The summer movie season has come to an end and we in the industry have a chance to catch our breath—albeit only for a moment.
The past few weeks have been a little quieter with most of the new releases opening softly, except for the surprisingly strong business of the horror flick Don’t Breathe.
However, this weekend Clint Eastwood (American Sniper) releases his latest, and he not only brings the talent of Tom Hanks, but he is telling yet another tale of recent heroism.
Sully is the story of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (Hanks) who, along with co-pilot Jeffery Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) managed to land US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River after encountering a flock of geese shortly after takeoff.
The geese crippled both engines barely three minutes into the flight and with no power and no airport within range, Sully managed a successful water landing saving all 155 passengers and crew and was proclaimed a hero.
But soon afterwards, his life was invaded by reporters and investigators and he is forced to put his job, family and reputation on the line.
Hanks is already getting acclaim for his portrayal of Captain Sully, however, the always dependable directing skills of 86-year-old Eastwood also details the efforts of the other crew members, emergency responders and ferry boat crews who worked together to turn potential tragedy into shared victory.
When the Bough Breaks is a psychological thriller that has a story strikingly similar to Fatal Attraction, with a little twist.
Starring the charismatic Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall (The Best Man movies), it is the story of a young professional couple who want a baby more than anything but are unable to conceive.
They decide to hire a surrogate (newcomer Jaz Sinclair) who seems to be the perfect choice but as the pregnancy progresses, she develops a psychotic and dangerous fixation on the husband.
The Wild Life is an animated retelling of the Robinson Crusoe tale, but this time it is told from the point of view of the animals living on the island Crusoe is shipwrecked on.
The animals’ lives are upended when a human and his dog are marooned on their tropical paradise after a furious storm and must start living with the indigenous creatures. However, two savage cats who want control of the island have different plans.
If you are looking for a good animated movie to see, I would recommend the acclaimed Kubo and the Two Strings, but The Wild Life is getting descent reviews and might provide a light diversion for the family after the first week of school.
The real movie excitement begins this week with the Toronto International Film Festival. Some of this fall’s most prominent films will premiere at TIFF and will feature many that will go on to grab the spotlight during the upcoming awards season including The Magnificent Seven, Oliver Stone’s Snowden, Deepwater Horizon, The Queen of Katwe and many more.
You can follow me on Twitter @rickthemovieguy for all the latest from TIFF and movies in general.