Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen in "Catching Fire," the second installment of "The Hunger Games." Read a review from WTOP Film Critic Jason Fraley.
During World War II, a young German girl is taught to read by her adoptive father (Geoffrey Rush). She begins stealing books and sharing them with a Jewish refugee (Geoffrey Rush), who's being sheltered at her home. The film is based on a novel by Markus Zusak and directed by Brian Percival, Emmy-winner for TV's "Downton Abbey."
Many question the need to remake the Korean action gem just a decade after its release. Whether it flops hard or succeeds like "The Departed" (a remake of "Infernal Affairs") depends on director Spike Lee and stars Josh Brolin and Samuel L. Jackson. Just know what you're getting into: the violent plot follows a man waging revenge after being locked in solitary confinement for 20 years, culminating in one of the most disturbing movie twists since "Chinatown."
If you liked "Sideways" and "The Descendants," you won't want to miss the latest from writer/director Alexander Payne. Shot in stark black-and-white, "Nebraska" follows a road trip between a cranky old father (Bruce Dern) and his estranged son (Will Forte) as they seek to claim a million-dollar sweepstakes prize. Dern won the acting prize at Cannes and is already garnering plenty of Oscar buzz.
After awaking a dragon at the end of "The Hobbit: An Incredible Journey," Bilbo Baggins returns for "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," a.k.a. "The Lord of the Rings Part 5." Middle Earth diehards are jacked for this one, so here's hoping it's better than the first, which felt like Act One stretched over three hours. I still question the decision to split one short novel into three movies, resulting in a lot of filler, even if Gollum remains one of the most "precious" characters in movie history.
Writer/director David O. Russell coached Christian Bale to an Oscar in "The Fighter" (2010) and Jennifer Lawrence to an Oscar in "Silver Linings Playbook" (2012). Now, he combines both casts for the con-man caper "American Hustle," starring Bale and Amy Adams ("The Fighter") and Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro ("Silver Linings").
Nine years after the original, Ron Burgundy returns, no longer staying classy in San Diego, but rather dominating New York's first 24-hour news channel. Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner and Christina Applegate all return, with the addition of Jim Carrey, Liam Neeson, Vince Vaughn, Kirsten Dunst, James Marsden, Harrison Ford, Greg Kinnear, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Sacha Baron Cohen. What a cast? Prepare to laugh? I can't wait for this one? Who put a question mark on the teleprompter?
Their string of masterpieces is unrivaled in modern cinema: "Blood Simple," "Raising Arizona," "Miller's Crossing," "Barton Fink," "Fargo," "The Big Lebowski," "No Country For Old Men." Now the Coen Brothers' return with "Inside Llewyn Davis," which follows an aspiring folk singer (Oscar Isaac) in 1960s Greenwich Village, N.Y., a sort of Bob Dylan who never found the fame. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, so expect it to be a major Oscar contender.
Ben Stiller directs himself in the comedy fantasy "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," based on the short story by James Thurber and written by Steve Conrad ("The Pursuit of Happyness"). Stiller plays a habitual day-dreamer who escapes his mundane life by drifting into his own fantasies. As director, his efforts have only gotten better, from "The Cable Guy" to "Zoolander" to "Tropic Thunder."
Last year, the movie "Hitchcock" starred Anthony Hopkins as the "Master of Suspense" during the making of "Psycho." This year, Tom Hanks plays Walt Disney in the making of "Mary Poppins," a tale recounted by author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson).
Dream match? Or two fighters who won't throw in the towel? Sylvester Stallone ("Rocky") and Robert DeNiro ("Raging Bull") square off in the new boxing flick "Grudge Match." They don't play Balboa or LaMotta, but the novelty is obvious. No Oscar nominations here, folks, but at the very least, this one will be a fun guilty pleasure on Christmas Day.
While DeNiro grasps at his "Raging Bull" glory days in "Grudge Match," his long-time collaborator Martin Scorsese continues to crank out fresh films with his new favorite partner for the new millenium, Leonard DiCaprio. Leo channels his inner Gatsby as a Manhattan playboy in "The Wolf of Wall Street," his fifth collaboration with Scorsese after "Gangs of New York," "The Aviator," "The Departed" and "Shutter Island."
Are you ready for a season of great movies? (WTOP/Jason Fraley)
