Season’s fare has serious air
Christian Bale as Moses, goes against the pharoah Ramses to free his people and lead them out of Egypt in “Exodus: Gods and Kings.” The film, directed by Ridley Scott, is set for release on Dec. 12.
Bradley Cooper stars as Chris Kyle in the drama “American Sniper,” based on the memoir of a U.S. Navy SEAL who by the pentagon’s account has 160 kills under his belt. The film is set to premiere on Christmas day.
Ryan Reynolds stars as Matthew, a man whose young daughter Cassandra goes missing in “The Captive,” opening Dec. 12.
Luke Evans as Bard and Orlando Bloom as Legolas in “The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies,” opening Dec. 17
Amy Adams stars in the biopic “Big Eyes,” about American artist Margaret Keane, opening Christmas day
Benedict Cumberbatch, center, portrays cryptologist Alan Turing in “The Imitation Game,” opening Friday on the mainland.
The hot summer months are behind us, signaling the season when movie studios turn serious. As we draw nearer December, the cinematic hotbed of silliness and sci-fi shrinks as likely Oscar nominees arrive.
This year’s prestige films share noticeable trends. Often the material is dark, even when the actors are likable. Steve Carell ("Foxcatcher"), Bradley Cooper ("American Sniper") and Mark Wahlberg ("The Gambler") star in movies whose essential premises are matters of life and death.
There are high hopes for such contenders as Angelina Jolie’s World War II adventure "Unbroken," Reese Witherspoon’s dramatic hiking tale "Wild" and Paul Thomas Anderson’s adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s "Inherent Vice," potentially the nuttiest film noir since "The Big Lebowski." Movie theaters are getting cool again, along with the season itself.
FRIDAY
‘Antarctica: A Year on Ice’
A documentary chronicling the day-to-day life of the people stationed on Antarctica, including base workers, chefs, technicians and tradespeople.
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‘The Babadook’
Six years after the violent death of her husband, a single mother struggles to manage her out-of-control son, whose dreams are plagued by a monster. With Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman and Daniel Henshall.
‘The Imitation Game’
A biopic about the British mathematician and cryptologist Alan Turing, who helped the Allies crack Nazi Germany’s Enigma Code during World War II but was persecuted by his own government for being gay. With Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode. Written by Graham Moore.
‘Once Upon a Time Veronica’
Fresh out of medical school, a young woman navigates tough career choices, a chaotic love life and a close relationship with her ailing father. With Hermila Guedes, Maeve Jinkings and Joao Miguel. In Portuguese with English subtitles.
‘Viva la Liberta’
When a floundering politician vanishes in the run-up to a national election, his party’s leadership seeks out his identical twin, an author and philosopher fresh out of an insane asylum, to fill in for him. With Toni Servillo, Valerio Mastandrea and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. In Italian with English subtitles
DEC. 5
‘By the Gun’
A mafioso’s life spirals out of control when he becomes a made man, forcing him to decide what’s really important to him. With Ben Barnes, Leighton Meester and Harvey Keitel.
‘Dying of the Light’
When his nemesis resurfaces after 22 years in hiding, a veteran CIA agent recently diagnosed with dementia becomes consumed with taking the terrorist down while he still can. With Nicolas Cage, Anton Yelchin and Alexander Karim.
‘Escobar: Paradise Lost’
A surfer is pulled into a dangerous world when he falls for the niece of drug lord Pablo Escobar. With Benicio Del Toro, Josh Hutcherson and Claudia Traisac.
‘The Humbling’
A famous but depressed stage actor attempts to get his mojo back and has an affair with a lesbian half his age. With Al Pacino, Greta Gerwig, Nina Arianda.
‘Life Partners’
Two co-dependent 29-year-old women have their friendship tested when one starts getting serious with a new beau. With Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs and Adam Brody.
‘A Murder of a Cat’
When someone kills his beloved cat, an eccentric man-child takes it upon himself to track down the culprit. With Fran Kranz, Nikki Reed and J.K. Simmons.
‘Pioneer’
During the Norwegian oil boom of the early 1980s, a deep-sea diver is hired for a dangerous assignment, and a disastrous accident pits him against powerful enemies. With Aksel Hennie. In Norwegian with English subtitles.
‘Poker Night’
A young detective is kidnapped and tormented by a masked serial killer, and his only hope of surviving is to use the wisdom imparted to him by senior officers on their regular poker night. With Beau Mirchoff, Ron Perlman and Giancarlo Esposito.
‘The Pyramid’
American archaeologists get more than they bargained for when they discover a lost pyramid unlike any other in the Egyptian desert. With Ashley Hinshaw, James Buckley and Denis O’Hare.
‘Remote Area Medical’
A documentary about Americans without access to health care, as seen through the lens of a pop-up no-cost clinic in Tennessee.
‘A Small Section of the World’
A documentary about women from a remote farming region in Costa Rica who form a coffee-growing collective.
‘Still Alice’
A renowned linguistics professor and mother of three grown children is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s and struggles to stay connected to who she once was. With Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart and Kate Bosworth.
‘Top Five’
A star comic trying to reinvent himself as a serious actor — while also preparing to marry his reality-star fiancee — reluctantly agrees to an interview that forces him to confront his career and past. With Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Kevin Hart and Tracy Morgan. Written and directed by Rock.
‘Wild’
Compelled by grief, a woman embarks on a 1,100-mile solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail in this adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 memoir. With Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Thomas Sadoski.
DEC. 11
‘The Immortalists’
A documentary about two very different scientists, both trying to unlock the secret to eternal life.
DEC. 12
‘After the Fall’
An ordinary family man loses his job and in desperation turns to a life of crime. With Wes Bentley, Jason Isaacs and Vinessa Shaw.
‘The Captive’
The kidnapping of a young girl inflicts long-lasting torment on the victim, her family and the police called on to investigate the case. With Ryan Reynolds, Mireille Enos and Rosario Dawson.
‘The Color of Time’
An experimental biopic about the life and work of Pulitzer-winning poet C.K. Williams. With James Franco, Mila Kunis and Jessica Chastain.
‘Demonic’
In the aftermath of the horrific murder of five college students in an abandoned house, a detective and a psychologist question one of the few survivors, who claims that the group was on a ghost-hunting mission that went terribly awry. With Maria Bello and Frank Grillo.
‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’
The defiant leader Moses rises up against the pharaoh Ramses and leads his people out of plague-stricken Egypt toward freedom. With Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton and John Turturro.
‘Inherent Vice’
In psychedelic 1960s Los Angeles, a pot-smoking private investigator is enlisted by his ex to investigate a plot involving her billionaire boyfriend. With Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin and Katherine Waterston.
‘Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles’
A documentary about the enigmatic life and career of Hollywood star and filmmaker Orson Welles.
‘Monk With a Camera’
A documentary about Nicholas Vreeland, grandson of Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, who walked away from a life of privilege to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk in 1972.
‘Red Army’
A documentary about the Soviet Union and its dominant national hockey team during the Cold War.
‘Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks’
An intimate friendship blossoms when a formidable retiree hires an acerbic dance instructor for private lessons at her Florida condo. With Gena Rowlands, Cheyenne Jackson and Rita Moreno.
‘We Are the Giant’
A documentary about the Arab Spring as seen through the experiences of six activists.
DEC. 17
‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’
The hobbit Bilbo Baggins and his dwarf companions battle the dragon Smaug and the forces of the dark lord Sauron. With Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and Evangeline Lilly. Written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro. Directed by Jackson. In 3-D, Imax and HFR.
DEC. 18
‘The Barefoot Artist’
A documentary portrait of Lily Yeh, a Philadelphia-based artist who has created community-based art projects in some of the world’s most troubled areas.
DEC. 19
‘Annie’
A hard-nosed tycoon running for mayor of New York takes in a down-on-her-luck orphan in a bid to boost his popularity in this update of the Depression-set stage and screen musical. With Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhane Wallis and Rose Byrne.
‘The Gambler’
An English professor who moonlights as a high-stakes gambler risks everything when he borrows from a gangster while offering his own life as collateral. With Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman and Jessica Lange.
‘Mr. Turner’
A biopic chronicling the last 2 1⁄2 decades of eccentric 19th-century British painter J.M.W. Turner. With Timothy Spall, Dorothy Atkinson, Marion Bailey.
‘Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb’
A museum security guard travels the globe on a quest to save the magic of an ancient artifact that brings history to life. With Ben Stiller, Robin Williams and Owen Wilson.
‘Winter Sleep’
For a former actor who runs a mountaintop hotel in Turkey, a seemingly insignificant incident involving the young son of a former employee sparks a fierce debate about class struggle. With Haluk Bilginer, Melisa Sozen and Demet Akbag. In Turkish and English, with English subtitles.
DEC. 24
‘Two Days, One Night’
A factory laborer who has just returned to work after recovering from an illness is told she’s been made redundant, then races to persuade her co-workers to help her keep her job. With Marion Cotillard and Fabrizio Rongione. In French with English subtitles.
DEC. 25
‘American Sniper’
A biopic about Chris Kyle, the most lethal sharpshooter in U.S. military history, and the danger and personal turmoil he endured. With Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller and Jake McDorman. Directed by Clint Eastwood.
‘Big Eyes’
A biopic about artist Margaret Keane, whose work became popular in the 1950s and ’60s while her husband took the credit, revolutionizing the commercialization of popular art. With Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Danny Huston and Krysten Ritter. Directed by Tim Burton.
‘The Interview’
A popular tabloid TV host and his producer score a sit-down interview with reclusive North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and are enlisted by the CIA to assassinate him. With James Franco, Seth Rogen, Lizzy Caplan and Randall Park.
‘Into the Woods’
In this adaptation of the Tony-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim, a baker and his wife who have been cursed by a witch head into a dark forest to make their deepest wishes come true, crossing paths with Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and other classic fairy tale characters. With Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden and Anna Kendrick. Directed by Rob Marshall.
‘Selma’
A dramatic account of the tumultuous three-month period in 1965 when Martin Luther King Jr. led a campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. With David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Alessandro Nivola.
‘Unbroken’
A biopic about Louis Zamperini, the Olympic runner-turned-World War II bombardier who survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in the Pacific — only to be caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a POW camp. Written by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen and Richard LaGravenese. With Jack O’Connell, Domhnall Gleeson and Miyavi. Directed by Angelina Jolie.
DEC. 31
‘Leviathan’
In a small fishing town in northern Russia, the owner of an auto-repair shop comes into conflict with the town’s corrupt mayor. With Alexey Serebryakov. In Russian with English subtitles.
‘A Most Violent Year’
In 1981, during one of the most crime-ridden winters in New York’s history, an immigrant businessman and his family try to stake their claim in the world while rampant violence, decay and corruption threaten to undo all they’ve worked for. With Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain and Albert Brooks. Written and directed by J.C. Chandor.
JAN. 2
‘The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death’
During the London Blitz of World War II, schoolchildren are sent to a house in the countryside for their safety, but a dark force awakens there. With Jeremy Irvine and Helen McCrory.
JAN. 9
‘Human Capital’
The fates of two families — one wealthy, the other struggling to maintain a middle-class existence — become intertwined via a road accident. With Fabrizio Bentivoglio and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. In Italian with English subtitles.
‘Let’s Kill Ward’s Wife’
When friends’ murderous fantasies about one of their spouses accidentally becomes reality, they find themselves with a new set of problems. With Scott Foley, who also wrote and directed.
‘Predestination’
A time-traveling law enforcement agent embarks on his final assignment to stop the one criminal who has eluded him and prevent a devastating attack. With Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook and Noah Taylor. Written and directed by Peter Spierig and Michael Spierig.
‘Taken 3′
An ex-spy with a particular set of skills finds himself on the run from a savvy police inspector after being falsely accused of killing his wife. With Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace.
Colin Covert Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
