Oscar season dawns.
We’re entering a time of the year when big hit movies taper off
and a drought descends until the holidays commence. That’s reflected in the
late summer trailer releases ranked here. Unlike recent months, no big
franchises make appearances (if you exclude reboots and spin-offs).
Instead, we have a lot of original properties, many of which seem
to be positioning for Oscar consideration. Here are the top 10 most popular
late summer movie trailers.
10. Men,
Women & Children
If this trailer proves indicative of the final film, it looks like
an experiment in visual storytelling. Focused on the digitalization of personal
relationships, Men, Women & Children appears to be essentially
silent and subtitled. It will be interesting to see if it contains any spoken
dialog at all.
Adam Sandler returns to a dramatic role, something he has
demonstrated proficiency in before. He earned critical acclaim for 2002’s Punch-Drunk Love and played a character
not unlike himself in 2009’s Funny People.
9. White
Bird in a Blizzard
Believe it or not, it’s been ten years since Casino Royale catapulted Eva Green to
stardom. She was twenty-six then, thirty-six now. She remains as gorgeous as
ever. However, the clock is ticking for her to advance her career to a higher
level. White Bird in a Blizzard may be her shot at Oscar contention.
Co-star Shailene Woodley proceeds under similar pressure, due more
to competition than age. Jennifer Lawrence, star of The Hunger Games
franchise which parallel’s Woodley’s Divergent, has already earned an Oscar
for her work in Silver Linings Playbook.
8. The
Theory of Everything
Who’d have thought that the life of Stephen Hawking would make a
compelling movie? Someone did, because it’s happening. So far, it doesn’t look
half bad.
Eddie Redmayne takes on the leading role, a challenging physical
portrayal depicting the agonizing progression of Hawking’s motor neuron
disease. Felicity Jones plays his wife, Jane, a role poised to elevate her name
recognition significantly.
Another actor whose talent long deserves a showcase is David
Thewlis. Since his villainous portrayal in 1996’s Dragonheart, Thewlis has managed a
prolific career which has nonetheless failed to elevate him beyond “that guy
from that thing” status.
7. Left
Behind
The good news regarding this reboot of the Left Behind
franchise, aside from the Gospel message which will no doubt prove integral, is
that it appears to boast vastly superior production values compared to the previous iteration. There are a lot of
things which tend to go wrong with Christian films, all
conspiring to rob them of entertainment value. Many of those pitfalls appear to
be avoided here, if the trailer proves indicative of the final cut.
The bad news is that the film’s star power comes from Nicolas
Cage. Whether that’s a step up or down from Kirk Cameron is yet to be seen.
Cage has done well in certain roles, but makes a lot of questionable
professional choices.
6. The
Best of Me
A common complaint of movie trailers is that they show too much of
the story and essentially spoil the experience. While that certainly happens
more than it should, good films will not necessarily be spoiled by even the
most revealing trailer. The value of the experience in a good film is the
telling of the story, not its plot details.
Watching this trailer for The Best of Me, we can easily
chart out the film’s plot. We probably don’t need to see the final cut to know
roughly how it will end or what its message will be. However, this peak into
the performances and film craft suggest that the telling of that predictable
story will be worth our time.
5. Mortdecai
Then there’s Mortdecai, which stands as an example of the
opposite extreme. I’m not sure what Mortdecai is, where it will go, or
how it will end. This trailer conveys the only fact the studio seems intent to
impress. Johnny Depp plays an eccentric weirdo, something we know he can do
well. So, come see it.
Will that be enough to get you into the theater? It didn’t quite
work out for The Lone Ranger.
4. The
Penguins of Madagascar
There’s isn’t much to say about this one. The kids will love it.
If you’re lucky, you may laugh occasionally.
It will be interesting to see whether these supporting characters
from the world of Madagascar will be able to carry their
own film. It can be a mistake to assume that popular supporting characters will
translate to effective starring ones. Sometimes, the shtick gets old quick
without a straight man to anchor it.
3. Rudderless
There’s something about Selena Gomez. I don’t know what it is. But
it’s definitely there. That’s the only explanation for the popularity of any
project she happens to grace.
There’s always the possibility that Billy Crudup and Anton Yelchin
are the reason folks are watching this trailer. But I doubt it.
That said, the film looks like a great showcase for both Crudup
and Yelchin, actors at different stages of their careers who each aim to advance
here.
2. Camp
X-Ray
There’s little question whether this movie has an agenda. The
question remains whether it will prove so heavy-handed that it fails to
entertain.
The issues surrounding Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay transcend
typical partisan divides, provoking both the “social justice” instincts of the
political left and the civil libertarian wing of the political right. If this
film plays its cards right, it could resonate with a significant audience.
It could also represent a turning point in the career of star
Kristen Stewart. With the Twilight franchise now wholly behind her,
she needs to define the next stage of her journey. Does she have the chops to
carry a film like this?
1. Two
Night Stand
Like The Best of Me, this trailer serves up all the major
plot points we need to construct the whole story. Then again, the romantic
comedy formula stands fairly tried and true. The payoff comes in the telling.
Miles Teller is apparently a thing with the kids. His profile will
raise dramatically next year when he stars as Reed Richards in the
controversial reboot of The Fantastic Four. Analeigh Tipton harbors a
star quality which hasn’t been given a platform like this before. It will be
interesting to see where her career goes from here.
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