“Phantom Thread”
Cast: Daniel Day Lewis, Lesley Manville, Vicky Krieps
Synopsis: Set in the glamour of 1950s post-war London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock and his sister Cyril are at the center of British fashion, dressing royalty, movie stars, heiresses, socialites, debutantes and dames with the distinct style of The House of Woodcock.
What You Need to Know: Another film coupled with extenuating narratives, Paul Thomas Anderson’s highly anticipated next feature, “Phantom Thread,” is also going to be actor Daniel Day Lewis’ last. Considered by many to be the greatest living actor, this is big news and will make the premiere of the film all the more fraught with expectations as everyone will want the actor to go out on a high. Anderson has taken a more hands on approach to this film, reportedly acting as his own cinematographer (though he doesn’t take the credit), and the trailers have promised a lush, sweeping romance along with a deep dive into the mind of a master craftsman. However, as is always the case with anything in the director’s oeuvre, nothing is ever as it seems on just the base level.
Release Date: December 25th
“Bright”
Cast: Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, Noomi Repace
Synopsis: In an alternate present day, humans, orcs, elves and fairies have been coexisting since the beginning of time.
What You Need to Know: “Bright”, directed by David Ayer, written by Max Landis (ugh) and starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton as a freaking Orc, looks dumb. Really, incredibly dumb. I’ll take it all back if it arrives and is somehow spectacular, but considering it has been reported that it’s Netflix’s most expensive original film to date, we’re all in our right minds to expect something that at least looks a little better. Any original fantasy premise at any other point in time might inspire some, if not confidence, at least intrigue. Instead, Landis is added to the mix and it’s instantly pushed into the “watch on a rainy day when there’s no other options” category. Again though, maybe it will surprise us?
Release Date: December 22nd
“Molly’s Game”
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Michael Cera
Synopsis: The true story of Molly Bloom, a beautiful, young, Olympic-class skier who ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons.
What You Need to Know: Having written some of the most critically revered scripts of the small and big screen, from “The West Wing” to critical juggernaut “The Social Network,” it was only a matter of time for Aaron Sorkin to make the leap from screenwriter to director. For the most part, it’s an entertaining success, with only twinges of the sloppily overwrought melodrama that brought down “The Newsroom.” Add to that a starring role worthy of Jessica Chastain’s immeasurable talents and stirring turns given from Idris Elba (expected) to Michael Cera (surprisingly slimy) to Kevin Costner (on a roll in the supporting role department) and a story that was undoubtedly meant for the big screen and Sorkin’s got an audience pleaser on his hands. It’s quick and unabashedly in his kinetic style, “Molly’s Game” might be the “The Big Short” of 2017.
Release Date: December 25th
“In the Fade”
Cast: Diane Kruger, Numan Acar, Ulrich Brandhoff
Synopsis: Katja’s life falls apart in the blink of an eye when two neo-Nazis kill her husband and 6-year-old son in a bomb attack. Her quest for justice soon pushes her to the edge as the two suspects stand trial for murder.
What You Need to Know: The race for Best Actress at this year’s Academy Awards is going to be cutthroat, so much so that performances such as Diane Kruger’s in director Fatih Akin’s film “In the Fade” are destined to go woefully unrecognized. A dramatic thriller about the extent a woman will go to avenge the lives of those she loves, it’s reportedly a tough watch with an incredible performance by Kruger anchoring the proceedings. Despite that though, our critic was less than impressed, stating “ ‘In The Fade,’ try as it might to be some kind of deep character study and tap into the theme of justice, is a flatline of a film.”
Release Date: December 27th
“Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool”
Cast: Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Julie Walters
Synopsis: Hollywood actress Gloria Grahame finds romance and happiness with a younger man, but her life changes forever when she is diagnosed with breast cancer in the 1970s.
What You Need to Know: After being forgotten at last year’s Oscars for her wonderful and warm work in “21st Century Women,” Annette Bening is likely going to be forgotten yet again for her turn in “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool.” Directed by Paul McGuigan, whose biggest theatrical release up until this point had been the terrible “Victor Frankenstein,” his latest shows him on more comfortable footing in a reality based world. Bening is paired with consistently undervalued Jamie Bell with Julie Walters also co-starring (hello “Billy Elliot” reunion?) and the film up until now hasn’t necessarily won raves like Bening’s last outing, but the performances have been largely welcomed by audiences as charming and engrossing. Our critic in particular found Bell’s performance moving, saying “Bell has to carry most of the film on his shoulders, doing so with a heartfelt honesty that wonderfully contrasts with Bening’s portrayal of Grahame as a woman who is often still acting in front of the camera no matter what the context.”
Release Date: December 29th