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October is when the leaves fall, many pumpkin spice lattes are consumed and sweaters start to appear from the closet (maybe not so much in South Louisiana). This October also brings a venomous creature, a country music love story, an epic mission to land on the moon, the revival of a horror film icon and much, much more. Here’s what’s happening this month in cinema:
The first box office weekend in October (Oct. 5-7) opens with two movies that have big expectations: “Venom”, Sony’s take on the Marvel anti-hero, and “A Star is Born”, the music-drama remake starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.
The following weekend (Oct. 12-14), Ryan Gosling’s “First Man”, the historical drama about Neil Armstrong and the rest of the crew of Apollo 11’s voyage to the moon, competes against the talent-filled thriller “Bad Times at the El Royale” which features Hollywood stars such as Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Nick Offerman and Dakota Johnson.
The terror and horror arrives at the box office the next weekend (Oct. 19-21) with Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role in the eleventh installment of the “Halloween” franchise simply titled “Halloween”. Also debuting on Oct. 19 is the historical comedy-drama “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”, starring Melissa McCarthy who plays a celebrity biographer that starts forging letters from well-established writers to sell for her personal profit.
The screams continue to roar the last weekend in October (Oct. 26-28) with the release of “Suspiria”, the supernatural-horror remake starring Dakota Johnson. However, the screams might not outweigh the laughter as Rowan Atkinson returns as Johnny English in “Johnny English Strikes Again”.
One You Might have Missed
Michael Mayer’s “The Seagull” is the latest adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s play of the same name. Irina (Annette Bening) is a famous, yet, past-her-prime actress that travels to her family’s country estate with her lover and highly-praised writer Boris (Corey Stoll) to visit her ill older brother Sorin and estranged son Konstantin (Billy Howle). At the estate, several other characters enter the fold such as the estate managers (Mare Winningham and Glenn Fisher), daughter of the estate managers (Elizabeth Moss), local doctor (Jon Tenney) and teacher (Michael Zegan). A love triangle (actually one of several that form in the film) emerges when Konstantin’s neighborhood girlfriend Nina (Saoirse Ronan) falls in love with Boris.
“The Seagull”, like many other play adaptions, mainly falls flat in expanding the visual scope a film can achieve as opposed to the more condensed sets found in the theatre. It does manage to use some unique, cinematic storytelling techniques with its use of aperture and extreme close-up shots. It is a bit jarring when the movie immediately puts all of the characters in a room together and the audience has to play catch-up on who is who. The plot is somewhat simple, but the dialogue brings a refreshing wit that is not often heard in motion pictures today.
The main reason to see this character-driven film is unequivocally the performances. Of course, Annette Bening is superb, playing the complex actress clinging to her status and seeking affection from everyone around her. The not-so-well-known Billy Howle shines as the eager, sometimes overly-morbid, aspiring playwright whose jealousy fuels the progression of the storyline. And finally, Elizabeth Moss, although in a supporting role, grabs the emotions of the viewers who witness her tragic depiction of a life that’s in disarray. All of the complex personalities in “The Seagull” bring forward the depression, jealously, rage and passion often found in those associated with the world of fine art.
“The Seagull” is now available to rent on Vudu and iTunes and purchase on Amazon.
