JC AT THE MOVIES

September 27th, 2011

Influence

We don’t get the chance to see too many movies, so when we go we try and make it count. Fall marks the beginning of Oscar season, with studios releasing all the big contenders for Academy Awards seemingly all at once. If we listed all the movies we’re dying to see this fall, we’d take up too much blog space, so we narrowed it down to 5 that we’re definitely shelling out $13.50 for at Village East Cinemas this autumn.

DRIVE: Directed by Niocolas Refn and starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Christina Hendricks and Ron Perlman. Now playing.

Truth be told, we’re probably seeing this tonight, since it’s already in theaters. We love heist films and thrillers, and this all-star cast is undeniable. If Ryan Gosling didn’t draw us in, Joan from Mad Men (Christina Hendricks) sure did! Plus some are already giving Drive best of all-time status.

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN: Directed by Simon Curtis. Starring Michelle Williams, Emma Watson, Dominic Cooper, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench and Dougray Scott. Out November 4th.

Biopics ‘aint easy work, especially when you’re playing someone so well-known and beloved worldwide.  We loved Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash in Walk The Line, Marion Cotillard was flawless as Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose, and who could forget Angela Bassett as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It? Reese and Marion took home Oscars for their respective films, and Angela was nominated. Will Michelle Williams be next as Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn? We’re dying to find out!

PEARL JAM TWENTY: Directed by Cameron Crowe. Starring Pearl Jam. Now Playing.

Everyone knows we love Nirvana, but we aren’t those kind of fans that also won’t show love to the other grunge giant, Pearl Jam. We think Ten is a pretty flawless record, and Eddie Vedder and the gang were definitely style icons of their day. Not only that, but in the 20 years since Ten came out, PJ have consistently released formidable material and have kept droves of fans coming back for more for two decades. So take a short break from rocking out to the 20th anniversary of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” head over to IFC and blow out some candles for “Jeremy” and “Even Flow.”

THE LION KING 3D: Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. Starring Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg, Moira Kelly, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Cheech Marin, and Rowan Atkinson. Now playing.

When The Lion King came out in 1994 it went on to become one of the most successful films of all time. For its time, the 2D animation was seen as a feat of the genre, and even over 15 years later, visually holds up with its colorful and vibrant depiction of the African animal kingdom. Now, Disney has re-released this modern-classic in 3D and we already have a feeling “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” and the stampede scenes are reason enough to put on some red and blue glasses and head to the theater!

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE: Directed by Sean Durkin. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Hugh Dancy, Brady Corbet and Sarah Paulson. Out December 22nd.

Our handbag designer caught an exclusive sneak preview of Martha Marcy May Marlene last month and said that Elizabeth Olsen was so good in her role as a young woman who escapes her family cult, that she didn’t know she was an Olsen sibling until the Q & A after the film. Sorry MK and A, we loved New York Minute and all, but we think your lil’ sis is totes the breakout actress of the family! The subject matter is a bit darker, and probably isn’t for everyone, but we definitely can’t wait to revisit this indie thriller this December.

50/50: Directed by Jonathan Levine. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard and Anjelic Huston. Out September 30th.

Based on a true story, 50/50 isn’t your average buddy-film. It centers around a young man recently diagnosed with a rare form of cancer (Gordon-Levitt), and how through the help of his best friend (Rogen), therapist (Kendrick) and mother (Huston) realizes what is really important in life. Both comedy and tearjerker, we absolutely love this cast and can’t wait to see it!

YOUNG ADULT: Directed by Jason Reitman. Starring Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, and J.K. Simmons. Written by Diablo Cody. Out December 16th.

We have to admit, we felt only so-so about Juno, the last collaboration between director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody. I know we’re crazy, right? To put us even more in the minority, we loved Cody’s last film Jennifer’s Body. Then we started watching her amazing television series, The United States of Tara and we decided to let our Juno grudge go and that she could do no wrong! Now she’s back with one of our favorite actresses, Charlize Theron, in the new dramedy about a recently divorced woman seeking to reignite the flame between her and her ex in Young Adult. We’ve been dying to see Theron in a lead comedic role, and we think this one’s got a lot of potential.

THE HELP: Directed by Tate Taylor. Starring: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, Bryce Dallas Howard, Mike Vogel, Sissy Spacek and Allison Janney. Out now.

Finally, we know it’s been out for a while, but we’re still in love with The Help. Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, the cast is flawless in this period piece about the black maids who inspire a white aspiring writer at the beginning of the civil rights movement in 1960s Mississippi. Viola Davis knocks it out of the park as our heroine, Aibileen, but our favorite scenes in the film are the hilarious and heart-wrenching bonding moments between Octavia Spencer’s Minnie and Jessica Chastain’s Celia. If you haven’t seen The Help yet, it’s still playing nationwide!