Upcoming Movies: Part 1

Volume 20, Issue 2

Tim Irving

Coda

Director: Sian Heder
Release: August 13 (Apple TV) 

Set in Massachusetts, a family of Deaf fisherman rely on their hearing daughter to manage both their lives and their business. The daughter gets a passion, wants to move away, but as her family relies on her so dramatically it would hurt them. If that sounds particularly cliche you’d be right, but the thing about clichés is they work. Will you know the entire plot of the movie if you watch the trailer? Probably, but nonetheless it’ll be a likely effective and heart-warming film. That Coda is an American adaptation of a French film makes it feel eerily like the horrific The Upside, an American adaptation of The Intouchables. Considering the buzz and eventual streaming service bidding war for Coda out of Sundance Festival, there is hope that it is not another cash grab English adaptation. ​

The Last Duel

Director: Ridley Scott 
Cast: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, and Ben Affleck
Writers: Damon, Affleck, and Nicole Holofcener
Release Date: October 15 

Brutal 14th century France with actors everyone loves? Check. Perhaps you also want Matt Damon with a mullet, and a blonde Ben Affleck? You’ve got that too. Damon’s wife (Comer) alleges that she was raped by her husband’s best friend (Driver), which culminates in the eponymous last sanctioned duel (with knights in armour!). The biggest potential issue is whether the premise can sustain a 140 minute film. Hopefully the writing reunification of Damon and Affleck (Good Will Hunting) alongside the addition of Holofcener provides enough nuance to make it entertaining. 

The French Dispatch ​

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcPk2p0Zaw4
Director: Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs)
Cast: Name any actor – they are probably in it. 
Release Date: October 22

Anderson’s films can be roughly divided into three categories of: early films, animated films, and later films. While the later films such as this are always extremely enjoyable, for mine they are not especially effective. The style arguably overwhelms them, and the endless supply of recognisable actors can make the films feel like a collection of cameos. That being said, Anderson has an undeniable filmmaking skill, and with this film being divided into three stories hopefully each actor will be able to contribute more than just a cameo. If you see it, you’ll enjoy it, however I question how seriously you can (or are meant to) take it.

Dune

Director: Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049, Arrival) 
Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, and another endless supply of other famous faces (starting to see a theme here?)
Release Date: October 22

​​Frank Herbert’s famous science-fiction novel Dune has long been considered unadaptable, and David Lynch’s infamous attempt did nothing but fuel that perception. Villeneuve has become an event filmmaker; his skill is so developed that you must see what he’s created irrespective of your interest in the specific film. The book has been split across two films with a planned spinoff TV series also on the way, so I’m a little concerned there might be a lack of resolution to this first introductory film as the Dune Cinematic Universe gets going. Nonetheless, with another ridiculously stacked cast and a filmmaker like Villeneuve, go see it.

Last Night in Soho

Director: Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Baby Driver)
Cast: Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Matt Smith
Release Date: October 22

A present-day fashion designer (McKenzie) finds herself transported back to 1960s London, where she also finds she inhabits the body of a singer (Taylor-Joy). Then, of course, everything turns to shit. Like many of the directors on this list, Wright is a strongly auteurist filmmaker, known for his unique style. For almost all of his career that style has been deployed in comedic leaning films, which makes the decision to direct a psychological horror such as this all the more interesting. Comedy and Horror can be said to be sibling genres, with the primary aim of both to simply elicit strong reactions from the audience. Does this ‘sibling’ relationship mean Wright will seamlessly transition? Who knows, but his attempt makes this film one to see.​

House of Gucci ​

Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, and Al Pacino (Stacked cast #3). 
Release Date: November 26.

​Based on the true story of the 1995 murder of the head of Gucci (Driver) by a hitman hired by his ex-wife (Gaga). On paper, this film was viewed as a lock to be one of the best released this year. Now, after the trailer recently dropped, I have many concerns, such as poor Italian accents, Jared Leto, and noticeably bad CGI backgrounds (likely explained through having been filmed during the peak of COVID last year). My final concern is that if Gaga is to be the central character as the trailer suggests, her acting performance could make or break the film. The only reason this is a concern is due to the multiple vastly more experienced and skilled actors that populate the film. This could potentially lead to Gaga comparatively providing a shallow (wink)  performance, or over-acting in an attempt to keep up. If Gaga somehow manages to avoid both and ends up delivering a good or even serviceable performance, you can almost guarantee she will have another Oscar nomination. 

​Tim is a First Year Student.

The views in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of De Minimis or its Editors.