I go to the cinema between three and four times a week, and I relish the opportunity to immerse myself in another world for several hours. I'll watch anything, from low-budget indie films to IMAX blockbusters to foreign films with subtitles. The one thing my favourites have in common is that they have nothing in common: my taste is eclectic and I'm willing to try everything and anything on offer. I love both discovering new actors, directors and cinematographers to obsess over, as much as revisiting well loved series and hoping the sequels aren't too much of a disaster.
With only five months left of the year (how did that happen?!) I thought I'd put a list together of the 15 films I'm most looking forward to seeing in what's left of 2014. I'll undoubtedly see more than just the ones outlined below, but these are the ones that have stood out for me at at the moment.
N.B. All official plot synopsis are obtained from www.imbd.com, and all release dates are for the U.K.
WHAT IF
20th August 2014
"Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe), who is burned out from a string of failed relationships, forms an instant bond with Chantry (Zoe Kazan), who lives with her longtime boyfriend (Rafe Spall). Together, they puzzle out what it means if your best friend is also the love of your life."
It doesn't look like it's going to win any awards, but the trailer for this looks cute! Also, it's once again something a bit different for Daniel Radcliffe, who seems to be making it his life's mission to prove his acting chops and avoid being pigeon-holed in a post-Potter world.
LUCY
22nd August 2014
"A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic."
I've now seen this trailer a million times at the cinema and I'm enormously intrigued. The plot reminds me an awful lot of 2011's horrendously boring Limitless starring Bradley Cooper, but as Scarlett Johansson is one of the most exciting female action stars at the moment I have high hopes for Lucy.
INTO THE STORM
22nd August 2014
"In the span of a single day, the town of Silverton is ravaged by an unprecedented onslaught of tornadoes. The entire town is at the mercy of the erratic and deadly cyclones, even as storm trackers predict the worst is yet to come. Most people seek shelter, while others run towards the vortex, testing how far a storm chaser will go for that once-in-a-lifetime shot."
As a sucker for disaster movies Into The Storm immediately had a place on my to-watch list! It might end up being the sort of film that trades a decent plot for excellent CGI, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt for now.
TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT
22nd August 2014
"The film follows Sandra (Marion Cotillard), a young woman assisted by her husband, who has only one weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses so that she can keep her job."
Two Days, One Night had it's UK Premiere at Somerset House this summer as part of the Film4 Summer Screenings and was met with rave reviews. Apparently Marion Cotillard delivers yet another stunning performance in this thoughtful exploration of the human experience. Definitely one to watch!
THEY CAME TOGETHER
5th September 2014
"When Joel (Paul Rudd) and Molly (Amy Poehler) meet, it's hate at first sight: his big Corporate Candy Company threatens to shut down her quirky indie shop. Plus, Joel is hung up on his sexy ex. But amazingly, they fall in love, until they break up about two thirds of the way through."
Paul Rudd + Amy Poehler = perfection. There's just no more to say on the matter.
A MOST WANTED MAN
12th September 2014
"When a half-Chechen, half-Russian, brutally tortured immigrant turns up in Hamburg's Islamic community, laying claim to his father's ill gotten fortune, both German and US security agencies take a close interest: as the clock ticks down and the stakes rise, the race is on to establish this most wanted man's true identity - oppressed victim or destruction-bent extremist?"
The thriller, based on John le Carré's novel, will surely be a difficult one to watch as the final completed performance of the great Philip Seymour Hoffman. Boasting a stellar cast also including Willem Dafoe and Rachel McAdams, it should be a nail-biter from start to finish.
PRIDE
12th September 2014
12th September 2014
"UK gay and lesbian activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984."
Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Paddy Considine, Andrew Scott, Dominic West… the list goes on! With such an amazing cast, there's no doubt that this will be just as hilarious as it looks from the trailer!
MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT
19th September 2014
"A romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue."
I'm mostly intrigued to see Emma Stone in her first turn as Woody Allen's muse, and to see if the unlikey pairing of Stone and Colin Firth actually works. Reviews seem mixed at the moment, but it looks charming enough.
THE RIOT CLUB
19th September 2014
"Two first-year students at Oxford University join the infamous Riot Club, where reputations can be made or destroyed over the course of a single evening."
Excuse the pun, but this looks to be an absolute riot. It has a cast consisting of nearly every young British male actor currently in Hollywood, alongside Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) and Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer). Based on the hugely successful play, Posh, by Laura Wade and directed by Lone Scherfig (who also directed one of my favourite films, An Education) The Riot Club piqued my interest ages ago, and seeing the trailer has just confirmed how good it looks!
GONE GIRL
3rd October 2014
"With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent."
The buzz around Gone Girl is ridiculous, and the chilling trailer is proving why theres so much hype surrounding David Fincher's film. I'm about half way through the book and can certainly see why it has such a devoted fan base, making me even more determined to finish it before the film comes out.
MR. TURNER
31st October 2014
"Mr. Turner explores the last quarter century of the great if eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851). Profoundly affected by the death of his father, loved by a housekeeper he takes for granted and occasionally exploits sexually, he forms a close relationship with a seaside landlady with whom he eventually lives incognito in Chelsea, where he dies. Throughout this, he travels, paints, stays with the country aristocracy, visits brothels, is a popular if anarchic member of the Royal Academy of Arts, has himself strapped to the mast of a ship so that he can paint a snowstorm, and is both celebrated and reviled by the public and by royalty."
As Christmas fast approaches films become more serious as the heavy-weight awards contenders start screening. Mr Turner is one such film. Timothy Spall apparently gives the performance of a lifetime as the taciturn painter and he was met with rave reviews when celebrated director Mike Leigh's biopic premiered at Cannes in May. With an Oscar nomination very likely to be on the horizon, I'm really excited to see Spall step into the leading man spotlight and gain full recognition of his talent.
INTERSTELLAR
7th November 2014
"A group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage."
This trailer seems to have been shown in front of every IMAX film I've seen in the past year, and with good reason. Christopher Nolan's presenting yet another incredible film by the looks of it, and the prospect of the stunning visuals of space travel and an amazing cast ticks all the boxes for me!
THE IMITATION GAME
14th November 2014
"Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II."
The first time I saw the trailer for The Imitation Game I instantly got goosebumps. Alan Turing is such an unsung hero of the Second World War, and it's a huge shame that he's only just beginning to be acknowledged with the recognition he deserves for the life-changing work during the war. The film's been gaining critical acclaim at an alarming rate since Harvey Weinstein bid for the rights after seeing only 15 minutes of footage, and hopefully the star power of Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley will help propel this film even further at the box office.
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1
21st November 2014
"Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) reluctantly becomes the symbol of a mass rebellion against the autocratic Capitol."
Out of The Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay was by far my favourite book, and I can't wait to see how it's brought to life on screen this November. Life in Panem has taken a decidedly dark turn since Catching Fire, to the point that to me it really doesn't feel like a Young Adult series anymore. The marketing for the film is outstanding, with posters for different districts, fake hacking of the official twitter account and messages from President Snow (Donald Sutherland) on Capitol TV. I expect it'll only get better in the run up to the release, which is exciting indeed!
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES
12th December 2014
"The Company of Thorin has reached Smaug's lair; but can Bilbo and the Dwarves reclaim Erebor and the treasure? And, if so, can they hold on to it?"
This needs no explanation at all.
So that's the 15 films I'm most looking forward to! Are there any of the above that really take your fancy or some that I should have included? Let me know in the comments below or drop me a tweet!
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