Nelson Mandela, international icon of non-violent resistance and anti-apartheid leader, has been represented on film before, last by Morgan Freeman in the tepid rugby movie Invictus, but no-one has taken a stab at the most challenging part of his life like Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom looks to. Starring Idris Elba as Mandela, this biopic covers his life from childhood to his 27-year-long imprisonment to his inauguration as South African President. 

At 94 years old, Mandela was recently stricken ill but, luckily, it looks like he is in the clear for now. Directed by English filmmaker Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl), Mandela is expected to garnish some awards for Elba.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYlcZC0GIn0

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is directed by Justin Chadwick and stars Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Mark Edlerkin, Robert Hobbs, Grant Swanby and Theo Landey. It opens in the US on November 29.

Lullabying us in with the iconic whimsical ballad of “chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim charoo”‘s, this trailer for Saving Mr. Banks “promises” to deliver the real, unfiltered view of Mr. Walt Disney. With two-time Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks filling the shows of Disney and Emma Thompson co-starring as author P. L. Travers, this biopic chartering the 1964 production of Mary Poppins is sure to get huge Oscar play at year’s end.

What’s curious about this endeavor is the fact that Disney is infamous for being a totally d-bag. Not so fondly described as “a paranoid hater of Jews and gays, a merciless exploiter of his animation staff, and an artistic pioneer whose vision surpassed uncompromising and headed straight into dictatorial,” Mr. Walt Disney’s legacy may stand for something family-friendly and pure but those definitely do not seem to be the tenants he lived by. Seeing that the House of Mouse itself is behind the production, it’s hard to imagine that they won’t sugarcoat this icon rather than pointing to his plenitude of flaws.

Have a look at the trailer and see if you think this will really be the unadulterated peek we’ve been promised or a family-friendly ordeal glorifying a man unworthy of said glorification.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5kYmrjongg

Saving Mr Banks is directed by John Lee Hancock and stars Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Rachel Griffiths, Bradley Whitford and B.J. Novak. It floats into theaters in the thick of Oscar potential season on December 13.

On the heels of the first official poster, Spike Lee‘s remake of Chan Wook-Park‘s Korean cult classic Oldboy gets a entrail-smattered red band trailer. Hoping to win over newcomers to the film and hopefully capture the attention of purists, Lee’s film is already divisive in nature. Personally, I hold no grudge against remakes of foreign films. They’ve given us the likes of The Departed, 12 Monkeys, The Ring, Let Me In, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, amongst many others.

Josh Brolin stars and the synopsis is as follows:

“An advertising executive is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his punishment, only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAPHmgz4fok

Oldboy is directed by Spike Lee and stars Josh Brolin, Samuel L Jackson, Elizabeth Olsen and Michael Imperioli. It hits theaters on October 25.

Early word on the Coen Bro‘s Inside Llewyn Davis has been overwhelming positive so I feel confident saying that not only will it be one of the more enjoyable films of the year but will definitely get some Oscar play next March. Joel and Ethan Cohen have a tendency to waffle between the cinematic fare they dabble in, a one-from-them, one-for-us tactic.

Although they never stray far from their indie roots, more accessible films like No Country for Old Men and True Grit often get a lot more attention and accolades than more left-field work like A Serious Man and Burn After Reading. Inside Llewyn Davis seems to promise to both deliver to the masses while leaving their indelible Coen mark.

Take a look at the trailer and see if you’ll be rushing to see the Coen bros latest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-VG5IZGwT4

Inside Llewyn Davis is directed by the Joel and Ethan Coen and stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake, F. Murray Abraham, and Garrett Hedlund. It hits limited theaters on December 6 and goes wide on December 20.

In this Dreamworks-financed, Vince Vaughn-led comedy, Vaughn plays an average delivery man with relationship problems who discovers that a mix-up with his sperm bank donations 20 years ago have led to him amassing 533 biological children. On a quest to be a guardian angel of sorts to this small town worth of children, Vaughn’s David Wozniak makes important discoveries about his own life decisions and the parents he may have been.

Delivery Man is a remake of the 2011 French-Canadian film Starbuck written and directed by Ken Scott who will again be directing and penning this one. It’s rare that a director will remake his own film in another language, the only other example that comes directly to mind is Michael Haneke‘s Funny Games which was originally done in German and remade 10 years later in English (which I hated), so we’ll see how this one turns one.

The original version didn’t quite light the world on fire but it was a mild success for what it was. Seems like Scott and Dreamworks are banking on the star power of Vaughn to propel this one to mass appeal. Have a look at the trailer and see if you would be willing to invest 12 bucks to see this in theaters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1lZKDNJ4aQ

Delivery Man is directed by Ken Scott and stars Vince Vaughn, Cobie Smulders, Britt Robertson, Chris Pratt, Jack Reynor and Bobby Mornihan. It opens November 22.

It was hard for me not to feel duped when I walked into Prince Avalanche expecting an indie comedy with dramatic undertones and walked out feeling like I’d just wasted two hours of my life on a steamy, bloated, self-masturbatory, art fart with absolutely no semblance of structure, pace or character investment.

I’m a fan of Paul Rudd,and Emile Hirsch is alright sometimes, and I definitely had some stoney laughs with Pineapple Express so I expected the colloboration between Rudd, Hirsch and director David Gordon Green to result in some sweet, sweet laughter and maybe even some deeper thematic elements only allowed to be touched upon in the steeple of indie fare. But not even Gordon Green’s superdud Your Highness could have prepared me for the laughless, pretentious crap that was Prince Avalanche.

It’s the movie equivalent of enduring someone who has zero respect for you, babbling on in your face about something you entirely don’t care about for two whole hours. No-one goes anywhere, nothing happens and I sat envious of the storm of patrons emptying out of the theater. This film a battle where I wanted to wave the white flag and retreat myself but stuck it out, waiting for something to save it from itself… 

So, I’m not officially supposed to review the film yet so I’ll halt my incriminating words there and let you be the judge. Watch and learn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewpjHDZzT7A

Does this trailer make you want to see the film and what do you think that it’s preparing you for exactly? In other words, from what you’ve just seen, what would you expect from Prince Avalanche? Don’t expect my review for another month or so but assume that it’s gonna get ugly.

Prince Avalanche is directed by David Gordon Green and stars Emile Hirsch and Paul Rudd. Don’t see it, but it comes out August 9.

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Drinking Buddies is an all around interesting piece partially because director Joe Swanberg didn’t really have a script and just let his actors riff off each other to intriguing result and partially because of the lively chemistry between the affable cast that includes Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, John Livingstone and Anna Kendrick. Everything feels a little awkward as your typical glamorized falling in love tale is checked at the gate.

I caught this at SIFF and attended a Q&A with Swanberg and would certainly recommend the film. Take a look at the trailer and see what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxuxkQF7Bak

Drinking Buddies is directed by Joe Swanberg and stars Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, John Livingstone and Anna Kendrick. It hits theaters on August 23.

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What a combination we’ve got on our hands with Ridley Scott (director of Gladiator and Alien) behind the directorial horse of a Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men, The Road) script with Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem acting it up in front of the camera.

The Counselor follows a lawyer (Fassbender) in over his head who resorts to a little bit of minor drug trafficking who soon finds out that there is no such thing as minor drug trafficking. With past McCarthy adaptations, films such as No Country for Old Men, The Road and All the Pretty Horses were adapted from his prior novels whereas this story’s genesis was always intended solely for the screen and will not have a novel counterpart.

As a big fan of Scott’s hand, McCarthy’s prosaic prowess and the acting ability of all involved, Cameron Diaz included (who is actually an early frontrunner for Best Supporting Actress), I think it’s fair to go into this one with high expectations. Although the trailer isn’t very revealing in terms of plot, the sun scorched cinematography, high tension violence (pun intended) and Bardem’s hairdo all have me sold.

Take a look at it yourself and see if you’ll be lining up for this one like I’ll be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FX1bn1U-SY

The Counselor is directed by Ridley Scott, written by Cormac McCartney and stars Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. It hits theaters October 25.

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Not to be confused with the intriguing biopic about Apple man Steve Jobs from Academy Award-winning Aaron Sorkin, a film set to play out in a mere three scenes that is currently sitting without an official title, Jobs, starring Ashton Kusher, appears at first glance to be a more soft-boiled effort. After its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, people were hardly swooning over the combination of That 70’s Show star Kusher and a nobody director.

Response has been generally unfavorable and it’s been knocked mostly for being blasé and unoriginal- the thing that Steve Jobs himself fought against more than anything. Have a look at the trailer and see if you think that this one is for you or if you’ll just be waiting for the inevitable Oscar bait penned by Sorkin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nryTz9iBqEI

jOBS is directed by Joshua Michael Stern and stars Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Amanda Crew, James Woods, Josh Gad, Matthew Modine, Luke Haas, J.K. Simmon and Ron Eldard. It opens wide on August 16.

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