Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Films of the 2nd Half of 2009

We are here in the last half of 2009, the back nine, as they call it in the golfing world.   We have had many ups and downs so far in the year, many disappointments and, probably, just as many pleasant surprises.   The last half of the year is sure to have just as many of each, but we are here today to bring you our most anticipated films.   These are the films we are most looking forward to from July to December in 2009.

10. Sherlock Holmes (December 25th)

Guy Ritchie tackles the classic detective tale of Sherlock Holmes due out this Christmas. Robert Downey Jr. takes on the role of Sherlock Holmes, a detective known for his observation, logic, reasoning, and deduction to solve difficult cases in the late 19th-early 20th century. With his trusty sidekick Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) by his side, nothing seems to impossible to solve. In this version of the tale, Holmes is to investigate Lord Blackwell (Mark Strong) and the suspicious behavior that seems to be surrounding him. This is not your grandparents Sherlock Holmes tale. Ritchie has incorporated a ton of action and adventure into the tale, as well as a sexy leading lady by the name of Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams). If they put as much emphasis on a witty story as they seem to have on the action, then we are all in for a treat!

9. Bruno (July 10th)

Sacha Baron Cohen took the world by storm in 2006 with his alter ego, Borat, when the film ‘Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan’ was released. Cohen is hoping to strike gold once again with his character of Bruno, a gay Austrian fashion reporter. Bruno is the last character from Cohen’s Da Ali G show to get his own film. The movie follows a similar structure to ‘Borat’, in that the film is a combination of real interviews and (loosely) scripted situations. Some early reviews have been mixed but nearly everyone agrees that the film is more outrageous and more shocking than ‘Borat’. The scenes with his adopted baby, which he receives from a box at the airport, look like they will be hysterical. While this may not be as successful Cohen’s last, we think it will be just as funny. After all, Borat was so 2006.

8. Shutter Island (October 2nd)

Based solely on the premise, you knew this one would be high up on the list of most anticipated films.  It’s the 1950s.  A U.S. Marshall heads to an insane asylum on a secluded island in search of a missing murderess. Oh yeah, an incoming hurricane has cut off all communication to the mainland. That alone puts me in the seat. Add on top of that the fact that ‘Shutter Island’ is being directed by none of other than Martin Scorsese and that U.S. Marshall is being played by Leonardo DiCaprio and you’ve got a recipe for one of the best films of the year. This could, in fact, turn into one of the best thrillers in recent years.

You also know that cinematographer, Robert Richardson, who is working with Scorsese here for the fifth time, is going to have a field day with the gloomy surroundings and creepy setting the story unfolds in. The screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis (‘Night Watch’ and ‘Alexander’) from the novel by Dennis Lehane is sure to offer up some nice twists and turns. The all-star cast of inmates and doctors includes Max Von Sydow, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Jackie Earle Haley, Elias Koteas, and Michelle Williams as the escaped murderess.

7. Avatar (December 18th)

‘Avatar’ is one of the most anticipated films of this, or any other recent year. Director James Cameron’s ambitious sci-fi epic is his long-awaited (13 years!) follow-up to ‘Titanic.’ ‘Avatar’ is set during the 22nd century on the planet Pandora, which is inhabited by the Na’vi, ten foot blue humanoids that are peaceful unless attacked. Humans cannot breathe Pandoran air, so human/Na’vi hybrids known as Avatars are genetically engineered and can be controlled via a mental link. A paraplegic war vet named Jake Sully volunteers to exist as an Avatar on Pandora, falling in love with a Na’vi princess and becoming caught up in the conflict between her people and the human military that is consuming their resources.

To Cameron’s credit, he originally tried to get ‘Avatar’ off the ground 10 years ago but the special effects he conceptualized weren’t possible then so he shelved the project until technology could catch up with his vision. Many details about this film have been closely guarded but ‘Avatar’ promises pioneering technological innovations and was filmed using newly developed 3D virtual cameras which produce stereoscopic 3D images simulating human sight. No doubt ‘Avatar’ will be mind-blowing on a visual level but it should be interesting to see if Cameron can maintain a human story amidst all the technology. Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, and Stephen Lang are the flesh-and-blood stars.

6. (500) Days of Summer (July 17th)

With actors like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel on board, you just know that ‘(500) Days of Summer’ is going to be more than just your typical, romantic comedy.   Told in sporadic order, jumping all over the place in the sequential order of their relationship, the film tells of the ups and downs of the love between a boy who believes in love and the girl who doesn’t.   First-time, feature film director Marc Webb brings his inventive eye to the story, taking the film in directions you might not be expecting.   For one, there’s a dance sequence.   Another scene is a split-screen that offers up some of the most imaginative filmmaking in recent memory.

‘(500) Days of Summer’ has been hitting all of the big film festivals the first half of 2009, and a few of us have had the grand opportunity to check it out.   Check out some of our reviews here and here and even hit up our chance to win tickets to an early screening for it here.   Trust us when we tell you that this film is going to be on Top 10 lists all over the world come the end of the year.   If you aren’t excited to see this original and honest depiction of love in modern times, you should be.   If you’ve already been lucky enough to see it once, you will surely be anticipating a second viewing.   It is a great story about love told in the very best way possible.

5. The Lovely Bones (December 11th)

‘The Lovely Bones’ is adapted from the best selling book by Alice Sebold about a 14-year-old girl from rural Pennsylvania who is raped and murdered by a neighbor. Her story is told from Heaven, as she watches the lives of her loved ones go on while attempting to get someone to find her lost body. The 2002 novel received a heap of critical praise and Peter Jackson’s has chosen it as his first film as director since ‘King Kong’ in 2005 (though Steven Spielberg was attached as director at one time). Ryan Gosling was originally cast as the murdered girls father but quit after the first few days of filming due to “creative differences” (not usually a good sign) and was replaced with Mark Wahlberg. Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan (‘Atonement’) plays the dead girl, Rachel Weisz is her mom, Stanley Tucci is the killer, and the original musical score is by Brian Eno.

‘The Lovely Bones’ was originally scheduled for release last spring but moved back to December when Paramount became interested in releasing it for “awards season”, a nice vote of confidence. This gave Jackson an opportunity tweak some of the special effects and it should be interesting to see how the man who so well realized Middle Earth envisions heaven.

4. Funny People (July 31st)

‘Bruce Almighty’ put Steve Carell on most people’s radar and ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’ launched him into leading man status. ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’ also did something that is not very common with first time directors; it made Judd Apatow a household name. Before ‘Knocked Up’ was even released, Apatow was declared the new “King of Comedy.” Now we are just a few weeks away from “the third film from Judd Apatow” as every trailer highlights.

‘Funny People,’ starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, looks to be a bit more serious than Apatow’s last two films. It seems to take his usual humor-with-heart to a new level. The film looks fantastic, although the official trailer seems to give too much away (I don’t think they should have included the parts showing that he may be getting better). When we spoke with Paul Rudd back in November, he said that he saw some footage during a set visit and was blown away. Unfortunately Paul Rudd is not in the film but the cast list does include Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Eric Bana, Ken Jeong, Leslie Mann and a bunch of celebrities playing themselves. This looks to be one of the best films of the year and we are all looking forward to it.

3. The Road (October 16th)

Based on the best-selling book by Cormac McCarthy, this thrilling post-apocalyptic near future America in ruins story will bring a talented cast together in a film that looks as menacing as it is cinematically epic. ‘The Road’ features Viggo Mortenson as a father struggling to get his child across the ravaged and ruined American country in an attempt to find food and safety. Their journey is wrought with danger as they trek alone and mostly defenseless across hundreds of miles of rugged terrain that is patroled and ruled by gangs of ruthless cannibals. The cinematography and Mortenson’s performance are the greatest highlights from the trailers so far. If the entire film is as good as what we’ve seen, we’re in for one wicked treat that will not soon be forgotten. The cast also features can’t fail performances from Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron. Strap in and hold onto your ladies as we prepare to venture down ‘The Road’.

2. Where the Wild Things Are (October 16th)

Many of us remember our first experience with this classic fantasy from the award-winning 1963 childrens book by Maurice Sendak. The book has really never lost it’s appeal, surviving within the imaginations of one generation of children after another. Ten years after the book made it’s debut, a short animated version made it’s way into our hearts, but now we grown adult fans can share what is likely to be a truly magical experience with today’s children when the first feature length adaptation of the movie hits theaters. From the moment I heard this was in the works, so long ago it seems, I was excited. Finding out Spike Jonze was directing the film was like icing the world’s tastiest cake with pure chocolatey fudge brilliance. From the looks of the trailers so far, the film has maintained the darker side of the story while focusing on Max’s story highlighted by the fantastic imagery obtained through a combination of costumes and CGI. Despite the ups and downs of worrying through the storm which brewed between Jonze and the studio, the film is finally being released and once again, I feel like a kid in a candy store. Too bad I can’t enjoy the candy without feeling guilty anymore…

1. Inglourious Basterds (August 21st)

Even though it kills me to spell both names of this movie title wrong, ‘Inglourious Basterds’ is set to be one of the greatest Tarantino films of all time. It was only a matter of time until he took on the world of WWII, add in the fact that he has one of the biggest casts (next to ‘Pulp Fiction’) and we are all but guaranteed an epic undertaking the likes of which we have never seen. Quentin Tarantino is a genius when it comes to action, violence and dialogue, so expect brilliance. Besides haven’t seen Brad Pitt tell his group of merrymen that he wants the scalps of the “Natzi’s”? Thought so.