“Motherless Brooklyn”
Cast: Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Willem Defoe, Leslie Mann, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Kenneth Williams, Alec Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale
Synopsis: A lonely private detective afflicted with Tourette’s Syndrome ventures to solve his friend’s murder.
What You Need to Know: Known for years as an urban legend that would likely never see the light of day, announcing the release of Edward Norton’s notorious passion project “Motherless Brooklyn” feels a bit strange. Based on Jonathan Lethem’s novel of the same name, the earliest mentions of the film can be traced back to 1999, although the film has hardly stayed out of the headlines since then. Yet, despite its stint in development hell, Norton’s newest feature, which also serves as his directorial follow-up to “Keeping the Faith,” is arguably one of the most anticipated films to debut before the conclusion of 2019. Considering that the film’s cast includes Norton as the lead—in addition to Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Leslie Mann, Willem Defoe, and Alec Baldwin—while also taking into account the movie’s film-noir aesthetic and comparisons to “Chinatown,” no one should be blamed for their excitement. Keep your fingers crossed and hope that “Motherless Brooklyn” can deliver on its hype.
Release Date: November 1 – Jonathan Christian
“Uncut Gems”
Cast: Adam Sandler, Idina Menzel, Lakeith Stanfield, Judd Hirsch, Pom Klementieff, Eric Bogosian
Synopsis: A jeweler comes at arm’s length of a fortune and must navigate various obligations to see that potential through.
What You Need to Know: After searing 2017 theaters with their incendiary, humane crime masterwork “Good Time,” the Safdie Brothers (Josh and Benny) are back at A24 with a unique look at New York’s Diamond District, starring Adam Sandler in the middle of his inspired comeback. The thought of pairing the Safdies, electric, young filmmakers entering their prime, with Sandler in a race-against-the-clock tale of likely pratfalls and potential financial gain just sounds too good to be true. Not to mention that supporting cast, which also features, go with us here, former NBA star Kevin Garnett, R&B star The Weeknd, rapper Trinidad James and NY sports radio legend Mike Francesa. The Safdies are becoming appointment filmmakers, and have gotten ace Darius Khondji behind the camera and “Good Time” composer Oneohtrix Point Never back to do the music for this one. “Uncut Gems” could be one of the most exhilarating films of the fall, if only to see what the Safdies have come up with and to see Sandler once again embrace his dramatic potential and, perhaps, enter this year’s Best Actor race at the Oscars.
Release Date: December 13 – Cory Woodroof
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“Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates”
Cast: Bill Gates, Davis Guggenheim
Synopsis: Guggenheim, the documentarian behind “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Waiting for Superman,” unveils the tech legend’s plans to fix the world’s problems.
What You Need to Know: Bill Gates, one of the globe’s richest, most influential citizens, has always had an active hand in philanthropic efforts, and in this new Netflix three-part series, he’ll sit down with Guggenheim and discuss what ails society and how he sees the solutions falling through. It’ll be interesting to hear Gates prognosticate on the issues of the day, if only because he absolutely has the clout and resources to make a sizeable difference for so many, and already has. He’s one of the prominent billionaires who uses his funds and influence for good, so his voice is absolutely one worth listening, particularly in a time where so many yearn for those with power to do something beneficial with it. It’s a bit of something different on the Telluride slate, but should be worthwhile viewing regardless. Perhaps Gates will unveil some ideas that will get us all thinking about how we all tackle the world’s many challenges.
Release Date: September 20 on Netflix – CW
“The Aeronauts”
Cast: Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne
Synopsis: An original story set in 1862 that centers on a pilot (Jones) and a scientist interested in meteorology (Redmayne) who embark on unexpected adventures in a large hot air balloon.
What You Need To Know: Both Jones and Redmayne previously appeared together in “The Theory of Everything” which premiered at TIFF in 2014 and saw both earn Oscar nominations (Redmayne won Best Actor). Director Tom Harper, who also has a story by credit, is a BAFTA winner best known for helming “The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death” and “Wild Rose” which despite stellar reviews didn’t become the word of mouth hit NEON was hoping for earlier this year. The Amazon Studios release was initially set for an IMAX release because it was partially shot with IMAX cameras, but that deal fell apart over Amazon’s decision to keep the film in theaters for less than 90 days. It is one of the first Amazon films that will arrive on Prime Video less than a month after its theatrical release.
Release Date: December 6. – GE
