IF a sprinkling of snow didn't get you in a festive mood, this sampling of upcoming films surely will.
There's something for everyone in the holiday lineup, from fun (Arthur Christmas) to freaky (Sleeping Beauty), cheery (New Year's) to creepy (Shame). So whether you'd prefer to spend Christmas Day warming the cockles of your heart with Steven Spielberg's War Horse, or partaking in the 3D end of the world (Darkest Hour), come in from the cold and enjoy the show.
Now playing: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 Twi-hards lined up in the freezing rain to be among the first to see Bella Swan's swansong, part one of the big Twilight finale. This is the film where vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson) and human Bella (Kristen Stewart) finally consummate their previously chaste relationship - don't worry, parents: he insists on marrying her first - and the vampire war comes to a frenzied
climax. Mediocre acting is sure to be back on the menu, but the film is a must-see for rabid fans of Stephanie Meyer's novels.
Hugo
Brian Selznick's beloved children's classic gets the 3D treatment from director Martin Scorsese. Orphan Hugo Cabret lives in secret in a Paris train station with no one but an automaton for company. When a little girl saves Hugo from the meddling inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), the two set out to solve the mystery of Hugo's late father and the message he left behind. Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Meretz, Ben Kingsley star.
Arthur Christmas
This animated film promises a peek behind the curtain at the inner workings of Santa's workshop, as Santa's youngest son (wait, he had kids?!) commandeers dad's operation to deliver presents to a child mistakenly left off the "good" list. From Sony Pictures and Aardman (the clever guys who brought us Wallace and Gromit), with voice work by James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent and Bill Nighy.
My Week With Marilyn
Based on the true diaries of Colin Clark, the film chronicles the carefree week Marilyn Monroe spent in London, after new husband Arthur Miller headed back to the states and during filming of The Prince and the Showgirl. Early Oscar buzz for Michelle Williams as Marilyn and Kenneth Branagh as Laurence Olivier. Eddie Redmayne plays Colin Clark, who got swept up in it all; Dominic Cooper, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Julia Ormond and Emma Watson also comprise the all-star cast.
The Descendants
Alexander Payne, who exposed wine snobbery in Sideways, tackles infidelity and the perils of parenting a teenager in The Descendants, with George Clooney front-and-centre. "Backup parent" Matt King (Clooney) goes on a quest to find his wife's lover after she is involved in a serious accident, all the while trying to keep his fragile family - 17-year-old rebel Alex (Shailene Woodley) and pre-teen Scottie (Amara Miller) - intact.
Dec. 2
Café de Flore Quebec filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallee (C.R.A.Z.Y., The Young Victoria) navigates a present-day love triangle, and the relationship between a mother (Vanessa Paradis) and her mentally challenged son, in 1960s Paris. Music best connects these interwoven tales, as does actor Helene Florent, who plays the ex-wife exploring what went wrong.
Sleeping Beauty Don't take the kids to this twisted tale about a university student (Emily Browning) who takes a job as a "sleeping beauty," and is knowingly drugged so men can satisfy their secret desires while she's asleep. But curiosity gets the better of her-
Dec. 9
The Sitter
Jonah Hill is back, playing the guy who you would trust least with your kids. Nevertheless, the perpetual slacker ends up caring for three children, and does what any irresponsible man-child would do: takes them to New York City to mingle with drug-dealers, Mafiosi and horny co-eds. From Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Film adaptation of the definitive 1974 John Le Carre spy novel (and 1979 miniseries starring Alec Guinness), this complex film features a stellar British cast led by Gary Oldman as George Smiley, coaxed out of semi-retirement to sniff out a Soviet spy within the upper echelons of the British Intelligence Service during the Cold War.
Complex and quintessentially British.
New Year's Eve
Director Garry Marshall takes a second shot at the perils of holiday romance in the festive star-ganza New Year's Eve, starring Halle Berry, Jon Bon Jovi, Ashton Kucher, Jessica Biel, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Katherine Heigl, Hector Elizondo, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert DeNiro (and more), many of whom were in the emotionally
hollow Valentine's Day.
Shame
Michael Fassbender won best actor in Venice for his portrayal of a man who has carefully constructed his whole life to cater to his sexual addiction. But then his troubled sister (Carey Mulligan) comes to stay, and brother and sister are forced to address their troubled past.
Dec. 16
Chipwrecked
Alvin, the Chipmunks and the Chipettes are having a squeaky ol' time aboard a luxury ocean liner until they become shipwrecked on a seemingly deserted island. Jason Lee is back; Anna Faris hops aboard.
Young Adult In the film that reunites "Juno" team Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody, a newly divorced teen-fiction writer (Charlize Theron) returns to her hometown, determined to relive her glory days and to take up with her (now married) high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson).
A former classmate (Patton Oswalt) helps her to get over herself.
The Iron Lady
Regardless of your opinion of "Black Maggie", there's no denying the gender-crushing impact Margaret Thatcher, first female Prime Minister of Great Britain, had on society. Meryl Streep stars as the Iron Lady herself, with Jim Broadbent and Harry Lloyd.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of
Shadows Guy Ritchie once again directs Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as the world's most famous sleuth and his trusty sidekick, this time in pursuit of a criminal mastermind (Jared Harris) and stymied by a gypsy fortune teller (Noomi Rapace, without the dragon tattoos).
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Tom Cruise can still hang from skyscrapers with the best of them: the proof is in this fourth M: I film, directed by Brad Bird and produced by J.J. Abrams. The Mission: Impossible team is left out of the cold and on the run after a little mishap at the Kremlin.
Jeremy Renner co-stars in the latest in a franchise that has made $1.5 billion worldwide.
Dec. 21
The Adventures of Tintin
Fifteen-year-old reporter/ adventurer Tintin is already beloved by several generations of fans but will receive a new level of stardom once Steven Spielberg brings him to the big screen in 3D. (Belgian artist Hergé, who created Tintin in 1929, would be astounded.) This tale sees Tintin in pursuit of a 400-year-old sunken ship with a powerful secret. Voice talent includes Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis and Daniel Craig.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Daniel Craig's other big film out today is David Fincher's English-language remake of the highly successful Swedish film, based on Stieg Larsson's trilogy. He plays journalist Mikael Blomkvist, who must work with a troubled computer hacker (Rooney Mara) to solve a 40-year-old murder.
Dec. 23
We Bought A Zoo
Feel-good director Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous) offers up the true story of a single dad (Matt Damon) who moves with his two children onto a run-down animal game farm. Animals and Scarlett Johansson help the healing process.
Dec. 25
The Darkest Hour
What better way to celebrate Christmas than by fending off a 3D alien attack? In The Darkest Hour, five young people stranded in the city of Moscow, try to avoid becoming alien appetizers after an alien invasion. (Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella star.)
War Horse
In Steven Spielberg's second directorial effort of the holiday season, a bond forms between a horse named Joey and the young man who tames him (Jeremy Irvine).
But then the First World War gets in the way, owner and horse are parted, and Joey encounters British cavalry, German soldiers, and the horrors of France. Based on Michael Morpurgo's novel and the popular London stage production.
