Oscar-worthy pics in time for Holidays

The upcoming festive season promises the most quality-laden movies of the year

This is shaping up to be the most quality-laden movie season in years. After last year's dismal showing (remember, Pearl Harbour was supposed to be the "it" flick) and this summer's unimpressive releases, it seems that the studios have been planning a December onslaught.
The most anticipated movie is, without question, Peter Jackson's epic fantasy The Fellowship of the Ring. Based on the Middle-earth trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien titled Lord of the Rings, the film is guaranteed a worldwide fanatical fan base that numbers in the hundreds of thousands. Parts two and three will be released during the next two holiday seasons.
Another fantasy film is Kate & Leopold, James Mangold's love story about a 21st century woman (Meg Ryan) who falls in love with a 19th century Duke (Hugh Jackman).
Also set in the future is Gary Felder's Imposter, about a scientist (Gary Sinise) who is suddenly accused of being a spy forcing him to go on the run.
A contender for the best film and best performance Oscar is the Muhammad Ali bio-pic Ali, directed by Michael Mann (The Insider) and starring Will Smith as the former Cassius Clay. Smith trained for nearly a year gaining dozens of pounds and working out with Sugar Ray Leonard in order to portray the role properly. The Great One himself visited the young Prince in the gym to make sure he got the moves down right.
Another true story is Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind, starring Russell Crowe as Nobel laureate John Forbes Nash Jr. The great mathematician was plagued with schizophrenia which often would plunge the genius into fantasy realities.
British actress Judi Dench is being rumoured as a contender for another Oscar for role as Iris Murdoch in Richard Eyre's Iris. This is the true tale of the love affair between Murdoch (played as a young Murdoch by Kate Winslet) and John Bayley.
Dench also co-stars in Lasse Hallstrom's The Shipping News, based on Annie Proulx's Pulitzer Prize-wining novel. Kevin Spacey plays a widower who moves to Newfoundland with his young daughter. Also stars Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett.
Heartthrob Benjamin Bratt (what was Julia thinking?) may gain cinematic credibility in Piñero, Leon Ichaso's biopic about the famous Puerto-Rican poet-playwright-actor Miguel Piñero. The artist, who died at age of 40, was a mainstay in New York's cultural elite during the 1970s and '80s.
Another Oscar contender is Sissy Spacek for her powerful performance in Todd Field's directorial debut In the Bedroom. Even flaky Marisa Tomei puts in a worthy turn in this heartwrenching tale about a couple (Spacek, Tom Wilkinson) who must come to terms with the senseless murder of their only son.
Also memorable will be Sean Penn in Jesse Nelson's I Am Sam, the story of a mentally challenged father who attempts to raise his daughter with the help of some wonderful friends even though the 'system' wants to separate them.
The other talked-about performance of the season is that of Halle Berry in Marc Foster's The Monster's Ball, where she stars as the widow of a death-row inmate (Sean Combs) who becomes the object of affection of a racist corrections officer (Billy Bob Thornton).
And Jim Carrey is back in Frank Darabont's The Majestic, a period drama about a blacklisted amnesiac who suddenly finds himself back in his hometown where everyone thought he was dead.
Another period drama is Charlotte Gray, starring Cate Blanchett as a 1942 Scottish woman who infiltrates war-torn France in 1942 in search of her husband (Billy Crudup).
But enough of the heavy stuff. In terms of fun there's Steven Soderbergh's remake of the Rat Pack vehicle Ocean's Eleven, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia and Julia Roberts as Vegas heisters attempting to pull off the ultimate bank job.
The film that brought Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz together, Vanilla Sky, is also being released this month. Based on Alejandro Almenabar's terrific Spanish pic Open Your Eyes, the movie centres on a New York city publishing magnate (Cruise) who has a second chance at life following a tragic accident. Cruz starred in the original version. Directed by Cameron Crowe.
Another season favourite will be Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums where brothers Owen and Luke Wilson team up once again on a script (Rushmore, Bottle Rocket). Owen plays a former tennis prodigy who reunites with his eccentric family played by Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller and Anjelica Huston.
Also being released this season is Robert Altman's troubled Gosford Park. Featuring a cast of 48 actors, the tale revolves around the servant (Emily Watson) of a wealthy estate. Other notable names include Alan Bates, Derek Jacobi, Kristin Scott Thomas and Maggie Smith.
In the foreign-language film department, No Man's Land is the movie worth catching. A satirical but ultimately tragic tale about a Bosnian soldier and a Croatian one stuck together in a land-mine filled trench, is a brutal indictment on the U.N.'s role during the Yugoslavian war.
What about the kids, you might ask? Well, if they've already seen Monsters Inc., Shrek and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, they can always catch Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. Nickelodeon's computer-animated boy genius must now rescue the world's parents from aliens who've kidnapped them all.
Lots of quality stuff, so there's no excuse to stay at home and watch It's a Wonderful Life for the hundredth time. Bundle up warmly, pack the popcorn and go see a movie this month.

Publication Date: 2001-12-09
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=716