December 2008 Movie Releases

December 5
- Cadillac Records
- Extreme Movie (limited)
- Frost/Nixon (limited; expands: Dec. 12; expands: Dec. 25)*
- Hunger (L.A. Oscar run; limited release: March 2009)
- Let Them Chirp Awhile (NY; Chicago release: Dec. 12; LA release: Jan. 2)
- Local Color (limited)
- Nobel Son
- Punisher: War Zone***

December 10
- The Reader (NY, LA, SF; expands: Dec. 25; wide: Jan. 9, 2009)
- Wendy and Lucy (limited)

December 12
- Adam Resurrected (NY, LA)
- Dark Streets (limited)
- The Day the Earth Stood Still (conventional theaters and IMAX)
- Delgo
- Doubt (limited; expands: Dec. 19; expands: Dec. 25)
- Gran Torino (limited; wide: Jan. 9)
- Nothing Like the Holidays
- Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (limited)
- Timecrimes (Los Cronocrímenes) (NY, LA)
- What Doesn't Kill You (NY, LA)
- Where God Left His Shoes (NY)
- While She Was Out (limited)

December 17
- The Wrestler (limited)***

December 19
- The Brothers Bloom (limited; wide: Jan. 16, 2009)
- The Class (1-Week NY, LA Oscar Run; NY, LA release: Jan. 30, 2009)
- Moscow, Belgium (NY)
- Nothing But the Truth (NY, LA; expands: Jan. 9, 2009)
- Seven Pounds****
- The Tale of Despereaux
- Yes Man***

December 24
- The Secret of the Grain (Graine et le mulet, La) (NY)
- Theater of War (NY)

December 25
- Bedtime Stories*
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button**
- Last Chance Harvey
- Marley & Me
- The Spirit****
- Waltz with Bashir (NY, LA)

December 26
- Revolutionary Road
- Valkyrie*

December 31
- Defiance (limited; wide: Jan. 16, 2009)
- Good (limited)
- The Lodger (limited)

DECEMBER 5th

Cadillac Records [limited]
Director: Darnell Martin
Stars: Adrien Brody, Beyoncé Knowles, Mos Def (Full Cast)
Studio: TriStar Pictures
The Plot: A chronicle of the rise and fall of Chess Records, the Chicago-based record label founded by Leonard Chess (Brody), whose musical ear and business savvy helped foster the careers of Etta James (Knowles), Chuck Berry (Def), and other rhythm-and-blues pioneers.
THE BUZZ: All my single ladies: Let the idea of Beyoncé Knowles starring as Etta James attract or repel you to this rhythm & biopic, but I have to say that Bey's revealing statements about her pop-star side (let's just pretend they're actual-real quotes) and the arrival of her bi-polar solo album makes me interested in her now more than at any other time in her career. She'd probably be the first person to proclaim that her voice and look doesn't exactly match up with Ms. James's, though I'm hoping Etta's wild side will have a lasting effect on Ms. Knowles. (Hmm, perhaps Sasha Fierce should have been cast instead?) Sony's been rather quiet on this one, and I'm wondering if the thought here is to give it an awards-qualifying release this month, then blow it out come January. And I'm dying to see what Mos Def (who should reunite Black Star) brings to the screen as Chuck Berry. Mr. Brody is going to have to fight to not be upstaged.

Frost/Nixon [LA/NY] Wide release: 12/25
Director: Ron Howard
Stars: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures
The Plot: BBC host David Frost interviews Richard Nixon in 1977, where the scandal-plagued President opens up about his role in the Watergate scandal.
THE BUZZ: Opie does alright racking up the Oscar noms when he takes on American tales of a certain era (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind). Add to the mix Frank Langella (who was seriously overlooked last year for Starting Out in the Evening) as tricky Dick, a Tony-nominated play by The Queen's Peter Morgan and sprinkle a little Bacon (Kevin, that is) and you can expect similar results this awards season.

Punisher: War Zone
Director: Lexi Alexander
Stars: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: Continuing his crusade to punish violent criminals, former FBI agent Frank Castle (Stevenson) arrives in New York to take on the city's underworld bosses.
THE BUZZ: Seems like we'll never know the details of what happened behind the camera here, so we'll treat the rumors of director Lexi Alexander (Green Street Hooligans) being booted from the project as uncorroborated reports that, while never denied by Lionsgate, aren't exactly trustworthy. We can say that Alexander won the battle to keep her R-rated vision, though we're not sure if she wanted the score to be comprised solely of heavy-metal thunder worthy of a WWE champion's entrance music. Looking at what's going on in front of the camera, we wish the new Frank Castle, Ray Stevenson (aka Titus from HBO's "Rome") all the best in his effort not to go the way of Thomas Jane once War Zone's theatrical run is up (Jane said he didn't work for a year after the original movie was released in 2004). Ditto co-star Dominic West, another HBO vet whose post-"Wire" career isn't looking all that prosperous; perhaps Marvel can find a home for him in one of their myriad projects in development.

Nobel Son [limited]
Director: Randall Miller
Stars: Alan Rickman, Bryan Greenberg, Shawn Hatosy (Full Cast)
Studio: Freestyle Releasing
The Plot: A young chemistry student (Hatosy) throws a wrench into the existence of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Eli Michaelson (Rickman) by first kidnapping his son (Greenberg), then exposing Michaelson to his family friends, and colleagues as the pompous, unscrupulous egomaniac he has become since his triumph.
THE BUZZ: Perhaps writer-director Randall Miller and his co-writer/producer Jody Savin deserve some sort of award for first delivering Bottle Shock as one of the true indie success stories of the year, then cranking up more buzz for Nobel Son, their 2007 project that has been lauded already as a fast, loose, and original caper flick. We all know that Alan Rickman, who stars in both films, is one of the most versatile contemporary actors, but what no one would have predicted in a year where the future of indie-movie distribution has been called into question is to have a filmmaking pair chart two hits in a crowded market without the benefit of A-list wattage. We're stoked for the behind-the-scenes duo, and their wonderfully diverse cast -- many of whom are in both Bottle and Nobel).

Timecrimes [LA/NY]
Director: Nacho Vigalondo
Stars: Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández (Full Cast)
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
The Plot: After being subjected to a bizarre attack, a man (Elejalde) is transported one hour back in time, where he meets himself, then introduced to events that will lead up to an unthinkable -- but preventable? -- crime.
THE BUZZ: It seems as though this year, more so than in any past year, any non-U.S. film that generates Stateside buzz is snatched up and put on the development track to Remakeville. That's the case with short filmmaker Nacho Vigalondo's feature debut, which is being handled by Children of Men screenwriter Tim Sexton as a potential project for David Cronenberg. While Timecrimes hasn't received the same favorable-across-the-board reception as, say, Let the Right One In (which will be directed by Cloverfield's Matt Reeves for a January 2010 release, FYI) it just might fare better with a slightly re-tinkered premise, if you believe one of the smarter online reviewers out there.

DECEMBER 10th

The Reader [LA/NY/SF]
Director: Stephen Daldry
Stars: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz (Full Cast)
Studio: Weinstein Company, The
The Plot: Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Burk is reunited with his former lover (Winslet) as she defends herself in a war-crime trial.
THE BUZZ: Call it the battle of the slimmed-down movie moguls: Superproducer Scott Rudin tussled with studio chief Harvey Weinstein over the release date of director Stephen Daldry's follow up to The Hours. Rudin and his filmmaker wanted a 2009 berth, but Harvey wasn't having it, an indication that the former Oscar-winning champ is -- dare we say it? -- getting back into shape for next February. Right after the drama had subsided (at least in the press), Rudin walked away from the film, and then the reports of HW hassling Reader producer Sydney Pollack on his deathbed surfaced, painting one of the ugliest portraits in recent movie history. I will be happy when the people who actually made and star in this troubled saga begin stumping for the film -- especially Kate Winslet, who has a curious bond to this project, and might be competing against herself for her elusive Best-Actress statue next year (her Revolutionary Road arrives on Christmas). Meanwhile, I wonder if Scott Rudin will option his own Reader-era story and turn it into a future Oscar-winning, postwar drama.

Wendy and Lucy [limited]
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Stars: Michelle Williams (Full Cast)
Studio: Oscilloscope Pictures
The Plot: Troubles besiege Wendy (Williams) during her trip from Indiana to Alaska, where she hopes to find gainful employment at a fish cannery. While stopped in Oregon, she's caught shoplifting food for her beloved dog, Lucy, which causes the duo to become separated, and presents to Wendy an increasingly dire set of circumstances as she searches for her companion.
THE BUZZ: In her last film, Old Joy, Kelly Reichardt explored the fragility of interpersonal relationships; her latest seems to hone in on the individual, and how just about anyone these days could easily be pulled under by a simple misstep, economic or otherwise. (I am so dying to see this.) It's been reported that Reichardt initially thought Michelle Williams was too pretty for this role and she didn't allow her to wear makeup or wash her tomboy haircut for several-weeks-long shoot. (She probably got lo-fi beauty tips from co-star Will Oldham, who will hopefully be in every future Reichardt project.) My eye is on Willaims to see if she lands a Best Actress nomination alongside two other well-received indie performances: Anne Hathaway in Rachel Got Married and Kristin Scott Thomas in I've Loved You So Long. Could Williams also be nominated for Synecdoche, New York?

DECEMBER 12th

Doubt [limited]
Director: John Patrick Shanley
Stars: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
The Plot: The principal (Streep) of a Catholic school in the Bronx grows suspicious of a priest (Hoffman) who might have crossed the line with one of their students; her subsequent accusation leads to a tense confrontation that also involves a young nun (Adams) who might have proof of the priest's wrongdoing.
THE BUZZ: John Patrick Shanley adapts and directs the film version of his Broadway play, which can boast of the fifth-longest run in history. Meanwhile, producer Scott Rudin, who divorced himself from The Reader after a bust-up with Harvey Weinstein, is still in good shape to vie for some best-picture awards, since the buzz temperature here is climbing as December draws near. Look for Streep to extend her lead in the number of total Best Actress nominations, for Hoffman to rack up another nod (one of possibly two if Synecdoche, New York lives up to its avant-garde promise), and for Adams to probably walk away with her first Oscar. Then there's the presence of Viola Davis, who has turned more than one critic's head with her performance as the mother of the student who may or may not have fallen under the influence of Hoffman's Father Brendan Flynn.

Nothing Like the Holidays
Director: Alfredo De Villa
Stars: John Leguizamo, Freddy Rodríguez, Debra Messing (Full Cast)
Studio: Overture Films
The Plot: The scattered members of the Rodriguez family return to their parents' home in Chicago to celebrate the holiday season, as well as their youngest's safe return from combat overseas. But when old tensions surface, the pressure is on the individuals to truly come together as a family.
THE BUZZ: Formerly known as Humbolt Park (a Puerto Rican neighborhood in Chicago), NLtH represents director Alfredo De Villa's (Washington Heights) first dabbling in mass-appeal filmmaking. With a Chi-town setting, such a likable cast, and a built-in audience, all it should take is an appealing trailer and savvy marketing to get this comedy to stand out during the holiday rush -- though I imagine the mainstream press will be focusing on Four Christmases.

The Day the Earth Stood Still
Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates (Full Cast)
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
The Plot: Aliens land on Earth with an important message for its citizens. A remake of the classic 1951 sci-fi film directed by Robert Wise.
THE BUZZ: The original '51 flick is pretty much close to perfect, so we were just as surprised as you were to learn that what it really needed was Keanu?! But, here he is, returning to the genre that made him the One, hooked up to wires, interrogated by some creepy goon in a black tie and warning us against the threat of complete global annihilation. Worked before, so there's no reason to think this remake/reboot/re-whatever won't draw us in this time around. Even if it leaves us feeling a bit nostalgic for the old Gort.
For the director's take on the trailer, check this out.

Gran Torino [LA/NY]
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang (Full Cast)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
The Plot: When his prized 1972 Gran Torino nearly is stolen, disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) looks to clean up his neighborhood, which has been taken over by gangs. Reluctantly, Kowalski also forms a bond with one of his neighbors, a Hmong teenager, whose family is embroiled in a gang-related conflict.
THE BUZZ: Clint Eastwood's under-wraps project is getting a reveal at year's end, in hopes that his Detroit-set story of racism, revenge, and urban decline will result in an Eastwood-heavy Oscar field. Apple has the trailer online, and it's confirmed that Christian Bale officially has some competition in the Best Grumble category. I like that Mr. Eastwood is updating his own Dirty Harry persona (make it more age-appropriate); he also seems to be providing a societal critique that is reminiscent of 70s-era urban-panic movies. Does the trailer, however, feel a bit rushed to you -- an indication that yet another film from a notable director (think: Oliver Stone here) has been given the hurry-up treatment for potential Oscar glory? GT could be up for Best Director by default, but Best Picture?

What Doesn't Kill You [LA/NY]
Director: Brian Goodman
Stars: Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo, Brian Goodman (Full Cast)
Studio: Yari Film Group Releasing
The Plot: Two lifelong friends who have survived the mean streets of South Boston find it increasingly hard to maintain a balance between their personal lives and the "jobs" they take for a local crime boss (Goodman).
THE BUZZ: WDKY marks the arrival of actor-turned-director Brian Goodman, who mined his personal experiences in order to generate this story of two friends quickly moving in opposite directions in their lives, with both of them facing potential dead ends. Since the drama's debut at the Toronto Film Festival back in September, critics have indicated that Goodman's ultra-convincing story, as well as the interplay between Ruffalo and Hawke ("career bests," we hear), take the familiar-sounding tale to new heights. Let's see how well Yari Film Group does in getting the word out on this one; the studio has kept most of their films under wraps this year (The Accidental Husband, Assassination of a High School President), though they are making an awards-season push with this film and Nothing But the Truth.

Delgo
Director: Marc F. Adler Jason Maurer
Stars: Freddie Prinze Jr., Val Kilmer, Anne Bancroft (Full Cast)
Studio: Freestyle Releasing
The Plot: When Delgo (voice of Prinze, Jr.), a troubled teenager, is framed for a crime he didn't commit, his subsequent prison escape leads him and a group of unlikely friends on adventure to save two sparring races from a common enemy.
THE BUZZ: Yes, this is the animated movie that has been around since 2003, back when co-star Val Kilmer missed out on a role in Collateral. To be honest with you: I'm not exactly sure what the storyline is here -- I'm cobbling together bits and pieces of information available on myriad websites. But I can say this is another questionable gamble on the part of distributor Freestyle Releasing, aka the studio who gave Uwe Boll a three-picture deal back in January (a relationship that seemed to dissolve with the release of Dungeon Siege). Can Delgo and his pals rake in as much money as those Fly Me to the Moon kids?

DECEMBER 17th

The Wrestler [limited]
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Stars: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood (Full Cast)
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The Plot: With his battle scars and failing heart, retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Rourke) jumps back into the squared cirle, climbing his way up the independent-circuit ladder, with his eyes on a showdown with his longtime rival.
THE BUZZ: I could come up with a dozen wrestling metaphors to describe Darren Aronofsky's apparently triumphant return to scrappy, independent filmmaking, while I join the circle of whisperers who are guessing that Mickey Rourke will be up for Oscar glory here, but I'm, well, hesitant. The fact remains that Aronofsky couldn't find native funds for this one, and he turned to Wild Bunch, the French foreign sales company who also backed Soderbergh's four-hour Che Guevera biography. And though the film, essentially a three-character drama, was purchased by Fox Searchlight, I don't think The Wrestler is going to be their Juno-like success this year -- neither commercially nor critically. In fact, I hear press at both festivals just sorta rolled their eyes at this one. However, I really hope I eat my own words, because I'm pro-Aronofsky, provided The Fountain can be ignored.

DECEMBER 19th

Seven Pounds
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Stars: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson (Full Cast)
Studio: Columbia Pictures
The Plot: A professional man (Smith) who is close to suicide for his role in an auto accident that claimed the lives of seven people finds a reason to live, and to atone, when he falls for a woman (Dawson) who wants to help him deal with his grief.
THE BUZZ: Get way down and then be lifted back up a second time by Will Smith and his Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino. I don't think we know the full scope of the story just yet -- there are whispers about Smith's character assuming the identity of his brother (possibly played by Michael Ealy?) -- but you and I both can imagine the weighty drama is being positioned for a third Best-Actor nomination for Smith. There must have been tremendous pressure on greenish screenwriter Grant Nieporte to deliver, and I've seen plenty of postings championing his script. I thought Happyness' screenplay was wispy, but that didn't prevent it from international success, so I have to surmise that Smith's bulletproof career is in no danger of taking a dent this holiday season ... even if he made a few enemies in LA this time around.

The Tale of Despereaux
Director: Sam Fell Robert Stevenhagen
Stars: Matthew Broderick, Emma Watson, Dustin Hoffman (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures
The Plot: Banished from his home for being more man than mouse, Despereaux (Broderick) is befriended by Princess Pea (Watson) who teaches him the value of reading books (instead of eating them) as well as a fellow outcast, Roscuro the Rat (Hoffman), who is interested in hearing the stories Despereaux has learned. When Roscuro is shunned by the princess, however, he plots her kidnapping, putting Desperaux's human-sized bravery to the test.
THE BUZZ: Triplets of Belleville director Sylvain Chomet first began work on Despereaux, though he eventually left the project to continue development on a Jacques Tati-scripted project that may or may not be his next film. Chomet was temporarily replaced by Corpse Bride co-director Mike Johnson, though the giant mouse ears wound up being handled by veteran animator Robert Stevenhagen and Flushed Away's Sam Fell. This is definitely the second most-interesting animated project of the year (nothing is beating WALL•E) and it's cool to see Chomet's influence lingering in the trailer. Given the derth of family films this holiday season, Despereaux is the champion by default -- though the picture has certainly captured our attention.

The Brothers Bloom [limited]
Director: Rian Johnson
Stars: Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo (Full Cast)
Studio: Summit Entertainment
The Plot: A pair of brothers and veteran conmen (Brody and Ruffalo) target an enigmatic wealthy woman (Weisz) as their potential last job, fully unaware of the twists in the road ahead of them.
THE BUZZ: This is the first title in an interesting slate of releases for Summit Entertainment, who made us giggle last year with their parking-lot thriller P2. More exciting: Bloom is writer-director Rian Johnson's follow up to Brick, one of the most-debated films within IMDb circles (just so you know). What gets us excited here is: the casting of Rinko Kikuchi (Babel) as the brothers' accomplice; knowing that filming occurred all over Europe and Asia; anticipating Johnson's crafted dialogue and his second attempt at fooling his audience.

Yes Man
Director: Peyton Reed
Stars: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel (Full Cast)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
The Plot: What happens when you agree with everyone and say "yes" to everything? Carl (Carrey) is about to find out when he chooses to become overly agreeable for an entire year.
THE BUZZ: Carrey returns to form (almost literally if you consider the kinda sorta plot similarities with Liar, Liar). Combined with this year's earlier Seuss success and what we've seen from his next romp, it looks like the $20 million man is ready to make us laugh again.

Nothing But the Truth [LA/NY]
Director: Rod Lurie
Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Vera Farmiga (Full Cast)
Studio: Yari Film Group Releasing
The Plot: Reporter Rachel Armstrong (Beckinsale) is handed a jail sentence for refusing to name her source, a covert CIA operative, for her article on a American missile attack against Venezuela.
THE BUZZ: Writer-director Rod Lurie (Resurrecting the Champ) apparently distorts the Judith Miller/Valerie Plame affair to a humorous extent, but at least one reviewer has wondered aloud if the filmmaker intended to create a comic melodrama, or a more hard-hitting awards contender. No real matter, since it's being positioned for a Best Actress nomination for Beckinsale and can potentially serve as a bitter/sweet note in a season of perhaps-too-earnest dramas of the war variety, and otherwise. Meanwhile, it's not like Kate B. needed a career makeover or anything, but I'm glad to see she's getting some grit under her fingernails, instead of more gore.

DECEMBER 25th

Bedtime Stories
Director: Adam Shankman
Stars: Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Courteney Cox (Full Cast)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The Plot: Somehow, someway, the lavish bedtime stories that a hotel handyman (Sandler) tells his niece and nephew start to magically come true.
THE BUZZ: Softly doth Adam Sandler step into family-friendly territory under the chopless direction of Adam Shankman. Ooh, will there be dance sequences with co-stars Courteney Cox and Russell Brand? I'm digging for the dirt on this one ...

The Spirit
Director: Frank Miller
Stars: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: A rookie cop (Macht) returns from the dead to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His main opposition is a former lab technician who has reinvented himself as The Octopus (Jackson), an elusive criminal mastermind who knows the secrets behind his nemesis.
THE BUZZ: While we still don't know if those Sin City sequels will ever get made, how cool is it that Frank Miller has moved on to directing his own projects after learning the trade alongside Robert Rodriguez? Sin City's enduring popularity and influence, combined with Iron Man's success (which proved that a lesser-known comic-book character can resonate with general audiences) has helped position The Spirit as a potential holiday-season hit, not the frost-bitten confection it was threatening to become with that nasty original release date of January 2009. The question on our mind is: If we're moved by The Spirit, could Samuel L. Jackson (a.k.a. The Octopus and, just maybe, Nick Fury) find himself immersed in two different comic franchises?

Revolutionary Road [limited]
Director: Sam Mendes
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet (Full Cast)
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution
The Plot: A young couple raising a family in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s look to break free from their frustratingly mediocre lives.
THE BUZZ: Avoiding the whole Kate and Leo back together again thing is like trying to steer clear of a giant iceberg. So, we'll just get all the OMG's out of our system now and crown Mendes the new "King of the World" for this brilliant (and nepotistic) casting move.

Valkyrie
Director: Bryan Singer
Stars: Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Carice van Houten (Full Cast)
Studio: United Artists
The Plot: Near the end of WWII, Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) leads to group of fellow German army colonels in an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler; the event would later be called the July 20 Plot of 1944.
THE BUZZ: With each release-date change, our interest in Valkyrie only increases. Will it become known as the title that topples the reportedly dissolving United Artists partnership between Tom Cruise and longtime producing partner Paula Wagner, or will it mark the successful reunion of director Bryan Singer and Usual Suspects writer Christopher McQuarrie, who haven't worked together since they made one another famous? If the players involved here ratchet up the Valkyrie's action/thriller angle, we expect they will successfully combat everything working against this film: myriad production woes (including a late-stage shooting delay that caused the release date to be pushed back from the July 4th holiday), the public's disinterest in T.C., said public's recent indifference to war movies, holiday competition, etc. Still, the look is right and if this creative team reaches its zenith, this is exactly the sort of fare that will get adults into the multiplex during this season.

Marley & Me
Director: David Frankel
Stars: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston (Full Cast)
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
The Plot: An impossibly cute, but impossible-to-live-with yellow Labrador retriever named Marley teaches his newlywed owners a thing or two about patience and parenthood.
THE BUZZ: There must be some kind of rule in Hollywood about when a big-time star decides to make a dog movie. We're guessing for Aniston and Wilson, it's when they're done working with Ben Stiller.

Last Chance Harvey [limited]
Director: Joel Hopkins
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Kathy Baker (Full Cast)
Studio: Overture Films
The Plot: During a weekend in which Harvey Shine (Hoffman) travels to London for his daughter's wedding, her first learns that he's lost his job back in New York, then he discovers he won't be the man giving away the bride at the ceremony. The one good thing that happens -- his meeting Kate (Thompson), a prickly but nevertheless enchanting Londoner -- might be the beginning of some much-needed change in Harvey's life.
THE BUZZ: Writer-director Joel Hopkins explored romantic complications in his debut, Jump Tomorrow, which was embraced by indie circles on both sides of the Atlantic. Now he steps up to the majors with a potential awards contender (now that The Road and The Soloist have been pushed to 2009, Oscar buzz has trickled down to smaller films such as Harvey). I wouldn't be surprised if Hoffman and Thompson are positioned for nominations, and considering the story's Before Sunrise tones (albeit for the generation ahead of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy), a Best Original Screenplay nomination is not out of the question.

Waltz with Bashir [limited]
Director: Ari Folman
Stars: Ari Folman, Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag (Full Cast)
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
The Plot: By meeting and interviewing old friends from around the world, Ari, a former member of the Israeli Army, retraces his spotty personal history to a life-changing incident that occurred during his country's 1982 invasion of Lebanon.
THE BUZZ: Uh-oh, the Academy has another Persepolis situation on their hands... Turns out Ari Folman's surrealist animated war drama never had its mandatory one-week run in New York City this year (something that had to be in place by the end of last August), so it's no kudos for Bashir, easily one of the best-received documentaries on the international film-festival circuit. Personally, while I think the rule is so old fashioned, I find it odd that the doc's NYC-based distributor, Sony Pictures Classics, missed the bus here. The Joe Sacco set is up in arms!!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Director: David Fincher
Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton (Full Cast)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
The Plot: Benjamin Button was born under unusual circumstances. As everyone around him grew older, he aged backwards, making the challenges of life such as creating friendships, finding a job and falling in love all the more difficult and heartbreaking.
THE BUZZ: A curious choice for Fincher, who's never been one to go the fantasy-romance route. Seems more like a Case for Tim Burton. But, reteaming with Pitt (thrice already) is always a pleasure. Plus, sharing screen time with Blanchette and Swinton? We're swooning. Word of mouth has it that Button's visual effects are stunning, even if that train in the trailer looks a little too much like the Polar Express.