Shang-Chi has given some reason to hope that the theaters aren't doomed yet. We've seen the release of another round of teasers and trailers for some of the last few would-be blockbusters of 2021, along with a slew of Oscar contenders. So here we go!
Spider-Man: No Way Home - There was so much drama around the release of this teaser because there was rampant speculation that the film might be pushed back, and the marketing campaign is getting off the ground relatively late for a film this size. I like that Dr. Strange is apparently going to be playing a big part here - he's been more fun as a supporting character than a lead so far. Also, the Doc Ock reveal is great, even though we all knew it was coming.
The Last Duel - I've been hearing so much about Adam Driver, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon in this film that I completely overlooked Jodie Comer. She's positioned as a pivotal figure here, which is even more fascinating when you learn that the film's narrative is evenly split between the two knights and the lady, and each of those POV is being handled by a different writer - Affleck, Damon, and Nicole Holofcener. Ridley Scott can still orchestrate some great spectacle, so I'm looking forward to the finished product.
King Richard - The fundamental criticism of this film, sight unseen, is that it's telling the story of Venus and Serena Williams from the perspective of a man, their father Richard. While I understand the criticism, part of me is very interested in what the filmmakers are going to do with this premise. I like seeing Will Smith taking on a meaty dramatic role after a few years of uninspired blockbuster fluff. And I like movies celebrating fatherhood, which Smith has already proved he can do well.
Cry Macho - This is the best trailer I've seen this year. You put Clint Eastwood in a cowboy hat and have him talk about masculinity, and somehow it never fails to immediately get me invested. "Cry Macho" is a project with a long development history that has almost been made a few times, most recently with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead, and I was surprised to see Eastwood pick it up again. However, after that trailer, there's really nobody else I can think of who could pull this off.
The Matrix Resurrections - Okay, fine. I'm in for Carrie-Ann Moss.
Belfast - Kenneth Branagh's back! And he's not trying to be Laurence Olivier this week! I'm a little wary of how the trailer is pairing upbeat music with some pretty heavy material, but I guess a black and white film about a kid living through the Troubles needs all the help that it can get. The cast looks great, the cinematography is gorgeous, and I can only hope the comparisons to "Roma" coming out of Telluride hold true. I expect to see this one in contention in a few months.
Spencer - Kristen Stewart playing Princess Diana is a good fit visually, Unfortunately, the film only gives us a single line of her dialogue, so we can't say anything about the performance yet. With Pablo Larrain's involvement, I expect that this is going to look a lot like 2016's "Jackie," but hopefully less depressive. "The Crown" will eventually get around to covering these events with Elizabeth Debicki, probably from a less intimate POV, so it'll be nice to get both approaches.
Mass - This is one of my most anticipated titles from Sundance, a very small scale drama written and directed by former Joss Whedonverse regular Fran Kranz. It's four actors - Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Martha Plimpton, and Jason Isaacs - playing four parents after a horrible tragedy, trying to deal with their grief and pain. I'm looking forward to something intense, cathartic, difficult and hopefully very moving.
Don't Look Up - I'm trying to figure out what the vibe I'm getting off this trailer is. There's something very Soderbergh and maybe a little Shane Black, with the wry humor, the big ensemble, and DiCaprio playing an anxiety-riddled schlub. The comet being the big crisis looks a little quaint in 2021 - and is Meryl supposed to be a Hillary stand-in? - but I'm sufficiently convinced that this will be a good time.
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