By Chris Hyde and Dan Krovich

January 1, 2003

We have loosely arranged the films into foreign and domestic categories, though in these days of increasing international co-productions for independent fare it's sometimes difficult to tell which is which. There are films here that have specific release dates already, but some only have distribution without specific release plans as of yet, and still others are currently without distribution and may not appear in US theaters in 2003 (or ever). However, from a production standpoint all of them have some chance to be released in the US this coming year, so if and when they do we'll be there opening night. We'll save you a seat.

Domestic Films

All the Real Girls - David Gordon Greene made an auspicious debut with George Washington, which garnered raves along the festival circuit and through its limited theatrical release; so much so that the anti-coming of age tale ultimately merited a Criterion Collection DVD. "Lyrical" was the word most often used to describe that film, and Greene was often compared to Terence Malick. All the Real Girls, his follow-up, sounds on the surface like a formulaic love story; charming lothario slacker goes from woman to woman until he finally comes upon true love in the form of his best friend's sister, but it is a good bet that Greene will make something more significant than that simple plot description might suggest. The film stars George Washington alum Paul Schneider and scene-stealer Zooey Deschanel, as well as featuring the underrated Patricia Clarkson. It will premiere in the dramatic competition at Sundance, and Sony Picture Classics currently has it scheduled for limited release on Valentine's Day. (DK)

The Company (US, Germany) - At an age when many are content sitting back on the porch in a rocking chair, Robert Altman continues to make films. Following his re-re-emergence with Gosford Park, he now sets his sights on the world of ballet. Being Altman, you can expect the film to involve a large, talented ensemble cast, though at this point only Neve Campbell, James Franco, and Malcolm McDowell have been announced. Campbell trained for many years in ballet, so there shouldn't be much concern as to whether she can handle the dance aspects of the film, and you would expect the remaining cast to consist of a mixture of actors and professional dancers. Even if you would generally not want to watch ballet under any circumstances, it's a good bet that Altman will be able to find a compelling story behind the scenes and be light years ahead of the big studio look at ballet from a few years ago, Center Stage. Sony Pictures Classics will release the film, and though no date has been set, it's a decent bet that "the new Altman film" will be set up for an awards friendly fall release. (DK)

Down and Out with the Dolls - Here's a low budget, shot on digital video rock and roll fable about an all-girl indie rock outfit trying to grab the brass ring. Director Kurt Voss details the machinations of The Paper Dolls' potential road to stardom and the pitfalls they encounter along the way in what looks to be an arch and insightful manner. Also for good measure, the film contains a cameo appearance by one of every real rock fan's true heroes, Motorhead lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister. (CH)

Good Fences - Produced by Showtime, there is a good chance that Good Fences will not receive a theatrical release and instead go directly to the cable network. The film will play at Sundance, though, and perhaps that could propel it to some sort of theatrical exposure either before or after its cable premiere. The film stars Danny Glover as a successful attorney in the 1970s. When he wins an important case that garners him fame and wealth, he decides to move his wife (played by Whoopi Goldberg) and kids into the posh surroundings of Greenwich, Connecticut. He learns that the neighbors aren't too welcoming to a "colored" family, even one headed by a noted lawyer. Ernest Dickerson, best known as a cinematographer, directs what could be considered as sort of a look at the environment of Far From Heaven twenty years later. (DK)

Laurel Canyon - Director Lisa Cholodenko follows up her acclaimed 1998 film, High Art, with the story of a strained relationship between a free spirited record producer mother and her uptight son. When he moves to Los Angeles to begin his medical residency with his fiancée who is working on her Ph.D. thesis, the plan is to temporarily stay at his mother's house, which is supposed to be empty. The problem is that mom is still there working on the album by her (much younger) boyfriend's band, creating a lifestyle clash. With a cast that includes Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, and Alessandro Nivola, what's not to like? Sony Pictures Classics will distribute the film beginning with a limited release March 7th. (DK)

Lost in La Mancha (US, UK) - Most "making of" style documentaries entail showing the audience just what happened behind the scenes during the making of a feature film. The best of these (such as Fax Bahr and Eleanor Coppola's Hearts of Darkness or Les Blank's Burden of Dreams) offer insights into the films that would be otherwise unavailable. This film is somewhat different than that - it's the story of a production that ultimately fell apart, Terry Gilliam's adaptation of Don Quixote. Filmmakers Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe seem determined here to show just what can happen in filmmaking when things go terribly wrong, and the enterprise promises to be a fascinating look at the sometimes-ugly underbelly of the Hollywood dream factory. (CH)

Lost in Translation - Sofia Coppola showed she could get by on more than her last name alone with her debut feature, The Virgin Suicides. Bill Murray stars as a washed up television star who heads to Japan to shoot a television commercial where he meets a young woman on a soul-searching mission played by Scarlett Johansson. Not much more is available about the plot, but with Murray, who may be at the peak of his career, and Johansson, who is a definite up and comer, I'm willing to buy a ticket. Focus will release the film, most likely some time in the fall. (DK)

May - This unsettling sounding film tells the tale of a disturbed woman named May who as a child was friendless but for a creepy doll. Her adult life doesn't seem to be much more fulfilling as she moves to LA, there becoming involved with a lesbian animal hospital receptionist after a bad date with an upcoming filmmaker. From that point, it sounds like things get weird and violent real quick, as May strikes back at a cruel world by attempting to recreate her childhood by re-imagining her former porcelain pal as a new toy in flesh and blood. (CH)

A Mighty Wind - From many of the folks who brought you Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, and This is Spinal Tap comes the latest in the line of their distinctive mockumentaries. Christopher Guest again directs and Eugene Levy, Michael McKean, Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Harry Shearer, and Bob Balaban all return in this story of a folk music trio who reunite after 30 years for a comeback tour. Consider it Spinal Tap for the folk music set, and it's a good bet that it will be another gut buster from this loose improv troop. Warner Bros. will release the film April 18th in limited release, and there is a decent chance that it will expand from there. (DK)

The Motorcycle Diaries - There are several movie projects about Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara in the works. This one is directed by Walter Salles, the award-winning director of Central Station and Behind the Sun. Gael García Bernal (Y tu mamá también, El Crimen del padre Amaro) plays Guevara for the second time. (He played him in the Showtime network production Fidel as well.) This film focuses on Guevara's memoirs from his adventures during his trip across South America with his friend Alberto Granado on motorcycle. The film has picked up distribution in many countries, but is still seeking distribution in the U.S. (DK)

My Little Eye (UK, US) - Taking a reality show meets horror movie approach somewhat similar to Halloween: Resurrection, this US/UK co-production turns out a much more effective product. Five people are picked to live for six months in a remote snowed-in cabin with no contact to the outside world. They will be filmed to be broadcast on the web at all times. If all five can last the entire time, they get a million dollars, but if any of the five quit for any reason, they all lose. In the last week, strange things begin to occur: is it simply a tactic to scare them to avoid giving out the prize, or are they really in danger? The web cam aesthetic works very well in this setting and the sound design really sells the creepiness of the atmosphere, providing real tension and scares. My Little Eye has already played in the UK where it grossed over $4M (double what Halloween: Resurrection made). Universal has the domestic distribution rights, but they haven't announced any release plans as of yet. At the Toronto International Film Festival, director Marc Evans mentioned that a US release would be more difficult because reality television isn't nearly as popular here as it is in England. Now, that's really scary. (DK)

Owning Mahowny (US, Canada) - Philip Seymour Hoffman is often the guy who gives the standout performance in the supporting role, but here he is in the title role as Dan Mahowny. The film is based on the book "No Limit" by Gary Ross, which chronicles the true story of a junior bank executive who stole millions of dollars of his bank's money to pay for his gambling habit. Director Richard Kwietniowski is back after a way too long absence following his underrated previous film Love and Death on Long Island. Minnie Driver and John Hurt also star in this film that will premiere at Sundance and be released May 2nd by Sony Pictures Classics. (DK)

The Passion (US, Italy) - I'm not a very religious person, and I'm not the biggest fan of Mel Gibson as a director, but you have to give credit for attempting a film about the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus told entirely in Latin and Aramaic (and apparently without subtitles). Jim Caviezel will lend his soulful eyes to the formidable task of playing Jesus. The ambitious project could wind up being a complete disaster, but it should be interesting either way. It currently doesn't have distribution, but you would think that Gibson could call in a few favors to get it into theaters for an art house release, though he may have to give in on that no subtitles thing. (DK)

The Singing Detective - An expressionist noir mystery musical: what more could you ask for? If that were not enough, being a big fan director Keith Gordon's last film, Waking the Dead, I'd be interested in whatever he did next. This is the feature film remake of the British miniseries from BBC writer, Dennis Potter. Gordon has assembled a top-notch cast that includes Robert Downey, Jr., Mel Gibson, Robin Wright Penn, Adrien Brody, Katie Holmes, and Jeremy Northam. Expect this film to pick up some buzz when it premieres at Sundance and will likely leave the festival with a distributor. (DK)

Spellbound - Documentaries remain a bastard stepchild in the film industry, as there are few that ever make money theatrically or reach the consciousness of the greater public. One suspects that this will remain true of this current film, especially since it's a depiction of eight contestants participating in the 1999 National Spelling Bee - probably not a recipe for megaplex success. Still, this film won itself a Special Jury Prize as well as being named the Audience Favorite Documentary at the 2002 LA Film Festival, so it hopefully will be a good example of the quality work that can still be done in this box office challenged genre. (CH)

Spun - The drug comedy may in general be a tired genre, but director Jonas Åkerlund (most famous for directing the video for Prodigy's "Smack That Bitch Up") reinvigorates the genre with the high energy, Spun. Certainly, that is partially due to the fact that he is willing to go all out and not hold back, though what is actually released will certainly be trimmed from the version that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. That version stands no chance of getting by the MPAA with an R rating, but then you will probably be able to pick it up on a special unrated DVD at a later date. Spun is loud and raunchy and hilarious. It was picked up by Newmarket (the people who released Memento and Donnie Darko) for release (starting limited) on March 14th. The homepage can be viewed at http://www.spunthemovie.com. (DK)

Thirteen - Considering that writer/director Catherine Hardwicke's only previous experience is as a production designer, there's not much to go on there. The plot is also cause for some concern in that it sounds like it could slip into Afterschool Special territory as it tells the story of a teenage girl who gets involved with drugs, sex, and petty crime when she falls in with the wrong crowd, straining her relationship with her mother. It's the cast that gives hope that it will rise above as the mother is played by Holly Hunter and the daughter is played by an extremely talented young actress, Evan Rachel Wood (from television's Once & Again). This is yet another Sundance film with hopes of leaving Park City with distribution in hand. (DK)

Foreign films

The Adventurer (France) - Directed by Christophe Gans, who helmed The Brotherhood of the Wolf, this is an adaptation of the French pulp series The Adventures of Bob Morane by Henri Vernes. This material has long been popular in France, and has spawned a series of adaptations on television, animation and comic books there. Set in post-colonial Burma, the tale revolves around a young man in that country who's engaged in a tete-a-tete with some secret Chinese societies. Along for the ride is the always-watchable Maggie Cheung, which is a plus for any production. (CH)

Amen (France, Germany) - Director Costa-Gavras is known for his political movies, most famously the Best Foreign Film and Best Editing Oscar-winner, Z, which told the story of the assassination of Greek leader, Gregory Lambrakis, and the coup that followed. With Amen he turns his camera to the Vatican collaboration in the Holocaust of World War II with his fictionalized account of a German officer and young priest who team to try to get the Vatican to speak out against the Nazi actions. While Costa-Gavras can sometimes delve into polemic, his films are always sure to provoke discussion. Amen has already opened in several countries, and Kino has claimed U.S. distribution rights, but has not yet set a release date. The official homepage (including a trailer) is at http://www.amen-lefilm.com/uk/home.html. (DK)

Bollywood Queen (Great Britain) - Another trip into the muticulti world of modern England, this film is director Jeremy Wooding's fusion of traditional Western cinematic technique and the exuberant world of Bollywood films. A romantic story of a love with class and racial undertones here comes spiced up with the whirling, surreal addition of musical numbers. Starring Preeya Kalidas, who in the past year or so has emerged an important British-born Asian star. (She has also played the lead in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End stage musical Bombay Dreams and appears in Gurinder Chadha's football comedy, Bend It Like Beckham). (CH)

Dirty Pretty Things (Great Britain) - Stephen Frears' newest movie examines the multicultural 21st century metropolis of London through the vehicle of the urban thriller. A great rainbow cast including Amelie star Audrey Tatou (here playing a young Tunisian woman) leads the action as some immigrants to England stumble upon the grisly remnants of violence and are wrought by the consequences. Seemingly smart and made with a cutting political edge, this film should be head and shoulders above the average noir rehash. (CH)

800 Bullets (Spain) - The year 2000 brought us a spectacular Thai tribute to the spaghetti western genre (Tears of a Black Tiger) and so now I guess it's Spain's turn. Basque director Alex de Iglesias, who helmed the 1995 supernatural horror film El Dia de las Bestia and later was tamed by Hollywood with the 1997 Perdita Durango here turns his attention to a gritty and fanciful genre interpretation. The plot sounds like a lot of frenetic shootouts, offbeat humor, a stylish, self-aware screenplay, some tongue-in-cheek movie tributes, and here and there a subtle political comment dropped in. What more do you need to know? (CH)

Fassbinder in Hollywood (Germany) - Other than Jackass, documentaries rarely get much wide play so you may have to look for this one screening at your local bohemian repertory house or art museum. However, as there still has yet to be a decent English language biography written about the brilliant enfant terrible of the New German cinema this one bears mention. Hopefully some of the gaps left by that omission can be filled in with this look at his life through the eyes of those who had the privilege (and curse) to work with this great filmmaker. (CH)

Hypnotic (Great Britain) - This British film is adapted from a Madison Smartt Bell novel about a hypnotherapist (Goran Visnjic) who begins to have telepathic visions that come from a young girl who has recently escaped from a serial killer. Director Nick Willing is fresh from making TV versions of Alice in Wonderland and Jason and the Argonauts and hopefully will bring some slightly fantastic touches to the material. (CH)

It's All About Love (US, Japan, Sweden, UK, Denmark) - Thomas Vinterberg made an international splash with his debut feature, the Dogme 95 film Festen (The Celebration). His newest film is a change of pace as he discards his vow of chastity to make It's All About Love. Claire Danes and Joaquin Phoenix star as a married couple whose relationship is falling apart around them, and they meet to sign divorce papers. At the same time, the world seems to be falling apart as well as the laws of nature seem to be out of whack. Gravity loss and flash ice ages are causing chaos as the young couple decides to take a second chance at love. The film currently doesn't have US distribution, but it will play at Sundance, so there's a good chance with this pedigree that it will create some buzz and pick up a distributor there. The official website (where you can view a teaser and a trailer) is active at http://www.tvropa.com/itsallaboutlove. (DK)

Ju-On: The Grudge (Japan) - Here's an entry into the Japanese horror genre that's coming to screen in a manner similar to The Ring. There have been two previous Ju-On projects done for video, but now a crack team has been assembled to bring it to the theaters. The director (Takashi Shimizu) of the two video versions remains, but will now be aided by Hiroshi Takahashi (screenwriter for The Ring) and Kiyoshi Kurosawa (The Cure). Throw in some creepy sounding Japanese spirits, a murder plot or two as well as Megumi Okina and Misaki Ito and personally I don't need any more convincing. (CH)

Kaante (India) - For the uninitiated, it can be a bit of a struggle just to find out what exactly are the Bollywood movies that might make it to the states in the coming year. There were a couple candidates considered for entry in this piece, but ultimately I chose only to include this as it opens at my local Bollywood emporium this week (which really makes it a 2002 production, but who's counting?). Shot on location in Los Angeles, this gangster film is a classic heist tale of six men attempting to knock over a bank. Kaante is a more international style film than many Bollywood productions, and even utilized some Tinsel Town personnel in its creation, notably stunt director Spiro Razatos (Face/Off, Swordfish) and special effects supervisor Frank Ceglia (Scream). (CH)

Legend of Suriyothai (Thailand)/ Shaolin Soccer (Hong Kong) - For convenience's sake, we'll combine these two films that are probably most likely to actually come to a cinema near you in 2003, as they already have distribution in hand. Unfortunately, both Francis Ford Coppola and Harvey Weinstein respectively have chosen to pursue a policy of re-cutting these films for American audiences. Though this may make the films more acceptable to general film patrons and in their eyes might give the films a better chance of succeeding here, it also has the reverse effect of alienating a core audience (hello, self) that is really only interested in seeing these works in their original form. In any case, though it's likely this patron will import the foreign DVD rather than see a bastardized version in my local theater, these two renowned Asian films should see some sort of release in North America during the next year. (CH)

Madame Sata (Brazil) - Here's one that garnered an "un certain regard" accolade at the 2002 Cannes film fest that might actually make it to NY/LA by July 2003. (Insert "I'll probably have imported the DVD by then" rant here). Based on a true story of a man in Rio in the late 1920s-30s who was a bandit, prostitute, cutthroat, transvestite cabaret performer, and father to seven adopted children. This jack/jill of all trades was supposedly inspired in name by the 1930 Cecil B. DeMille motion picture Madame Satan. (CH)

The Man Without a Past (Finland) - The second film in a trilogy by the great Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki, this film was awarded the Grand Jury prize at the last Cannes film festival. The story of a businessman who is set upon by a group of muggers and ends up losing his memory as a result of the confrontation, the release of this film is highly anticipated by this viewer. The unfortunate thing is that the movie won't even hit NY/LA prior to April 4th, so the result likely will be that by the time this one finally makes it to my town this potential paying customer will have already gone to the trouble of importing the (already available) Finnish DVD. (CH)

Purple Butterfly (China) - Set in occupied China during World War II, this project stars Zhang Ziyi as an embittered woman leading a gang that hunts out traitors who are aiding the Japanese. It'll be nice to see the actress in a substantial part, as some of her recent work has been a bit skimpy in form. Directed by Lou Ye, whose Suzhou River was one of the best films of last year. (CH)

The Reckoning (UK, Spain) - Director Paul McGuigan garnered some acclaim with his film Gangster No. 1 and has moved on to direct the Josh Hartnett starrer, Wicker Park, a Hollywood remake of the French film L'Appartement. The Reckoning, however, still sits on the shelf. Paramount Classics currently has plans to release the film September 12th. Paul Bettany stars as a fugitive priest in 14th century England, who takes up with a band of traveling actors. When they arrive in a small town to find a woman sentenced to death for murder, they re-enact the crime, and while performing learn the truth about the crime. (DK)

Runaway Pistol (Hong Kong) - Director Lam Wah Chuen has worked with noted director Fruit Chan as composer and cinematographer on a number of other films, including the heralded Durian, Durian and most recently Public Toilet. Here he strikes out on his own as director with a tale following the story of a gun as it travels on its way from hand to hand. The result garnered the film both Best Picture and Best Screenplay nominations at the latest Golden Horse awards, and marked its director as one to watch in the future. (CH)

Spider (Canada) - You may already have seen this pop up on a critic's year-end list or two as it was pressed into a two-week Oscar qualifying run late in 2002. Unfortunately for us have-nots, we'll have to wait until February to see the latest release from offbeat filmmaker David Cronenberg. Here's hoping this film trumps the director's recent output, which was extremely disappointing given the great run of films he had from the 70s through 1986's The Fly. A great cast including Ralph Fiennes, Gabriel Byrne and Miranda Richardson makes the prospects for this one very promising. (CH)

Ten (Iran) - A new work by Abbas Kiarostami is always cause for celebration. Though I'm sure the release of this excellent film won't go much beyond some of the larger metropolitan areas of North America, those in such areas should be advised to watch out for this one. Perhaps not attaining the great heights of The Wind Will Carry Us, this film nevertheless is an important meditation and exploration of the role of women in contemporary Iranian society. A stunning lead performance by Mania Akbari also helps to make this film one well worth seeking out. (CH)

Three (Thailand, Korea, Hong Kong) - This horror anthology film consists of three short segments from three Asian locales. Successful throughout the region, the portion of the film directed by Peter Chan (Going Home) has been especially singled out for praise by critics and fans alike. The creepy atmosphere of this part of the film is also enhanced by the Christopher Doyle cinematography and performances by Hong Kong veterans Eric Tsang and Leon Lai. (CH)

The Tulse Luper Suitcases (UK, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Netherlands, Russia, Luxembourg) - It seems as if all of Europe teamed up to help get Peter Greenaway's latest film made. Greenaway is very much a love him or hate him director, and I fall in the love him camp. Actually, The Tulse Luper Suitcases is a massive project that is planned to include three films, a television series, CD-ROMs, and DVDs. The title character, Tulse Luper, will be played by JJ Feild, who bears a strong resemblance to Jude Law, and the rest of the cast of the three films is numerous and diverse, including: Fairuza Balk, Kathy Bates, Lothaire Blutheau, Jeff Bridges, Umberto Eco, Morgan Freeman, Debbie Harry, William Hurt, Don Johnson, Madonna, Ewan McGregor, Nick Nolte, Gary Oldman, Lena Olin, Franka Potente, Molly Ringwald, Isabella Rossellini, Sting, David Thewlis, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Zoe Wanamaker. Outdoing even the rapid fire release of the Lord of the Rings trilogy or the Matrix sequels, the plan for the release of the three films is the first at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2003, the second at Cannes in May 2003, and the third at the Venice Film Festival in September 2003. When we will be able to see these films in the U.S., however, remains to be seen. (DK)

28 Days Later (UK) - Danny Boyle's (Shallow Grave, Trainspotting) post-apocalyptic zombie flick has already opened in the U.K. and performed well at the box office, spending two weeks at the top of the charts before Harry Potter rolled into theaters. When a group of animal activists free infected chimps from a research facility, the virus spreads, wiping out a large portion of the population and turning many more into rampaging zombies. A small group of uninfected individuals band together to survive. This action-horror movie was written by Alex Garland, the novelist who wrote "The Beach" (the book was much better than the movie) and represents a return to form for Boyle. The film will have its US premiere at Sundance and then be released domestically by Fox Searchlight. (DK)

Twins Effect (Hong Kong) - Jackie Chan teams up with the Hong Kong pop/film duo The Twins (Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung) to battle hordes of vampires seeking dominion over the earth. Directed by Dante Lam and HK film veteran Donnie Yen, this one should promise some martial arts action coupled with the singing saccharine sweetness of Chan's young co-stars. However, The Twins have at least proven to be charming on film previously (in the successful Just One Look), so their poppy tendencies shouldn't be held against them here. (CH)

Vidocq (France) - In general, I'm suspicious of first time directorial outings from people who have been only visual effects supervisors, since there's little inherent in that particular skill that presupposes someone will be capable of handling narrative. Even worse, the director here has a pretentious, single name (Pitof) that makes me even more nervous. Still, given the unique look of some of the films this Frenchman has worked on (City of Lost Children, Alien: Resurrection, et al) there might be enough visual style in this based-in-fact tale about the man who founded the first French detective agency to make it worth a look. (CH)

Winged Migration (France) - Producer Jacques Perrin may be most familiar to international audiences as Salvatore in Cinema Paradiso, but he is also an Oscar-winning producer of dramas (for Z and Black and White in Color). But not content with that alone as his resume, he has also recently helped produce some amazing nature films, most notably the insectoid documentary Microcosmos. In his latest trip into the wild, Perrin has turned to ornithological pursuits, with this current outing utilizing a crew of 450 people (including 17 pilots and 14 cinematographers) to photograph birds in flight all over the globe. Much like Microcosmos, this film purportedly contains very little narration, simply allowing the beauty of the natural world to speak for itself. (CH)

Young Adam (UK) - This film made some news in a not-so-good way when it was delayed after funding fell through during pre-production, but it survived those woes and made it through production. Ewan McGregor stars in this mystery/thriller as a drifter named Joe, who finds work on the barge owned by a married couple. When they discover the body of a young woman in the water, it is revealed that Joe has had a past relationship with the dead woman. With the star power of McGregor (not to mention Tilda Swinton and Emily Mortimer), this could be a breakout film for Scottish director, David Mackenzie. Besides, I would watch McGregor in anything except a Star Wars movie. (DK)

View other columns by Chris Hyde