Dramarama
So, there was a collection of films that I’m really looking forward to next year. Some are dramatic, and some are comedy-dramas, and others are just indie gems. From Aaron Sorkin to Michael Winterbottom and Dee Rees, there was no other conveniently clever title to stick these under so here they are. Do what you will with me, but don’t hate on the films.
The Trial of the Chicago Seven
Based on the true story of the titular Chicago Seven, a group of defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy in 1968, writer/director Aaron Sorkin assembles a massive cast including (deep breath) Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jeremy Strong, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Alex Sharp, Thomas Middleditch, Frank Langella, William Hurt, Michael Keaton, and Mark Rylance. Preparing our ‘Best of’ lists now.
The Personal History of David Copperfield
Following its debut at TIFF, and winning five British Independent Film Awards, director Armando Iannucci’s (The Thick of It) fresh spin on the Charles Dickens classic hits cinemas in 2020. It stars Dev Patel as the title character alongside Peter Capaldi, Morfydd Clark, Daisy May Cooper, Rosalind Eleazar, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw and Paul Whitehouse.
Wendy
It’s been eight years since Benh Zeitlin’s mesmerising debut Beasts of the Southern Wild. He returns to cinemas, and Sundance, with a spin on Peter Pan. The titular Wendy finds herself on a mysterious island where time has come unglued.
Greed
The combination of Michael Winterbottom and Steve Coogan has historically been a good thing. While we are waiting for the next Trip to somewhere, this timely satire of the ultra rich might just hold us over. There’s a who’s who of comedy (and Britain) in there as well: David Mitchell, Isla Fisher, Asa Butterfield, Sophie Cookson, Shirley Henderson and Stephen Fry flesh out the cast.
The Last Thing He Wanted
Dee Rees returns with her first feature since 2017’s Mudbound. It’s an adaptation of Joan Didion’s 2016 novel about the 1984 US Presidential election, and the reporter Elena McMahon (played by Anne Hathaway) who stops the coverage to care for her dying father. Starring Willem Dafoe, Ben Affleck, Toby Jones and Rosie Perez, it also debuts at Sundance 2019 before heading to Netflix.
