7.
Passion
It’s a Brian De Palma film so that is one reason, but my curiosity here also lies in the two leads he’s chosen. Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace don’t necessarily seem to fit the mold of the characters played by Kristin Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier in Alain Corneau’s 2010 original, which I found sexually ambiguous and pleasingly atmospheric (read my thoughts here), and believe could be made even more intense under the right guidance.
With De Palma, McAdams and Rapace perhaps we’re in for a treat, though I have my doubts, as we always do when something doesn’t entirely smell right… but isn’t that all part of the intrigue?
6.
Argo
Argo had its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival only days ago and the buzz I heard about the movie seems to be on point. Anne Thompson called it a film that “would make Michael Mann proud” and a definite Oscar contender. Rodrigo Perez echoes her sentiments and Todd McCarthy calls it a “tight and tense political thriller sparked by unexpected humor.”
I found those quotes skimming only the fringes of those reviews, not wanting to spoil the story for myself, though, if you’re interested in a little background on the pic, you can read the story that inspired it here.
5.
The Impossible
I loved Juan Antonio Bayona‘s debut feature The Orphanage, an atmospheric ghost story with a heart and the dramatic chops of a potential master storyteller. That alone has me champing at the bit to see his new film, an effects-heavy drama centered on the 2004 tsunami that crashed into the shores of Thailand.
The focus is on Maria (Naomi Watts), Henry (Ewan McGregor) and their three sons vacationing in the tropical paradise, but on the morning of December 26th, a terrifying roar rises up from the center of the earth and a wall of black water races across the hotel grounds.
I will admit, there is some concern this could be a little one note and basic, centering on a family reuniting after disaster tears them apart, but confidence in Bayona’s ability has me more optimistic than that.
4.
The Master
It’s a no-brainer, but the schedule at Toronto is so busy it looks like I will be one of the last to see Paul Thomas Anderson‘s The Master as I’ll have to wait for the second screening so as to make sure I see Derek Cianfrance‘s The Place Beyond the Pines, a film that would have been slotted at #11 on this list had I granted myself an additional spot.
The anticipation for The Master, though, is certainly high and I imagine this is a film I’ll be chewing on long after the credits roll. I can’t wait.
