While it's unlikely that the Southern states will be seeing a white Christmas, the weather has, as the song goes, gotten frightful. Well, at least relatively frightful.
That's not the case in Hollywood. There, things are just heating up.
Between now and the end of the year, the studios will be pushing out their prestige projects, racing just in front of the Dec. 31 deadline for Oscar eligibility. Here are the contenders, each hitting the multiplex with a hopeful glint of gold in their eye.
ANTWONE FISHER (TODAY, LIMITED RELEASE, JAN. 1 WIDE) A Denzel Washington movie in the purest sense, this military drama was both directed by and stars the talented actor. Mr. Washington won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1989 for the Civil War set Glory. It will be interesting to see whether a return to uniform will net him a directing statuette as well.
NARC (TODAY LIMITED, JAN. 10 WIDE) Every once in a while, there's a film that flies in under the radar and becomes a big buzz movie. It's already happened once this year with My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Narc could make it two of a kind. No less an authority than William Friedkin, director of The French Connection, has dubbed the corrupt cop tale the greatest police movie ever. Strong words, indeed.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (CHRISTMAS) After a few years in the wilderness, Leonardo DiCaprio is returning to screens this month in not one but two films. Not only does he play an Irish gang leader in Gangs of New York, he stars as Frank Abagnale, a real-life con master trying to keep one step ahead of a persistent lawman, played by Tom Hanks. Adding to the picture's prestige is a little-known director named Steven Spielberg.
THE HOURS (DEC. 27 LIMITED, JAN. 17 WIDE) Three women, each taking their own emotional journey, are connected by the Virginia Woolf novel Mrs. Dalloway. Is anyone surprised that Rob Schneider didn't make the cast? Instead, Oscar-ready actresses Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman play the leads, with Ms. Kidman donning a prosthetic nose to play the big-beaked Woolf.
CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (DEC. 27 LIMITED, JAN. 10 WIDE) Like Denzel Washington, George Clooney is also taking a crack at directing. Mr. Clooney's somewhat loopy project is based on the autobiography of Gong Show host Chuck Barris, who claims he lived a secret life as a CIA assassin.
ABOUT SCHMIDT (DEC. 13 LIMITED, JAN. 3 WIDE) Giving his usually active eyebrow a much needed rest, Jack Nicholson plays it low-key as a retired accountant looking for a little meaning in his life. But fret not, that doesn't mean About Schmidt is a dour day at the movies. The film was adapted and directed by Alexander Payne, the cinema satirist responsible for Election and Citizen Ruth.
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CHICAGO (DEC. 27) Now that Moulin Rouge has proved that musicals are once again viable, audiences can probably expect to see more all-singing, all-dancing spectaculars. The first - Chicago - is based on the famous Bob Fosse stage play. And for all the skeptics out there, yes, that is Richard Gere singing and Catherine Zeta-Jones dancing, above.
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In 1981, Chariots of Fire shocked the world when it quietly crept into theaters, escaped unnoticed and then won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Since then, Oscar handicappers have kept a close eye on the dark horses, movies released with little fanfare that might make some noise come awards season. Here are some of this year's batch, each being given a limited release in the next 10 days.
SONNY (DEC. 27 LIMITED) Nicholas Cage's directorial debut deals with the life and times of a male hustler (James Franco) in New Orleans. Not only does this film deal (graphically) with the skin trade, it also focuses on the dysfunctional relationship shared by the titular character and his career-encouraging mother.
MAX (DEC. 27 LIMITED) John Cusack plays a Jewish art instructor who finds himself tutoring an aspiring young artist named Adolph Hitler. Although the portrait-of-the-fascist-as-a-young-man subject may seem repulsive, Mr. Cusack is one of the screen's finest young actors, worthy of watching in any film.
THE PIANIST (DEC. 27 LIMITED, JAN. 3 WIDE) It's been a long time since Roman Polanski was mentioned in conjunction with the Oscars. The infamous former enfant terrible's latest film is based on his memories of the Holocaust, and won the Palm D'Or at Cannes this year.
NICHOLAS NICKLEBY (DEC. 27 LIMITED) Charles Dickens at his most long-winded, the Nickleby novel weighs in at more than 800 pages. So it's surprising that any filmmaker could compress it into a two-hour running time. However, early word is that this adaptation is crisp, concise and very, very funny. The all-star cast features Jim Broadbent, Christopher Plummer, Alan Cumming and Nathan Lane.
Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.
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