Interstellar:
Director Christopher Nolan, best known for Inception and the Dark Knight trilogy, returns with his newest endeavor Interstellar, a science fiction film starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway. Taking place in a future earth devastated by environmental destruction, Interstellar details efforts of several space travelers as they venture to find a habitable planet for humans to relocate to. The combination of Nolan’s directorial techniques and McConaughey’s renowned acting skills have created a great amount of buzz for the film in terms of potential Academy Award nominations. Straight off his Oscar win for Best Actor in Dallas Buyers Club, McConaughey shows a lot of promise in this greatly anticipated film, in theaters November 5.
The Theory of Everything:
The Theory of Everything details the life of physicist Stephen Hawking and focuses specifically on his relationship with his wife, Jane Hawking. The film shows the struggles both Hawking and his wife go through after his diagnosis of ALS and his resulting battle against the disease. Eddie Redmayne, who stars as Hawking, is anticipated to receive at least an Academy Award nomination, if not a win, for taking on the challenging role of the genius theoretical physicist and portraying an accurate depiction of the debilitating effects of ALS. Felicity Jones has also received accolades for her performance as Hawking’s wife. In theaters November 7, The Theory of Everything shows great promise as both a romantic and inspiring biographical film.
Foxcatcher:
While Channing Tatum and Steve Carell have had acting careers dominated by comedy, the two men take on leading roles in a very different type of film with Foxcatcher. There is already a great deal of Oscar buzz surrounding Tatum’s role as Mark Schultz, the Olympic gold-medal winning wrestler on the US Team. Steve Carell has also received acclaim for portraying John du Pont, Schultz’s schizophrenic coach. Telling the dark, true story of the psychological and physical damage du Pont inflicted upon Schultz and Schultz’s brother (played by Mark Ruffalo), Foxcatcher has received critical praise, with a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Director Bennett Miller won Best Director at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, as well as being nominated for the Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at the festival. A combination of acting and directing talent is sure to make Foxcatcher one of the year’s most promising dramas. Foxcatcher is out in theaters November 14.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1:
Fans of the popular dystopian Hunger Games series have been greatly anticipating the series’ newest installment ever since The Hunger Games: Catching Fire left audiences with a cliffhanger in November 2013. Mockingjay returns with its original cast of Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, and Elizabeth Banks. The Hunger Games franchise is following in the footsteps of other popular book-to-film franchises, such as the Harry Potter series and the Twilight Saga, by adapting the trilogy’s final book, Mockingjay, into two separate films. The film continues where Catching Fire left audiences hanging, with the destruction of District 12 and Peeta’s (Hutcherson) abduction by the Capital. With rebellion in full swing in the various districts, heroine Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) must take on her role as the symbol and leader of the rebellion against the dictatorial Capitol. Due to its large fan following, the newest Hunger Games installation is predicted to make huge profits in the box office when it comes out November 21.
The Imitation Game:
Starring British favorites Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game brings one of the year’s most promising historical dramas. The British-American film details the life of Alan Turing, a mathematician, in his pursuit to crack the codes of Germany during World War II. Turing leads a group of other cryptanalysts, including Joan Clarke (Knightley) in solving the puzzle. The film also follows Turing’s personal life and his struggle with his prosecution for homosexuality. After winning “People’s Choice Award for Best Film” at the Toronto Film Festival, film lovers have been anticipating the film’s official theatrical release. The Imitation Game will be released in the United States on November 28.
