I scanned BOM's release schedule for an hour and penciled down all the potential Oscar films that we've mostly been ignoring so far. Ones away from the big cats we're already talking about, where most likely they'll fail, but out of the pack we may get a The Queen, Capote, or even Million Dollar Baby surprise. I excluded the likes of even small films like Eastern Promises and The Bucket List, as we all already know about those.
Also, doing a list like this as all huge movie fans, gives us a lot of films to anticipate this fall. These are the ones that'll pop up on our top 10 lists. Here we go:
Cassandra's Dream - Another year, another Woody Allen continuing his comeback film. Early word says it's similar to Match Point in its style, meaning serious and un-recognizable from an Allen standpoint. It stars Colin Farrell, Ewan McGregor, Tom Wilkenson, the plot revolves around some brotherly crime scheme that goes wrong. At the least it's one to anticipate.
Love in the Time of Cholera - Mike Newell(Goblet of Fire, Donnie Brasco), has shown promise to be a very good director... This probably is his highest-potential film awards-wise to date. Moreno is an Oscar nominee, Bardem will probably be getting one with No Country this year, something that can boost this movie's name too. Romance has been slightly ignored as of late, but you never know. It could also go way of The Painted Veil.
I'm Not There- The Bob Dylan art biopic with 6 male and female actors playing him, including Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger. It'll be around.
Flawless and Michael Clayton - Two thrillers, the first starring Caine and Moore, the second Clooney. I have faith in neither, but their names deserve to be dropped for the stars alone.
The Walker - A murder mystery(old school noir? hopefully) set among high society Washington D.C. There's a very interesting first review on the imdb page though, it looks like this is deeper in its messages and themes than you'd expect. Woody Harrellson is one of those actors who seems like he could come out on any random year and grab a nomination... Willem Dafoe, also in the cast, is another.
Redacted - Brian De Palma does Iraq, soldiers and media both included. No more explanation needed. I'm surprised this project hasn't been talked about more though, as much as I've hated him for the last 15 years.
Scaphandre et le papillon, Le (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) - Foreign, high profile. Chronicles the story of the famous deceased man who's entire body was paralyzed except his left eye, and who proceeded to write his tragic memoirs by blinking. Lust, Caution is probably the frontrunner in foreign film, this could put up a fight though.
Rails and Ties - Alison Eastwood's directing debut. A car + train crash occurs, the engineer and boy survivor from the car have a bonding experience amongst the tragedy. Typical drama stuff, but then again, Mystic River was also a typical story... Marcia Gay Harden, Kevin Bacon reunite for this. After Sofia, you never know about that directing supersperm.
Youth Without Youth - Francis Ford Coppola(!!!)'s return to directing. Don't worry, it surprised me too. I knew he was helming another project, I didn't know it was being released this year. It's a pre-WWII romance involving a professor exploring mysteries of life. Tim Roth is the one American actor among a slew of foreign castmates, including Bruno Ganz(as Hitler again? dunno)
Juno - I don't know anything about this movie, other than the fact that it deals with an unplanned pregnancy and it stars Ellen Page, Jennifer Garner, Jason Batemen, Michael Cera. Page's Junebug maybe?
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - A "biopic"-like film, it's the full life story of Dewey Cox, a fictional musical legend who's traits borrow from a combination of real ones. John C. Reilly is Dewey. Jenna Fischer is the main co-star I believe as his love-interest, Kristen Wiig and Chris Parnell among many others (the imdb list is HUGE, mostly unknowns though), are also in the cast. And Judd Apatow co-wrote it. Which means it could be a total comedy. Either way, it could easily be a big box-office success among the pack.
Silk - A romance set around an 18th century silk smuggler travelling from France to Japan. It's got Keira Knightley, Michael Pitt, Alfred Molina. If it wasn't released in like two weeks, I'd be looking more into it. As it stands though, I'm almost certain it's a September dump. But anyways, it has Knightley. Might as well bring it up.
The Last Full Measure - True story about a Vietnam para-rescuer, historical film. Huge cast here - Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishbourne, Andy Garcia. Biggest issue though, IMDB has it listed as a 2009 film, BOM says it's November 2007 without a finalized date. I somehow trust IMDB more. Especially considering the lack of details on there. I doubt it comes out this year.
That's all I have for now. If anyone knows any more, post em.
