Screen Play: September's Must-See Movies
14 films to fall for
Paul Dano is a rock star. And he’s cast as one in director So Yong Kim’s slow burner set against a snowy backdrop. His performance as Joby Taylor, a lead singer about to lose custody of his 6-year-old daughter, is reason enough to jangle through every human emotion. Jon Heder and Jena Malone playing backup justifies the ticket price.
It’s like: Janie Jones meets Treeless Mountain.
Go: Solo.
Premiered: September 5 (NYC only, more cities coming soon)
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
Forget the freshman fifteen — these girls get fired if they gain two centimeters. Referred to as the “supply chain,” underage Siberian models are promised money and work in Japan, but are sent home emotionally abused and broke. Book a go-see with David Redmon and Ashley Sabin’s doc told through an American scout/former model and her 13-year-old prospect, Nadya.
It’s like: Picture Me meets Devil’s Playground.
Take: Model hopefuls.
Premiered: September 5
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
You’re broke, divorced, and living with your parents. What’s next? An affair with a dark-haired, 19-year-old boy (you know him as Charlie on Girls), duh. Up in the Air’s Melanie Lynskey makes rock bottom look good as Amy Minsky, the sad-sack lead in Todd Louiso’s horny, raw Sundance dramedy that proves there’s laughter in disaster. Here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson.
It’s like: The Graduate meets Post Grad.
Take: The boy next door.
Premieres: Today
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
As sweet as it is naughty, the ’80s-style womance dials into Superbad and Bridesmaids. Indie doll Ari Graynor and newbie Lauren Miller (a.k.a. Mrs. Seth Rogen) are Katie and Lauren, college enemies turned best friends turned phone sex operators. Cue Justin Long as the gay BFF and Seth Rogen and Kevin Smith for dirty-talking cameos.
It’s like: Outrageous Fortune meets Girl 6.
Take: Your bestie.
Expands: Today
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
So it’s another raunchy bridal bash, but Terriers writer-turned-director Leslye Headland’s biting comedy has nothing to do with the bride and everything to do with the bitches — namely Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan, and Isla Fisher. The pack of bridesmaids who hate the bride spends the night before the big day indulging in debauchery. Their antics had Sundancers (including producer Will Ferrell) rolling.
It’s like: Mean Girls meets The Hangover.
Take: Party animals.
Premieres: Today (on demand now)
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
Depicting the creation of Scientology, Paul Thomas Anderson’s 70mm wonder is inspiring followers across the nation. Already hailed as a triumph in American cinema and a solid contender for an Oscar, it’s graced only a handful of screens. When it hits yours, sit back and let Philip Seymour Hoffman and a De Niro-like Joaquin Phoenix deliver quite the religious experience.
It’s like: Raging Bull meets Magnolia.
Take: Your thinker.
Premieres: September 14
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
Writer/director Jamie Linden’s debut feature is an ensemble piece inspired by his own high school reunion and cast with his real-life pals: Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Rosario Dawson, Justin Long, Chris Pratt, Ari Graynor, and Aubrey Plaza, to name a few. Relive the ’90s with the crew as they wax nostalgic — right to down to the sound track (hey there, Fatboy Slim).
It’s like: Can’t Hardly Wait meets The Big Chill.
Take: Your clique.
Premieres: September 14
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
Keg parties. Wearing pj’s to class. Take a more literary walk down memory lane with Josh Radnor’s ode to higher education. Starring himself, his sophomore feature isn’t without drama: When Jesse returns to his alma mater, he falls for an advanced undergrad sixteen years his junior, played by Elizabeth Olsen. Find comic relief in Zac Efron’s wise and woolly weirdo.
It’s like: Happythankyoumoreplease meets Elizabethtown.
Take: Romantics.
Premieres: September 14
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
Richard Gere’s back, and it’s his turn to be unfaithful. He’s Robert Miller, a shady NYC tycoon balancing scandal with a pretty woman, corporate woes, and homicide. Cliff Martinez of Drive fame tunes debut director Nicholas Jarecki’s thriller inspired by Bernie Madoff, and Susan Sarandon, Brit Marling, Tim Roth, and breakout Nate Parker (reminiscent of Vince from Friday Night Lights) make it sing.
It’s like: Michael Clayton meets Wall Street.
Take: Gere heads.
Premieres: September 14
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
Put a BOLO out on writer/director David Ayer; his cop drama premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival is straight-up criminal. Officers Taylor and Zavala (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña) giddily patrol South Central L.A.’s streets like they’re navigating Grand Theft Auto — until they land on the cartel’s hit list. Ayer’s shaky-cam technique makes you feel the need to dodge bullets, but keep your eyes peeled for America Ferrera (seriously).
It’s like: Chips meets serious Harsh Times.
Take: Badge bunnies.
Premieres: September 21
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
The festival documentary sheds light on the imperious Harper’s Bazaar/Vogue editor, whose buddy list included Jackie O. and Twiggy. You’ll want a front-row seat for the parade of industry giants: designers Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta, and Manolo Blahnik; models Veruschka and China Machado; and photographers David Bailey and Richard Avedon.
It’s like: A Bill Cunningham dream.
Take: Hot steppers.
Premieres: September 21
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
Emma Watson graduates from Hogwarts to yet another teenage drama with two awkward dudes, but this one’s no fantasy. Adapting his own dark novel about a lone wolf taken in by two seniors, Stephen Chbosky flips the book-is-always-better theory, thanks to Logan Lerman’s portrayal of protagonist Charlie and a Smiths-heavy sound track.
It’s like: The Breakfast Club meets Charlie Bartlett.
Take: Young adults.
Premieres: September 21
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
Often the horror genre pulls from the home depot, but don’t dwell on the cliche exterior. Mark Tonderai’s Hitchcock-inspired scare fest starring Jennifer Lawrence and Elisabeth Shue has quite the twist. The two move next door to a residence with a murderous reputation, and weird things start happening. Then the fun begins.
It’s: Past The House of the Devil before The Last House on the Left.
Take: The girl next door.
Premieres: September 21
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
You held your breath as he maneuvered a ten-speed with no brakes through Manhattan’s gridlock. Now check your pulse as he jumps through time on a mission to kill his future self. The flick splits a role between Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, but the fact that Rian Johnson (the mind behind Brick and The Brothers Bloom) writes and directs brings it full circle.
It’s like: Totally opening the Toronto International Film Festival.
Take: Adrenaline junkies.
Premieres: September 28
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
For Ellen
Paul Dano is a rock star. And he’s cast as one in director So Yong Kim’s slow burner set against a snowy backdrop. His performance as Joby Taylor, a lead singer about to lose custody of his 6-year-old daughter, is reason enough to jangle through every human emotion. Jon Heder and Jena Malone playing backup justifies the ticket price.
It’s like: Janie Jones meets Treeless Mountain.
Go: Solo.
Premiered: September 5 (NYC only, more cities coming soon)
Find showtimes at fandango.com. To see what else is showing, check out our must-see movies. For TIFF 2012 news, hit up Tumblr or our GoWatchIt festival channel.
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