The List: 3/5/10

With the Oscars right around the corner, this is already one of the busier weeks of the year for us at Punch Drunk Critics International. The news tends to fly and furious with casting deals and contract signings. On top of that now, I'm absolutely flooded with movies(including holdovers from last week) that I need to check out, including arguably the most anticipated film of the year for me(so far) has finally hit the Nation's Capital. It ain't what you think.

Undoubtedly the coolest looking film of the year(sorry Kick-Ass!), Red Riding is a trilogy of film's chronicling a fictional investigation into the very real Yorkshire Ripper murders from 1974-1981. This isn't three stories bundled into one, this is three entirely separate films all directed by different people. 1974 is being handled by Julian Jarrold(Kinky Boots, Becoming Jane); 1980 by James Marsh(Man on Wire); and 1983 by Anand Tucker(Leap Year, Shopgirl). If the film is half as intense as extended trailer sequences I saw, which have a gritty film-noir quality to them, then I'm going to be a very happy man. I can't wait.

New Jack City? Maybe it's the presence of Wesley "Iceskate up a hill" Snipes but I'm definitely getting that sorta vibe. Frankly, I'm less interested in anything I saw involving Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke, two actors I've been a little down on and I find less believable in roles of authority. It's the Cheadle and Snipes stuff that has me intrigued. A lot of people give director Antoine Fuqua crap because he makes a lot of movies that look like this one, with dirty cops and drug dealers with similar moral hang-ups, but let's not forget this is the same guy who  made King Arthur. Hmmm...not exactly a feather in his cap, is it?

Tim Burton is one of the most visually interesting filmmakers, which is why I don't understand the need to put this movie in 3-D. I have a funny feeling it's only going to wash out the deep colors and dreamy quality that Burton is already an expert at crafting. The union of Burton and his right hand man, Johnny Depp, has been a hit/miss partnership over the years. But lately there've been more wild misfires than anything else(Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, anyone?). Alice in Wonderland seems to be perfect for the director, though, and the Mad Hatter another chance for Depp to not act like a human being. He's not so good when playing real people most of the time. Cautiously optimistic, and quietly kicking myself for not taking the time to see this film sooner when I had the chance.