Over the next few months, we’ll get a chance to see many of this year’s likely Oscar contenders, and others that will keep us thinking and hoping and maybe even laughing.
So, what should be on your must-see list as the year winds down? We went to David Huffman of JRF Management, which runs Cleveland’s Capitol Theatre, Cedar Lee Theatre, Chagrin Cinemas, Shaker Square Cinemas and Tower City Cinemas.
This is what he’s looking forward to and what he thinks our readers will like, too:
1. HACKSAW RIDGE
(opening Nov. 4)
The extraordinary true story of conscientious objector Desmond Doss, who, in Okinawa during the bloodiest battle of World War II, saved 75 men without firing a gun.
Starring Andrew Garfield and Sam Worthington
2. RULES DON’T APPLY
(opening Nov. 11)
It’s Hollywood, 1958. Small town beauty queen and devout Baptist Marla Mabrey, under contract to the infamous Howard Hughes, arrives in Los Angeles. At the airport, she meets her personal driver, Frank Forbes, only two weeks on the job and also from a religiously conservative background. Their instant attraction not only puts their religious convictions to the test, but also defies Hughes’ No. 1 rule: No employee is allowed to have an intimate relationship with a contract actress.
Starring Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Alec Baldwin, Alden Ehrenreich and Lily Collins
3. ALLIED
(opening Nov. 23)
The story of intelligence officer Max Vatan, who in 1942 North Africa encounters French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Reunited in London, their relationship is threatened by the extreme pressures of the war.
Starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard
4. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
(opening late November/early December, date TBD)
Lee Chandler is a brooding, irritable loner who works as a handyman for a Boston apartment block. One damp winter day, he gets a call summoning him to his hometown, north of the city. His brother’s heart has given out suddenly, and he’s been named guardian to his 16-year-old nephew. As if losing his only sibling and doubts about raising a teenager weren’t enough, his return to the past reopens an unspeakable tragedy.
Starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and Kyle Chandler
5. LA LA LAND
(opening Christmas Day)
The story of Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a dedicated jazz musician, struggling to make ends meet while pursuing their dreams in a city known for destroying hopes and breaking hearts. With modern-day Los Angeles as the backdrop, this musical about everyday life explores what is more important: a once-in-a-lifetime love, or the spotlight.
Starring Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, John Legend and Rosemarie DeWitt
