For the 65th time, Cannes is opening its doors in 2012 to films from all around the world. The exotic city of Cannes, on the coasts of the French Riviera, becomes the pilgrimage site for filmmakers, stars and artsy-movie fans from across the globe. Last year’s festival opened with Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” (French pride?) and concluded with Terrence Malick’s controversial “Tree of Life” winning the main prize – La Palme d’Or (The Golden Palm).

Who will win this year? Traditionally there are not a lot of details about many of the movies shown in Cannes, as most of them enjoy their debut public screening here. But among all the diversity Cannes has to offer, we can always find the biggest and most intriguing names in the film industry, including highly-acclaimed directors who chose Cannes (and Cannes chose them) to present their oeuvre to the world. While many big names have been dropped, we decided to focus on the upcoming films of ten directors with a lot of promise, who will hopefully deliver as well.

Moonrise Kingdom – Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson, who has been selected to open this year’s festival, has always been known for his quirky films. Granted, his offbeat humor is a matter of taste, but his films are usually a rare unconventional treat. In Moonrise Kingdom, he directs his usual suspects (Murray, Schwartzman) along with an ensemble of highly-acclaimed actors, and tells a story about boy scouts, runaway kids, a search party and an extremely eccentric family. Quirkiness guaranteed.

Beasts of the Southern Wild – Benh Zeitlin

Benh Zeitlin has created this wonderful fable about a post-New-Orleans-world where myth meets reality, as we follow the quest of a young girl named Hushpuppy. Zeitlin’s previous 25-minute film “Glory at Sea” was a magical tale of a disaster-stricken community; Beasts of the Southern Wild seems to preserve the unique storytelling ability of this original filmmaker, as proven recently when it took home the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

Cosmopolis – David Cronenberg
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Antiviral – Brandon Cronenberg

Father David Cronenberg upgrades Robert Pattinson into a businessman who travels across a chaotic and socially-decayed Manhattan, while encountering a gallery of characters who would change his views and place in the world. Cronenberg decided to use a limousine as the central spot where these powerful events occur, inside the vehicle and outside it.

Son Brandon Cronenberg tries to follow in his father’s footsteps with his first full-length feature film, which he both wrote and directed. In a world full of celebrity culture admiration (sadly, not much of a fictional future dystopia), people pay to  get infected by celebrities’ sicknesses. Syd March is a mule who smuggles the diseases inside his body, but when he finds out he carries a fatal virus that killed a famous starlet, he must figure out the cause of her death, while evading obsessive fans, before it is too late for him. One can clearly notice the influence Brandon absorbed from across the dining room table.

Amour – Michael Haneke

After winning Cannes’ 2009 Palme d’Or with The White Ribbon, German director Michael Haneke returns with a French-speaking film named plainly Amour (Love). Anne and Georges are an elderly couple in their eighties who have led a long and loving life together. When Anne suffers from a stroke that leaves her half-paralyzed, their love and devotion is put to a harsh test. Haneke tells a touching story about elderly love and the the difficulties faced when the hard and bitter blows of life strike upon us.

Dracula – Dario Argento

The master of Italian horror, Dario Argento, presents his interpretation of Dracula in 3D. Bram Stoker’s famous story about the count from Transylvania is revived  through Argento’s vision, which would promise, as always, to deliver some good scares and shrieks, with a little bit of over-the-top performances, and some alluring scenes starring his daughter, the actress Asia Argento.

Miss Lovely – Ashim Ahluwalia

First-time fiction director Ashim Ahluwalia brings us this drama from India, taking us back to the 1980’s and the more remote and less glamorous sides of Bollywood, where C-grade horror movies were made. The films are sleazy and remain in the margin of the industry, and so are the lives of the people who produce them. This is a story about two film-making brothers and the woman who comes between them (with Bollywoodic touches, naturally).

Killing Them Softly – Andrew Dominik

Initially called Cogan’s Trade, the film follows Jackie Cogan, a professional enforcer who is hired by the mob to investigate a heist that occurred during one of the mafia’s protected Poker games. After their collaboration in the inspiring artistic film “The assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”, director Andrew Dominik (“Chopper”) teams up with Brad Pitt again, in another tale of a tough and coarse man who faces dilemmas and true-character situations.

Mull im Garten Eden – Fatih Akin

“Garbage in the Garden of Eden” (“Polluting Paradise”) is a documentary from German-Turkish director Fatih Akin, who has always made intriguing films about relations and society. We are introduced to the people of Camburnu, a small Turkish village near the Black Sea, where the quiet idyllic lives of its inhabitants are abruptly interrupted by a governmental order to build a garbage landfill. The villagers struggle against the transition of their pastoral village environment into the new reality of pollution unfolds in this disturbing and thought-provoking documentary.

Reality – Matteo Garrone

After winning the Jury’s Grand Prize with Gomorrah in 2008, Italian director Matteo Garrone returns to the crime scene with his new tale about lives in the south of Italy. A simple fisherman, with natural theatrical qualities, is urged by his surroundings to try and enter into the Italian Big Brother show on TV. Along the way we realize how the quest for fame can change a person, and that not all that shines from the outside is bright inside. A clever media satire from one of Italy’s more outspoken voices.

So in the tradition of the Cannes film festival, let’s hope that 2012 will bring us excellent shows, a good crop of films, some scandals on the red carpet, and of course – some great after-parties (something for the tabloids too…) Happy screening!

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Technorati Tags: Cannes Film Festival, Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris, Terrence Malick, Tree of Life, Palm d’Or, The Golden Palm, Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin, Glory at Sea, Grand Jury Prize, Sundance, Cosmopolis, David Cronenberg, Antiviral, Brandon Cronenberg, Robert Pattinson, Syd March, Amour, Michael Haneke, The White Ribbon, Dracula, Dario Argento, Bram Stoker, Asia Argento, Miss Lovely, Ashim Ahluwalia, Bollywood, Killing Them Softly, Andrew Dominik, Jackie Cogan. Mafia, Mob, The assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Brad Pitt, Mull im Garten Eden, Fatih Akin, Black Sea, Reality, Matteo Garrone, Gomorrah, Italy

Nearing the end of the TV spring season and looking forward to the summer season, we have mixed feelings of disappointment and hope. We had high hopes for some of the new series that came out this spring but they were all more or less disappointing. In this bittersweet post we’ll mention the 5 spring TV shows that disappointed us the most and the 6 upcoming summer shows we are most looking forward to (that’s one “hope” more than “disappointments” to show you that we’re positive and optimistic in nature). First the bitter part, the 5 shows that left us demanding a refund on the precious time we lost watching them (although, to my surprise, none of them were cancelled so far):

5. Missing

Missing promised to be just like Taken, only on a smaller screen and with Ashley Judd instead of Liam Neeson (huge difference as we soon discovered). Unfortunately, it lacked the fast and exciting pace of Taken, including its suspenseful action scenes and everything else that made Taken what it was (a very good action film in comparison to the boring Missing.)

4. NYC 22

Produced by Robert De Niro and with a nice ensemble cast that included Leelee Sobieski and Adam Goldberg, NYC 22 is about rookie cops working the streets of New York. It tries to be as realistic as possible and was done in the spirit of Detroit 187, Southland and The Chicago Code, but sadly it’s not nearly as good as either of those shows.

3. Veep
We hoped it would be a clever, witty and most importantly hilarious political satire. What we got instead was a silly (stupid would be a more appropriate word) series that doesn’t offer many laughs (if any). The actors and writers of Veep think it’s fresh and edgy, but the biggest compliment this series deserves is that it’s sporadically mildly amusing.

2. Magic City
Just like in other Starz productions like Spartacus and Boss, Magic City enjoys a generous amount of female nudity combined with some splashes of violence. It tries to imitate Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men but it isn’t nearly as good as the two. Magic City can be proud of an almost impossible achievement – it manages to be boring despite the violence and the nudity.

1. Girls
HBO’s comedy drama is produced by the king of comedy Judd Apatow, and Lena Dunham is the star and the writer/creator of the show. Sadly, it’s much more similar to Dunham’s film Tiny Furniture (which showcased a bunch of obnoxious and self-involved twentysomethings) than to Apatow’s previous works; it also borrows a little bit from Sex and the City which is obviously not a positive thing.

And now to the sweet part, 6 upcoming new shows we’re looking forward to:

6. Common Law
Warren Kole and Michael Ealy star in this humorous USA network series about two police detective partners who can’t stand each other, and get an order from their commander to go see a couple’s therapist. The trailer for this series, premiering May 11th, suggests that they are in fact the craziest misfit partners since Lorena and John Bobbitt.

5. Longmire
Some dare call it the new Justified, which means it will definitely be worth checking out. This new series by the A&E network (premiering June 3rd) is based on the Walt Longmire mystery novels by Craig Johnson and will revolve around a Wyoming sheriff, his family and his friends.

4. Moone Boy
Rising star Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids) and comedy great Steve Coogan will star in Sky’s new comedy coming out this May. The series will take place in 80’s Ireland and will focus on a little boy and his imaginary friend (played by O’Dowd). The show will also include animated segments and will have a unique visual style.

3. Sinbad
Sky’s production Sinbad promises to be an epic adventure fantasy series. Elliot Knight and Naveen Andrews will star in this 12 part exciting sea escapade. The show’s creators are calling it a combination between Doctor Who and The Prince of Persia. It’s going to be great even if they’re only half right.

2. Copper
The first original series by BBC America is set in 1860 New York and follows a tough Irish cop working the tough streets of New York. Tom Fontana is the series creator and with Oz and Homicide: Life on the Street on his resume, he will probably get this one right to.

1. The Newsroom
There are at least three reasons that immediately come to mind for why it’s gonna be a great series: 1. Aaron Sorkin created it. 2. The series is written by Aaron Sorkin. 3. Aaron Sorkin. Beside these reasons, The Newsroom will also enjoy a terrific cast: Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, Alison Pill, Sam Waterson and Dev Patel. As the title more or less suggests, it’s going to be a media version of The West Wing - the series will follow a cable news anchor, his producer and the rest of the staff as they go about their business of delivering the news to the public, while also juggling their own personal issues.

Other shows that might turn out to be worth something: Hatfields & McCoys (The History Channel’s Western mini-series starring Kevin Costner), Anger Management (based on the Adam Sandler movie and starring Charlie Sheen), Political Animals (Starring Sigourney Weaver) and Dallas. (Dallas?!)

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Technorati Tags: Missing, Taken, Ashley Judd, Liam Neeson, NYC 22, Robert De Niro, Leelee Sobieski, Adam Goldberg, rookie cops, Detroit 187, Southland, The Chicago Code, Veep, political satire, Magic City, female nudity, violence, Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Girls, comedy drama, Judd Apatow, Lena Dunham, Sex and the City, Common Law, Warren Kole, Michael Ealy, police detective, partners, couple’s therapist, Longmire, Justified, mystery, novels, Craig Johnson, sheriff, Moone Boy, Chris O’Dowd, Steve Coogan, 80’s Ireland, Sinbad, adventure fantasy series, Elliot Knight, Naveen Andrews, Doctor Who, The Prince of Persia, Copper, BBC America, 1860, New York, Tom Fontana, Oz, Homicide: Life on the Street, The Newsroom, Aaron Sorkin, Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, Alison Pill, Sam Waterson, Dev Patel, The West Wing, news anchor, Hatfields & McCoys, History Channel, Western mini-series, Kevin Costner, Anger Management, Adam Sandler, Charlie Sheen, Political Animals, Sigourney Weaver, Dallas

We are going to have a really hot blockbuster season this year… Several huge names are returning (Batman, Spider-Man), along with some remakes and sequels (Ice age 4 and Madagascar 3, among others) and surprisingly, quite a lot of originals too.

The Avengers – 4.5.12
The first reports from The Avengers’ opening weekend predicts one of the highest grossing opening weekends ever, maybe even the highest. Worldwide it has already made almost $400,000,000. Everyone knew it was going to be a huge hit, but this overwhelming opening success is even greater than expected. the only question that remains, is whether The Dark Knight Rises will be able to surpass it.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $1,000,000,000

Dark Shadows – 11.5.12
Tim Burton was never really such a huge blockbusters director until 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, which is currently 10^th in all-time worldwide grosses. This time the Burton-Depp collaboration is a remake of a 60s soap opera about a family of… vampires? Definitely Tim-Burton-ish, and vampires is a blockbuster-friendly theme, so we bet on a success.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $400,000,000

Battleship – 18.5.12
Pure mindless action can be downright awful or lots of fun. Either way, it can sure make a lot of money as the three transformers films have already proven to us. In the case of Battleship, it has already been released in several foreign countries and has made over $170,000,000 so far, so it’s safe to assume this film won’t fail…
Worldwide box-office estimates: $500,000,000

Men in Black 3 – 25.5.12
An additional Men in Black sequel, exactly 10 years after Men in Black 2 was released. On one hand, both the first and second films were very successful for their time. On the other hand, what worked in 1997 wouldn’t necessarily work in 2012, and I’m not sure Will Smith’s popularity is enough to carry the film on its own. it’s one of those cases where 3D can make all the difference between a decent blockbuster to a huge hit.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $500,000,000

Snow White and the Huntsman – 1.6.12
Second round of Snow White this year, after the charmingly stylized Mirror Mirror, which unfortunately did not do so well. This adaptation takes the well-known fairy tale to a darker territory with battles, warriors and a fierce Snow White, portrayed by a current teens favorite - Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga).
Worldwide box-office estimates: $300,000,000

Prometheus – 8.6.12
Ridley Scott returns to the Alien universe with a reboot/remake/sequel/prequel (circle the right answer, if you know it – it seems even Scott is not sure…) Some intriguing viral campaign has already launched, and generally it looks like something worth waiting for.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $300,000,000

Rock of Ages – 15.6.12
This is a tough one to predict – Rock of Ages is not a part of any known franchise or series and it revolves around the dubious 80s with all their flaws. On the other hand, the director is Adam Shankman who directed the feel good Hairspray, the film is full of hot names and the Broadway musical it is based on was a huge hit.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $250,000,000

Brave – 22.6.12
The annual Pixar film promises to be even better than their usual films: the trailers look gorgeous, the classic story of an unruly princess never fails, and who can resist an entire film in a Scottish accent? We all hope that Pixar will return to their former glory after last years’ failure of Cars 2 (critically though, not financially).
Worldwide box-office estimates: $650,000,000

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World – 22.6.12
An offbeat and slightly gloomy dramedy about an apocalyptic road trip? I wouldn’t have even thought about listing it amongst the blockbusters if it weren’t for the two leads – Steve Carell and Keira Knightly. Could it be the first non-animated original blockbuster of summer 2012?
Worldwide box-office estimates: $150,000,000

The Amazing Spider-Man – 3.7.12
Why does an extremely successful film from only 10 years ago need a remake? Well, don’t ask me. The Spider-Man franchise is still one of the most successful film series and the 3rd one was only released 5 years ago. But a remake it is, with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone as Spidey and Mary-Jane.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $800,000,000

The Dark Knight Rises – 20.7.12
The final part in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and the sequel to the highly acclaimed and extremely profitable The Dark Knight is perhaps the most anticipated film of this summer, side by side with The Avengers. It will be difficult to surpass the previous film, especially without Heath Ledger, but who knows?
Worldwide box-office estimates: $900,000,000

Neighborhood Watch – 27.7.12
Three names carry this potential blockbuster: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill. Any one of them alone is worth about 50,000,000$ in the box office, so hopefully this cast combination, along with the Sci-fi comedy storyline, will produce a successful original storyline.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $200,000,000

The Bourne Legacy – 3.8.12
The 4^th installment of the Bourne series is a slightly strange case, since there’s actually no Bourne in it… The main character was replaced by a new agent portrayed by Jeremy Renner, a rising Hollywood star. He is backed with a strong cast including Edward Norton, Rachel Weisz and Albert Finney.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $400,000,000

Total Recall – 3.8.12
Many would say that a Sci-fi classic like the original Total Recall should not be touched. But as we already learned, no stone will remain untouched in Hollywood’s quest to squeeze more money out of popular brands. A t least the cast looks promising with Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, Ethan Hawke, Bill Nighy and Kate Beckinsale.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $400,000,000

The Campaign – 10.8.12
A new Will Ferrell movie is always a good thing, especially if it deals with politics – a vast playground for such a talented comedian. My only setback is the director Jay Roach – on the one hand responsible for huge blockbusters like the Fockers trilogy (2 as director and 3 as producer), but on the other hand he might limit the craziness and irreverent humor of the film.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $300,000,000

The Dictator – 18.5.12
Sacha Baron Cohen is known for his provocative, controversial and hilariously funny movies Borat and Bruno. This is the first time his project is scripted and not half prank-half documentary, let’s hope he will be able to retain his irreverent and funny spirit under these terms.

Moonrise Kingdom – 25.5.12
quirky, weird, offbeat – choose a word and it will describe Wes Anderson’s films. The trailer for his current feature seems particularly charming and as usual it features a huge supporting cast with some of the greatest names on screen: Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Harvey Keitel, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand and many more.

To Rome with Love – 22.6.12
Woody Allen cracked the code: go to a beautiful European city, film a story that takes place in it and includes love, sexuality, an attractive cast and a lot of beautiful views, and voila! You have a sure hit. It worked with Midnight in Paris, it worked with Vicky Christina Barcelona and there’s no reason it won’t work again with To Rome with Love.

Beasts of the Southern Wild – 27.6.12
We all know what to expect from indie flicks: they’re usually either gritty dramas about the hard lives of the poor (Winter’s Bone, Precious) or bittersweet yet witty comedy-dramas (500 Days of Summer, Away We Go). That’s why this year’s Sundance festival winner is so surprising: it’s a fantasy film happening in an apocalyptic world.

Savages – 6.7.12
Where is the Oliver Stone of Platoon and Wall Street…? After some terrible films (Alexander, World Trade Center) and some decent ones (W., Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) we hope he will resurface once again with Savages, a star-studded crime thriller about Mexican drug trade.

Poll: which of these movies are you most eager to see?

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Technorati Tags: blockbusters, Batman, Spider-Man, Worldwide, box-office, Ice age 4, Madagascar 3, The Avengers, highest grossing, opening weekend, The Dark Knight Rises, Dark Shadows, Tim Burton, Alice in Wonderland, remake, 60s soap opera, vampires, Battleship, mindless action, transformers, Men in Black, Will Smith, 3D, Snow White and the Huntsman, Mirror Mirror, fairytale, Kristen Stewart, The Twilight Saga, Prometheus, Ridley Scott, Alien, Rock of Ages, franchise, series, 80s, Adam Shankman, Hairspray, Broadway musical, based on, Brave, Pixar, classic story, unruly princess, Cars 2, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, apocalyptic, road trip, Steve Carell, Keira Knightly, summer 2012, The Amazing Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Spidey, Mary-Jane, The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan, trilogy, sequel, Heath Ledger, Neighborhood Watch, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, original storyline, The Bourne Legacy, Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton, Rachel Weisz, Albert Finney, Total Recall, Sci-fi, Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, Ethan Hawke, Bill Nighy, Kate Beckinsale, The Campaign, Will Ferrell, politics, comedian, Jay Roach, the Fockers trilogy, The Dictator, Sacha Baron Cohen, provocative, controversial, hilariously funny, Borat, Bruno, scripted, half-prank, half-documentary, Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson, trailer, supporting cast, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Harvey Keitel, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, To Rome with Love, Woody Allen, Vicky Christina Barcelona, Beasts of the Southern Wild, indie, Winter’s Bone, Precious, Sundance festival winner, Savages, Oliver Stone, Platoon, Wall Street, Alexander, World Trade Center, W., Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

International Workers’ Day celebrates the importance of the simple worker in the grand scheme of economic things. It’s a day of solidarity that commemorates the massacre of workers on strike by the police in Chicago back in 1886. The uprising of the “commoners” workforce, and the subsequent creation of labor unions, gave the common worker some power over his all all-too-powerful boss and a chance to claim his rights. But with power comes… the abuse of it. Where labor unions are the strongest, you will find much corruption and decay, while in industries that lack it, you will find a lot of injustice and exploitation. The ideal lies, as usual, somewhere in the middle, in the cooperation between management and workforce. Hopefully this day will make us think about the workers rights within a workplace, along with their responsibilities. So here are some titles I chose that demonstrate the different facets of the workplace and the different workplace situations we all face on a daily basis:

The Working Class

1. The Navigators (2001) – I will start with the cinematic champion of the working class – Ken Loach. This is maybe not his best film, but it might be the one that is most dedicated to the worker and his or her plight. The story is about railway maintenance workers and how they deal with the process of privatization. Loach’s signature Realism is the style that best fits the simple worker.

2. High Hopes (1988) – The runner up to Ken Loach’s dedication to (or obsession with) the working class is Mike Leigh. His style is more humorous and witty than that of Loach’s but that does not hinder the strength of his films. This is a story of a working class family and their different choices and views on life, work and such. But Leigh does not focus on the workplace alone, he also shows the philosophical struggles of a Socialist in a Capitalist world.

Unemployment

3. The Town is Quiet (2001) – Robert Guediguian is sort of the French equivalent of Ken Loach, and most of his films depict the plight of the working class in France. Marseille is the backdrop of this bleak drama, showing all angles of the lives led by different people in this disintegrating port city – from unemployment and immigrants, to mostly overlooked people, who struggle to survive. It’s disturbing but well worth watching.

Boss and Employee

4. Mad Men (2007 – ) – The goings-on at an up and coming advertising agency during the 60s in America is the backdrop of this surprise hit TV series. We get to see how social changes affect the change in the workplace, especially in regards to the women’s rights movement, their recognition by men, and their chances at having a career.

5. Fear and Trembling (2003) – A woman’s dream to work in Japan comes true, but quickly becomes a nightmare. The working culture clash and the strictness of her employers produce moments that are both hilarious and harrowing at the same time, which is quite an achievement. The wonderful Sylvie Testud stars in this comedy that believe it or not, is based on a true story.

Labor Unions

6. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (2005) – Capitalism has two ways of dealing with labor unions – the first is looking for places where there is no such thing, and the second is using all its power to bust unions and deter other people of unionizing. Here we see both methods, as the biggest corporation in the world uses exploited Chinese workers on one hand and spies on its own workers on the other. This is an eye-opening documentary that also offers a glimmer of hope.

7. On the Waterfront (1954) – Young Marlon Brando stars in this classic film about an ex-boxer fighting corrupt and violent unions in the port of New Jersey. Elia Kazan directed this Oscar winning movie, supposedly as response to those who accused him of naming names of former Communist party members. Regardless of his motives, this is a powerful movie, that is based on a series of articles featured in The New York Sun.

Workplace Problems

8. Enlightened (2010 - ) – Laura Dern created and stars in this offbeat comedy. After suffering a nervous breakdown and going away to a new-agey retreat, a 40 year old woman comes back to her old work and life trying to start over, and this time make things better. Needless to say things don’t really go her way. She gets demoted to a job she finds boring and is not qualified for, and the corporate world doesn’t sit well with what she soaked up in her retreat.

Workplace Romance

9. Read My Lips (2001) – Jacques Audiard, who rose to fame with A Prophet in 2009, tells this story of an unlikely relationship. An uptight and frustrated deaf woman (Emmanuelle Devos), who is bullied and feels like an outcast at her work, meets a brutish ex-convict (Vincent Cassel) who is trying to start his new life. He is not really qualified for the job, but she recognizes how he can be helpful to her. The partnership of misfits is portrayed beautifully by the two leads, and the tensions between them creates a complex and surprising thriller.

The Family Business

10. Arrested Development (2003 – ) – The dysfunctional Bluth family is coming back, after a six year hiatus. Work is the last thing on most of those unlovable and unloving family members’ minds, with the exception of Michael, who tries to keep the family and the company together amidst investigations of corruption, fraud and even treason. You really feel that someone (Mitchell Hurwitz) took the ‘how to make a sitcom’ guidebook, threw it out of the window, and made his own thing. The result is one of the funniest comedies ever made. And now it’s back!!!

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“Depend upon it, after all, Thomas, Literature is the most noble of professions.”
Edgar Allan Poe, 1849

As an avid reader, I really love to watch movies about real life stories of real writers. So the release of The Raven this week, based on Edgar Allan Poe’s life and work, is a good opportunity to list some of the best this category has to offer.

The Last Station (2009)
This stellar cast periodical drama (with Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti and James McAvoy) deals with the final year of the life of the acclaimed Russian author Leo Tolstoy (Anna Karenina, War and Peace). Helen Mirren gives an exceptionally good performance as Tolstoy’s wife Sofya, who tries to persuade him to leave her the rights for his literary works.

Finding Neverland (2004)
James Barrie is known to be an eccentric figure. He wrote one of the most beloved characters for children to this day (Peter Pan), but he was also known as a socially awkward man, incapable of mature sexual relations, who found comfort in the presence of children instead of adults. Some of his fascinating story is presented in this touching drama.

Capote (2005)
The Oscar-winning film (for the leading actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman) about American novelist Truman Capote focuses on the period he wrote In Cold Blood, a non-fiction book about the murder of a Kansas family. He unexpectedly befriend one of the killers, and finds himself struggling with moral dilemmas and inner conflicts.

American Splendor (2003)
The story of comic book writer and illustrator Harvey Pekar is truly one of the most clever, funny and original depictions I’ve seen of a writers’ life. Paul Giamatti portrays Pekar’s eccentricities and peculiarities in a wonderful way, and makes us wanna drop by the nearest comic book shop, even if we never read a comic book in our life.

Becoming Jane (2007)
Jane Austen is one of the most adapted writers of all times (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma are just a few examples). But surprisingly, her own life was almost never depicted. Becoming Jane tries to fix that, and focuses mainly on Austen’s pre-fame years, and on some of the experiences that led her to write the way she did.

Bright Star (2009)
Sometimes it feels as though the most talented of people die the youngest. Such was the case with poet John Keats, one of the key figures in the British Romantic movement, who died at the age of 25 from tuberculosis. This film is about his tragic love affair with the young Fanny Brawne.

Howl (2010)
Howl tries to depict the birth of a counterculture movement – the beat generation. It is done by portraying poet Allen Ginsberg (played by James Franco) talking about his life and his work while his famous poem Howl is illustrated in animation. Though somewhat experimental and not easy to watch, the style of the film is very interesting and corresponds with its topic.

Wilde (1997)
What’s more suitable than letting Stephen Fry, an openly gay and extremely witty British writer, portray Oscar Wilde, a known bisexual and extremely witty British writer? The director of this biographical drama thought so as well, and the result is a really great biopic, one that captures it’s subject in a most accurate way.

Anonymous (2011)
This film differs from other on this list by the fact that it deals with real people and events, but alters them to suggest an alternative narrative to a generally known story. In this version Shakespeare is a plain and somewhat dimwitted actor, and the real brilliant writer behind him is an aristocrat called Edward De Vere.

The Raven (2012)
Edgar Allan Poe is known for his chilling and Gothic supernatural horror stories. But what if someone decided to bring to life the hideous acts depicted in his books? This is the premise of this upcoming film, in which Poe teams with a detective to try and catch this copycat.