September 30, 2022
It’s hard to believe October is already here, but with the leaves changing soon and the temperatures quickly going lower, that just means more football and the height of movie season. The last few months of the year usually see some of the best new releases as studios start to map out their pathway to Oscar recognition. With a seemingly endless list of new content across so many streaming services and movie theaters (remember those?) it can be overwhelming to decide where to spend your time. Don’t worry darling (inside joke for our first movie this week) – I’ve got you covered with this two part preview of what’s headed our way. If you missed part one, you can check it out here. Ok, let’s jump in.
Oh the Drama
They say there is no such thing as bad publicity, right? Well, that mantra is being put to the test in a big way with last week’s new release, Don’t Worry Darling. Where to start with this one…. let’s begin with the filmmaker. Olivia Wilde made the successful transition from actor to director with 2019’s Booksmart, a very good high-school comedy that was a film I highlighted on my list of movies I really enjoyed that year. Her new film is a psychological thriller about a couple living in a 1950s suburban community. The star of Don’t Worry Darling is Florence Pugh (more on her in a minute) and her original co-star was Shia LeBeouf, who was fired early in production for (supposedly) violating Wilde’s “No asshole on set” rule. During interviews before the film’s release, Wilde noted that she didn’t feel that Pugh and others were safe on set with LeBeouf’s unpredictable behavior. To be fair, he has a long history of being an asshole. When the story came out, LeBeouf responded that he was not fired and that he quit the film, releasing a video message she sent him at the time of their disagreement.
Who replaced LeBeouf? Well, that would be Harry Styles, who has very limited acting experience, but is one of the biggest musicians in the world. Oh yeah, he also happens to be Wilde’s boyfriend. And their relationship broke up her marriage to Jason Sudekis (of Ted Lasso fame), creating more publicity. Pugh was reportedly pissed off at the on-set antics between the director and star and declined to do any press for the picture, including skipping the press conference before the movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival. It does make me wonder what the story would be if the genders of the director and star of the film were reversed. Oh, and at the Venice premiere, there was a video of Styles apparently spitting on co-star Chris Pine while he was sitting down in the theater. That video clip got more analysis online than the Zapruder film. And if that wasn’t enough, right after the movie debuted last weekend, another story broke that there were apparently screaming matches between Pugh and Wilde on set. JFC, that’s a lot of drama.
Putting all that bullshit aside – is Don’t Worry Darling good? Well, it depends on your taste. This will definitely be a movie where the phrase “your mileage may vary” comes to mind. First of all, Pugh is absolutely amazing as a housewife who seems to be happy in her marriage, living the life of a 1950s suburbanite hanging out with her neighborhood friends and being deeply in love with her husband. All of the men in their community work for “The Victory Project” a mysterious company led by Pine, who created the community where the families live. Pugh starts to question what is going on in Victory and also begins to have visions / hallucinations that call into question if she is losing her mind. No one believes her – is she imagining everything or is she being gaslit?
There are aspects of Don’t Worry Darling that I found really cool – the production design and music of the 1950s vibe were excellent. And (at the risk of repeating myself) Pugh is just amazing – she does so much with not just the dialogue, but the fierceness she brings to the role of challenging the stereotypical 1950s housewife role. Pine is very good and Styles is decent – he’s not great and he doesn’t ruin the movie. The ultimate plot and how the film unfolds over the third act is where the most divisiveness will come out in reactions to Don’t Worry Darling. I think some people will either love it or hate it. I found the last third of the film very rushed and overall I think what Pugh brings to the production helps keep this from being a disaster. I am stealing this reaction from someone I heard on a podcast – if you have any curiosity about this movie (the story itself or the behind the scenes bullshit), check it out. Don’t Worry Darling is now playing in theaters.
Even More Drama
Back in March when I did my early 2022 preview, I included the phrase “Will we see this movie?” when describing Blonde, the Marilyn Monroe story that was released this week on Netflix. This movie has been delayed FOREVER, with filming starting three years ago followed by stops and starts during the pandemic. Then it went through hell as director Andrew Dominik fought with Netflix about their suggested changes to the film. It received the dreaded NC-17 rating due to explicit sexual content and Dominik still refused to change anything, saying in an interview, “If the audience doesn’t like it, that’s their fucking problem.” Ok, then.
Ana de Armas stars as Monroe in a story that is based on a 2000 novel by Joyce Carroll Oates that is not exactly a “true to life biography.” It’s been described as “historical fiction,” so it will be left up to the viewer to decide what is accurate, I guess. The film has received divisive reviews ranging from “daring masterpiece” to “despicable garbage”. The one consistent feedback is that de Armas is excellent in a very demanding role, receiving an enthusiastic reception following the picture’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival. But some people have felt that Blonde does a disservice to Monroe’s memory by focusing on the scandalous events in her life, and is a very dark movie that is hard to watch.
One more tidbit that might be interesting only to me. When the early feedback about Blonde started coming in, I saw a headline that read “Marilyn Monroe’s estate approves of the film Blonde” and I did a double take. Wait a minute – she didn’t have any kids. Who exactly is the “estate?” After some deep diving on Google, I learned a little more. When Monroe died, she left the majority of her estate to her acting coach, Lee Strasburg. When he died several years later, his assets went to his third wife, a 28 year-old actress that no one has ever heard of. All of a sudden, she owned the rights to Monroe’s likeness, and began licensing her image out to all sorts of advertising campaigns. She later sold the rights to a company that is in the business of “dead celebrity estates” (who knew there was such a thing?). So, by way of a marriage and the intricacies of estate law, this woman who never knew Marilyn Monroe made a fortune. Yikes. Anyway, I haven’t watched Blonde yet and I’m not sure if I will, given the negative reaction and the runtime that is close to three hours. If you see this one on your home screen next time you are looking for something to watch, be warned – this one is not for everyone. Blonde is now streaming on Netflix.
The 80s Music Stories
Being a lover of music and movies, it would seem that musician biopics would be a sure thing for me. Well, it all depends on the subject, the format of the film, and performances. Earlier this year we saw Elvis (now streaming on HBO Max) which has its ups and downs that I will share in more detail as part of my year-end series. As I covered in this post last year, musician biopics can be really hit or miss. Just a word of caution ahead of two more stories coming soon.
One of the most successful artists of the 1980s was Whitney Houston, who was discovered at a very young age by Clive Davis (head of Arista Records) who helped launch her career into the stratosphere. After over twenty years of (mostly) successful records and even a movie career, she tragically died way too young at the age of 48. Sprinkled in her later years was a tumultuous relationship with husband Bobby Brown and a struggle with drug addiction. Her life story will be covered in I Wanna Dance With Somebody, a new biopic directed by Kasi Lemmons (a former actress who also directed 2019’s very good biopic Harriet about abolitionist Harriet Tubman). Starring as Houston is Naomi Acke, a British actress who has not starred in many high-profile roles. She looks very good as Houston in the trailer (she will not be doing her own singing – probably a wise choice given Houston’s legendary voice), and this one looks like a typical paint-by-numbers biopic. I Wanna Dance with Somebody will be released in theaters on December 21st
Our next movie is decidedly not typical – at least that’s my impression after watching the trailer and hearing early reactions from its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Who knows if we needed a movie about this person, but here we are. Continuing his trend of taking roles that are the polar opposite of the part that made him famous (Harry Potter), Daniel Radcliffe stars in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. The story was co-written by Yankovic, the accordion player and singer who made a career out of parodying the biggest songs of the 1980s and 1990s, targeting everyone from Madonna and Michael Jackson to Queen and Nirvana. Now, reportedly this film is not exactly a “true story” and uses some exaggerations and fictional stories (in the movie, he reportedly has an affair with Madonna – I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that didn’t happen) and even makes fun of traditional biopics. Radcliffe supposedly went all in on the role and embraced the wackiness of Yankovic’s personality. I’m very curious about this one but I’m actually not sure how to watch it. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story premieres (reportedly for free) on The Roku Channel on November 4th. If I figure out how to watch something on Roku, I’ll let you know.
One Theme, Two Very Different Stories
Moving from the crazy to the serious, next up we have two dramas that look very promising and will be on the short list of Oscar contenders in a few months. They both have similar themes, but are taking different approaches to the topic.
First up is Women Talking, written and directed by Sarah Polley, who has a successful career as an actress, in addition to directing a few movies. The story takes place entirely in the barn of a Mennonite community where a group of women share their stories of being drugged and sexually assaulted by men in their colony. As they recount their experiences, they also discuss what they should do (if anything). Women Talking premiered at the Telluride Film Festival to strong reviews, particularly the performances of the actresses. I have a feeling this is going to be a powerful, yet somewhat slow, movie that will hinge on the effectiveness in bringing these stories to life. Showing her clout as a respected filmmaker, Polley’s cast includes Rooney Mara, Frances McDormand, Jesse Buckley, and Claire Foy to tell this story. Look for Women Talking to get some serious Oscar consideration for acting nominations, as well as Polley’s screenplay, adapted from a 2018 novel. Women Talking premieres in theaters on December 2nd.
The entertainment industry was stunned in 2017 when The New York Times revealed a pattern of sexual assaults by Harvey Weinstein, one of the more powerful producers in Hollywood. The details were ugly and the story was only able to come to light thanks to the brave victims agreeing to go on the record. The story of how this all unfolded is covered in She Said, starring Carey Mulligan (coming off of an Oscar nomination for Promising Young Woman) and Zoe Kazan as the two reporters who pursued the story and fought to get it told. The film is directed by Maria Schrader, who won an Emmy for the excellent Netflix limited series Unorthodox. She Said has not had a premiere yet, so there are no early reviews to check out, but the trailer is fantastic. It looks like one of those investigative journalism movies that can be riveting, even if we already know the outcome. I imagine some of the subject matter might be difficult to see on screen, just like Spotlight (which is being compared to She Said), but that film won Best Picture and was an excellent movie. She Said premieres in theaters on November 18th.
This Might be Terrible
Why am I covering a movie that might be awful? Pure curiosity and I am fascinated to see what happens with White Noise, based on a 1985 novel that has always been described as “unfilmable.” The adaptation comes from director Noah Baumbach, who is not exactly a household name, but is considered an accomplished filmmaker, especially after directing Best Picture nominee Marriage Story two years ago. I decided that I had to read the novel to see what the fuss is all about and it is definitely….interesting.
Starring in the movie are Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig (a director in her own right and Baumbach’s partner) as a couple in the 1980s dealing with a whole host of problems. Driver is a professor of Hitler Studies (you read that right) at a local college and Gerwig has all sorts of problems juggling a household of many kids from their multiple marriages and managing her mental health. At the center of the story is what is described as “An Airborne Toxic Event” caused by a train accident, leading to an evacuation of the town. The couple at the center of the film have a strong fear of dying and this incident doesn’t help their anxiety. The novel features Driver’s character narrating the whole story (which usually doesn’t translate well to the big screen) and is considered a biting satire on commercialism, the dynamics of family, and impending disaster (remember this was the Cold War Era). I have no idea how this will work in a movie, but I’m sure interested to find out.
The other compelling aspect of White Noise is how this was made. Supposedly this has been a passion project of Baumbach for years and who do you think gave him a huge budget to make it? That’s right – Netflix, the studio that loves to give directors whatever they want (see: Scorsese: The Irishman, Fincher: Mank, and McKay: Don’t Look Up). A few months ago, there was a report that White Noise was way behind schedule and way over budget (usually not good signs) and the movie received a tepid response after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. So, be warned – this one might be terrible, or it could become a cult classic. White Noise premieres in theaters on November 25th and will be streaming on Netflix on December 30th.
Movie Stars Galore in Awards Contenders
First up in this category of two films that could be on the shortlist of Oscar contenders is the first new movie from director David O. Russell in seven years. He has a strong record of quality pictures (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle among others) and also of being an asshole on set. This one is kind of tough to separate the art from the artist, but let’s focus on the film for the time being. Amsterdam is his latest project and centers on a group of friends who get caught up in a murder investigation. It’s being marketed as a period piece comedy-mystery set in the 1930s and if anything is going to determine the success here, it will be the story. It certainly won’t be the cast, because once again, Russell has recruited a long list of stars for his movie. The cast is led by Christian Bale (who was directed to his Oscar by Russell in The Fighter), John David Washington and Margot Robbie, with supporting performances from Robert De Niro, Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, Mike Myers, Rami Malek, and Taylor Swift (not a typo). The trailer looks decent, but I’m going in with some skepticism as Russell has had a few duds – if you ever consider watching I Heart Huckabees, just don’t. Trust me. Amsterdam premieres in theaters on October 7th.
Death, taxes, and Olivia Colman blowing us away with a magnificent performance. Yup, she’s back and will once again be in the discussion for an Oscar nomination. Colman stars in Empire of Light, a story set in the 1980s centering on a woman struggling to find love while working at a small movie theater in England. The film was written and directed by Sam Mendes, who has had his share of successes (1917, Skyfall, and American Beauty, for which he won an Oscar). Reportedly, the story is an homage to his childhood and love of cinema, but early reviews have been mixed. After recent film festival premieres, critics praised Colman’s performance (shocker, I know), but were pretty critical of Mendes’s script. I know one thing for certain – Empire of Light will look beautiful, as the cinematographer is Roger Deakins, a master of the craft on such masterpieces as Fargo, No Country for Old Men, Skyfall, and 1917. Hollywood loves movies about movies, so I would expect this to get some Oscar love, especially with the Academy’s history rewarding Mendes. But I am a little concerned this one might be too schmaltzy, like last year’s Belfast. Empire of Light premieres in theaters on December 9th.
OK, let’s move on to my five most anticipated films of the fall.
#5 – TÁR
If you’re looking for the highest profile matchup on Oscar night, look no further than Olivia Colman vs. two-time winner Cate Blanchett, who appears to be a shoo-in for her performance in this portrait of a conductor whose life starts to unravel. Not a lot is known about TÁR, as the trailer is quite cryptic (which is not necessarily a bad thing) and the premise has been described as someone whose brilliance and arrogance contributes to her downfall. I’ve read some reviews that indicate that there is a theme of “cancel culture” in the film, which leads me to believe that Blanchett’s character says or does something that angers the wrong people. Whatever the premise, I’m intrigued for two reasons: 1) Blanchett is usually brilliant in everything she does and she rarely picks a bad project and 2) TÁR was written and directed by Todd Field (who wrote the part specifically for his lead actress) in his first film since 2006’s Little Children and only this third feature since his debut (2001’s In the Bedroom) was nominated for Best Picture. I have high hopes for this one, and the early reviews are very strong, especially for Blanchett’s performance. TÁR will have a limited release in theaters on October 7th with a wide expansion later in the month.
#4 – Armageddon Time
Another renowned director who is not a household name telling a story influenced by his childhood, featuring a top-line cast and receiving very strong reviews from the Fall film festivals. This time it’s James Gray, who is back with Armageddon Time, his first project since 2019’s Ad Astra (a Brad Pitt picture that I liked a lot), with a story set in Queens in the 1980s. Not a lot is known about the plot, except it focuses on a child’s experience growing up in the age of the Cold War and expanding capitalism in Reagan’s America. The actor playing Gray’s proxy is a newcomer, but the family members are people you have definitely heard of – Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong (from Succession) play his parents and Anthony Hopkins plays his grandfather. All three are receiving early Oscar interest given their strong performances and with the strong pedigree of all involved, I will certainly be seeing this as soon as it’s out. Armageddon Time will have a limited release in theaters on October 28th with a wide expansion in November.
#3 – Babylon
Here’s a rule you can bank on with me. If a director is three for three with his first few films, you can bet that I am going to be in the theater early to check out his fourth. After Whiplash, La La Land (where he won the Oscar for Best Director) and First Man, this year will see the new movie from Damien Chazelle. Babylon is set in the golden age of Hollywood during the transition from silent pictures to “talkies.” Oh, and the film stars Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, along with a pretty deep bench of stars in supporting roles. Yeah, this one sounds great on paper and was at the top of my list for a long time. Why has it slipped to number three? Well, the first trailer was just released and I’m a little worried that this one might be too “over the top”. Chazelle has indicated that the film will showcase a crazy time in Hollywood, including the heavy drug and alcohol use. Certain scenes in the trailer show Robbie and Pitt absolutely unhinged, so I have mild concerns. While no one is perfect, Chazelle is a master filmmaker, so I trust his vision. Babylon will have a limited release in theaters on Christmas Day, with a wide expansion in early January.
#2 – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
After retiring his license to kill as James Bond in last year’s No Time To Die, Daniel Craig is back as master sleuth Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion, the sequel to 2019’s very enjoyable Knives Out. Following the success of the first film (including an Oscar nomination for writer-director Rian Johnson’s screenplay), Netflix quickly scooped up the rights to two sequels for over $400 million. Johnson and Craig had such a good time with Knives Out that they envisioned making additional films, with each one featuring new characters involved in a new mystery, inspired by the style of Agatha Christie’s novels. Glass Onion features an all new cast, including Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Janelle Monae and many others. Early feedback on the film has been very positive and I expect we will get a fun popcorn movie with a little comedy sprinkled throughout the murder mystery. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will have a limited theatrical release on a date to be announced, and will be streaming on Netflix on December 23rd.
#1 – The Fabelmans
Ladies and gentlemen, we have an Oscar frontrunner from the legend himself – Steven Spielberg. After a number of filmmakers brought a story inspired by their childhood to the big screen over the last several years, Spielberg delivers his version in what he has described as his most personal story. The Fabelmans is the story of a boy growing up in Arizona whose love of film helps him cope with the dissolution of his parents’ marriage. The young boy (playing the Spielberg proxy) is a newcomer, but like Armageddon Time, the surrounding cast playing the family members features some great actors. Michelle Williams and Paul Dano are receiving strong reviews (no surprise, given their track record) as the parents, and in a surprising casting move, Spielberg picked comic actor Seth Rogen to play a family friend / uncle to the young boy. One other name from the past is also earning strong reviews – Judd Hirsch plays an older relative and is receiving early Oscar interest.
Spielberg has told the story many times of how he experimented making short films as an adolescent and was fascinated by the magic of moviemaking. He reportedly snuck onto the studio lot of Universal Pictures while in high-school to look around after everyone had gone home for the day. He made his break in the industry early, directing television episodes in his early 20s, before getting his start in movies. Spielberg co-wrote the script for The Fabelmans with Tony Kushner (who also wrote Munich, Lincoln and West Side Story for Spielberg). It’s the first writing credit Spielberg has taken on an original story for one of his films since Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Yeah, this one is personal and based on the trailer and early reviews, I expect it to be a wonderful film. The Fabelmans will have a limited release in theaters on November 11th with a wide expansion on November 23rd.
That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoyed my Fall Movie Preview and found some good picks to put on your list. If you’re wondering where to find movies, I highly recommend either IMDB or JustWatch, two great resources to find what is in theaters and what is on streaming services. I’ll be off next week, but back in two weeks for another new topic. Thanks for reading and if you’d like to be notified of future posts, you can subscribe here.