Jared’s Most Anticipated Films of 2014
2014 has the tough task of living up to the fantastic film year that was 2013. In all likelihood, it won’t. But there are still plenty of interesting projects due for release over the next twelve months. Keep in mind the selections here are those that appeal to my peculiar tastes, so don’t expect to see any superheroes on the list. Consider these roughly ordered by my excitement level.
INHERENT VICE [TBD]
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson | Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Owen Wilson, Josh Brolin
Of course the new PTA pic is at the top. The Pynchon novel is great, and I expect the same of the film adaptation. Imagine a cross between Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye and The Big Lebowski with a bit more psychedelia, and you’ll have a sense of Vice‘s vibe.
UNDER THE SKIN [April]
Dir: Jonathan Glazer | Cast: Scarlett Johansson
A polarizing film at fall festivals, Under the Skin marks Glazer’s (Sexy Beast, Birth) long-awaited return to cinema. The plot of this sci-fi flick (that is, a seductive alien preys on hitchhikers) makes it sound like an arthouse Species, but the teaser trailer is creepy and hypnotic.
BLUE RUIN [April]
Dir: Jeremy Saulnier | Cast: Macon Blair, Devin Ratray
This indie revenge thriller debuted at Cannes last year and has been jolting festival audiences ever since. It’s been compared to the Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple, which is all I needed to hear. The trailer gives me goosebumps. I had a chance to see this at AFI Fest, and I totally blew it.
CYBER [December]
Dir: Michael Mann | Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis, Tang Wei
Cyber is currently set for release in January 2015, but, given Mann’s pedigree, I expect an Oscar-qualifying run in late December. Not much information has been released about the plot, but it involves a globetrotting hunt for a cyber-crime network. Hopefully, this is a return to form after the underwhelming Public Enemies.
THE LOBSTER [TBD]
Dir: Giorgos Lanthimos | Cast: Jason Clarke, Ben Whishaw, Lea Seydoux
There’s a good chance the English-language debut from the acclaimed Greek auteur doesn’t arrive until 2015, but I have to include it here given the brilliance of his earlier work (Dogtooth, Alps). The plot synopsis makes it sound like The Lobster will be his most bizarre story yet.
THE ASSASSIN [TBD]
Dir: Hou Hsiao-Hsien | Cast: Shu Qi
Yep, the long-gestating film from Taiwanese master Hou (A City of Sadness, Three Times) will finally see the light of a film projector in 2014! Perhaps even more exciting is that it’s a change of pace for the filmmaker: The Assassin is a wuxia tale about an assassin who falls in love with one of her targets. No release date is set, but word on the street is that it might debut at Cannes in May.
BOYHOOD [TBD]
Dir: Richard Linklater | Cast: Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Ellar Salmon
Linklater’s most ambitious project, Boyhood covers 12 years in the life of a boy whose parents are divorced. And the film was shot over 12 years, as actor Salmon aged from 7 to 19. Crazy and awesome. It debuts at Sundance and should see a commercial release later in the year.
ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE [April]
Dir: Jim Jarmusch | Cast: Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Anton Yelchin
Another film that debuted at fall festivals. Look, I’m as tired of vampire tales as you are, but everything I’ve read suggests indie darling Jarmusch has crafted something unique with Only Lovers Left Alive. If it’s even half as good as Down by Law or Stranger than Paradise, I’ll be satiated.
TOM AT THE FARM [TBD]
Dir: Xavier Dolan | Cast: Xavier Dolan, Pierre-Yves Cardinal
To be honest, I’ve already seen this one (at AFI Fest in November). It’s not as great as Laurence Anyways, but it’s totally worth seeing. An unnerving, menacing thriller that bears little resemblance to Dolan’s previous work. No US distribution yet, but it’s easily his most marketable film, and I expect it will show up in the fall.
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL [March]
Dir: Wes Anderson | Cast: Everyone
The warmth and charm of Moonrise Kingdom renewed my affection for the Wes Anderson style. From its fun trailer, The Grand Budapest Hotel looks to be Anderson’s biggest production yet.
GONE GIRL [October]
Dir: David Fincher | Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
David Fincher follows up The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with another adaptation of a hot mystery novel, this time with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike as his leads. Though I haven’t yet read the book, there’s no way I won’t see the movie opening day. It’s David Fincher we’re talking about here.
THE ROVER [TBD]
Dir: David Michôd | Cast: Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy
Michôd wowed with Animal Kingdom, his feature debut, and this year he returns with a survival tale set in a dystopian Australian outback. If he can pair that foreboding atmosphere with the desolation of the desert, we’re in for a treat.
WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD [TBD]
Dir: Gregg Araki | Cast: Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Angela Bassett
Araki seems to have the most success when he dials back the craziness in favor of nuanced character study, which is why Mysterious Skin is his best work. White Bird in a Blizzard appears to be similar in tone, so I have high hopes.
NYMPHOMANIAC [March]
Dir: Lars von Trier | Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgård, Uma Thurman
If you haven’t yet read or heard about the Danish provocateur’s new film, you will very soon. This explicit tale of a woman’s sexual awakening is set to be the most controversial movie of 2014. You can find the extremely NSFW trailer various places online.
THE DOUBLE [Spring]
Dir: Richard Ayoade | Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska
So many films on this list premiered at fall festivals. Here’s another one: the sophomore feature from Richard Ayoade, whose Submarine was a memorable debut several years ago. Based on Dostoyevsky’s novella The Double, the film follows a shy man (Eisenberg) who discovers he has a doppelgänger. If that setup doesn’t sell you on it, maybe the cryptic trailer will.
ENEMY [March]
Dir: Denis Villeneuve | Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent
Villeneuve’s (Incendies, Prisoners) new film, Enemy, is based on José Saramago’s novel The Double, about a man who becomes obsessed with a look-alike actor. So, yeah, there are two films about protagonists with doppelgängers due out in the spring, and they’re both based on books called The Double. This won’t be confusing at all.
MAPS TO THE STARS [TBD]
Dir: David Cronenberg | Cast: John Cusack, Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson
Cronenberg’s last two films were forgettable, but I’ll always be excited for a new work from the director of Videodrome and The Fly. Like Cosmopolis, Maps to the Stars is a commentary on western culture but with a Hollywood bent. The big question: will there be any body horror?
STRAY DOGS [TBD]
Dir: Tsai Ming-liang | Cast: Lee Kang-sheng
Tsai’s latest made waves at the Venice Film Festival but had no US distribution deal until this month. This tale of a Taipei family living on the fringe of society should get a limited release sometime in 2014. If you’re not familiar with Tsai, I highly recommend checking out Goodbye, Dragon Inn.
SNOWPIERCER [TBD]
Dir: Bong Joon-ho | Cast: Tilda Swinton, Chris Evans, John Hurt
If I knew the US release would be the uncut Korean version that received acclaim last year, this dystopian sci-fi thriller would be higher on my list. But it’s sounding like Weinstein is set on releasing a shorter, dumbed-down cut. Let’s hope he doesn’t destroy Bong’s English-language debut.
DOM HEMINGWAY [April]
Dir: Richard Shepard | Cast: Jude Law, Richard E. Grant, Demian Bichir
Is there room for another British gangster film? We’ll find out when Dom Hemingway hits theaters this spring. At the very least, we’re guaranteed a vulgar, madcap Jude Law, and that’s a good thing.
Other Films of Interest: Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special, Todd Haynes’ Carol, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups, Dardennes Brothers’ Two Days, One Night, Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, James Gray’s The Immigrant, Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, Kelly Reichardt’s Night Moves, Hossein Amini’s The Two Faces of January, Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England, Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, Anton Corbijn’s A Most Wanted Man, Christian Petzold’s Phoenix, Fatih Akin’s The Cut, Steve James’ Life Itself, Thomas Vinterberg’s Far from the Madding Crowd, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Winter Sleep, Luca Guadagnino’s Body Art.
#152 : PACIFIC RIM
The Year One finale of Reel Fanatics! The guys debate the new Guillermo del Toro smashmouth robots vs. monsters movie, PACIFIC RIM.
#151 : Criterion Collection Wishlist
The guys count down their ultimate wishlists for The Criterion Collection.
#151 – Criterion Collection Wishlist
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#150 : WORLD WAR Z / THE BLING RING / MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
For the first time in Reel Fanatics history, the guys review three movies in a single episode (maybe this was dumb): WORLD WAR Z, THE BLING RING and MONSTERS UNIVERSITY. Michael also “lets loose” on a comment he found in the discussion board on a blog he wrote about the decline of SOUTH PARK.
#150 – WORLD WAR Z : THE BLING RING : MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
[audio https://artthroughadversity.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/150-world-war-z-the-bling-ring-monsters-university.mp3]
#149 : BEFORE MIDNIGHT
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[audio https://artthroughadversity.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/149-before-midnight1.mp3]
#148 : MAN OF STEEL
The fellas dissect the new Zack Snyder film, MAN OF STEEL. They also toss around stateside distribution possibilities for Cannes Palme d’Or winner BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR and talk about how much they all enjoyed Seth Rogen’s directorial debut, THIS IS THE END.
https://artthroughadversity.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/148-man-of-steel.mp3
[audio https://artthroughadversity.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/148-man-of-steel.mp3]
#147 : Filmgoer Denial & Cognitive Dissonance
Without doubt the most pretentious episode Reel Fanatics has thus produced, this episode the guys discuss the factors that go into a moviegoer liking a film that they know isn’t good. Films discussed include ZOMBIELAND, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, SKYFALL and LIFE OF PI.
#146 : Cannes Film Festival 2013 / BEHIND THE CANDELABRA
The guys recount the film premieres at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival before going in-depth on BEHIND THE CANDELABRA, the new HBO feature film from director Steven Soderbergh starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. At the end they discuss the possible challenges of straight filmmakers directing gay stories.
#145 : THE GREAT GATSBY / Kickstarter & Zach Braff
On location in Atlanta, Georgia, the guys discuss discuss the new developments with Kickstarter being used as a fundraising tool by major Hollywood stars and review the new Baz Luhrmann film THE GREAT GATSBY.
#144 : MUD / IRON MAN 3 / San Francisco Film Festival 2013
The fellas discuss the new Jeff Nichols film MUD, the Shane Black directed IRON MAN 3 and Joe & Jared’s experiences at the 2013 San Francisco Film Festival!
Reel Fanatics 