We did it; it’s difficult for any film fan to escape from January unscathed, but if you’re reading this, then you’re in fine shape. With Sundance Film Festival giving us a preview of what to expect in the coming year, we’re now in the more promising month of February. Aside from the Academy Awards ceremony to keep you busy, there’s a handful of decent options at the theater this month, including a number of festival titles making their limited debuts, and even a few already on VOD. Check out the rundown below and let us know what you are most looking forward to in the comments.
10. Identity Thief (Seth Gordon; Feb. 8th)
Synopsis: When a mild-mannered businessman learns his identity has been stolen, he hits the road in an attempt to foil the thief — a trip that puts him in the path of a deceptively harmless-looking woman.
Why You Should See It: We already shared our hesitation for this studio comedy, but perhaps Seth Gordon can craft another surprise hit following Horrible Bosses. Bringing back his reliable star Jason Bateman, the comedy pairs him up with the seeming go-to actress in the genre, Melissa McCarthy. They will certainly have strong chemistry, so let’s hope the middling trailers aren’t an indication of the overall quality.
9. Warm Bodies (Jonathan Levine; Feb. 1st)
Synopsis: After R (a highly unusual zombie) saves Julie from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.
Why You Should See It: Despite not going over well with our own Amanda Waltz, I’m at least intrigued at what Jonathan Levine can offer up with this project. After mixing comedy with cancer in the successful 50/50, he attempts to do another genre cross-over with zombie and romantic films here. Even if it doesn’t work, I have to imagine it will be a noble effort from the talented up-and-coming director.
8. Rubberneck and Red Flag (Alex Karpovsky; Feb. 22nd)
Synopsis: Rubberneck: After a weekend tryst with a co-worker leaves Paul Harris wanting more, his unreciprocated desires gradually mold into an acute infatuation. Red Flag: A solipsistic filmmaker takes his independent film on tour. Hoping to escape the pain of his recent breakup, he stumbles into a twisting constellation of fear, sex, and tortured illumination.
Trailers: Rubberneck / Red Flag
Why You Should See Them: While he’ll be seen in the Coens‘ folk drama Inside Llewyn Davis this year, Girls star Alex Karpovsky is starting 2013 off in a big way. Two films he wrote, produced, directed and acted in will be getting a limited theatrical run and while they may be small in scale compared to the rest of this rundown, they are worth seeing for more than just the emergence of a new talent.
7. A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III (Roman Coppola; Feb. 8th)
Synopsis: A graphic designer’s enviable life slides into despair when his girlfriend breaks up with him.
Why You Should See It: Since there is no Wes Anderson movie arriving this year, this should quell your appetite. Roman Coppola is back with his latest quirkfest, this time bringing along Charlie Sheen, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray Aubrey Plaza, Patricia Arquette, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and more, for what should be an piece of light entertainment. With the film having made its VOD bow last month, there’s plenty of ways to check it out as well.
6. The Playroom (Julia Dyer; Feb. 8th)
Synopsis: Four children in their attic hideaway make up a fantastic story, while downstairs their parents weave a drunken intrigue of their own.
Why You Should See It: If the last few years are any indication, the casting of John Hawkes in a film immediately increases my anticipation of the project. After working with Steven Spielberg this past fall and breaking out of his character actor mold with The Sessions, we were major fans of his latest work at Tribeca Film Festival. Despite playing with the familiar, we said “at its damaged heart,” the film is “really an examination of the ways in which we sometimes need to rely on our peers when our elders fail us.”
5. The Gatekeepers (Dror Moreh; Feb. 1st)
Synopsis: A documentary featuring interviews with all surviving former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency whose activities and membership are closely held state secrets.
Why You Should See It: If only to see why the Academy thinks this documentary is better than This is Not a Film, The Imposter or Samsara. While the majority of those were in my top 10 films of last year, I have no doubt that Dror Moreh‘s look inside top Israeli security will be fascinating and alongside the Oscar line-up of 5 Broken Cameras, How to Survive a Plague, The Invisible War and Searching for Sugar Man (all featured on previous monthly rundowns), it’s apparent that the documentary genre is thriving.
4. Lore (Cate Shortland; Feb. 8th)
Synopsis: In spring 1945, the German army collapses. As the Allied forces sweep across the Motherland, five children embark on a journey which will challenge every notion we have of family, love and friendship.
Why You Should See It: With the war genre filled with many entries, more often than not they result in workmanlike exercises that go through the motions. Thankfully, Australian writer/director Cate Shortland is here to change that notion with her latest work. After riding the festival circuit to high praise last year, Lore is finally set to debut in limited release, one that promises an intimate look instead the trials a group of kids must face.
3. No (Pablo Larraín; Feb. 15th)
Synopsis: An ad executive comes up with a campaign to defeat Augusto Pinochet in Chile’s 1988 referendum.
Why You Should See It: Following up his acclaimed drama The Loneliest Planet, the talented Gael Garcia Bernal is back in arthouses this month with No, a film we praised at Cannes Film Festival last year. Calling it a “compelling examination of an important historical event,” we said “the most striking element is its bold visual aesthetic that is designed to look like a TV program from the ’80s. Colors are washed out, the aspect ratio is square and there is a shallow depth of field to every image, which may sound jarring to watch, but becomes surprisingly hypnotic.”
2. Side Effects (Steven Soderbergh; Feb. 8th)
Synopsis: Emily and Martin are a successful New York couple whose world unravels when a new drug prescribed by Emily’s psychiatrist – intended to treat anxiety – has unexpected side effects.
Why You Should See It: Having unabashedly loved his recent output, especially last year’s Haywire and Magic Mike, it’s remarkably sad to see Steven Soderbergh take what will hopefully be just a short-lived retirement. This month will see the release of his last theatrical feature for some time, and while our official review was mixed, I simply can’t wait to see what kind of twists were concocted with Scott Z. Burns. Starring Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Channing Tatum and Catherine Zeta-Jones, this one is far and away my most-anticipated wide release this spring.
1. Like Someone in Love (Abbas Kiarostami; Feb. 15th)
Synopsis: A drama centered on the relationship of a young woman and old man in Tokyo.
Why You Should See It: There’s a handful of enticing options this month, but it’s impossible to not give Abbas Kiarostami the top slot. Following up his masterpiece Certified Copy, his latest film sees him head to Tokyo with no diminished returns. As we said in our Cannes review, the film is “a subtle work of genius that will challenge audiences not patient enough to carefully absorb all the details” and an “enigmatic examination of the different forms of affection that people can have for one another.” If that’s not enough, check out our interview with the master himself from last year.
What films are you most looking forward to this month?