Films in 2009 part 1

Every year starts with promises aplenty. I’ve compiled a list of 30 films I’m currently looking forward to checking out in 2009. Most are true ’09 releases, some just haven’t reached the US yet, and some might not reach these shores ’til 2010 even though they’ll debut elsewhere. Some will deliver the goods and some will disappoint, while there are undoubtedly a few not on my radar or without firm or even vague release dates that will come out and rock. Then there are probably a couple I’ve just plain forgotten about. Foresight is a tricky thing, but here I go anyhow.

Here are the first ten films that I’ve picked out to highlight going into 2009

9
Director: Shane Acker

Shane Acker adapts his animated short film 9 into a full length movie for Focus Features. Strange little men made of burlap and zippers struggle to survive in a post-human world populated by menacing robots. A newcomer to the group helps challenge their world’s status quo. Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, Christopher Plummer, Crispin Glover and Martin Landau provide the voices. The short film can be found at YouTube while the feature’s trailer is over at Apple. 9 is scheduled for release on September 9th. Yes, that’s 9/09/09.

Astro Boy
Director: David Bowers

Based on Osamu Tezuka’s manga and subsequent anime series, Astro Boy follows a robotic boy created in the image of a scientist’s late son as he explores his world and learns about life. Freddie Highmore voices the title character while Nicolas Cage is the scientist. The ’60s anime is widely credited for defining Japanese animation styles. Imagi Animation did an alright job on TMNT as their debut feature, so I’m crossing my fingers that these guys can improve here and onwards, and with so many stories to work off, hopefully the script side is solid. A teaser trailer can be found here. Astro Boy hits theaters on October 23rd.

Avatar
Director: James Cameron

James Cameron returns to narrative cinema after a decade working on underwater documentaries and new technologies. Even better, he’s returning to science fiction with a script he’s been toying with for over a decade. Avatar takes place a couple hundred years in the future where humans wage war on a faraway planet against an alien species. Sam Worthington’s paraplegic veteran arrives on the planet and finds his loyalties tested by the interspecies conflict. Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi and Michelle Rodriguez round out the main cast. For better or worse, the other big deal with this one is its use of supposed groundbreaking 3D and motion capture tech. Avatar is currently set to debut on December 18th.

Coraline (2/6)
Director: Henry Selick

The first of two major stop-motion animated features of the year, Coraline is an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s book of the same name and directed by Henry Selick, best known for directing The Nightmare Before Christmas. A young girl finds an entrance in her new home to a parallel dimension but when that world’s version of her parents try to keep her there, she has to fight to get back home and save her real family. With Gaiman and Selick involved, IYou can find a trailer here under videos. Coraline arrives in theaters on February 6th, in 3D where available.

District 9
Director: Neill Blomkamp

Not much is known about this one, but it marks the feature debut of Neill Blomkamp who made the awesome Alive in Joburg short a couple years back. It’s not clear whether that short has a direct relationship to District 9, but the latter does have the same basic premise involving alien refugees in South Africa. Peter Jackson is producing this one after having previously put Blomkamp in charge of the failed Halo movie. Not a whole lot else is public about District 9 but I have a whole lot of interest in seeing what Blomkamp can do with vastly more resources at his disposal. Sony’s releasing this one on August 14th.

Duplicity (3/20)
Director: Tony Gilroy

This marks Tony Gilroy’s second directorial effort after Michael Clayton. Clive Owen and Julia Roberts star as rival corporate spies who join together to con their employers while Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson have some fun as scenery-crushing executives. This is an obviously less serious affair than Michael Clayton, but seems to allow some stars to have fun in a snappy comic thriller and that can be a great thing if done right. It’s all about the actors’ chemistry. Duplicity‘s trailer can be seen over at Apple’s site. The film hits theaters on March 20th.

Eden Log
Director: Franck Vestiel

This French film follows a man with no memory or knowledge of himself who finds himself in a mysterious cave filled with carnivorous tree roots. Trying to make his way out, he encounters savage creatures and the remnants of intelligent habitation. Word is it’s pretty great if you’re looking for a moody, atmospheric movie with an existential bent and not a high intensity thriller. An English trailer can be found at YouTube. Eden Log‘s release date has bounced around, but will probably be out in February or March as it rounds out Magnet’s Six-Shooter Film Series, already featuring the notably awesome Let the Right One In and Timecrimes.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox (11/6)
Director: Wes Anderson

The second major stop-motion animated feature is Wes Anderson’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s the tale of a fox who consistently outwits three farmers and absconds with their livestock. Unfortunately no photos or video of the production have yet been released, but it’s said to employ other animation techniques besides the primary stop-motion. George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman and Anjelica Huston provide voices. Noah Baumbach helped write the script alongside Anderson. The Fantastic Mr. Fox is currently set for November 6th.

The Girlfriend Experience
Director: Steven Soderbergh

Steven Soderbergh delivers his second low budget feature using non-professional actors for his continuing venture with Mark Cuban’s companies after Bubble. Of course, some might argue that Sasha Grey is a professional in her own right. Hint: she’s a porn star. Anyway, The Girlfriend Experience follows a few days in the life of a self-employed high class escort/prostitute in New York City. I’ll watch pretty much anything coming from Soderbergh, and his previous two sex/intimacy films are favorites, so I’m intrigued by what he does here. It’s currently expected to hit theaters, cable and DVD in the spring.

The Informant
Director: Steven Soderbergh

Soderbergh is a very busy man. This dark comedy stars Matt Damon as real life corporate whistleblower Mark Whitacre, who worked for agriculture company Archer Daniels Midland. In the midst of speaking with federal investigators, he simultaneously defrauded his own company and battled bipolar disorder. The script uses Kurt Eichenwald’s book as its basis, which he wrote after following the story for The New York Times The Informant is due on September 18th.

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Films in 2009 part 2

Films in 2009 part 3