Quick takes on the multiplex and my to-see list
True Grit – This looks fabulous. I am usually against remakes, but 3:10 to Yuma certainly earned me a pass with classic Westerns, and the Cohens are certainly the people to do it. Jeff Bridges looks perfectly cast to make the role his own, and this is near the top of my to-see list when it comes out.
The Tempest – Julie Taymor’s take on the Shakespeare play has me cautiously optimistic. Good source material, Helen Miren, and I generally like Taymor’s visuals. I had mixed feelings on Titus, so we’ll see where she goes with this one. Mirren should be worth watching though, even if the rest of the movie doesn’t work.
The Next Three Days – It seems like Russell Crowe keeps coming out with thrillers that I mean to see, then don’t. This is out now, and I probably won’t see it in theaters, but it looks like it could be a fun couple of hours in the vein of running around and things exploding. Going on my Netflix queue.
Cowboys and Aliens – Daniel Craig. Harrison Ford. A sci-fi/Western mashup. I am ALL OVER this.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader – None of my friends are very psyched, but I am so glad they made the third movie. I don’t think they necessarily need to make the other four – I love The Silver Chair, but don’t know how well it would translate into film – but I feel like the first three are sort of a set, with the Pevensies, and I think they’ll do a good job. Plus, Dawn Treader is just a lot of fun, and I think it looks like they’ll do it justice.
Source Code – From Duncan Jones, who premiered with the excellent Moon, comes more smart-looking scifi. Jake Gyllenhall looks to be well-cast as a man who relives the scene of an accident/crime over and over, looking for a clue to who is responsible. I can’t wait for this one.
Burke & Hare – A fun looking black comedy about grave robbers, staring Andy Serkis and Simon Pegg. This looks completely charming. (Also, it has Tim Curry. Seriously.)
DVD New release: The Book of Eli – Though this dystopian action flick got mixed reviews, I was interested enough that I’d still like to give it a look. Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman star, and it might be entertaining or it might be terrible. I’m curious.
Classic, new on DVD: Nightfall – A 1957 film noir about the dangers of offering help to stranded motorists. You could end up dead or framed for murder, apparently. Great reviews, looks fun, and Anne Bancroft is it.