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Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Hitoshi Matsumoto’s Saya Samurai
Big Man Japan and 2009's Symbol proved that Matsumoto is a comic genius -- you still need to have a particular sense of humor/have seen these Japanese imports to get why his absurdist, abstract tone rubs off critics the right way. It just so happens that the filmmaker became a father last year, and while I'm sure that the birth of a child hasn't mellowed out the filmmaker, it'll be of interest to see if/how he projects some of the fatherhood issues he might be dealing with, in this -- his third film.
Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Kenneth Lonergan’s Margaret
It's been a long, very long six years since shooting has been completed on Kenneth Lonergan's sophomore film. People have passed on, actors in the film have aged, not sure when Lonergan gets to upload this monkey off his back, but I imagine Fox Searchlight have festival plans for this aged item from the vault.
Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Jill Sprecher’s The Convincer
The Sprecher sisters were at some point in their career referred to as the "Coen sisters" --- but that nickname has more to do with geographical location and not their output, as Sprecher's last film, a very good sophomore pic called 13 Conversations About One Thing was released about a decade back.
Vera Farmiga Among Fivesome Grazing with ‘Goats’
Vera Farmiga, David Duchovny, Keri Russell, Minnie Driver and Will Arnett have filled up the adults portion of the casting process for Goats, the screen adaptation of Mark Poirier's novel. Graham Phillips who is unknown in these circles appears already set in the lead teenage protag role and Ty Burrell is also on board.
Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Whit Stillman’s Damsels in Distress
Its been thirteen years since he completed his yuppie trilogy with The Last Days of Disco (I remember my videoclub having one copy and waiting interminably for its return - I did see it but preferred Metropolitan, which was my Breakfast Club several years after Breakfast Club). What I'm expecting is the best film about preppy campus youth since The Rules of Attraction, actually scratch that, this year's The Social Network.
