Ten to See

On the eve of Oscar season properly starting (at least for those of us not fortunate enough to attend festivals and whatnot), here are some of the contenders, non-contenders, and shoulda-be-a-contenders that you can see right now.

In Theaters                                                                                                                                                                                    
Moneyball - This baseball flick from Bennett Miller (Capote) has been generating its fair share of Oscar buzz, and for very good reason.  Even for non-sports fans, Moneyball is an exciting, fascinating, and surprisingly moving look at an unconventional take on America's pastime that led the Oakland A's to an unexpectedly successful season.  Oscar-winning screenwriters Stecen Zaillian (Schindler's List and this year's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) and Aaron Sorkin (whose The Social Network screenplay is one of the best ever written) manage to translate both the mechanics of sports business and the complexity of the math utilized by Peter Brand (a wonderfully understated Jonah Hill) into dialogue that pops and captivates.  The scene where Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) makes numerous phone calls in quick succession to secure a trade plays with the energy and excitement of an action scene rather than something unfolding in an office.

As for Pitt, he has rarely been better.  For so long seen as a boyish heartthrob, Pitt flexes a maturity and gravity here that he has often let us glimpse but has rarely fleshed out to such an extent.  It would be shocking if he failed to secure a spot in the Lead Actor race.  If the Academy rewards him for his supporting work in The Tree of Life (an unlikely scenario, to be sure), he could be a double nominee.

Drive - 2011 will forever be, in my mind, the Year of Ryan Gosling.  After delivering a perfect comedic performance in Crazy, Stupid, Love, Gosling delves into polar opposite territory for Drive, what may very well be the most intense movie of the year.  Stoic and intimidating, Gosling communicates more by flexing his fingers than many actors manage with polished line-readings.  It's a testament to the caliber of Gosling's acting; he really is the most versatile, visceral actor of his generation.

If Drive is Gosling's show, one can't accuse him of hogging the spotlight.  The impressive supporting cast includes Albert Brooks, Carey Mulligan, and TV favorites Christina Hendricks and Bryan Cranston.  Every member of the ensemble delivers fine work, though none approach Gosling's raw performance, which serves as a neat parallel to the movie itself: both start of with a subtle, bubbling intensity that explodes into shocking action within a few minutes' screen time.  It's a wild ride, and certainly one of the year's highlights.

The Debt - If Ryan Gosling is the Man of the Year, one can certainly make the case that Jessica Chastain  is the Woman.  With six movies (six!) in 2011, there aren't many busier actresses than Chastain, and of her work so far this year, The Debt is perhaps her most impressive.  The story of three Mossad agents hunting down a Nazi to exact justice for his crimes during World War II is an intersection of historical drama, romance, and revenge thriller.  The slow pace may put off some viewers, but it allows the tension to build gradually, leading to a cleverly-delivered narrative twist and a tough, satisfying conclusion.  In a great cast that includes Helen Mirren  and Tom Wilkinson, Chastain manages to shine brightest, imbuing her performance with a brilliant mix of vulnerability and strength.  It's a shame The Debt will be forgotten during awards season, as it's such a well-crafted tale.

50/50 - One of the year's best films finds its source of comedy in an unexpected place: the cancer ward.  Despite its tough subject matter, 50/50 is never stoops to manipulative sentimentality or inappropriate levity.  The gravity of the situation is well-accounted for, but by creating a cast of richly-drawn characters, a strikingly honest and thorough picture emerges.  The ensemble is one of the year's best, with especially great performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, and Anjelica Huston.  For more on this beautiful movie, check out my review.

Higher Ground - This one might be hard to find, but if Higher Ground is playing in a theater near you, or even not-too-far from you, it's worth the trip.  Vera Farmiga's directorial debut is a powerful and disturbing drama that plays like a fictionalized relative of Jesus Camp.  Drawn into a controlling, conservative church, Corinne (Farmiga) starts to question her faith and role within the church and her own family.  Farmiga gives one of her best performances to date, selling both Corinne's initial fervor for her community and the doubt that starts to devour her.  It's a challenging movie that manages to overcome the potential controversy of its subject matter and instead delivers a penetrating, personal story of the ties that bind, fray, and break.

On DVD                                                                                                                                                                                                    
Submarine - One of the summer's most pleasant and under-seen surprises is a charming adaptation of Joe Dunthorne's novel of the same name.  The story revolves around Oliver Tate's (a brilliantly funny Craig Roberts) attempts to get and keep (and bed) a girlfriend and figure out if his mother (Sally Hawkins) is having an affair.  The film has a suitably quirky indie vibe and is cleverly self-reflexive.  Even with Ben Stiller's involvement, Submarine never got the release it deserved, but now that it's on DVD, hopefully it will find its audience.  It could be a cult classic in the making.

Thor - While most of Marvel's recent comic movies have been fairly firmly grounded in the real world (including the historical adventures of one Captain America), Thor went in the completely opposite direction by the titular god-hero (Chris Hemsworth) to show off his badassery on his home turf.  The result proved to be another success for the ever-expanding Marvel-verse, as Thor got to be all tough and rugged whilst battling ice giants and honoring Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and a comedic force to be reckoned with on Earth.  Fish-out-of-water stories are standard fare, but they're rarely as funny as Thor's journey to our world.

Thor is also required viewing in preparation for next year's Joss Whedon nerd-gasm The Avengers.

Bridesmaids - The funniest movie of the year doesn't have to settle for only that superlative.  Aside from its copious laughs, Bridesmaids is also one of the year's best movies, and - in an unexpected but completely justified twist - it's getting some Oscar buzz.

It's common knowledge that the Academy tends to shy away from comedies, but when a movie is as strongly-written and -acted as Bridesmaids is, it's hard to ignore.  Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo's screenplay isn't only concerned with punchlines; they also deliver strong dramatic and emotional moments, creating characters who are far more rounded than the caricatures you expect to see in a movie like this.  Even Melissa McCarthy's Megan, who is larger than life, is completely believable as she steals almost every scene in the movie.

If there's any justice in the world, Wiig, McCarthy, and the writing duo of Wiig and Mumolo will all be recognized for the fantastic work they did in bringing such a deftly balanced comedy to the big screen.  Yes, I love this movie enough to include it not on one, but on two Ten to Sees.

The Lion King - There's really no reason for me to recommend this movie, since it's one of the best-loved, most-successful movies of all time.  The recent 3-D re-release, which debuted just weeks before the new DVD-Blu-ray, has been dominating at the box office, proving that classic Disney never goes out of style and paving the way for four more such conversions in the coming years (Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., and The Little Mermaid, if you haven't heard).  There's a reason for all the success: The Lion King is one of the House of Mouse's finest hours.  The Hamlet-lite tale never gets old, nor do the wonderful songs and unforgettable characters.  I'm grateful for the movie being out of the dreaded Disney Vault at long last, because I can finally fill one of the most gaping holes in my DVD collection.

The Tree of Life - Terrence Malick's sprawling epic family drama/sci-fi history/spiritual fantasy doesn't come out until next week, but it's the best movie of the year, so I can't help but recommend it now.  Which is strange, as upon seeing The Tree of Life back in June, my two immediate reactions were "This is one of the best movies I've ever seen" and "I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone."  It's a bizarre collision of childhood innocence, the history of the world, and the afterlife, and it's a movie that is easy to dismiss as being pretentious or just too hard to grasp.  Regardless, it's a journey worth taking.  Even if the deeper meaning elude you, there's so much beauty to behold, whether it's the meandering photography, the stunning imagery, or the powerful performances.  It's a spiritual successor to 2001: A Space Odyssey, and I'm not sure I can offer it any higher praise than that.  If you're up for the challenge, take the plunge.