Songbird
Look, I’m not one of those people that say something to the effect of not wanting to see any movie that has any direct connection to all the stuff that’s going on right now. I understand why that is the case for some, but to me, stuff like this is what inspires stories, and I think there is some value to be found in how artists reconcile with major worldwide events, even ones that are still affecting us now. Having said that, this still looks tacky as all hell. I don’t see the appeal of this, but I suppose it could be pretty fun junk, I did like the bit with Peter Stormare at the end, I’m so tired of that phrase. I don’t know, it just seems silly and uninteresting, but we’ll see. Just, you know, be prepared for more of this kind of stuff over the next decade.
Songbird has not announced a release date yet.
Stardust
For some reason, I didn’t think this even made to production, and having seen the trailer, I kind of wish it didn’t. I’m totally fine if a biopic doesn’t totally represent a person accurately, I think there is totally room for a filmmaker exploring his or her own interpretation of a public figure. I don’t even mind the fact that the filmmakers didn’t get permission to use any of Bowie’s songs. But man, I would hope for at least some artistic ambition here aside from another generic tortured artist, coming-out-of-their-shell story. Despite being an indie film, it’s about as safe and generic as anything you would have expected from a studio like Bohemian Rhapsody. I suppose the road trip angle is theoretically more interesting than a sweeping life story biopic, but the stuff they’re exploring here is not engaging to me at all. I hope I’m wrong though.
Stardust opens in select theaters and VOD platforms on November 25th.
The White Tiger
Aside from an underwhelming adaptation of Fahrenheit 451, I have really enjoyed the films of Ramin Bahrani that I have seen. I know this was a really high profile book, but I haven’t read it. The conceit seems interesting enough, even if some of the dialogue is a touch overwritten and obvious in its theming. I’m curious to see Adarsh Gourav take a lead in something like this, I’ve only seen him in small, supporting roles. It looks pretty good to me. I kind of wonder if Netflix is going to market this like India’s answer to Parasite or something, wouldn’t surprise me.
The White Tiger opens in select theaters sometime in December before hitting Netflix on January 22nd.
The Midnight Sky
Yes, I like this, I would like it now. I know George Clooney’s directorial filmography has been considered hit-and-miss, but there are more that I have liked than disliked, and as anyone who has read my stuff here for a while, you know I’m a sucker for anything even tangentially related to space and space exploration. I like the big idea here, I like the cast, visually it looks solid. This is definitely one I’m looking forward to.
The Midnight Sky will open in select theaters prior to Netflix release on December 23rd.
Dreamland
Margot Robbie as a turn of the century outlaw? Sounds like a good time to me. I’ve really loved seeing how she has handled her stardom, managing to tackle the big projects while making room for smaller, more interesting stuff. This certainly looks interesting, and coming from a filmmaker, Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, who I hadn’t even heard of prior to this. This has my curiosity for sure.
Dreamland hits theaters on November 13th before releasing on VOD platforms on November 17th.
Farewell Amor
I’m really intrigued by this. I’ve heard many stories about people who have to spend years in America before they can bring their family over from other countries, yet I haven’t seen many stories that explore the weird dynamic that comes with that, in film at least. I think this looks very good, and I have heard some good stuff about this from its Sundance premiere earlier this year. Not much else to get out of this trailer, it just looks very promising.
Farewell Amor will release in select theaters and VOD platforms on December 11th.
Uncle Frank
Yeah, looks cute. I like a 70s setting, the cast seems solid. The story elements seem a bit on the familiar side, but I don’t have much of a reason to doubt Alan Ball, who is writing and directing this. I guess it’s nice to see Sophia Lillis in something that looks significantly more chill than her usual stuff. She’s very talented, and seems to easily work alongside heavyweights like Paul Bettany. It’s not something I’m gonna hold my breath for, but I will probably check it out.
Uncle Frank hits Amazon Prime on November 26th.
Thoughts on any of the trailers? Feel free to discuss in the comments!