Oops. It’s been so busy I’ve missed the last two weeks of trailers and yet, not an astronomical amount of material to cover but what there is is, mostly, pretty darn good.

The Descendants

Last week, Kurt posted the really appealing poster for Amexander Payne’s upcoming comedy starring George Clooney as a guy who is trying to re-connect with his daughters. I remember when Payne’s Sideways hit the scene a few years ago and swept everyone off their feet. I enjoyed the movie but it’s one I’ve liked less with each viewing (after the second I decided never again or I may end hating the bloody thing) likely because I dislike both of the characters (though the actors put in fine performances). I’m thinking Clooney’s Matt King might be a little more likeable for repeated long, term appeal. Certainly looks like it’ll doll out a few funny and touching moments.

On a side note, Clooney is aging like an old school movie Star (capital not an error). He is one handsome fellow.

The Descendants opens December 16th.

Until someone perfects cloning technology or the Whistler Film Festival starts running for longer than four days, chances are one will never have the opportunity to see all of the films at the festival. Larysa Kondracki’s The Whistleblower, which took home the Phillip Borsos Award for best Canadian film, was one I missed due to other commitments but it was one I really wanted to, and am still interested in seeing.

It stars Rachel Weisz as Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska police officer who served as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia where she discovered and publicized the United Nations for covering up a sex scandal. The film is based on true events and features supporting performances from a stellar cast including Monica Bellucci, Vanessa Redgrave, David Strathairn, Liam Cunningham, David Hewlett and Benedict Cumberbatch.

The Whistleblower opens August 5th.

Terri

John C. Reilly in a dramedy? That right there puts me off but then I read “From the producers of Half Nelson and Blue Valentine” and I give it the benefit of the trailer. Good thing too because it’s pretty solid stuff.

The Sundance and SXSW darling stars relative newcomer Jacob Wysocki as the titular Terri, a typical teenage outsider while Reilly is Mr. Fitzgerald, the principal who takes a shinning to Terri and helps the kid integrate into highschool life. This “outsider” tome is nothing new but there’s something charming about the trailer for Azazel Jacobs’ film though what caught me off guard was how authentic the trailer feels. Yup, colour me surprised.

Terri opens July 1st.

Talk about taking the internet by storm. After it was posted earlier this week, the trailer for Robert Persons’ directorial debut caught like wildfire appearing everywhere. Pretty sure Variance Films, one of my favourite new distributors, are happy as clams right now. The only thing I can’t quite figure out is why this caught on so quick.

Admitedly, it’s a really nice looking trailer which is beautiffully, if mysteriously, narrated and accompanied by this ambient music that suggests a great mystery. Like maybe what the documentary is about. The best description I’ve seen reads “breathtakingly poetic meditation on the state of Georgia and its cultural, moral and geographical birthright, rendered through the rapt contemplation of historical maps, architectural artifacts, lyrical narration and exquisite landscape cinematography.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not writing it off, this is exactly the kind of documentary I love. It’s reminisccent of Terence Davies’ brilliant Of Time and the City and Sophie Fiennes’ Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow but it’s the kind of thing that usually goes mostly unnoticed so all of the hubbub is a pleasant surprise.

Hopefully all of the buzz will pay off because at the moment, General Orders No. 9 doesn’t have a release date.

This is very much a personal pick. My first run-in with A Tribe Called Quest came in the early 90s when I first heard “Electric Relaxation” featuring a very young, soon-to-be superstar Notorious B.I.G. It was Biggie that caught my ear but there was something about the tune that kept nagging at me and a short while later, I became a little obsessed with Quest’s first three albums.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen or heard anything from A Tribe Called Quest until earlier this week when Michael Rapaport (yes, THAT Michael Rapaport) introduced a trailer to his documentary tracking the career of the influential group and what may come of them in the future. This is probably not a documentary that will appeal to everyone but featuring interviews with Beastie Boys, Mary J. Blige, Common, Mos Def, De La Soul and Pharrell Williams among many others, even folks who aren’t fans of the group but generally love music should find some interest in this. I can’t wait.

Sony Pictures Classics is opening Beats Rhymes & Life The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest in rolling release fashion starting July 8th. Dates and locations on the official website. Hopefully this will expand to other markets in the near future.

I really like Rachel McAdams. I also really like Channing Tatum. Don’t laugh OK. I haven’t really seen him act yet but he’s a sweet bit of eye candy. Mix in Sam Neill, Jessica Lange and Scott Speedman and you can pretty much count on my money. Even if The Vow looks like an attempt at a serious version of 50 First Dates.

The plot? McAdams is involved in a car accident and can’t remember she’s married to Tatum. Queue weepy music and scenes of the couple getting to know each other all over again. It’s probably not going to be good and it’s likely I won’t see it in theatres (yeah…) but I will see it at some point.

The Vow opens February 10, 2012. Yup, just in time for Valentine’s day.