If one considers last month’s round-up of films such as Prisoners, Rush, and Enough Said as a worthy appetizer for the fall season, October is the main dish. Although we’ve still got a couple of months to go in 2013, these next few weeks bring a few of my favorite films of the year, as well as a few hopeful candidates. Including secretive micro-budget projects, films with barely any dialogue, one that must be seen on the biggest screen possible, and, even, a masterpiece, check out our rundown of the ten must-sees below and let us know what you’re looking forward to in the comments.
Matinees: Let the Fire Burn (10/2), The Dirties (10/4), A.C.O.D. (10/4), All is Bright (10/4), Concussion (10/4), Used to Be Darker (10/4), The Summit (10/4), All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (10/11), The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete (10/11), American Promise (10/18), The Square (10/25)
10. Escape from Tomorrow (Randy Moore; Oct. 13th)
Synopsis: In a world of fake castles and anthropomorphic rodents, an epic battle begins when an unemployed father’s sanity is challenged by a chance encounter with two underage girls on holiday.
Why You Should See It: Secretly shot at Disney, Escape From Tomorrow arrives with more buzz surrounding the production than the film itself, but rightfully so. While Randy Moore‘s narrative is a bit too repetitive — at least in the Sundance cut, which has been since trimmed down — the main draw here is seeing the filmmakers pull off such a task. Our main review is more positive, saying, “there is an abundance of cinematic originality to revel in that [the film] feel like a dizzying teacup ride into madness.”
9. Zero Charisma (Katie Graham, Andrew Matthews; Oct. 11th)
Synopsis: An overgrown nerd who serves as Grand Master of a fantasy board game finds his role as leader of the misfits put into jeopardy when a new initiate enters the group.
Why You Should See It: “This fascinating look at nerd culture, directed by Katie Graham and Andrew Matthews, is spot-on and full of heart,” we said of Zero Charisma after its SXSW premiere. A relatable look at the world of role playing games (not the video game kind, the trailer will have you learn), we added, “You’ve known these characters in real life: the ones that get too into it; the easy going guy that can come in and fit in and the band of friends that stick with long-term friends no matter what they eventually turn into.” The film is now headed to VOD and theaters this month, so if you’re interested in the subject matter, it’s well-worth checking it out.
8. Kill Your Darlings (John Krokidas; Oct. 16th)
Synopsis: A murder in 1944 draws together the great poets of the beat generation: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs.
Why You Should See It: Dubbed as “Beat Generation: First Class” from a number of journalists following its Sundance premiere, Kill Your Darlings will finally be arriving nine months later in limited release. Led by the strong ensemble of Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Ben Foster, David Cross, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Elizabeth Olsen, Kyra Sedgwick and more, we said in our full review it’s “a mostly compelling, if surprisingly standard, biopic.”
7. Captain Phillips (Paul Greengrass; Oct. 11th)
Synopsis: The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
Why You Should See It: Debuting to a rapturous level of praise, by most accounts, at the New York Film Festival last week, I was a little less enthused by Paul Greengrass‘ Captain Phillips. It’s a tense, well-directed piece of entertainment with a smart structure, but it’s fairly thin experience that didn’t leave much of an impact when all is said and done. Ahead of sneak previews this weekend and a full, partial IMAX release the following, one can see our full review here, where we single out a fantastic performance from Tom Hanks.
6. A Touch of Sin (Jia Zhangke; Oct. 4th)
Synopsis: A startling modern wuxia tale of four outcasts on the margins of a rapidly changing China who channel their underclass rage into a bloody and murderous rampage.
Why You Should See It: China’s most acclaimed director, Jia Zhangke, made his return this past May, when A Touch of Sin — the man’s first feature in five years — premiered at Cannes, receiving strong notices for the coherence of its wide scope and, no less, retaining the concerns which have defined the man’s cinema for over a decade. After being picked up by Koch Lorber, the picture recently stopped by TIFF and is showing at NYFF, which will soon be followed by a limited theatrical rollout this month. – Nick N.
5. All Is Lost (J.C. Chandor; Oct. 18th)
Synopsis: After a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face.
Why You Should See It: While Captain Phillips provides a look at terror at sea, the next film from Margin Call director J.C. Chandor will deal with similar themes in an entirely different context. Starring only Robert Redford and featuring little-to-no dialogue, All is Lost was one of our favorite films at Cannes, as we said in our review that it’s “a surprisingly mature and profound tale about overcoming the impossible, even if it means sacrificing everything.”
4. The Counselor (Ridley Scott; Oct. 25th)
Synopsis: A lawyer finds himself in over his head when he gets involved in drug trafficking.
Why You Should See It: While there haven’t been any festival showings and reviews won’t hit until its London premiere this week, the talent tied to The Counselor is enough for us to be greatly anticipating the project. Scripted by No Country For Old Men‘s Cormac McCarthy, directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz, the drama looks to be a vibrant, brutal tale of bad people doing bad things — what’s not to love?
3. Blue Is the Warmest Color (Abdellatif Kechiche; Oct. 25th)
Synopsis: The story of a young lesbian couple’s beginning, middle and possible end.
Why You Should See It: After winning the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Abdellatif Kechiche‘s acclaimed three-hour drama will be landing in limited release at the end of the month. Comparing its tone to a Dardennes feature, we said, in our full review, it’s “subdued yet penetrating, and it seems near-impossible not to be moved by both the joy and pain in Adele Exarchopoulos’ experience. Affecting and powerful in its portrayal of love, Blue is the Warmest Color is an epic ode to the enduring affection which overwhelms when we find that special someone.”
2. Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron; Oct. 4th)
Synopsis: A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.
Why You Should See It: After waiting seven years to see what would follow Children of Men, director Alfonso Cuarón has finally put the finishing touches on Gravity, and it’s his attention to detail that makes this space thriller a must-see. While the emotional arc of our lead, played by Sandra Bullock, doesn’t completely hit home, it’s an immersive experience like no other. As our TIFF review says, “Space has always been one place to which only a select few could boldly go; in this exhilarating look at its vast, empty expanse we truly get a sense of how beautiful and terrifying it truly is.”
1. 12 Years a Slave (Steven McQueen; Oct. 18th)
Synopsis: In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.
Why You Should See It: Considering our TIFF review touted Steve McQueen‘s latest drama as a “21st-century masterpiece,” expectations were certainly high heading in — but, thankfully, they were more than fulfilled. Anchored by a commanding performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor, the drama is a rightfully punishing, towering accomplishment that should be required viewing for the human race.
What are you watching this month?