Just like every year that has come before it, there are
a plethora of new releases that are slated for release in 2018 that I
am eagerly anticipating. From last years list, I'm still really only
waiting for “A Storm in the Stars”, which has since been
re-titled as “Mary Shelley” to be released as well as Paul Thomas
Anderson's “Phantom Thread”, which would have made the list last
year but I just didn't believe that it would be ready in time for a
2017 release. On the cards for 2018 are new films from talented
directors, the likes of Steven Soderbergh (“Unsane”), Kim Ji-Woon
(“Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade”), Zhang Yimou (“Shadow”), Wes
Anderson (“Isle of Dogs”), Melanie Laurent (“Galveston”),
Terrence Malick (“Radegeund”), Alfonso Cuaron (“Roma”),
Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Favourite”), Luca Guadagnino (“Suspiria”),
David Robert Mitchell (“Under the Silver Lake”), Nuri Bilge
Ceylan (“The Wild Pear Tree”) and David Lowery (“The Old Man
and the Gun”) , to name but a few. Not only that, but we also have
a brand new entry in the “Halloween” franchise, that sees the
return of Jamie Lee Curtis in the role of Laurie Strode. All of the
above I am looking forward to greatly, but the one I really wanted to
add to my most anticipated list but wont, is Paul Verhoeven's
“Blessed Virgin”. While slated for a 2018 release, the feature
has yet to start filming, so I do not think it will be ready until at
least 2019, but hopefully this will be like “Phantom Thread” and
come out much quicker than I expected. Anyway, below are the eight
films that I am most anticipating for 2018.
SAMUI
SONG
Director
Pen-ek Ratanaruang used to be quite prolific but “Samui Spring”
is his first theatrical feature in seven years. I suppose it should
be noted that since 2011's “Headshot”, Ratanaruang has directed
both a documentary (“Paradoxocracy”) and a television movie (“The
Life of Gravity”), so it is not as though he has been sitting idle.
Still “Samui Song” can be seen as something of a return of this
super talented Thai director and it has got me very excited to see
it. While the film actually premiered at Toronto back in September
of last year, I have stayed away from reviews and any details about
it, but the imdb synopsis describes “Samui Song” like this: “a
soap opera actress finds herself increasingly pressured by her
husband, a rich foreigner entirely devoted to a charismatic cult
leader”. Hmmmm, colour me intrigued.
THE
WIDOW
First
up, I can not believe that it has already been six years since
director Neil Jordan's previous film, the sublime “Byzantium”.
As I always say, Jordan's films are at their best when he deals with
genre elements and while not much is known about “The Widow” as
of yet, it is known to at least be a thriller. The logline on imdb
describes the film simply with this sentence: “a young woman
befriends a lonely widow”. It betrays little of the film's plot
but I have faith in Jordan to supply the thrills here, and if the
name Neil Jordan is not enough to get you excited for “The Widow”,
then the cast of Maika Monroe, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Isabelle
Huppert (and of course, Stephen Rea) should help. Not only that but
Jordan is working with the very talented Seamus McGarvey as his
cinematographer. I have a feeling that “The Widow” could be
something very special, and hope that it does not end up getting lost
in the shuffle of more higher profile films.
WIDOWS
Wait,
didn't I just talk about this film?? No, that film was “The
Widow”, where this is “Widows” directed by Steve McQueen, but
seeing as how close both of these titles are, I would be amazed if
one of them wasn't re-named. “Widows” may see a new chapter in
Steve McQueen's directorial career as the film sees him, for the
first time, tackle something less serious and more fun after the very
heavy dramas of his previous three features. As I insinuated above,
there is something very exciting when a “prestige” or art-house
director tackles genre, as they seem to add a spark to it and elevate
it at the same time. Unlike the previous two titles on this list, a
little more is known about what to expect from “Widows” which is
due to the fact that it is actually a remake of a television
mini-series that came out in 1983. The film centres on four widows
who, after their husbands die whilst planning a robbery, decide to
take up the plans and finish the job. It sounds like a lot of fun,
and with McQueen once again re-teaming with cinematographer Sean
Bobbitt, “Widows” will at least look pretty if nothing else.
THE
HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT
The
latest film from cinema's enfant
terrible,
Lars Von Trier, is something that he, himself, calls his most brutal
film to date. Ummmmm.........did he not watch “Antichrist”????
Man, that statement is both chilling and exciting. “The House That
Jack Built” is a horror film that spans twelve years in the life of
a serial killer named Jack, where each murder changes him and evolves
his style of killing. Jack is working towards his greatest
masterpiece, a murder that can only be considered a work of art, but
with the police on his tail, will he get the chance to finish his
life's master-work. This sounds right up my alley, and while I do
not always love everything that Von Trier does, he is always an
interesting director that will make you feel (sure, its usually a
depression, but at least he connects with an audience). It will also
be nice to see Matt Dillon, who plays the titular Jack, sink his
teeth into a nice meaty role again.
TRANSIT
After
creating my favourite film of 2015 with the near perfect “Phoenix”,
it was a given that whatever director Christian Petzold came up with
next, that it would make my most anticipated list. “Transit” is
that follow up and upon initial inspection, it seems that the film
could almost be a companion film to “Phoenix”, as the imdb
describes it as follows: “When a man flees France after the Nazi
invasion, he assumes the identity of a dead author whose papers he
possesses. Stuck in Marseilles, he meets a young woman desperate to
find her missing husband – the very man he's impersonating”.
Sure the plot has a very pulpy feel to it, but in Petzold's hands I
have no doubt it will be great stuff. When I first heard about the
film, I was surprised to see Petzold immediately return to another
period film after “Phoenix”, especially set in World War II, but
word is that Petzold has altered the story to actually take place in
modern times which is certainly interesting (and means that the Nazi
invasion will no longer work as a plot point). If this is the case,
we wont have to wait long to find out as “Transit” premieres at
the Berlin Film Festival which starts in mid February. Whilst
“Transit” sees Petzold work with his usual crew, it must be noted
that this is the first film, since “Gespenster” in 2005, that he
has made without his onscreen muse Nina Hoss. However, taking the
place in the female lead is Paula Beer, who was sensational in
Francois Ozon's “Frantz”, so I am not as worried, although she
has a lot to live up to.
EVERYBODY
KNOWS
Iranian
director Asghar Farhadi is arguably the greatest director working in
world cinema today. To date, he has made seven features and all of
them have been very good to flat out brilliant. In fact his 2011
film, “A Separation”, is an out and out masterpiece (and my
favourite film of this decade by far) and because of it, any film
that Farhadi makes will be put onto this list. While Farhadi's
previous film, “The Salesman”, saw him return to Iran, the film
before that saw him tackle a French story with the outstanding “The
Past”. “Everybody Knows” sees him, once again, return to
Europe but this time to Spain and sees him collaborate with Spanish
acting royalty in Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, not to mention the
brilliant Argentinian actor Ricardo Darin. What a cast, but it
doesn't stop there, as Farhadi has also been able to secure the
services of Pedro Almodovar's greatest collaborators in Jose Luis
Alcaine as cinematographer and Alberto Iglesias to do the film's
score! Wow!! Can you imagine just how great this film is going to
be? So what's the film about? Here is what imdb has to say:
“Carolina, a Spanish woman living in Buenos Aires, returns to her
hometown outside Madrid with her Argentinian husband and children.
However, the trip is upset by unexpected events that bring secrets
into the open”. It certainly sounds like a film created by Asghar
Farhadi and I cannot wait to see it, hoping that it makes it to MIFF
later this year.
DOMINO
No
matter what the story, no matter what the plot, when ever Brian de
Palma makes a new film, it will always be one of my most anticipated
films of that year, usually THE most anticipated. De Palma is my
equal favourite director, along with Martin Scorsese and David Lynch,
but sadly as he gets older, the time between each De Palma film seems
to get longer. Six years have passed between “Passion” and
“Domino” and I am really hanging to see another new film from
this great filmmaker. I must admit that the plot of “Domino”
doesn't really sound anything special but as with all De Palma films,
it is all about the way De Palma presents the film. He is a visual
storyteller through and through, and has amazing cinematic technique,
elevating the most boring of plots into something fun and exciting to
sit through. He will be helped in this task again by cinematographer
Jose Luis Alcaine (who shot “Domino” before moving onto the
Farhadi film), and the return of Pino Donaggio doing the score. The
plot sounds as simple as it comes and is described on imdb like this:
“A Copenhagen police officer seeks justice for his partner's
murder by a mysterious man”. Sure, it sounds a little ho-hum, but
c'mon, this is De Palma!!! With Carice van Houten, who was so good
in Paul Verhoeven's “Black Book”, as the female lead, it adds
another layer of excitement to the new Brian De Palma film. Can.
Not. Wait.
THE
IRISHMAN
The
only man that could knock Brian De Palma from the top of my most
anticipated list is none other than Martin Scorsese with his brand
new film “The Irishman”. However, “The Irishman” has a lot
more going for it than just being a new Scorsese film, although
normally that is more than enough. It is the director's return to
the crime dramas that made him famous but the biggest thing about
“The Irishman” is Robert De Niro. It is the first time Robert
De Niro and Martin Scorsese have made a film together since 1995's
“Casino”. Can you believe that it has been twenty three years
since these two have made a feature together?!? That alone would be
enough to make it my most anticipated film of 2018 but wait, there is
more. Scorsese has also brought Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel and Ray
Romano along for the ride too......ummmm.....like I said, Pesci and
Keitel are along for the ride too! But again, that is not all! For
the first time ever, Martin Scorsese is making a film with Al Pacino
as well. This film is too good to be true!! It just sounds amazing.
Scorsese is again teaming up with Rodrigo Prieto as his
cinematographer and it is good to see him giving the young, newcomer
Thelma Schoonmaker a chance as his editor (tee hee). As exciting as
all of this is, I must admit I am a bit worried about the “reverse
ageing” technology they plan to use to make the actors look younger
in their roles. That makes me nervous. Plus the fact that Netflix
is funding this film, I worry that I will never get to see “The
Irishman” on the big screen nor own it on blu ray, but we will
cross those bridges when we get to them because without any doubt in
the world, Martin Scorsese's “The Irishman”, starring Robert
De Niro and Al Pacino, is my most anticipated film of 2018.
Well, that is it. My
enormous round up of the year that was 2017 is finally over.
Hopefully you enjoyed reading it and got something out of it, but how
about we go back to watching some new films now?
No comments:
Post a Comment