Trouble With The Curve
Another first trailer sees the return of a face we haven’t seen in front of the camera for four years, with Clint Eastwood starring in the baseball drama Trouble with the Curve. Starring alongside Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake, the film follows an aging baseball scout who’s losing his sight, who heads on a last road trip to Atlanta with his daughter to scout a hotshot prospect. With Robert Lorenz making his feature directorial debut and a script by newcomer Randy Brown, the new trailer shows off the high talent in this film, and it looks as if it could be on par with last year’s Moneyball, especially when thinking about the awards season. Trouble with the Curve will be released in the UK on 30th November.
Playing For Keeps
Another sports film that has its first trailer is Gabriele Muccino’s (Seven Pounds, The Pursuit of Happyness) soccer drama Playing For Keeps. Originally titled Playing the Field, the film sees Gerard Butler in the lead alongside Jessica Biel, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Uma Thurman, Dennis Quaid, and Judy Greer. Butler plays a down-on-his luck former soccer star who returns home to put his life back together. Looking for a way to rebuild his relationship with his son, he gets roped into coaching the boys’ soccer team. Whilst the new trailer isn’t anything special, the film can certainly promise some emotional depth from director Muccino. Playing for Keeps will be released in the UK on 1st February, 2013.
Stolen
This time with a first US trailer, we see Nicolas Cage return to the big screen and reunite with director Simon West (Con Air) for Stolen. Previously titled Medallion, Cage stars as Will Montgomery, a master thief who after being double-crossed in a heist gone awry is sent to prison for 8 years. When Will’s released, his old partner Vincent kidnaps his estranged daughter Allison and demands the entire $10 million as ransom. Now Will must trust his old partner in crime, the sexy Riley (Malin Akerman), to do one more clever heist and get his daughter back. Also starring Josh Lucas (The Lincoln Lawyer) and Danny Huston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Stolen will be released in the US on 14th September, but there’s no word yet on a UK release yet.
Liberal Arts
Another favourite of mine this week is Josh Radnor’s follow-up to his feature directorial debut and Sundance favourite Happythankyoumoreplease, with his back to school dramedy Liberal Arts. Starring alongside Elizabeth Olsen, the film follows thirty-something Jesse (Radnor) who returns home for his father's retirement party and falls for college student Zibby (Olsen). I think this is an amazing leading duo and certainly one to anticipate, and the new trailer looks like there’s a lot of heart behind it. Also starring Zac Efron, Richard Jenkins, and Allison Janney, Liberal Arts is set to be released in the UK on the 5th of October.
For Ellen
Debuting at Sundance earlier this year, we also have the first trailer for So Yong Kim’s (Treeless Mountain) indie drama For Ellen. Stemming from Kim’s desire to understand her own father, For Ellen follows aspiring rock star Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) who, in the midst of a low period in his life, agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva). He soon realises, however, that signing the papers means he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter, Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). With a good-natured lawyer (Jon Heder) unable to make headway in reversing the decision, Joby negotiates a visit with his daughter to explore whether he is able to walk away from his child, and whether it might be too late for reconciliation. The new trailer looks very downbeat and slow but powerful nonetheless, and if nothing more it promises a deeply moving performance from Dano. Also starring Jena Malone and Dakota Johnson, For Ellen is set to have a limited released in the US from 5th September ahead of its VOD release on 19th September.
The Frozen Ground
And, finally, it’s time to see Vanessa Hudgens pole dance in the first trailer for Scott Walker’s directorial debut with the thriller, Frozen Ground. Also starring Nicolas Cage and John Cusack, the film is based on actual events and follows an Alaska State Trooper who partners with a young woman who escaped the clutches of serial killer Robert Hansen to bring the murderer to justice. Aside from the shock of Hudgens on drugs and half naked in the trailer, it looks as if this could be a decent thriller and Cusack certainly gives you the chills from these few minutes alone. Also starring 50 Cent, Dean Norris, Radha Mitchell, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, and Katherine LaNasa, Frozen Ground is set to be released in the US on 30th November.
