Olson: Fall film lineup seems to offer more than usual
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By MELISSA OLSON
For the Herald
Monday, September 29, 2008 9:16 AM CDT
The fall movie season is often kind of a joke. Between the end of summer and Thanksgiving, we usually get one or two big event movies sprinkled in with whatever the studio thought was too terrible to be out during the summer (Hello, “Righteous Kill”) and a whole bunch of Serious Indie Movies that are strategically released before the end of the year so they can be eligible for Oscars.
This year, however, is going for bigger and better, with a number of huge releases (“Eagle Eye,” “Max Payne,” “Madagascar 2,” “Twilight,” “Australia,” and, of course, the new James Bond flick) all making their way into theaters before the holidays.
Those titles are probably pretty familiar by now, but along with these studio giants, moviegoers are getting a number of smaller films that show a lot of promise.
These non-blockbuster also-rans have a common thread, too: all of the movies below are coming to us from filmmakers whose last indie efforts were amazing. When you’re heading out to the theater this season, keep these in mind, too:
‘The Lucky Ones’ 9/26
Director Neil Burger (“The Illusionist”) has a lot working against him on his newest project. He’s put together a comedy-drama, a notoriously difficult tone to nail down, starring three actors we haven’t seen in awhile (Michael Pena, Tim Robbins, and Rachel McAdam), that happens to also be a road trip movie.
Worst of all, “The Lucky Ones” is about three Iraq War vets who cross paths on their way back from active duty — and to date, no Iraq war-themed movie has done particularly well at the box office. (Just ask “Stop-Loss,” “Home of the Brave,” “In the Valley of Elah” and “Rendition.”)
But Burger’s first film, “The Illusionist” showed that he can turn a tough genre (period romance) into something breathtakingly original. Hopefully he can find the magic again.
‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist’ 10/3
Way back in 2002, a newcomer named Peter Sollett released a tiny indie movie that turned a lot of heads. “Raising Victor Vargas” got a heap of praise for its real-ness (the movie even used non-actors in the main roles, for further authenticity), but despite its relative success Sollett seemed to just drop off the face of the earth.
Nearly seven years later, he’s finally back with “Nick and Norah,” a romantic teen comedy that’s being billed as the next “Juno” or “Superbad” (a boast which I find unlikely, since the only real connection between those three films seems to be the presence of star Michael Cera, but whatever).
The buzz for “Nick and Norah” is hopeful-to-good, but it’s going to be quite the test to see whether the world is A) sick of these meaningful coming-of-age comedies, or B) just so over Peter Sollett.
City of Embers 10/10
In the summer of 2006, “Monster House” was the animated family movie that got lost in the shuffle. Coming out only a few weeks after “Cars” and “Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties,” and just a little before “The Ant Bully,” a lot of busy families missed this exciting, thoughtful and funny tale of three kids who become convinced that the house across the street is, in itself, a monster.
With all the summer traffic, “Monster House” managed to make a respectable-but-not-great $73 million, and was considered something of a well-made failure. More than two years later, however, director Gil Kenan gets another chance with “City of Embers,” a family movie about a futuristic city that’s been living in the dark for decades — and is just about to lose its generators.
This time, Kenan has a full arsenal: his movie stars Bill Murray, is based on a popular young adults’ novel, and is being released in the middle of fall, a much less crowded season for movies. Hopefully it’ll make all the difference.
‘The Secret Life of Bees’ 10/17
Remember “Love and Basketball?” No? The 2000 indie romantic drama about a young female basketball player trying to make it to the WNBA still has plenty of followers, thanks to the winning combination of lead actors Sanaa Lathan (“The Best Man”) and Omar Epps (TV’s “House”) and the excellent direction of newcomer Gina Prince-Bythewood.
After nearly a decade working in television, Prince-Bythewood is finally back on the big screen with this fall’s “The Secret Life of Bees,” based on the bestselling novel about a young white girl (Dakota Fanning) who’s taken in by an African-American family of beekeepers (led by Queen Latifah in the film).
If “Bees” is anywhere near as good as “Love and Basketball,” I certainly hope Prince-Bythewood won’t stay away for so long again.
‘Role Models’ 11/7
What would any movie season be without the obligatory stupid-guy comedy? In the case of “Role Models,” however, the comedy might not be so stupid: the film, about two washed-up losers (Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott) who are forced to enroll in a Big Brother-type program, is directed by David Wain.
Wain made a serious name for himself in comedy with cult favorite “Wet Hot American Summer” and little-seen television gems like “The State” and “Stella.”
His last film, “The Ten,” was a bit experimental, but still all-out hilarious, which means maybe “Role Models” will finally give filmgoers an adult comedy worth watching. (Will Ferrell, watch your back!)
A Chippewa Falls native, Melissa Olson graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in film. She works in Madison for the television program Discover Wisconsin. Visit her online at www.melissaolson.net.
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