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April 2, 2004 > Arts & Entertainment > New films look promising

New films look promising

By Jonathan Schumann | Thresher Editorial Staff

If you’re anything like me, you’re never satisfied with what’s at the movies. I’ve seen The Dreamers and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I want more. So far, it looks like a promising year for film, and here is a look at films I look forward to seeing.

Open Water

Summer

Acquired by Lions’ Gate after a rapturous reception at the Sundance Film Festival, this low-budget thriller about scuba divers stranded in the sea supposedly is a throwback to Jaws. So what makes this film, with unknown actors, so appealing? Due to a low budget, the filmmakers used real sharks instead of computer-generated effects.

The Door in the Floor

June 25

The eternally beautiful Kim Basinger and the wildly talented Jeff Bridges star in this marital drama based on the opening one-third of John Irving’s A Widow for One Year. The novel is an astute, intricate character study, leaving a great outline for Basinger and Bridges to wow audiences.

A Home at the End of the World

July 23

The last time one of author Michael Cunningham’s novels was filmed, it was showered with awards recognition. But can this melodrama mimic The Hours’ success? With Sissy Spacek, Colin Farrell and Robin Wright Penn starring, it promises to be a precise, intense emotional journey.

Kinsey

Fall

Bill Condon’s last directorial effort, Gods and Monsters, explored the life of horror film director James Whale. Here he explores the life of Dr. Alfred Kinsey, who came up with the now-infamous Kinsey scale of sexual behavior. With Liam Neeson in the title role, and Laura Linney co-starring, the film promises to be stimulating and thought-provoking.

The Upside of Anger

Fall

Long one of the most talented actresses working, Joan Allen (The Contender, Pleasantville) stars as the widowed mother of four whose life changes when a new man (Kevin Costner, now hot again after the success of Open Range) enters her life. Acting powerhouse Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen) co-stars as one of Allen’s headstrong daughters.

We Don’t Live Here Anymore

Fall

This drama won the Waldo Salt Screenwriter Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It stars Laura Dern, Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Watts and Peter Krause as dueling spouses and looks to play like a contemporary Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, which dealt with the marital problems of swingers in the ’70s.

J.M. Barrie’s Neverland

October 22

Who doesn’t want more of Johnny Depp? After last year’s scene-stealing work in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, the actor returns by playing the tormented playwright J.M. Barrie, who brought the story of Peter Pan to the stage. With Monster’s Ball director Marc Forster behind the camera, and the luminous Kate Winslet (Sense and Sensibility) and Julie Christie (Afterglow) co-starring, this one has Oscar written all over it.

The Aviator

November

This film about eccentric playboy Howard Hughes is another with great awards potential. Though director Martin Scorsese’s last film, Gangs of New York, was a laborious failure, this film shows great promise. It again stars Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role, it boasts a stellar supporting cast including Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn, Jude Law as Errol Flynn, Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner and Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow.

The Life Aquatic

December 1

Following the success of The Royal Tenenbaums, director Wes Anderson offers this film about a quirky Jacques Cousteau-esque marine biologist (Bill Murray) and the eclectic people that surround him. Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston and Owen Wilson co-star.

End of article

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