With a summer of superheroes, talking teddy bears, and male strippers behind us, it’s time to look forward to the most promising fall flicks. Looking at the lineup of September films, audiences have several reasons to visit the theatre and cough up the cash for a ticket that might even be worth the outrageous cost. Here are a few that will be worth the trip.
The Words
Starring Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Zoe Saldana (Avatar). Opens September 7.
Rory Jansen (Cooper), a romantic writer, struggles to have his work published during an economic slowdown. In a moment of desperation, he publishes the work of a writer from the past. As his novel grows more critically acclaimed, he desperately tries to avoid the consequences of stealing another person’s story. The film looks to have an intriguing screenplay, and an exciting supporting cast including Dennis Quaid (Footloose), Jeremy Irons (Margin Call), and Olivia Wilde (People Like Us).
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Starring Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson), Emma Watson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). Opens September 20.
Based on the novel by Stephen Chbosky, this film stars Lerman as an introverted high school freshman attempting to handle school without his best friend, while dealing with his first love and braving the struggle of all incoming freshman: finding a place to fit in. In one of her first roles since starring in the Harry Potter franchise, Watson should give an emotional experience. Considering that Chbosky is directing the film adaptation of his book, the film should be fairly consistent with the novel as well.
Trouble with the Curve
Starring Amy Adams (The Fighter), Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino), Justin Timberlake (Friends with Benefits). Opens September 21.
Mickey (Adams) joins her father, Gus (Eastwood), a veteran baseball scout for one last recruiting trip. Along the way they encounter Johnny Flanagan (Timberlake), a rival scout and one of Gus’ former scouts, who begins to take a romantic interest in Mickey. After 19 years of acting and directing simultaneously, Eastwood performs his first acting role in in a film that he did not personally direct. Eastwood does, however, continue his collaboration with Director Robert Lorenz, who served as an producer for several Eastwood films, including the Academy Award winner “Million Dollar Baby.”
The Master
Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Ides of March), Joaquin Phoenix (I’m Still Here). Opens September 14.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson offers yet another intriguing and thought-provoking film, similar to his previous repertoire including “Magnolia” and “There Will Be Blood,“ both of which brought him numerous accolades. Hoffman, teaming up with Anderson for a fifth film, plays an academic introducing a new religious organization to the world following WWII. As the project begins, he enlists a right-hand man (Phoenix), who in the process of helping, begins to question his own beliefs.
Looper
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises), Bruce Willis (Moonrise Kingdom). Opens September 28.
Two of Hollywood’s leading men team together for this science fiction film about time travel. Working for the mafia as a “looper” in the year 2044, Levitt’s task is to kill mafia members – who live in the future. When Levitt faces one target that turns out to be himself from the future (Willis), he must face the conundrum of avoiding death while trying to kill his future self. It was the opening film of the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, and will likely appear in many movie-goers’ future.
