For serious movie lovers, the stretch from fall into the holidays is the promised land, providing more than mere popcorn-munching fodder on the big screen.
This movie season gives us something to think about. It's when studios unleash their Oscar bait and more thoughtful flicks land at the multiplex or art house cinema. This year's no exception to that rule, but a few blockbusters and purely entertaining cinematic adventures are in the mix, too. Expect a few gems to be unearthed, a few highly-touted bombs. That's the way of it all.
Here's a highly subjective list, this movie lover's top 10 films to see in the coming months:
"Snowden" (September): Director Oliver Stone ("JFK") loves a conspiracy tale and right now one of the most vast of them all concerns governments spying on citizens. And there's no bigger name in connection to this issue than Edward Snowden, the former CIA employee who leaked classified NSA information to expose what he sees as government overreach. While Stone's recent work is uneven, this controversial milieu could be perfect for his talents. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars.
"Queen of Katwe" (September): Disney and ESPN partner to produce this Mira Nair-directed tale about a Ugandan girl whose chess talents take her places. It stars Lupita Nyong'o as the chess prodigy's mother. Based on a true story, this film looks promising, but will Disney dumb it down for the masses? Here's hoping Nair treats the material creatively. The powerful David Oyelowo ("Selma") also stars.
"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" (September): Based on a bestselling Ransom Riggs young adult novel, this story about a teen boy who lands at the most unusual Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children seems right up in the wheelhouse of director Tim Burton, who delights in the devilishly strange. There at the home, young Jake meets kids whose abilities amaze: invisibility, weather manipulation, resurrecting the dead, etc. One girl sports an additional mouth. Perfect for Burton? Seems so.
"Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" (November): Ang Lee is a gifted director whose film projects are all over the place thematically. This Taiwanese-American moviemaker has tackled subjects as diverse as The Incredible Hulk and gay romance out West, a boy lost at sea and the martial arts. Now, Lee turns to the Iraq War. Newcomer Joe Alwyn joins Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel and Steve Martin. Based on an award-winning novel of the same name, the movie was shot in 120 frames per second.
"Arrival" (November): Soon to premiere at the Venice Film Festival, "Arrival" sees three of our best acting talents in what looks like a tense, sci fi thriller: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker. Adams is a linguist recruited to communicate with alien visitors to our planet. Directed by Denis Villeneuve ("Sicario").
"Allied" (November): It's adoration for Marion Cotillard, one of the most accomplished actresses working today, that inspires the intrigue here. Director Robert Zemeckis, superstar Brad Pitt and Cotillard team for a story that combines romance with WWII drama as two assassins fall for each other while on a mission. Could be a hit, could be a miss, but it sure sounds compelling.
"La La Land" (December): A musical with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone? Yes, indeed. They're a couple of hopeful creatives living in Los Angeles, a jazz pianist and an actress. For director Damien Chazelle, it's the follow-up to the Oscar-nominated "Whiplash" and includes that film's star, J.K. Simmons. There's something magical and poignant about the trailer's energy, so let's hope that's reflective of the whole deal.
"The Founder" (December): Biographical and business drama about the success of McDonald's and the man, Ray Kroc, who scooped up the burger biz and took it to the top. Michael Keaton, on quite a run for big roles after appearing in "Birdman" and "Spotlight," stars as the Kroc himself.