicago),
Nine tells the story of director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis), struggling to complete his latest film while juggling the women in his life. Expect hot dance numbers and Fergie playing a whore.
The Lovely Bones (December 25)
For those who have yet to read Alice Sebold's novel by the same name, you'd better put it on your Christmas list. Everybody else is facing this movie with anticipation and apprehension, wondering how Peter Jackson is going to adapt the story of a little girl in heaven looking down on her family as they try to come to terms with her murder. Here's hoping he pulls it off.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (December 25)
The last last movie of Heath Ledger was infamously interrupted by the actor's untimely death, resulting in Ledger's character being played by not one but four actors, including Jude Law, Colin Farrell, and Johnny Depp, reminding us that
People's Sexiest Men list is made up of suspiciously similar looking hunks. Trippy and artistic, even the trailers aren't fully sure what this movie will be about.
Films to miss:
Did You Hear About The Morgans? (December 11)
This is going to ruin your entire holiday, only because it will depress you how far Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker have fallen. This plot about rich urbanites being misplaced into hick country and the hilarity that ensues has been done. Over and over and over again.
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel (December 23)
The words "The Squeakuel" should be enough to prevent anybody from attending this.
Sherlock Holmes (December 25)
The trailers make it look like this movie has nothing to do with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth stories, since this looks like a shoot-em-up action flick with little thought put into it. That said, it's Robert Downey Jr. playing our favourite detective, and he brings such charm and balls to any role that I'll definitely see this film - and probably regret it.
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