Surprisingly, Hollywood is very accepting of stars who reinvent themselves. After the bomb that shall not be named (but I'll do it anyway: "Gigli"), Ben Affleck established himself as a fine director with "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town." In "The Town," he showed that he also isn't bad in front of the camera. And now comes "Argo," which has earned rave reviews at the Toronto Film Festival. "Argo" takes Affleck out of Boston, as he makes his first foray into historical drama. It's about the recently uncovered CIA mission to use a fake movie as a way to get into Iran and free the Americans taken hostage in 1979. It's a story that sounds almost too fascinating to be true. "Argo" looks like a smart political thriller that I'll enjoy because it speaks in a language that I can understand: movies. Also, Bryan Cranston is in it. Unless he decides to star in "Rock of Ages 2,"* he can do no wrong in my book.
Coming To Theaters: October 12
Director Rian Johnson is skilled at toying with genre conventions ("Brick"). I can't wait to see what he has in store for science fiction. The concept of "Looper" is already boggling my brain, yet the idea of Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing a younger Bruce Willis is kind of brilliant.** I am always prepared for disappointment but I am envisioning this being a film along the same line as "Blade Runner" and "Minority Report." Both of those films were misunderstood upon their original releases, but gained future followings. I am hoping that "Looper" breaks through in a big way, because Hollywood still needs to see that original ideas can succeed. No matter what happens, I believe "Looper" is the kind of film that will get better and make more sense upon repeated viewings.
Coming To Theaters: September 28
It's been four long years since Martin McDonough's brilliant debut feature "In Bruges." His sophomore effort, "Seven Psychopaths," looks just as twisted and funny but with less existential dread. "Seven Psychopaths" takes us into the underworld of dognapping, which I didn't even know existed. While its poster is very similar to the poster for "Snatch," I believe this one will be nowhere near the same, as McDonough isn't just constantly trying to rip off Tarantino. Plus, it boasts a nearly perfect cast that includes Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, and Sam Rockwell. No word on whether or not, like "In Bruges," this one will also include a midget being karate chopped. I will say that I have no idea what will happen in this movie, and that unpredictability is what will make it so fun.
Coming To Theaters: October 8
See the top 3 after the jump:
