Well after the rather dismal between-the-seasons lull we've been experiencing of late, things have certainly begun to pick up in Tinseltown. Ireland in November boasts more great movies than you could shake a stick at. Below are just some of the highlights coming your way, warming us up nicely before Jack Frost season in December. With movies as good as these, it looks like we'll have more to munch our popcorn over than our dusty Home Alone box sets in the run up to Christmas.
In no particualr order, here's what we're most looking forward to:
1. The Master. 16th November. At long last, Paul Thomas Anderson's universally acclaimed The Master rolls into town, putting paid to all those Oscar rumours. Will it be the best film of the year? We wait eagerly to find out. It won't exactly warm the cockes of your heart, being loosely based on the inception of Scientology and all, but it does promise some of the finest acting since actual sliced bread. After returning home from the Second World War to find himself disenfranchised with his country and his old religion, Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) sets up faith-based organisation The Cause. Soon, he begins referring to himself as The Master. His right hand man Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) begins to doubt both The Cause and The Master once they both begin amassing a cult following. Cannot WAIT!
2. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. 16th November. Having been bitten by the vampire bug (awful AWFUL pun), I've followed these movies since reading the books and developing an interest in Robert Pattinson's jawline. As the final installment in the tale of a girl (Kristen Stewart) who meets a vampire (Pattinson) and subsequently gives up her entire life to be with him (figuratively and literally), the pressure is on director Bill Condon to end this on a high. What we do know is he's changed the ending of the book which, most readers will agree, was a fairly lukewarm affair. Starting out as quirky, indie type fare, bigger budgets inevitably transformed the Twilight franchise into blockbuster stuff that, in the end, was just plain ridiculous. Teenage werewolves falling in love with newborn half vampire babies? Unless you were hooked from the start, it's unlikely that this last film will entice you onto the bandwagon. Even the hardcore Twi-hards among us will be glad to see it wrapped up. Still though, we'll gladly see it through til the end.
3. Argo. 7th November. Now this one we've seen and this one we LOVED. Hitting it out of the ball park yet again is actor turned director (who still feels the need to appear in his own movies) Ben Affleck (The Town, Gone Baby Gone). Charting the real life story of the Iranian Hostage Crisis in the late 70s, Argo will have you on the edge of your seat and probably on the floor by the time the credits roll. Not only is it tense, exciting and a fantastic story, it's also pretty damn funny thanks to stellar performances from Alan Arkin and John Goodman. Starring the legend that is Bryan Cranston, Affleck himself, and an ensemble of top class names, Argo is not to be missed. What's more, we'd bet our office on it that Argo'll get a nod come Oscar time. Huge claim, we know.
4. Rise Of The Guardians. 30th November. All your favourite childhood heroes come together under one roof? What's not to love? When an evil spirit named Pitch (voiced by Jude Law) decides he wants to take over the Earth, all of the Immortal Guardians have to team up to defeat him, from Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin) to the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) to the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) and Jack Frost (Chris Pine), as well as to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world. From the makers of the brilliant How To Train Your Dragon, this looks set to be a fun reinterpretation of much loved characters with a brilliant voice cast. It's also worth pointing out that this is an adaptation of a very much adored series of books, The Guardians of Childhood by William Joyce.
5. Great Expectations. 30th November. Starring Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes and the gorgeous, up and coming Jeremy Irvine (I interviewed him so I did), we've got great expectations for Great Expectations. (Note to self: hire a pun expert.) As one of the most famous Dickens' novels of all time, the fact that David Nicholls (One Day, Starter For Ten) has gotten his hands on the script may divide opinion. One Day haters probably won't be too enthused but then again, with Ralph Fiennes on board, we doubt if it'd be anything less than lavish and spectacular; we trust his choices. Directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings And A Funeral, Donnie Brasco), this story centres on humble orphan Pip who, thanks to an anonymous and generous benefactor, finds himself rather rich. Growing up as a proper gentleman, Pip falls in love with Estella (Holliday Granger) and becomes friends with her mother, the creepy Miss Havisham (Bonham Carter).
6. Here Comes The Boom. 9th November. Time for something a bit light and sporty. Mixed Martial Arts fans will like this. MMA enthusiast Kevin James stars here as a teacher who was once a high school wrestling champ. When his school finds itself in need of some funds, he decides to get back into the octagon to raise them some much needed cash. We'd never have took James for a sporting hero but perhaps we were wrong; he certainly looks the part in the trailer. There's a few funny one-liners too!
7. Silver Linings Playbook. 21st November. This is a drama based on a hugely popular novel with a cracking pedigree both behind, and in front of the camera. Bradley Cooper stars here as a depressed writer who finds Jennifer Lawrence's neighbour annoying, before a romance blossoms. While that doesn't sound like much, the trailer looks fantastically droll and O'Russell is a fine director of actors. We're only dying for another sample of what Jennifer Lawrence has to offer. The Hunger Games, Winter's Bone, that girl's in for a long and lustrious career.
8. The Sapphires. 7th November. Chris O'Dowd charms the pants off us once again in this movie charting the lighthearted trials and tribulations of Australia's answer to The Commitments, The Sapphires. Australia, 1968, and while Vietnam kicks off for real, four indigenous Australian girls - Maubov, Sebbens, Tapsell and their bossy older sister/guardian Mailman - have their own struggles: their brand of Country music set isn't being taken seriously. Seeing something in them, alcoholic Irish piano player (not mutually exclusive in movies) Chris O'Dowd encourages them to switch from Country to Soul, and whisks them away to South East Asia to entertain the troops. However, with dodgy promoters making off with their dough and the girls putting on shows pretty close to where the bullets are flying, things get hairy… To read Gav's full review click here.
9. End Of Watch. 23rd November. During a routine traffic stop, two young LAPD officers (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena) confiscate some money and firearms. So far, so routine. But what they don't know is that they have taken this money and these guns from a notorious drugs cartel, who in turn mark the two officers for death. Written and directed by David Ayer (The Fast & The Furious, Training Day), what could make this movie stand out from all the others in the cop-thriller genre is the way it's shown, with most of the movie shot in first-person, which is usually found in horror movies like The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield. Expect realism.
10. For a Good Time, Call... 2nd November. is the first feature length film for director Jamie Travis. The story centres on former college frenemies Lauren and Katie who move into a fabulous Gramercy Park apartment. In order to make ends meet, the unlikely pair start a phone sex line together. Also starring Justin Long, this could be fun.
