2007 Fall Preview Top 20 picks: 20-17

Apart from our Top 100 (intro to the year ahead) preview list, IONCINEMA.com’s Fall top 20 is our favorite list to compile. The wealth of quality film selections makes this task of ranking films a difficult one – there are many films that didn't make the cut that I'd wait in line and pay the full price for.

Unlike say EW, we balk at including holiday fair (or anything in December) as studios often don’t keep strategies in place come last week of November and we don't include every single title (if you want to check out the full list venture here and click the arrows to advance to the next months).

The consensus is: this year’s fall movie sch. is packed with films that will have a tough time to find their audience only because there is so much competition.

So here they are. We've looked at what the next three months have in store and made a 20 film list of what will merit a detour. For each title you have usual info, reasons why you’d want to see the film and a link to the film’s trailer. Stay tuned for the rest of the week as we count down the list ending with the final four batch this coming Friday.  

Our first four selections (picks 20 to 16) sees 2 studio projects, one medium sized studio-arm indie unit project with a heavy weight cast and a quirky docu-film that stood out from Sundance.

20. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Release date: Sept.21st Wide Release

Screenwriter: Andrew Dominik based on Ron Hansen’s novel.
Director: Andrew Dominik
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Fests: 2007’s Venice Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival
Producers: July Daly (BMW The Hire films) Dede Gardner (A Mighty Heart), Brad Pitt (The Departed), Ridley Scott (Blackhawk Down), David Valdes (The Green Mile)

Ioncinema Preview: View Here
Movie Trailer: Click Here

The Gist: Based on the Robert Hansen novel, this delves into the private life and public exploits of America's most notorious outlaw. As the charismatic and unpredictable Jesse James (Brad Pitt) plans his next great robbery, he wages war on his enemies, who are trying to collect the reward money – and the glory – riding on his capture. But the greatest threat to his life may ultimately come from those he trusts the most.

Fact: Like Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, the film was shot in Canada’s western province of Alberta.

Odds against or odds in favor?: Back in its heyday, the Western genre was a mainstay in theaters – obviously that hasn’t been the case for like 40 years now? In September lighting strikes twice for cowboy hats and loaded guns and duels between good and evil. Lionsgate has saddled 3:10 to Yuma for an early release in the month moments before this film. Despite the numerous release date changes from Warner Bros., the victor of the Russell Crowe vs. Brad Pitt should see a clear winner at the box office – but that doesn’t mean this film will be topped in box office gravy. The main concern is perhaps the run time….and what lingers in the collective minds of those keeping tabs is why it has taken 2 years to debut a film that finished production in 2005.

See It: It’s hard to not be curious about Andrew Dominik’s sophomore feature. After the brilliant Chopper (2000) starring an outstanding Eric Bana, Dominik is paired with Nick Cave (who made his own Western treat with The Proposition) who scores the film and Coen Bros. regular Roger Deakins is the cinematographer.
 

19. Reservation Road
Release date: October 9th Wide Release

Screenwriters: John Burnham Schwartz and Terry George based on Schwartz’s novel.
Director: Terry George
Distributor: Focus Features
Fests: 2007’s Toronto Film Festival
Producers: A. Kitman Ho (The Doors), Nick Wechsler (We Own the Night)

Ioncinema Preview: View Here
Movie Trailer: Click Here

The Gist: Based on Jonathan Burnham Schwartz's novel and adapted for the screen by him, two haunted men and their families are engulfed by the emotions surrounding an unexpected and horrendous death. Ethan, a respected professor of literature at a small New England college, is wracked by an obsession with revenge that threatens to tear his family apart. Dwight, a man at once fleeing his crime and hoping to get caught, wrestles with overwhelming guilt and his sense of obligation to his son. As these two men's lives unravel, Reservation Road moves to its startling conclusion.

Fact: Random House books and Focus have teamed up to make novel to screen adaptations. This is the first of many projects between the two companies.

Odds against or odds in favor?: October is a busy month. A very busy month. Focus Features will have their work cut out for them only because the weeks before and the weeks after this we’ll be sharing the spotlight with other dramatic/tragedy films as in Grace is Gone and Things We Lost in the Fire. The trio of thesps in Jennifer Connelly, Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo should mash well together and it always helps when you can push the words “Hotel Rwanda” to the bigger public.  

See It: Despite its numerous accolades, I found Terry George’s last film Hotel Rwanda to be a farce. Connecticut is the 4th most densely populated state in the U.S. More people = more accidents? I’m betting that fractured souls, grief-stricken families a la 21 Grams is the perfect autumn feast.
     

18. Things We Lost in the Fire
Release date: October 26th Wide Release

Screenwriter: Original screenplay by Allan Loeb.
Director: Susanne Bier
Distributor: DreamWorks Pictures 
Fests: 2007’s San Sebastián Film Festival
Producers: Sam Mendes (The Kite Runner)and Sam Mercer (Jarhead)

Ioncinema Preview: View Here
Movie Trailer: Click Here

The Gist: This is the story of a woman (Berry) whose husband suddenly dies. She invites her husband's troubled best friend (Del Toro) to live with her family, and as the friend turns his life around, he helps the grief-stricken family confront their loss.

Fact: Zach Braff will attempt to remake Bier’s 2002 film Open Hearts.  

Odds against or odds in favor?: Have we mentioned that October is a busy month? Benicio Del Toro and Halle Berry are moviegoer favorites – but there are tons of traffic on its release date on the last weekend of October. Critical reactions will be important in luring viewers towards this pic but generally, a larger campaign means this drama should fair well and if the performances are up to par – dare we mention Oscar.   

See It: With Open Hearts, Brothers (Brødre) and After the Wedding, if there is one filmmaker who understands tragedy it is this Dane. As with Reservation Road, the key word here is “destroyed”.

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17. Protagonist
Release date: September 26th Limited Release

Director: Jessica Yu
Distributor: IFC Films
Fests: 2007’s Sundance film festival and Toronto Hot Docs film fest
Producers: Elise Pearlstein, Susan West and Jessica Yu
Ioncinema Preview: View Here
Movie Trailer: Non Available

The Gist: Jessica Yu's documentary explores the relationship between human life and Euripidean dramatic structure by weaving together the stories of four men: German terrorist, a bank robber, an “ex-gay” evangelist, and a martial arts student.

Fact:  Among the subjects in this film: the material arts student is Jessica Yu’s hubby.

Odds against or odds in favor?: From the filmmaker who gave us In the Realms Of The Unreal, is this peculiar doc that, quite frankly one doesn’t see very often. While it employs the talking head styled formula, it was gripping to see men being honest about their emotional discharges. Minor box office in specialty houses, but those who do see the film won’t forget Yu’s craft and structure.  

See It: You know that feeling where you go into a film (or in this case a doc) without knowing much and walking out pleasantly surprised. This was the case upon seeing the film at Sundance.