Tuesday, January 6, 2009

by Ari

Five interesting titles to anticipate for 2009.

Ashecliffe - Martin Scorsese

This is a film I both anticipate and dread. The screenplay is nothing better than a routine psychological B thriller, but I believe Scorsese will elaborate on the material with whatever visual aesthetic he applies to the story. Based on his love for Hitchcock and Val Lewton, Ashecliffe will probably be one of the most atmospheric thrillers of the year. That said, I always prefer personal Scorsese to studio Scorsese.

Avatar - James Cameron

I've never been a fan of 3d entertainment, and I'm certainly turned off by motion-capture technology (the animation in Beowulf and Polar Express is ugly and lifeless), however I do enjoy intelligent science-fiction and I've been entertained by Cameron's previous films, The Abyss being his finest. Hopefully there's a compelling story here.

Inglourious Basterds - Quentin Tarantino

That's the official title, by the way. I reviewed the script a while back and have had several discussions about its unusual nature with friends. Is Inglourious Basterds a preposterous cartoon devoid of realism and historical accuracy? Yes. But that's what Tarantino does, and he does it fairly well.....at least on the page. On August 21 we'll find out if it's too distasteful when it hits the screen.

Tetro - Francis Ford Coppola

Another personal effort from recharged master Francis Ford Coppola, though this time I believe the outcome will be more accessible and less experimental than his arthouse, Twilight Zone-esque Youth Without Youth. A story of rival artistic families based on personal experiences, Coppola described the film as something similar to Visconti's Rocco and his Brothers. It also stars Vincent Gallo and Carmen Maura.

Tree of Life - Terrence Malick

Very little is known about Malick's new film other than it stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn (his second collaboration with Malick after The Thin Red Line). Malick is one of my favorite directors, so this is easily one of the anticipated films of the year.