Sneak peek
Movie fans eager for films coming over the holidays
Although the Halloween candy is still fresh, the holiday movie season is just around the corner.
The first real tinsel from Hollywood will be tossed today with the release of “Disney’s A Christmas Carol.” On Thursday, the disaster flick “2012” hits screens with its effects-laden cataclysm. Then on Nov. 20, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” will have fans of teen vampires rushing to the nearest theater.
The rest of the holiday lineup is marked by the serious fare that defines this time of year. Here are eight movies that could become standouts of the season.
• “An Education”: Carey Mulligan is the It Girl of the moment, thanks to this coming- of-age story set in early- ’60s London. The 24-year-old British actress stars as Jenny, a bright, beautiful teenager whose world is shaken up by a sophisticated man twice her age (Peter Sarsgaard). (Already in some theaters.)
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”: A hit on the festival circuit, this is the movie you’ve been hearing so much about from executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. The story of an abused, obese 16- year-old girl who’s determined to move toward a better life, it’s been described as raw, powerful and incredibly poignant. “Precious” could earn Oscar nods for Gabourey Sidibe as the title character and comic actress Mo’Nique as her mother. (Nov. 20)
• “Up In the Air”: George Clooney stars in this dramedy about a corporate man who travels the country to fire people, and it’s being talked up as one of the best of the year. The director, Jason Reitman (“Juno”), tackles an intriguing story line that taps into current economic anxieties. (December)
• “The Lovely Bones”: Director Peter Jackson follows up the huge canvases of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and “King Kong” with the equivalent of an intimate portrait — an adaptation of Alice Sebold’s best-seller about a murdered girl and her family’s struggle to cope with the loss. A lot will depend on the power of the cast — Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon and Saoirse Ronan — to flesh out a novel that was unflinchingly sad and beautifully realized. (December or January)
• “Avatar”: James Cameron has been working for years on this 3-D sci-fi adventure, his first feature since his Oscar-winning “Titanic.” The mega budget effort stars Sam Worthington as a paraplegic ex-Marine who explores a distant moon with the help of some groovy futuristic technology and becomes involved in an epic battle. (Dec. 18)
• “Invictus”: Clint Eastwood’s next project is an inspirational journey on a grander scale. Morgan Freeman plays newly elected President Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon is the captain of South Africa’s underdog rugby team in this look at how politics and sports worked together to help bridge lingering divides in the post-apartheid country. (Dec. 11)
• “A Single Man”: Colin Firth — best known in chick-flick circles as Mr. Darcy in the TV miniseries “Pride and Prejudice” and Bridget Jones’ true love — plays a professor who’s having difficulty dealing with the death of his life partner (Matthew Goode). Firth’s performance is being heaped with praise. But this also is a signature moment for director Tom Ford, who’s better known as a fashion designer. (Dec. 25)
• “Sherlock Holmes”: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous character is the kind of guy who usually hangs out in “Masterpiece Theatre” adaptations. Madonna’s ex, Guy Ritchie, is the kind of director who’s fond of fast-paced, violent machismo. Put them together and you get this interesting mash-up, which stars Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson. (Dec. 25)
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