Fall Movie Preview: December

My Seven Most Eagerly Anticipated Movies of December:

1. The Life Aquatic (Dec. 1, Dec. 10 or Dec. 25 depending on where you look)

I absolutely loved The Royal Tenenbaums and Bill Murray’s been doing some of the best work of his career lately (thanks in large part to Wes Anderson). My hopes are very, very high.

2. Ocean’s Twelve (Dec. 10)

I absolutely loved Ocean’s Eleven. Let’s hope Soderbergh can catch lightning in a bottle twice. Taking them to Europe and adding Catherine Zeta-Jones to the mix sounds like a step in the right direction, though I am a little worried about the loss of writer Ted Griffin (at least he wasn’t replaced by Rob Reiner on this project).

3. Spanglish (Dec. 17)

I absolutely loved As Good As It Gets and think that James L. Brooks is one of the most brilliant minds in film/television comedy. Then there’s Adam Sandler. Who will win out?

4. The Aviator (Dec. 17)

I absolutely… uh, kinda, sorta, didn’t hate Gangs of New York? I’m not the world’s biggest Martin Scorsese fan (the only one of his films that I personally consider great is Goodfellas), yet I always get my hopes up that his next project will win me over. The subject matter and cast are an especially good start on this one.

5. Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (Dec. 17)

I don’t know anything about the books, but if Jim Carrey’s there, then so am I. On top of that, Meryl Streep seems to have entered the Jack Nicholson phase of her career where she’s just having fun, which is great fun for us filmgoers (her turn in The Manchurian Candidate was the only enjoyable thing in that movie).

6. The Phantom of the Opera (Dec. 25)

Never seen the show, but I’m all for the return of the filmed musical. The images in the trailer look lush, from what I could make out through the ridiculous pureed editing. Guys, I know you want the Moulin Rouge! crowd, but the cuts in that masterpiece never had me covering my eyes to prevent the onset of a headache. Tone it down.

7. Synergy (Dec. 29)

Despite the abbreviation of the Oscar season (which resulted in only one twelfth-month release grabbing a Best Picture nod last year), December looks to once again be the most quality-packed month of the fall. The battle for this seventh slot on my list was intense, with Proof, Meet the Fockers and Blade: Trinity all close runners-up. Ultimately, my appreciation for the cast of Synergy combined to put it over the top.

Other December Movies that I’m Interested in:

Dec. 3
Closer

Dec. 10
Blade: Trinity
Imaginary Heroes (or maybe Feb. 4, 2005)

Dec. 22
Meet the Fockers

Dec. 24
Proof
An Unfinished Life
The Woodsman

Dec. 25
Bride and Prejudice
Fat Albert

Undeclared
The Assassination of Richard Nixon
Out to Sea