After a mediocre month of movies in October, November looks much more promising.
November 2
Bohemian Rhapsody — Rami Malek portrays Freddie Mercury and the film traces the rise of the music of Queen. Interestingly, Malek knew little about Queen when he signed on. When released, this trailer received five million views in 24 hours. The fans remember!
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms — Lasse Hallstrom makes some great movies: Cider House Rules, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Chocolat, The One Hundred-Foot Journey, so together with Disney, I have no doubt this will be another very good one. Keira Knightley (Sugar Plum Fairy), Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, and Mackenzie Foy (Clara) star.
November 9
The Girl in the Spider’s Web — Computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist find themselves caught in a web of spies, cyber criminals and corrupt government officials. Claire Foy is Lisbeth and we get to meet Lisbeth’s estranged twin sister, Camilla Salander, played by Sylvia Hoeks. Expect some fireworks!
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald — At the end of the first film, the powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander. Grindelwald has escaped, Newt and company to the rescue. I didn’t see the first one and am not much into wizards, but maybe I’ll check it out.
Outlaw King — An epic story about the renowned King of Scots, Robert the Bruce, and the war of liberation he waged against the English occupation of Scotland. Chris Pine is Robert. Since this is a Netflix movie, any theater release will likely be very limited.
November 16
Widows — Their husbands are killed, the widows must finish the job, a bank robbery. Viola Davis and Michelle Rodriguez star. With Steve McQueen as the director, expect lots a car chases and gunfire. Early reviews are good.
Instant Family — Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne adopt three foster kids, wholly unprepared for what lies ahead. The kids don’t want to be parented. With two likable leads, this looks like fun.
November 21
Creed II — After Creed made $170 million on a $40 million budget and received a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating, this was inevitable. Adonis Creed gets ready for his next big fight and Rocky Balboa is there at his side. I’m not much into Rocky movies, but am told the first one was terrific.
Ralph Breaks the Internet — I saw Wreck-It-Ralph not expecting much and it was great. Vanellope steals the show. Now, add in the Disney princesses, Muppets, Star Wars, Marvel Comics, and Pixar characters with irreverent humor and this should be another hit.
The Front Runner — Gary Hart’s campaign is caught up in a sex scandal. Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga, J.K. Simmons and Alfred Molina are part of a great cast. Why would you ever name your boat Monkey Business?
November 23
Robin Hood — The film stars Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Ben Mendelsohn, Eve Hewson, Tim Minchin and Jamie Dornan. How many Robin Hood movies have been made? Who cares? We can’t get enough of Robin, Little John, Friar Tuck, and Maid Marion. Bring on the arrows!
The Favourite — The story focuses on the behind-the-scenes politics between two cousins jockeying to be court favourites during the reign of Queen Anne in the early 18th century. It stars Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz. This appears to be one of those cheeky English movies that are usually great fun. Early reviews are excellent.