Not every summer 2011 release is a reboot, remake or sequel. It just feels that way.
So don’t overlook the following films when planning your summer movie viewing. Supporting original fare is downright counter cultural in this day and age, and, who knows, you might just see more fresh fare as a result.
- “The Tree of Life” (select theaters May 27) – Watch the trailer. Then, watch it again. Does it even matter what WWTW types at this point? That movie tease is a minor work of art, a tantalizing glimpse into the mind of mercurial director Terrence Malick (“The Thin Red Line”). For official record-keeping purposes, the film stars Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and newcomer Jessica Chastain (no relation to the shirt-doffing Brandi) in the story of a Midwestern man trying to come to grips with his complicated father.
- “Super 8“ (June 10) – The latest from director J.J. Abrams (“Star Trek”) may be the movie to beat this summer. The film’s trailer is pure popcorn bliss, releaving just enough about the story to reel us in. The film follows a group of boys who capture a train crash with their creaky film camera.
- “A Little Help“ (June 24) – Jenna Fischer stars in this potential sleeper about a dental hygienist who drinks to forget her husband (Chris O’Donnell) is a louse. It’s Fischer’s film from start to finish, and we’ll soon she if she’s good enough to carry a picture on her purty shoulders.
- “Horrible Bosses” (July
– Any film which convinces the hirsute Colin Farrell to embrace the combover look deserves our attention, if not our movie ticket money. Farrell is one of the titular bosses in the cross hairs of employees eager to off them. The dark comedy stars Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Jamie Foxx and Jason Sudeikis. - “Crazy, Stupid, Love” (July 24) – A married man (Steve Carell) rejoins the dating scene after his wife (Julianne Moore) steps out on him. Enter Ryan Gosling as the playah who teaches Carell’s character how to woo women all over again. A great trailer, a frisky cast (including Emma Stone and Kevin Bacon) and a can’t miss story could yield comic gold.
- “Our Idiot Brother“(Aug. 26) – Paul Rudd plays the befuddled Everyman so easily it’s refreshing to see him change course in this new. alleged subversive comedy. Rudd plays a dreamer who ends up having to crash on his sisters’ couches after a brush with the law. Those sisters are played by Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer – three beguiling actresses all in one film. Rudd’s taste with film projects is better than many of his peers, and who knows where this challenge will take him?
(Photo: Paul Rudd plays a slacker living off the good will of his sisters in “Our Idiot Brother.” Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company.)
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Tree of Life actually looks interesting, however much the trailer raised and then dashed my hopes. I was sleep-deprived when I saw it, and there’s that brief shot of a starfield and a nebula; just for a second I thought “Did they actually make a movie of Larry Niven’s Protector?” A Pak Protector, after all, enters that stage of its life cycle by eating “Tree of Life”. I guess a leather-skinned, arthritic Homo habilis super-genius sociopath just spelled box-office poison.
But still, the concept of “grace” is under-explored in movies, which is weird, because probably half the population of this country is Catholic or Evangelical. File that under “Hollywood is out of touch”, I guess.
I’m leaning toward “Horrible Bosses” and “Our Idiot Brother” as possibly the best comedies of the summer. Hope I’m not too disappointed. Jason Bateman and Paul Rudd rarely let me down.