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Title:
Marley & Me
Stars:
Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston
Studio:
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Plot:
An impossibly cute, but impossible-to-live-with yellow Labrador retriever named Marley teaches his newlywed owners a thing or two about patience and parenthood.
Buzz:
There must be some kind of rule in Hollywood about when a big-time star decides to make a dog movie. We're guessing for Aniston and Wilson, it's when they're done working with Ben Stiller.
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Title:
Bedtime Stories
Stars:
Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Courteney Cox
Studio:
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Plot:
Somehow, someway, the lavish bedtime stories that a hotel handyman (Sandler) tells his niece and nephew start to magically come true.
Buzz:
Softly doth Adam Sandler step into family-friendly territory under the chopless direction of Adam Shankman. Do you think Disney knew ahead of time what they were getting into when they cast Russell Brand (AKA the UK's Tom Green) (who somehow got a part in Julie Taymor's new project) as a room-service waiter? Do you think that Jim Carrey and Will Smith will be really PO'ed on Christmas Day when Adam Sandler literally and figuratively out-grosses them both?
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Title:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Stars:
Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton
Studio:
Paramount Pictures
Plot:
Benjamin Button (Pitt) was born under unusual circumstances. As everyone around him grew older, he aged backwards, making the challenges of life such as creating friendships, finding a job and falling in love all the more difficult and heartbreaking.
Buzz:
Now that Ben B's release date has come, the question on our minds will soon be answered: Will this F. Scott Fitzgerald adaptation become the film of the year, or yet another holiday gift that fails to connect with mainstream audiences? We're of course hoping that the former case wins out, and given the advanced word-of-mouth the film has enjoyed, we don't predict that crowds will feel alienated by David Fincher's latest collaboration with Brad Pitt. Put another way: Any movie that plots to pair you with Cate Blanchett toward the end of your life is A-OK with me.
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Title:
Valkyrie
Stars:
Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Carice van Houten
Studio:
United Artists
Plot:
Near the end of WWII, Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) leads to group of fellow German army colonels in an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler; the event would later be called the July 20 Plot of 1944.
Buzz:
With each release-date change, our interest in Valkyrie only increases. Will it become known as the title that topples the dissolved United Artists partnership between Tom Cruise and longtime producing partner Paula Wagner, or will it mark the successful reunion of director Bryan Singer and Usual Suspects writer Christopher McQuarrie, who haven't worked together since they made one another famous? With the movie's action/thriller angle slickly ratcheted up, we expect it to combat everything working against its potential success: myriad production woes (including a late-stage shooting delay that caused the release date to be pushed back from the July 4th holiday); the public's disinterest in T.C.; said public's recent indifference to war movies; holiday competition. Still, the look is right, insiders seem to want it to succeed, and T.C. is enjoying an Oscar push for his Tropic Thunder cameo; if the creative team here reaches its zenith, this is exactly the sort of fare that will get adults into the multiplex during the holidays.
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Title:
Yes Man
Stars:
Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel
Studio:
Warner Bros. Pictures
Plot:
What happens when you agree with everyone and say "yes" to everything? Carl (Carrey) is about to find out when he chooses to become overly agreeable for an entire year.
Buzz:
Carrey returns to form (almost literally if you consider the kinda sorta plot similarities with Liar, Liar). Combined with this year's earlier Seuss success and what we've seen from his next romp,it looks like the $20 million man is ready to make us laugh again. But really we're just focused on Zooey Deschanel.
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Title:
Seven Pounds
Stars:
Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson
Studio:
Columbia Pictures
Plot:
A professional man (Smith) who is close to suicide for his role in an auto accident that claimed the lives of seven people finds a reason to live, and to atone, when he falls for a woman (Dawson) who wants to help him deal with his grief.
Buzz:
Prepare to feel depressed, then uplifted, for a second time by Will Smith and his Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino. Just like in Hancock, a hidden story angle that will reveal itself in time; equally concealed -- make that non-existent -- are any early-bird nominations for Smith's performance, which has been tipped for his third Best-Actor nomination.There must have been tremendous pressure on greenish screenwriter Grant Nieporte to deliver, and I've seen plenty of support for his script. I thought Happyness' screenplay was wispy, but that didn't prevent it from international success, so I have to surmise that Smith's bulletproof career is in no danger of taking a dent this holiday season, even if he madea few enemies in LA this time around.
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Title:
The Tale of Despereaux
Stars:
Matthew Broderick, Emma Watson, Dustin Hoffman
Studio:
Universal Pictures
Plot:
Banished from his home for being more man than mouse, Despereaux (Broderick) is befriended by Princess Pea (Watson) who teaches him the value of reading books (instead of eating them) as well as a fellow outcast, Roscuro the Rat (Hoffman), who is interested in hearing the stories Despereaux has learned. When Roscuro is shunned by the princess, however, he plots her kidnapping, putting Desperaux's human-sized bravery to the test.
Buzz:
Triplets of Belleville director Sylvain Chomet first began work on Despereaux, though he eventually left the project to continue development on a Jacques Tati-scripted project that may or may not be his next film. Chomet was temporarily replaced by Corpse Bride co-director Mike Johnson, though the giant mouse ears wound up being handled by veteran animator Robert Stevenhagen and Flushed Away's Sam Fell. This is definitely the second most-interesting animated project of the year (nothing is beating WALL·E) and it's cool to see Chomet's influence lingering in the trailer. Given the derth of family films this holiday season, Despereaux is the champion by default -- even if the marketing and promotion for this one seemed to peter out early.
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Title:
Doubt
Stars:
Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
Studio:
Miramax Films
Plot:
The principal (Streep) of a Catholic school in the Bronx grows suspicious of a priest (Hoffman) who might have crossed the line with one of their students; her subsequent accusation leads to a tense confrontation that also involves a young nun (Adams) who might have proof of the priest's wrongdoing.
Buzz:
John Patrick Shanley adapts and directs the film version of his Broadway play, which can boast of the fifth-longest run in history. Meanwhile, producer Scott Rudin, who divorced himself from The Reader after a bust-up with Harvey Weinstein, is still in good shape to vie for some best-picture awards, since the buzz temperature here is climbing as December draws near. Look for Streep to extend her lead in the number of total Best Actress nominations, for Hoffman to rack up another nod (one of possibly two if Synecdoche, New York lives up to its avant-garde promise), and for Adams to probably walk away with her first Oscar. Then there's the presence of Viola Davis, who has turned more than one critic's head with her performance as the mother of the student who may or may not have fallen under the influence of Hoffman's Father Brendan Flynn.
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Title:
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Stars:
Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates
Studio:
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Plot:
Aliens land on Earth with an important message for its citizens. A remake of the classic 1951 sci-fi film directed by Robert Wise.
Buzz:
The original '51 flick is pretty much close to perfect, so we were just as surprised as you were to learn that what it really needed was Keanu?! But, here he is, returning to the genre that made him the One, hooked up to wires, interrogated by some creepy goon in a black tie and warning us against the threat of complete global annihilation. Worked before, so there's no reason to think this remake/reboot/re-whatever won't draw us in this time around. Even if it leaves us feeling a bit nostalgic for the old Gort.For the director's take on the trailer, check this out.
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Title:
Slumdog Millionaire
Stars:
Dev Patel, Freida Pinto
Studio:
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Plot:
The story of how impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik (Patel) became a contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be A Millionaire?" -- an endeavor made without prize money in mind, rather, an effort to prove his love for his friend Latika (Pinto), who is an ardent fan of the show.
Buzz:
Danny Boyle's latest has had quite the ride on the way its awards-friendly berth; originally purchased by Warner Independent Pictures, the film's future was in limbo when WIP closed its doors given the gloomy climate for indie/art-house films. For a minute there, Slumdog almost went direct to DVD (which may not come as a surprise to those who saw Sunshine). "Dickensian" and "Capraesque" are two descriptors being used by those who saw it at the Telluride Film Festival, though to me it sounds like Boyle is giving a nod to his contemporary, Michael Winterbottom, who often (successfully) mines for gold outside of his native UK.
