Top 50 Films to Look Forward to in the Second Half of 2012: Part 2
Today, we continue our countdown of the top 50 movies you should be anticipating for the rest of the year. If you happened to miss the first part of this post, it was published yesterday. And back to the countdown…
25. The Great Gatsby, dir. Baz Luhrmann
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher
Release: December 25
Whether you like or dislike Luhrmann, his projects always demand attention. Don’t want to watch another Romeo and Juliet movie? Boom, he brings in a strapping young Leo. Tired of musicals? Boom, he brings in Nicole Kidman. Tired of Nicole Kidman? Boom, he brings in Nicole Kidman anyway and places her in Australia, and the movie nerd inside you gives in. This time around he brings back DiCaprio, as well as adding in the sensational Carey Mulligan. The trailer was pretty iffy, as it looks like Lurhmann might be trying too hard once again, and DiCaprio’s acting is beginning to get overly repetitive.
24. Hyde Park on Hudson, dir. Roger Michell
Starring: Bill Murray, Laura Linney, Olivia Williams, Olivia Colman, Samuel West
Release: December 7
Oh, Bill Murray. As if he wasn’t magnificent enough already, he decides to play one of the more popular Presidents in American history. Murray’s charm and the tone of this film seemingly go hand-in-hand, and I also expect terrific performances out of the always reliable Laura Linney and Olivia Williams.
23. Anna Karenina, dir. Joe Wright
Starring: Keira Knightely, Jude Law, Aaron Johnson, Kelly Macdonald, Emily Watson, Olivia Williams
Release: November 9
Shot on a single stage, this adaptation of the beloved novel is the latest in period pieces from Joe Wright. He changed up styles with Hannah, but is heading back to more familiar work that beckons to the day when he brought in Knightley for both Atonement and Pride and Prejudice. I will have to say that while I haven’t always been Knightley’s biggest fan, she hasn’t been half bad the past couple years, and thought she was absolutely perfect in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. Most people haven’t seen Aaron Johnson in anything but Kick-Ass, so it will be interesting to see what this does for his career. At the very least, this tale of love and loyalty will be beautiful to look at, with Wright well known for his set pieces and costume design.
22. The Bourne Legacy, dir. Tony Gilroy
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton, Rachel Weisz, Albert Finney, David Strathairn, Joan Allen
Release: August 10
I know plenty of people of questioned whether this series needed a continuation or not, but I think that there’s a number of opportunities for a franchise like this without rehashing the same story line. Tony Gilroy wrote the screenplay for the first three movies, so while it’s being directed by someone new, it’s also being directed by someone who knows what works and what doesn’t for these specific characters. Gilroy doesn’t have a lot of directing experience, but one of his two previous efforts was Michael Clayton, which he also wrote. Renner looks more than capable of carrying this franchise for a few films.
21. The Grandmasters, dir. Kar Wai Wong
Starring: Tony Leung, Ziyi Zhang, Chen Chang
Release: TBA
Kar Wai Wong, Leung, and Zhang have all worked together before on 2046, a movie that didn’t live up to the hype for some, but still a very good film, nontheless. Leung and Wai Wong were the masters behind the magnificent In the Mood for Love, and it would be hard to name a Chinese film over the past decade that caught on with American audiences that didn’t include Ziyi Zhang. This particular story follows Tony Leung playing Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee. I don’t pretend to be an expert on Chinese films, but even I can recognize the talent that came together for this movie.
20. Love, dir. Michael Haneke
Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert
Release: December 19
Michael Haneke’s previous film, The White Ribbon, was my top rated film of 2009, and still remains the only A+ I’ve ever dished out on this site. Haneke’s latest film, much like The White Ribbon, won the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival, arguably the second most prestigious award in the film business behind Oscar’s Best Picture. This movie follows a elderly married couple, whose love is tested when one of them has a health scare.
19. Gangster Squad, dir. Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi
Release: September 7
This one has B movie cheese written all over it, but that doesn’t matter. It still looks fun and plenty of action. Director Ruben Fleischer is best known for Zombieland, and while I doubt we see as much comedy from this crime drama about the LAPD trying to keep the East Coast Mafia out of LA, he has brought in a pretty impressive ensemble of actors. Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, and Sean Penn all look like inspired casting choices, and Fleischer also brings back his Zombieland star Emma Stone, who once again will be the romantic interest for Ryan Gosling.
18. Lawless, dir. John Hillcoat
Starring: Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman, Jessica Chastain, Shia LaBeouf, Mia Wasikowska
Release: August 29
What we have here is the director of The Proposition once again doing a period piece about a bootleggers trying to evade the law. If that doesn’t get you excited, the cast surely will. Sure, Shia LaBeouf’s career has plummeted over the past five or six years and has actually become the focus of joke after joke, but the rest of the cast is impressive. Tom Hardy continues his takeover of Hollywood, while young starlets Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska bring along their talents as well. The trailer has also promised a new and exciting turn by Guy Pearce, relishing in the villain role.
26 Comments
I’m Sorry TDKR cannot be anything but #1 Not even Rian Johnson and The Hobbit can beat how much i’m looking forward to that movie
I’m really looking forward to it, and have midnight tickets already, but I can’t help but be more excited for the other three.
Sorry, but i can’t agree with Hyde Parks place on this list. Most biopic’s nowadays feel like mediocre Oscar bait, and the trailer for Hyde ark didn’t leave me feeling it would buck that trend.
Also, i think you made a typo in your blurb on Gangster Squad here
“Zombieland star Emma Stone, who once again will be the romantic interest for Emma Stone.” I’m assuming you meant put Ryan Gosling at the end here
I don’t think Hudson will be the traditional biopic. I think the story they’re going with is going to be VERY loosely based off of real events.
And thanks for the heads up on the Gangster Squad typo!
Yea I really can’t gather any enthusiasm for Hyde Park myself. Maybe it’s the trailer but it seems really dull despite the presence of Bill Murray and Laura Linney.
There’s a lot in that list I want to see but I’m having doubts about To the Wonder since I’m convinced that it’ll come out in 2013 unless a trailer comes out this year.
I know you can’t always rely on Malick to release his films on time, but it sounds like he just barely missed Cannes. If he misses both Toronto and Venice, then I would start to worry about it not being released this year. I think him having three other projects lined up and the contracts that go with them will push him to get the film finished this year.
I think it’s awesome that The Hobbit is your number 1! And Looper right up there too. So excited for that as well. Also very excited about Argo. Great, great list.
Thanks! I think my anticipation for The Hobbit has cooled off a little, but I’m sure it’s going to have me waiting in excitement the closer we get to the release date.
I really can’t focus on any other movie on the list. I’m just so excited for The Master.
The previews of Phoenix’s performance really have me excited to watch it. PT Anderson directing is just icing on the cake.
Hi, Red and company:
‘The Dark Knight Rises’ goes without saying.
‘The Great Gatsby’ looks like all glitz and glam. No substance.
‘Looper’ looks the most interesting
‘Lawless’ has an nice period piece look and feel. Not a big Shia LeBeouf fan.
‘Zero Dark Thirty’ looks far too rushed and pre-packaged to be taken seriously.
‘Rust and Bone’. I don’t get Marion Cottilard
‘Argo’. Meh!
‘Django Unchained’? More Meh!
Agreed partially on The Great Gatsby, but there’s too much talent involved here to dismiss it.
Don’t get Marion Cotillard? I think I nearly had a heart attack!
This list gives me a hell of a lot of joy. TDKR for number one, Looper for number 2. For some reason I’m not as excited about The Hobbit as I should be. Maybe I just need a new trailer to give me a fix.
Thanks Pete! Have you checked out the production video blogs for The Hobbit? Has definitely added to the excitement.
Oh man, I am very much looking forward to the second half of the year. Thanks for the reminders on some of these.
Thanks for reading Scott!
I am really looking forward to Anna Karenina, The Great Gatsby, and most of all: The Hobbit. I added many others from this post to my “to see” list. Thanks.
Thanks again Stephanie!
This is a much easier chunk of films to consider. It all comes down to The Hobbit, Cosmopolis, The Great Gatsby, The Master, Argo, and Django Unchained, I think. Everything else is almost assuredly fluff. New Malick is potentially exciting, but I’m surprised that he’s got another movie coming out immediately following Tree of Life and honestly wouldn’t blink if we wound up having to wait until next year to see it.
Of the movies that you listed, I think Argo might be setting me up for disappointment the most.
I’ve heard good early things. Affleck definitely seems better suited to directing movies (and, frankly, starring in the movies he directs), but I’m reserving judgment as usual.
TDKR should really be the top. It’s the film EVERYONE’s talking about. Heck, even my mum is!
Hasn’t Django Unchained been pushed back to 2013? Or is that just a UK thing…?
Still 2012 stateside as far as I know.
Wow! I think you nailed it! Each and every movie in this list looks amazing!
hey, what about Metropolis???? its one of the greatest films ever! a 1984 remake of Metropolis by Giorgio Moroder is available at metropolismovie.co.uk! you should see it NOW!
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