February's Most Anticipated Films
by Brian Eggert
The below list of theatrical releases includes this site’s top recommendations for February 2010. The choices—based on the quality of actors, director, story, and trailers—are pure guesswork and have no bearing on the inevitable review. For a complete list of upcoming releases and their respective movie trailers, visit the Calendar.
February 12:
The Wolfman
Can you believe it? The Wolfman is finally hitting theaters. Having been in production since 2007 and rumored about for much longer prior to that, the film has met delay after delay, mostly due to a discouraging progression of very public production troubles. Joe Johnston replaced the film’s first director Mark Romanek last-minute; the production opted for computer FX after hiring legendary makeup artist Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London); composer Danny Elfman was replaced by Paul Haslinger, and then Haslinger was re-replaced by Elfman again; the release date has shifted here and there uncountable times. Clearly the executives at Universal Studios are concerned about their property, but are they excessively concerned to the point of over-doing it? At the very least, the trailer looks faintly promising, as does the cast: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, and Emily Blunt. But we’ll find out if the uneasy production had any effect on the final product come February 12. Click here for the trailer.
February 19:
The Ghost Writer (Limited Release)
No matter what you think about the personal life of Roman Polanski (Rosemary's Baby), his career as a director demands your attention. As one of the greatest living filmmakers, every time a new film of his hits theaters, he presents something exciting cinematically. The Ghost Writer teams Polanski with novelist Robert Harris, who assisted the director in adapting his book for film. The story follows a writer (Ewan McGregor) as he finishes the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan), and in the process uncovers some scandalous secrets. Returning Polanski to the thriller genre, the film is already receiving high praise for containing Polanski’s signature humor and bravado suspense. Unfortunately, audiences aren’t likely to give the film its due, since their opinions will be driven by debates about Polanski himself. Do your best to set aside any prejudices and see The Ghost Writer objectively. Pretend it was directed by someone else. Whatever you need to do. Just see it. You’re bound to find an incredible film. That said, the film only opens in New York and Los Angeles on February 19, and will slowly expand in the subsequent weeks. Click here for the trailer.
Shutter Island
Every time I see the trailer for Shutter Island, my level of excitement increases. Martin Scorsese has made something distinctive to his career; it appears he’s made a horror movie. This twisting psychological thriller looks dark and dreamlike, using nightmare and hallucinatory imagery unique to Scorsese’s directorial arsenal. Furthermore, this marks the fourth pairing between director Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio, whose previous films The Aviator and The Departed solidified the actor-director relationship as one of the most momentous in film history. Based on the novel by Gone Baby Gone author Dennis Lehane, the film follows two U.S. Marshalls into an asylum for the criminally insane, only to become “rats in a maze” themselves. The result looks frightening, suspenseful, and like a Scorsese-DiCaprio pairing that will turn out yet another phenomenal film. Click here for the trailer.
February 26:
The Crazies
Based on George A. Romero’s original from 1973, The Crazies may be a horror remake, but don’t hold that against it. Romero’s version suffers from a shoddy production and extremely low budget, so it doesn’t hold up as easily with today's audiences—it’s actually a perfect remake property. The new version, directed by Sahara helmer Breck Eisner, is a thinly veiled zombie movie, but so was Romero’s movie. The story follows citizens of a small town suddenly infected with a plague that drives its victims into a murderous rage. In due course, the government comes in to wipe out the infected, as well as everyone else. Stars Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell are perfectly placed in this B-movie schlock, which should be fun, if you’re into this sort of thing… Click here for the trailer.
One Film You Shouldn't See
February 12:
Valentine's Day
For years, Hollywood has made a tradition out of releasing a romantic comedy on or around Valentine’s Day. While a great marketing strategy, it would be even better if these movies didn’t so often suck. Two years ago, there was Definitely, Maybe, the flick where Ryan Reynolds got to date three dreamy starlets (Or did three dreamy starlets get to date Ryan Reynolds?). Last year, it was He’s Just Not That Into You, where half of Hollywood starred in a mosaic of lessons about love. This year, the annual rom-com is called Valentine’s Day no less, and it gathers together three-fourths of Hollywood in an even bigger mosaic of stories about romance, this one specific to everyone’s pinkish Hallmark holiday. The cast is ridiculously huge and overpopulated with stars, so my resistance to the material is because of the volume. How can all of these characters receive their due? The answer: They can’t, not unless this is a 4-hour movie. What we’ll see is a series of amusing vignettes about love and sex, some of them funny, some not, and ultimately we’ll be indifferent to and certainly disappointed with the experience. Don’t waste your time. If you want a romantic comedy, rent something from Lubitsch or Sturges. Click here for the trailer.