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Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Ari Folman’s The Congress
It's his use of animation in Waltz with Bashir that essentially put the docu filmmaker on the map. Now that Ari Folman figured out his strength, it'll serve him well in this crazy sci-fi premise which for the record includes live-action sequences. Full disclosure: I goofed on this being a 2011 release - but I'm not striking it from the list because we really don't how far into production it is. Here's a preview for what's in store.
Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Mia Hansen-Love’s Goodbye First Love
Extremely touched by her previous, searing and honest portrait (her third film was my introduction to the director), and so I'm looking forward in seeing what's next in store especially with what appears to be an emotionally gripping, adolescence and moving in adulthood type structure.
Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Julia Loktev’s The Loneliest Planet
The entire packaging of Loktev's sophomore film is alluring. First you have this filmmaker not afraid to move into uncharted territory (Day Night Day Night was recently banned from television). You have this film that'll surely bring us to uncomfortable heights (location-wise) and places (relationship woes). You have indie-film visionaries Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy producing the project and finally we have Gael García Bernal in the type of roles we think he is best suited for: dramatic and tension-filled.
Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Terence Davies’ The Deep Blue Sea
The good news is we won't have an insufferable wait of almost a decade between works such as was the case with The House of Mirth (2000) and Of Time and the City (2008). The other good news is that Rachel Weisz finds herself in the lead and will likely garner award mentions with this role.
Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Lou Ye’s Love & Bruises
If we thought that Tahar Rahim was the big talk of 2009's Cannes with A Prophet, wait till you see what is in store with this rough and tough portrait. I'll admit to not caring much about Lou Ye's recent string of films which I felt were made with the intent of provocation without really making any deep resounding statement, this perhaps is due to the fact that I'm not part of the audience he he is personally addressing. Since its workshop days in Cannes, a.k.a "Bitch", this could contain some filth and nastier components and I think this seventh picture might become a reference point of sorts, a seminal piece of work in Ye's filmography.
