Coming this January: Slow Month with a Few Stand Outs

January, probably one of the slower months of the year, and 2011 is no exception. As part of our new monthly series, the following films will be releasing this month.

January 7th:

Season of the Witch
Starring Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Stephen Campbell Moore

Synopsis:
The church elders, convinced that a girl accused of being a witch is responsible for the devastation, command the two to transport the strange girl to a remote monastery where monks will perform an ancient ritual to rid the land of her curse. They embark on a harrowing, action-filled journey that will test their strength and courage as they discover the girl's dark secret and find themselves battling a terrifyingly powerful force that will determine the fate of the world.

Braeden's Take: 
It has the same name as the most notorious (though admittedly underrated) Halloween film. Early screenings for press have not been positive, and even Nicolas Cage fans should beware. While films such as The Wicker Man were unintentionally entertaining, apparently Season of the Witch is not. That is the curse of of Nic Cage it seems.

Country Strong
Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester

Synopsis:
Soon after a rising young singer-songwriter (Hedlund) gets involved with a fallen, emotionally unstable country star (Paltrow), the pair embarks on a career resurrection tour helmed by her husband/manager (McGraw) and featuring a beauty-queen-turned-singer (Meester). Between concerts, romantic entanglements and old demons threaten to derail them all.

Braeden's Take:
I saw the trailer of this attached to True Grit and I honestly had no opinion of it. It looks competent and coherent, but certainly not up my alley, even as a country music fan. If you are a fan of this genre, you should probably enjoy it, but those looking for something deeper may be better off checking out Crazy Heart, featuring an Oscar-winning performance from Jeff Bridges, instead.


January 14th:

Barney's Version
Starring Rachelle Lefevre, Rosamund Pike, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Giamatti

Synopsis:
Based on Mordecai Richler's award winning novel -- his last and, arguably, best -- "Barney's Version" is the warm, wise and witty story of the politically incorrect life of Barney Panofsky. The film spans three decades and two continents. There is his first wife, Clara, a flame-haired, flagrantly unfaithful free sprit. The "Second Mrs. P." is a wealthy Jewish Princess who shops and talks incessantly. It is at their lavish wedding that Barney meets, and starts pursuing, Miriam, his third wife, the mother of his two children, and his true love. Not only does Barney turn out to be a true romantic, he is also capable of all kinds of sneaky acts of gallantry, generosity, and goodness. His is a gloriously full life, played out on a grand scale.

Braeden's Take:
I cannot say I know much about this film, but it did receive recognition from the Golden Globes, Paul Giamatti's performance in particular. Look for this film to receive similar recognition at the Academy Awards, making this a possible must see in an otherwise bleak movie-going time.

The Dilemma
Starring Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder

Synopsis:
Since college, confirmed bachelor Ronny and happily married Nick have been through thick and thin. Now partners in an auto design firm, the two pals are vying to land a dream project that would launch their company. With Ronny's girlfriend, Beth, and Nick's wife, Geneva, by their sides, they're unbeatable. But, Ronny's world is turned upside down when he inadvertently sees Geneva out with another man and makes it his mission to get answers. As the amateur investigation dissolves his world into comic mayhem, he learns that Nick has a few secrets of his own. Now, with the clock ticking and pressure mounting on the biggest presentation of their careers, Ronny must decide how and when he will reveal the truth to his best friend.

Braeden's Take:
After seeing TRON: Legacy, we noticed the poster for this film. With an uninspired title and a generic tagline, this film screams "MEH" at the top of its lungs. Even the synopsis sounds very generic and I fear this will not be one of those "better than it sounds" kind of films, but of course I could be wrong.

The Green Hornet
Starring Seth Rogan, Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz, Edward James Olmos

Synopsis:
As the son of LA's most prominent media magnate, who dies mysteriously, Britt Reid inherits his father's vast empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father's more inventive employees, Kato, Britt sees a chance to do something meaningful in his life: fight crime. To get close to the criminals, Britt and Kato plan to pose as criminals themselves. Britt becomes the vigilante Green Hornet, and Kato builds the ultimate in advanced retro weaponry, an indestructible car, equal parts firepower and horsepower. The Green Hornet and Kato quickly make a name for themselves. And, with the help of Britt's new secretary, Lenore Case, they begin hunting down the man who controls LA's gritty underworld: Benjamin Chudnofsky.

Braeden's Take:
This is one of the few films that I am actually looking forward to in the month of January. The trailers have not done a lot to sell the film (but the lack of material in the latest trailers hopefully means they are saving it for the film, rather than there not being any material to show). Seth Rogan seems to be taking the role very seriously as this is an important project very near and dear to him. Plus it has Christoph Waltz. How can you go wrong there?

The Heart Specialist
Starring Wood Harris, Zoe Saldana, Brian J. White, Mya

Synopsis:
A modern comedy about the everyday perils of first year medical residents at a shabby south Florida hospital. Wood Harris is the Chief Resident, who teaches the trainees how to save lives and not take themseleves too seriously, all the while hiding a chilling secret of his own.

Braeden's Take:
To be a comedy, the synopsis sure does sound like a horror movie of sorts. I have found next to nothing about this film and that is never a good sign. Most independent films have a good amount of press, yet I have heard virtually nothing.


January 21st:

No Strings Attached
Starring Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Cary Elwes, Kevin Kline

Synopsis:
A guy and girl try to keep their relationship strictly physical, but it's not long before they learn that they want something more.

Braeden's Take:
Portman goes from Black Swan to No Strings Attached. Just wow. Though in her defense, this film has been stuck in development hell for a while if just because distributors did not want to distribute it under its original title. While Kevin Smith may have had an argument in renaming his film from A Couple of Dicks to Cop Out, I don't think they really had an argument in keeping the title from changing from F*ckbuddies.

The Way Back
Starring Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell

Synopsis:
A fact-based story centered on soldiers who escaped from a Siberian gulag in 1940.

Braeden's Take:
The film has already been shown at a few festivals and is currently viewable in the Los Angeles market, and I have heard very positive things. Emotionally riveting, this is certainly a must watch for those looking for a film that takes a little more thought. I am however worried as to how available this film will be to moviegoers. A quick look on AMC Theater's website showed no record of this film. And yet there was a record for The Heart Specialist. Its a sad world we live in indeed...

The Company Men
Starring Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Kevin Kostner

Synopsis:
Bobby Walker is living the American dream: great job, beautiful family, shiny Porsche in the garage. When corporate downsizing leaves him and co-workers Phil Woodward and Gene McClary jobless, the three men are forced to re-define their lives as men, husbands, and fathers. Bobby soon finds himself enduring enthusiastic life coaching, a job building houses for his brother-in-law which does not play to his executive skill set, and perhaps the realization that there is more to life than chasing the bigger, better deal.

Braeden's Take:
A well cast movie with an interesting premise in a time where the economy is one of the central issues in America. Affleck's films tend to do better when he's directing, and this is John Wells's first film as a director. He did serve as executive producer of the television drama E.R. however, so he does know something about drama at least, and maybe that will work to this film's advantage.


January 28th:

From Prada to Nada
Starring Camilla Belle, April Bowlby, Alexa Vega, Wilmer Valderrama

Synopsis:
Two sisters, one a young beauty who chooses passion over logic, the other a law student whose fixed moral compass keeps her from following her desires, are uprooted from their luxurious home when their father suddenly passes away. Out of money and out of options, the women move into their Great Aunt Aurelia's modest, but lively home in the Latino-centric Boyle Heights neighborhood where they find themselves thrown into a world that, despite their heritage, seems completely foreign. Over time, they discover the beauty of the culture they once fought so desperately to hide. And in the process they find the one thing that had eluded them: love.

Braeden's Take:
Maybe it's just because this is not my kind of film, but the whole thing seems very been there, done that, what's the point? And the title, while different shows what kind of film it is and the demographic it is aiming for. Unless you love the millions of generic chick flicks that come out each year (or you have a lovely lady who wants to see it), avoid this one I would say.

The Mechanic
Starring Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland, Tony Goldwyn

Synopsis:
Arthur Bishop is a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. When his mentor and close friend Harry is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed - he wants those responsible dead. His mission grows complicated when Harry's son Steve approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop's trade. A methodical hit man takes an impulsive student deep into his world and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.

Braeden's Take:
From feminine chick flick to masculine action movie. This is my "awesome" movie of January for certain. It seems very similar to The Transporter, but is that a bad thing? Jason Statham is always enjoyable to watch as the action movie loner paired with an unlikely partner, but here we see someone who is young and up and coming, but competent in his ability, if a bit impulsive as described. This may not be a "masterpiece of cinema", but more likely than not it will be a very enjoyable, fun film. Bonus points for having an awesome poster.

The Rite
Starring Anthony Hopkins, Ciaran Hinds, Alice Braga, Toby Jones

Synopsis:
The Rite follows skeptical seminary student Michael Kovak, who reluctantly attends exorcism school at the Vatican. While he's in Rome, Michael meets an unorthodox priest, Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), who introduces him to the darker side of his faith, uncovering the devil's reach even to one of the holiest places on Earth.

Braeden's Take:
This feels like The DaVinci Code meets The Exorcist or something like that. I'm not a big horror fan, but Anthony Hopkins is a great actor and is always enjoyable in these darker sorts of roles. This is the only thing close to horror (described as a drama, though its advertising seems to suggest otherwise), so for those fans of the genre, this might be your only choice in January, if a choice at all.


And that's January ladies and gentlemen, with twelve films being released. How many of these interest you? Were there any that did not interest you until now? Be sure to leave a comment!