Autumn is the time of year when most movie studios pull out the big guns for award season contention. The upcoming four months promise to provide enough heavy drama, light comedy and heart-pounding action to satisfy every type of moviegoer. From Bill Murray in a wetsuit to Colin Farrell as the ruler of the ancient western world, here are my 10 most-awaited films of fall 2004.
1. THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (DEC. 10)\nWes Anderson, the auteur behind the brilliant hat trick of "Bottle Rocket," "Rushmore," and "The Royal Tenenbaums," is sure to bring another tragicomic gem to the screen with Bill Murray (desperately in need of an Oscar) as Captain Steve Zissou, a fuzzed-out Jacques Cousteau whose team of oceanographers explore uncharted aquatic territory just as Anderson explores the uncharted depths of his characters. The trailer, which is the most gorgeous and hilarious thing I've seen on film all year, is a mere taste of what's to come. Viva Wes Anderson, who at 35, is one of the three or four most vital and creative writer/directors working today.
2. THE AVIATOR (DEC. 17)\nCrafting an account of the life of movie mogul, industrialist, aviator and eventual social recluse Howard Hughes is one hell of a challenge, but if anyone is up to it, Martin Scorsese is. Scorsese directs Leonardo DiCaprio as Hughes, along with a massive cast including Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, Gwen Stefani, Jude Law and John C. Reilly, to tell the tale of a much observed, much lauded, and very much misunderstood man.
3. TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE (OCT. 15)\nFinally, someone has the balls to make a film about the comedic intricacies of the 'war' on terrorism. Is it any surprise that it was the creators of "South Park" who were up to the task? With a team of puppet freedom fighters fighting puppet terrorists in a puppet world, not to mention a plethora of jokes at the expense of everyone involved in the current political landscape, I have a feeling they'll have another controversial comedy classic on deck.
4. ALEXANDER (NOV. 5)\nOliver Stone's take on Alexander the Great, who conquered most of the known world by the age of 25, is purported to be the anti-"Troy," a massive epic with far more brains than brawn. Only a director as brash, self-confident and cocky as Stone seems fit to biograph an historic man of his own ilk. Starring Colin Farrell in the lead role, "Alexander" seems destined for greatness.
5. RAY (Oct. 29)\nJamie Foxx proved his dramatic chops in the recent "Collateral," but with "Ray," a biopic based on the life of the late Ray Charles, Foxx has generated legitimate Oscar buzz. The trailer showcases Foxx transcending impersonation and becoming the man he's playing. Taylor Hackford's film is sure to be a fitting tribute to a man who dared to blend R&B and gospel music in a time where such an act was deemed sacrilege.
6. SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW (SEPT. 17)\nUnknown brothers Kerry and Kevin Conran came to Paramount Studios with a bright idea. How about creating an old-fashioned, epic science fiction yarn, complete with "Metropolis"-esque shots of a mechanized future world filled with robots and valiant freedom fighters? A few years later, the brothers Conran offer up a beautiful-looking, almost fully CGI sci-fi film starring Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie. Time will tell if these newcomers pulled it off.
7. KINSEY (NOV. 12)\nIn his first film since 1998's "Gods and Monsters," director Bill Condon explores the life of IU professor Alfred Kinsey, whose 1948 volume "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male," was the first serious scientific foray into the world of human sexual practices. Liam Neeson plays Kinsey as a man obsessed with gaining accurate knowledge on a then unstudied topic.
8. FINDING NEVERLAND (NOV. 12)\nJohnny Depp has come a long way since being the kid who got sucked into the bed and spewed out in the original "Nightmare on Elm Street." The eccentric actor is being highly-touted for what is supposedly the best performance of his career, in which he portrays J.M. Barrie, the original author of "Peter Pan." Since this film is Miramax's only real hope for an Oscar this year (Tarantino and Scorsese almost never get Academy props), expect an all-out media blitz to promote it.
9. SPANGLISH (DEC. 17)\nAnyone who's seen Paul Thomas Anderson's "Punch-Drunk Love" knows that Adam Sandler can actually act, but he's never worked with a director as awarded as James L. Brooks. Here, Sandler plays a celebrated chef who must contend with the language barrier between himself and his Latino housekeeper and her family, as well as insecurities of his wife, played by Tea Leoni. The role doesn't seem as challenging as Sandler's tortured Barry Egan, but I'm eager to see if he can pull off another great performance to further alienate fans of his asinine comedies.
10. TAXI (OCT. 8)\n"Taxi" represents the first test of Jimmy Fallon's film career. The story centers on Fallon as an NYC cop who loses his driver's license and ends up being driven around by Queen Latifah in a super-cab on the trail of some bank-robbing supermodels. It has 'flop' written all over it, but "Barbershop" director Tim Story has a knack for finding the amusing in the absurd.
