The Place Beyond The Pines
Release Date: 9 May
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Writers: Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio & Darius Marder
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta
A motorcycle stunt driver begins robbing banks to support his lover and their newborn child, which inevitably sees him collide with a tenacious cop operating in a department controlled by a corrupt detective. The plot is intriguing enough, but if nothing else, this movie is worth seeing because Academy Award nominees Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper are at the top of their games. It is evident that Ryan Gosling is one of the finest actors of his generation; and with Silver Linings Playbook, Bradley Cooper has stepped up his game and proved that he too deserves a solid reputation. This movie seems to revolve around Gosling more, however, which is a cause for celebration. Director Derek Cianfrance collaborated with Gosling in the critically acclaimed Blue Valentine and from the outset, The Place Beyond the Pines is almost like the first cousin of Drive – just switch his car with a motorcycle. The signs are promising.
Star Trek Into Darkness
Release Date: 9 May
Director: J.J. Abrams
Writers: Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof & Roberto Orci
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana
Star Trek Into Darkness has largely been hyped around Benedict Cumberbatch’s mysterious character, John Harrison, a villain who attacks Starfleet and leaves Earth in chaos. Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) lead the Enterprise and the exhilarating manhunt to track down John Harrison. Adding Star Wars Episode VII to his directorial belt, the king of sci-fi epics, J.J. Abrams, returns to the helm for this sequel. Trekkies have long protested against Abrams’ directorial vision, as he defies canonical conventions that stem from the franchise’s rich 47 year history. Cue jokes about Abrams’ signature lens-flare style circa 2009, but the American director enjoys citing Star Trek’s tagline in interviews when questioned about his venture away from the recognised canonical form – he boldly goes where no man has gone before. It truly seems that Abrams is on his way to becoming an esteemed modern auteur and Star Trek Into Darkness might just cement his distinguished position.
The Great Gatsby
Release Date: 30 May
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Writers: Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton
Upon reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel about the disillusionment of the Jazz Age, who here thought adapting it into a 3D movie with a Jay-Z-produced soundtrack sounded like a good idea? Well, Baz Luhrmann certainly did. The film features Leonardo DiCaprio as the enigmatic Gatsby himself, who pines after the girl of his dreams, Daisy (Carey Mulligan). Tobey Maguire stars alongside as narrator Nick Carraway, who eventually becomes lured into Gatsby’s lavish, deceitful world. Luhrmann has never shied away from re-appropriating historical dramas with audacious modern music too – think Moulin Rouge’s ‘Lady Marmalade’. Featuring musical heavyweights like Beyonce and Florence + the Machine, The Great Gatsby soundtrack alone already has critics claiming it to be “bold” and “edgy”. In terms of visual style alone, The Great Gatsby is a considerable departure from Luhrmann’s last film, the long-winded historical romance Australia. It is as though Luhrmann is drawing from the aesthetics of Moulin Rouge, perhaps attempting to return to his past commercial success. The extravagant sets and dazzling costumes of The Great Gatsby are bound to impress, but it would be interesting to see if there is any substance underneath all that shiny style.
Before Midnight
Release: 20 June
Director: Richard Linklater
Writers: Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater
Cast: Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
The final installment to the exquisite Before romance trilogy, Before Midnight is definitely one to look out for. Nine years has past since audiences last saw Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) spend a day together in Paris. The star-crossed lovers have finally committed as a couple, and are spending a family holiday on a Greek island with their kids (!!!). Before Midnight tackles the subject of long-term love between two soul-mates, exposing cracks and tension within a marriage. Through the expert direction of Richard Linklater, the tender representation of romance in the Before trilogy is highly riveting. The endearing duo of Delpy and Hawke are sure to please and break hearts at the same time; their engaging banter always draws the audience in. Before Midnight is bound to be an intricate and charming piece of film.
Man of Steel
Release Date: 27 June
Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: David S. Goyer
Cast: Henry Cavill, Michael Shannon, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe
Another iconic superhero returns to the big screen, this time helmed by director Zack Snyder. After the game-changing The Dark Knight trilogy, it is not entirely unreasonable to wish Christopher Nolan would direct every single superhero movie ever made until the end of time. Tragically, this will not happen. However, Nolan does get his hands on this movie as a producer so it will be interesting to see what sort of influence he will bring to the movie. There is already one known aspect of the film where his influence will certainly be felt: the music is composed by Nolan favorite Hans Zimmer. Henry Cavill, who plays the titular character, seems to look the part, and the supporting cast line-up is solid. In the brilliant Michael Shannon, the movie has one of the most underrated actors in cinema today. Director Zack Snyder’s previous works, which include the weak Sucker Punch, the forgettable Quantum of Solace and the overblown 300, are indeed causes for concern, but here’s hoping Nolan’s touch of brilliance will bring Man of Steel closer to Snyder’s excellent previous work, Watchmen.
Kick-Ass 2
Release Date: 4 July
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Writer: Jeff Wadlow
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jim Carrey
Following 2010’s excellent action-comedy Kick-Ass, this film marks the return of self-made masked crusader, Kick-Ass (Aaron Johnson). Jim Carrey stars as the manic Colonel Stars and Stripes, leader of an amateur crime-fighting group. No longer a foul-mouthed child, but now a foul-mouthed teenager, Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) battles high-school problems of her own. Meanwhile, Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) plots an act of revenge that is sure to turn everyone’s world upside down. Kick-Ass 2 does face certain reluctance from fans, especially with the departure of Nicholas Cage’s character, Big Daddy, in the first film. Nevertheless, Kick-Ass 2 will be heavily relying on Carrey’s star power and the return of Hit Girl, the role that catapulted Moretz to fame. Besides, it would also be fun to see some wickedly outrageous violence that could make Tarantino blush.
Only God Forgives
Release Date: 18 July
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Writer: Nicolas Winding Refn
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas
To truly appreciate this movie’s context, watch Drive. This movie is not a sequel to Drive, but Only God Forgives is the anticipated follow-up of the deadly collaboration between Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn and its star Ryan Gosling, supported again by the brilliant composer Cliff Martinez. Drive seems to have inspired a legion of cult followers of the brand, which combines impossible brute force with an intense level of dramatic depth. This time, though, a distinct character will complement that experience: Bangkok. It can be the wildcard that makes Only God Forgives distinguished enough from Drive to avoid the sense that this movie will feel redundant. In this movie, Ryan Gosling’s character, Julian, under the instruction of his mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) – a head of a powerful criminal organization herself – is set out to avenge his brother’s death to those who are responsible – members of the Bangkok criminal underworld. Only God Forgives has all the ingredients to be a powerful experience.
