"In a World Where Both of Our Cars Were Totally Underwater"

I also won't get into why I think that the Academy Awards have no credibility, and how the Golden Globes should take over as the real benchmark for achievement. But I will give you a brief synopsis of some movies that I think could change the sentiments of my earlier post. So here goes (in order of release date):

*The reasons I have chosen to post links to trailers instead of embed videos in the blog so you can watch it here is because 1)The video quality on YouTube is poor; and 2)It would significantly slow the load time of the blog.

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1. The Illusionist - released Sept. 1st - Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Paul Giamatti - A magician in turn of the century Vienna falls in love with a woman well above his social standing. When she becomes engaged to a prince, the magician uses his powers to win her back and undermine the stability of the royal house of Vienna.

   - - This movie sounds strange, but has gotten very good reviews and Edward Norton has a talent for distinguishing good roles and movies.

2. The Science of Sleep - released Sept. 22nd (limited) - Gael Garcia Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg - A young man returns home under the new employment of a great job.

   Wildly creative, his vivid dream life begins to bleed into his waking life. In the meantime, he meets his neighbor and develops feelings for her. But despite the great things happening to him, he begins to develop insecurities that threaten impending dilemmas.

   - - This movie has a limited release, so its appeal probably exists as a rental. This movie was written and directed by Michel Gondry, director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and numerous popular music videos. A movie that appeals mostly to niche interests, but has value in its originality that anyone could appreciate.

3. The Last King of Scotland - released Sept. 27th (limited) - Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy - A documentary-style film based on the events of the brutal Ugandian dictator Idi Amin's regime as seen by his personal physician during the 1970s. - - Lots of Oscar buzz for Forest Whitaker in this one, but it is a period piece and a documentary, which turns off some people.

   
   

4. The Departed - released Oct.6th - Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Vera Farmiga, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin - Two men from opposite sides of the law are undercover within the Massachusetts State Police Department and the Irish Mafia. But violence and bloodshed boil when discoveries are made and both rat and mole struggle to find out their enemy's identity.

   - - This movie has been widely publicized. It is directed by Martin Scorsese, and obviously loaded with stars. Based on the popular Hong Kong film(s) Infernal Affairs.

5. The Prestige - released Oct. 20th - Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Piper Perabo - Two magicians develop an intense rivalry and a life-long battle for supremacy fueled by obsession, deceit, and jealousy, which has deadly consequences. - - Two established leading men and successful director Christopher Nolan (Memento, Batman Begins) combine for the second movie about magicians on this list.

   With the people involved in this film, it is hard to believe that it could be a dud.

6. Little Children - set to release Nov. 3rd - Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly - In suburbia, a group of young married couples interact throughout their small community in secretive ways that forbode dangerous confrontations.

   - - This film has adult themes centering around unfaithful married couples in suburbia, but that doesn't mean that it can only be appreciated by the over 30 crowd.

7. Babel - set to release Nov. 10th - Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Koji Yakusho - Three stories set in Morocco, Japan, and Mexico intertwine to form a flowing, powerful narrative that draws parallels across borders.

   - - This movie seems to be the one that is politically-tangible of the group. Hopefully it won't be another Syriana.

8. The Fountain - set to release Nov.

   22nd - Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz - Spanning over one thousand years and three parallel stories, The Fountain is a story of love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of our existence in this world. - - This is the first Sci-Fi movie of the list, and from the writer/director of Pi and Requiem for a Dream, Darren Aronofsky, it is sure to be..

   . different.

9. The Holiday - set to release Dec.

   8th - Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black - Two women troubled with guy problems swap homes in each other's countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love. - - This is my selection for any women who are looking for a romantic comedy for the holiday season. I'm not ashamed to include this in the list, before you try to make me feel that way.

   Also because any of you guys with girlfriends will probably end up being dragged to this anyway.

10. The Pursuit of Happyness - set to release Dec. 15th - Will Smith, Dan Castellaneta, Thandie Newton, Jaden Smith - A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he begins a life-changing professional endeavor.

    - - This movie would qualify as the inspirational film of this list. Coincidentally, it is based on a true story. Good chance that it will be *the* movie that brings in audiences this Christmas.

11. Blood Diamond - set to release Dec. 15th - Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, Djimon Hounsou - A South African mercenary, American journalist, and Mende fisherman are thrown together in a quest to recover a rare pink diamond buried by Solomon (the Mende man). - - This trailer actually made me laugh at Leo's Afrikaan accent when I first saw it before The Departed (his accent didn't turn out to be stellar in that either).

    However, that doesn't take away the fact that he is a great actor, and so is Jennifer Connelly. But it seems as though Djimon Hounsou (Gladiator) will steal the show in this movie. I really think the Afrikaan accent is one of the most interesting and powerful accents on the planet, and Djimon (known as "Digimon, Digital Monsters" on the street) gives a perfect example of that in this film.

    
    

12. The Good Shepherd - set to release Dec. 22nd - Matt Damon, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Joe Pesci, Alec Baldwin - The tumultuous early history of the Central Intelligence Agency as seen through the eyes of a dedicated man's life. - - This film's lead role was originally offered to Leonardo DiCaprio, who turned it down in order to focus on The Departed.

    The role then went to DiCaprio's Departed co-star, Matt Damon. Directed by Robert De Niro.

13. Children of Men - set to release Dec.

    29th - Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine - In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind. - - It is understandable if you feel a bit skeptical about this film. I certainly feel the same.

    However, it has garnered very positive reviews from critics and viewers alike.

14. The Painted Veil - set to release Jan. 19th, 2007 - Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber - A story set in the 1920s where two young English lovers marry for the wrong reasons and relocate to Shanghai, where she falls in love with someone else.

    When he discovers this, he accepts a job in a remote village in China ravaged by a deadly cholera epidemic. - - Ok, so this movie doesn't technically become a wide release film until 2007, but it starts its limited release run on the 29th of December. Also, I am personally very excited for this movie, as it has two of my favorite actors, some beautiful cinematography, and a great trailer.

You may notice some actors common to more than one movie on this list. From my counting, I believe that Edward Norton, Gael Garcia Bernal, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Kate Winslet, and Jennifer Connelly are each in two movies on the list. Many of these actors I am a particular fan of, which certainly has honed my searches.

The others I find to be good actors but do not follow their movies particularly.

Needless to say, this sort of list requires some user interaction. I hope that you have found a few movies that you are interested in from this.

What was your favorite trailer? If you have found some you like, please post a comment with which in particular you have picked out. Also, if you feel like there is a movie you think I should include in this, please post a comment.

You can do so without being registered with Blogger, and can even post anonymously if you like. And if you have any questions for me, leave a comment. Any way you do so, please, interact!