The holiday season is upon us.
That means Hollywood will be rolling out some big-budget mainstream crowd pleasers and Oscar contenders. Whether it’s wholesome family fun, a CGI action-fest, or art house fare, there’s something for everyone at your local theatres.
Here are some of the titles we’re looking forward to, in order of release date.
Now Playing
The Imitation Game
Short Take: Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer pioneer who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII but whose career and life were sadly cut short after the British government prosecuted him for homosexual acts (deemed illegal at that time). The film also stars Keira Knightley, Mark Strong and Downtown Abbey’s Allen Leech.
Reel Buzz: Not your average biopic fare. Film festival buzz and early reviews have been largely positive with a pretty much unanimous consensus that it’s a performance driven vehicle led wonderfully by Benedict Cumberbatch.
Before I Disappear
Short Take: A troubled young man and his straight-laced niece embark on a thrilling odyssey through New York City in this heartrending drama based on an Oscar-winning short.
Reel Buzz: Small film, getting good notices. Should be hitting the Carolina Asheville soon.
Opens December 5
Wild
Short Take: With the dissolution of her marriage and the death of her mother, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) has lost all hope. After years of reckless, destructive behavior, she makes a rash decision. With absolutely no experience, driven only by sheer determination, Cheryl hikes more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone.
Reel Buzz: Reese Witherspoon gets uncharacteristically dirty and is getting good reviews.
Foxcatcher
Short Take: Foxcatcher tells the story of Olympic Gold Medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), who sees a way out from the shadow of his more celebrated wrestling brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo) and a life of poverty when he is summoned by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont (Steve Carell) to move onto his estate and train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Desperate to gain the respect of his disapproving mother, du Pont begins “coaching” a world-class athletic team and, in the process, lures Mark into dangerous habits, breaks his confidence and drives him into a self-destructive spiral.
Reel Buzz: This is supposed to be one of the must-see movies of the year. It will play at the Fine Arts Theatre in Asheville.
Opens December 12
Top Five
Short Take: Directed by Chris Rock, Top Five tells the story of New York City comedian-turned-film star Andre Allen, whose unexpected encounter with a journalist forces him to confront the comedy career, and the past that he’s left behind. Stars Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Rosario Dawson, Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, Cedric The Entertainer, J.B. Smoove, Sherri Shepherd, Anders Holm, Romany Malco, Leslie Jones, Michael Che, and Jay Pharoah.
Reel Buzz: We don’t really know, but we’re curious.
Opens December 19
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Short Take: It’s another adventure-filled Night at the Museum as Larry (Ben Stiller) spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.
Reel Buzz: It’s going to be a huge box office success, if not a critical success and it’s probably just going to be fun.
The Gambler
Short Take: Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) is a risk taker. Both an English professor and a high-stakes gambler, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster (Michael Kenneth Williams) and offers his own life as collateral. Always one step ahead, Bennett pits his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring (Alvin Ing) and leaves his dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy mother (Jessica Lange) in his wake.
Reel Buzz: Wahlberg lost a boatload of weight for this part, but that doesn’t mean it’s Oscar worthy.
Opens December 25
Unbroken
Short Take: Directed and produced by Angelina Jolie, Unbroken is an epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis “Louie” Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. Based on Lauren Hillenbrand’s best-selling book.
Reel Buzz: Get out another party dress, Angie. You’re going to the Oscars.