2009: A Look Forward

With the Summer movie season officially over and done with, I thought I'd take a look forward to the rest of the year. Here are a few films that are on my radar for the next few months.

The Informant!
I love the diversity of Steven Soderberg’s filmography. He bounces around from art-house films (Bubble, Solaris) to full-out popcorn flicks (the Oceans series). This one almost seems like a mix of the two, although it’s tough to judge at this point. Either way, Matt Damon appears to be in top form here and the material seems right up my alley.

A Serious Man
A new Coen brothers film will always be an event film for me. I’ll confess to not knowing much about the story except that it’s a black comedy about a professor whose life seems to be unraveling around him. In terms of casting, the Coens are departing from their list of regulars to a cast of mostly unknowns. I’m not sure what the final result will be, but I’m interested to find out.

The Road
This is an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel about a father and son who attempt to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. If you think that sounds bleak, then you’d be right. I’ve been looking forward to this one for quite some time now, mainly based on the premise and the talent involved. I’ve seen director John Hillcoat’s previous film The Proposition, an atmospheric western, which showed a lot of promise. Viggo Mortensen stars along with Charlize Theron.

Where the Wild Things Are
This is probably my most anticipated film for the rest of the year. I’ve been waiting for this film for a few years now as it’s been in post-production for what seems like forever. Director Spike Jones is one of my favorite filmmakers working today, despite the fact that he’s only made two films previously. If the trailer is any indication this looks to be not only technical marvel, but a truly emotional experience.

Fantastic Mr. Fox
Like the Coen brothers, any new Wes Anderson film is an event film for me. It’s really unheard of for a major live-action director (aside from Tim Burton) to try their hand at animation, but that’s what Anderson had done. And, although he’s working in a new format, Anderson is bringing his own unique style into the medium. The result looks like a charming, humorous film.

Avatar
It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen a new narrative film from James Cameron – over a decade in fact. This project has been in development for a long while now and has been much hyped about in terms of the technology used to make it. I’m not sure how revolutionary the film will be, but I’ll check it out regardless.

The Lovely Bones
Based on the best-selling book, this is the latest film from Peter Jackson. It’s about a girl who gets murdered and then watches from heaven as her family tries to deal with the loss. Again, I’ll confess to not knowing much about the story; I’m pretty much sold just by the fact that Peter Jackson’s name is attached to the project.

Other notable films:
Youth in Revolt
Gentlemen Broncos
The Men Who Stare At Goats
Nine – an all-star musical from Rob Marshall
Brothers
Up in the Air
The Princess and the Frog – Disney’s return to traditional animation
Invictus
Sherlock Holmes – the latest from Guy Richie

I'm sure there are many more that I've forgotten to list, but this will have to do for now. What films are you most looking forward to for the remainder of 2009?